We recently connected with My-Kim Nguyen and have shared our conversation below.
My-Kim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Hey! I’m My-Kim Nguyen, a passionate lifestyle and food content creator known as mykim.nguyen on social media. In the digital world, I’ve created a unique space for myself where I share my love for beauty, life, delicious food/seafood, fangirling, and capturing funny moments on camera.
I’ve always known I wanted to pursue a career within the entertainment industry since I was so young. The hardest part was just admitting it to myself and actively deciding to take that leap and pursue it. I have a lot of dreams within this industry, but for social media specifically, it all began when I was around 9 years old and discovered YouTube.
I became so obsessed with watching creators vlog their everyday lives. I thought it was the coolest thing ever – the way you can feel so connected to someone you’ve never met, sharing their experiences. Ever since then, it has always been one of my dreams to be able to create content, share my life, and connect with others online.
Now, with my @mykim.nguyen account, I’m able to live out that childhood dream. I’ve worked hard to build an engaged community on TikTok and Instagram. Although I love entertaining, I also really value keeping my content as authentic as possible!
@mykim.nguyen
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up as such an active social media user. In my mind it was already my job, even if the only people watching were my classmates from school. Throughout high school, I found joy in vlogging almost every aspect of my life. I would vlog family gatherings and create little music videos, and movie trailers with my sisters and cousins. The joy of documenting my life and creating content, even if not shared online, has always been a constant passion.
Now, in 2024, I consider myself fortunate enough to be a full-time content creator on TikTok. However, it took a bit to get here. I actually created my account back in July of 2019. TikTok was really different back then and I wasn’t taking it too seriously. The app was so new, I’d spam post almost 8 videos a day just lip-syncing my favorite songs or dancing. I never thought too much of it, I’d have fun filming and immediately hit post for my friends to see.
The turning point came in November 2022, during my senior year at the University of Minnesota. I decided to record a video showcasing how I eat blue crab in my dorm room, thinking it was an unusual dorm snack that would be cool to share. To my surprise, I woke up and the video garnered 1M views overnight! This was the first time I’ve ever had a video blow up to that level. Today, the video has over 4M views and it still blows my mind. It was so overwhelming at the time, but I knew that this was my one chance to turn this viral moment into something more.
That video marked the birth of my “microwaving crab in my dorm room” series, which, in essence, kickstarted my social media career. Since that day, I’ve been consistently sharing 1-3 TikToks, offering glimpses into my daily life almost every single day. The impact of that video was life-changing and set the tone for my ongoing journey as a content creator.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2CxF8p/
My content is very tied into my life; it changes and grows with me. From videos about microwaving crab, my problems with the dining hall, graduating college, to then moving back home with my parents. I’ve always had a strong passion for content creation; I almost want to make videos about anything and everything. I grew up watching vloggers, so naturally, I enjoy making more vlog-style content. I’ll do any activity like cooking or doing my skincare routine while sharing my thoughts, feelings, emotions, to-do lists for the day, my interests, what shows I’m watching, what music I’m listening to, current struggles I’m having, etc.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2XxVDN/
When people watch my content, I want them to feel like they can relate and connect with me, just like I did with the YouTubers I was watching when I was 9 years old. Navigating this world in your early 20s is honestly so confusing and stressful. While I document my life, I just hope that my audience feels like they’re a part of this journey with me and that I can be a friend to them.
I believe what sets me apart from others is the fact that my content is very personality-based. I’m naturally a goofy and very unserious person; my videos feel like I’m engaging in some ridiculous activity while hanging out with a good friend. It definitely helps that I started off doing unconventional things – I mean, who in their right mind microwaves a crab in their dorm? Well, honestly, me. Now that I’m out of college, it’s a lot easier to share my life. My account didn’t start taking off substantially until the week after I graduated, actually. It’s been really enjoyable letting my audience get to know me as I grew more comfortable being myself and showcasing my personality on camera.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2XdNKX/
I often make videos at 1 am, just dancing in the kitchen while preparing the easiest ramen noodles you can make (I literally cannot cook). I believe there’s significant value in just being yourself in a market that’s so saturated.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2CUGfR/
Throughout the entire process of sharing my life online, what I’m most proud of