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Image of Ben Jeffries (left) & Sam Kimmel by Laurie Heifetz.
It was standing room only at the “Why Marketers are Winning Big on TikTok” talk at Advertising Week New York last month. The annual event was held at the sparkling, new Lower East Side venue, The Market Line. Ben Jeffries, the CEO of Influencer.com, and Sam Kimmel, of Strategic Global Creator Partnerships at TikTok, participated in the “fireside chat.”
Remember the “As Seen on TV” product tag? Ben mentioned that “As Seen on TikTok” is very prevalent now. Sam said that 83% of the TikTok audience misses shopping in person. She described going to the mall with your mom, sister and best friend — “the community aspect of shopping — that went away during Covid.”
“TikTok became somewhat of a digital mall. You had the ability to discover random products. It almost felt like window shopping in the mall,'” she observed. She also said that the community aspect included commenting and sending videos to friends and family. “The joy and engagement around shopping were recreated,” she stated.
Ben said that e-commerce was happening, but live shopping was the most prevalent. Sam offered that creators have been such a critical piece in driving shopping behavior on TikTok. One of three users have bought something because a creator recommended it, she told the audience. “A lot of that comes back to core principles of TikTok, that authenticity, because we’re not that filtered, polished aspirational content. People trust creators and don’t feel they’re being hard-sold to.”
“Creators, or influencers, were often thought of as a media tactic, and it was the last step of your campaign,” she continued. “Now the brands develop products with the creators.” A striking example is Addison Rae, who went on to have her own top-selling line at Sephora.
And what does the future hold? Sam stated, “Research shows that the creator economy is going to be valued at over $100 billion next year.”
Advertising Week Iconic Brand Mascot:
Image by Laurie Heifetz
Advertising Week Logo: Image by Laurie Heifetz
The Knockturnal: Please tell us a little about yourself.
Sam Paige: “I am a content creator who blew up on TikTok during the COVID-19 quarantine. I have 3 million followers, I am 27 years old, and grew up in Connecticut but currently reside in South Florida.”
The Knockturnal: If your life was a theme song what would it be and why?
Sam Paige: “Juice” by Lizzo would be my theme song. “I resonate with so many aspects of Juice. Lizzo sings, “If I’m shining, everybody gonna shine.” If I am shining I want all my friends and family to shine. Also, on the internet, I want everyone to feel like they are so beautiful and the best version of themselves… literally shining. A Lizzo “Juice” line states, “I was born like this, don’t even gotta try.” I was born like this, I was born thick and fat. It is what it is and I am rockin’ with it. Another line I resonate with is, “I’m like Chardonnay, get better over time.” I, like many others, was not one of those girls that peeked in High School. I am out here growing and becoming my better self each and every day. Lizzo: “Heard you say I’m not the baddest bitch, you lie.” I have faced hate comments online and IRL. Despite the negativity, I don’t care what you say, I am the baddest bitch.”
The Knockturnal: Tell us about your TikTok journey. What made you want to start a TikTok?
Sam Paige: “I got into TikTok, like most of us, during quarantine. My friend wanted to learn a dance and realized how great of a dancer and how quickly I could catch on to the moves. After this, I rediscovered my love for dance after not being in the studio for about 6 years. It started with dancing in bikinis (what I continue to do) and sharing my love for body positivity. I genuinely didn’t think anyone would care to see a plus-sized girl dancing in swimwear but is happy the internet proved her differently because it is now my career.” 
The Knockturnal: Tell us more about Dance.
Sam Paige: “I started dancing when I was five, I told my mom that I wanted to be on Broadway. She believed in me and my dream and placed me in dance, choir, and theater. I really love dancing, I stuck with it for 15 years! I even danced for one year on my college’s pom team. Honestly, the experience was shitty… I couldn’t jump as high due to me being a big girl and was told to sit out of dances multiple times because of that… But now the jokes are on them because I am the only one dancing for a living. I think dance is a great way to express myself and I find these TikTok dances extremely fun and enjoyable to learn.”
Fun fact: Sam learns TikTok dances in about 10-15 minutes depending on the difficulty and only needs to do them 3-4 times to get the perfect one.
The Knockturnal: Has TikTok led you into any other creative passions?
Sam Paige: “Since joining TikTok I have discovered a love for modeling. I feel when people model via Instagram they are always considered “Instagram models.” All because of TikTok and my followers I have been able to walk in the past two Miami Swim Weeks. Last year (2021) I walked for boohoo – this is when I really discovered my passion for modeling in a more serious light. The boohoo show was at the Versace Mansion in Miami which was a magical experience.. After, I made my way to NYC for New York Fashion Week (2021) where I walked for two different clothing designers. Just recently I walked in Miami’s 2022 Swim Week, where I walked in three different shows and represented four different designers. I have also done some modeling gigs for e-commerce brands in South Florida. I really enjoys the modeling experience and being a part of the evolution in body positivity within the modeling community.”
Email Sam to inquire about her modeling services.
The Knockturnal: What are some struggles you face as a plus-sized content creator?
Sam Paige: “Some struggles that are faced are; people are really shocked that a fat girl could have a following. I see this struggle when collaborating with different brands. I feel that many brands and businesses are shocked and are in disbelief that a curvy girl can help represent them. I also have noticed that the bots on social media are always flagging my posts for nudity or inappropriate content because I have physically more skin on my body, even though I am showing the same or even less skin than others on the same social channels.”
The Knockturnal: What does diversity and inclusion in the modeling and content-creating world mean to you?
Sam Paige: “Diversity and inclusion mean the world to me… I wouldn’t be where I am if I was just a stick figure little girl dancing on TikTok… There are a million billion girls of that nature.” What has really gotten me far in my career is the fact that I am different. I am curvy and plus-sized. My goal is to include more plus-sized people as content creators or models. I really want people to see that just because they are bigger they should not be limited from being a content creator or model as a career. I am so pleased that significantly more companies are giving curvy girls these opportunities. I have gotten to work with brands that I thought would never give a plus-sized creator or model the time of day. Some brands I have worked with are Lucky Brand, Aeropostale, and boohoo. Even some plus-sized companies, like Torrid, see the value in a plus-sized girl representing them online and modeling. I owe everything to people who want to have inclusion. I can’t wait to have more diversity!”
The Knockturnal: Although the fashion industry has progressed a lot in the past few years, what are some challenges that you believe still need to be addressed or faced?
Sam Paige: I believe although the fashion industry still has a long road of progression ahead of them they have been trending in the right direction. It has really helped my confidence to wear outfits that make me feel good in my own skin… I have seen a lot of changes in fast fashion. I find fast fashion is a lot easier to shop while being plus-sized whereas luxury brands still have a long way to go. It’s great that Gucci offers a 3XL now but it’s still not enough for the masses. I love shopping at Shien but think they could be more size-inclusive as well, their biggest size is only one size bigger than mine. I would really love to see extending in size so all people could experience the clothing they want to wear to express themselves. I am extremely sick of oversized clothing being available to straight-sized girls and making the clothing fit plus-sized girls but not offering it their size… It makes no sense.”
The Knockturnal: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into content creating or modeling?
Sam Paige: “I have only experienced the modeling world as an influencer and it has definitely helped in my case. I want to say I am not trained as a model so everything I have learned has been from my own experience, photographers, and fashion designers that have guided me. I suggest that you sign up with an agency that you trust and go from there. Content creation comes down to consistency. It is also very important to find your niche and work your niche to its full capacity. Even now it’s hard for me to post things that don’t consist of me dancing due to my following. Post three times a day on TikTok if you have to. Whatever you decide your niche is stick with it!!!!”
The Knockturnal: Give us all the Miami Swim Week 2022 tea!
Sam Paige: “This past Swim Week I participated in three different walks. I walked in “Splashing Lights” for FLKD, the next show was for “The Society” created by designer Krissy King, and the last show was for “Miami Swim Week – The Shows” which was hosted at the SLS. In the next show the designer, Diva Kurves, had only curvy girls which were really inspiring to walk with plus-sized girls. I also walked for another brand called “Porshia” where I walked in a swimsuit cover-up. I enjoyed all the walks and found each one to be very different. I also got invited to an influencer event and got to go to the “Good American” event at the 1 Hotel South Beach Miami.”
The Knockturnal: What has been the best vacation you have been on?
Sam Paige: “I graduated from Johnson and Wales with a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Traveling Tourism with a concentration in cruise line management. I always had an interest in traveling but decided I didn’t want to work on a cruise ship after working on one for a little. Travel has now become something I am even more passionate about because I have experienced some crazy things. Last year, my best friend Morgan, AKA @bald_baddie on IG, and I went on a 20-day Europe trip. It was probably the best trip of my life.
The Knockturnal: Any new and exciting news you can share with us?
Sam Paige: “I will be walking in New York Fashion Week in September of 2022, I will also be going to Playlist Live in Orlando (The Ultimate Creator Event) in September (right after my birthday).” Playlist Live will be my first content creator event, and I am super excited! I also am slowly working on a swimsuit line with a company hopefully coming out in April.”
Keep up with Sam on TikTok and Instagram to follow her journey.
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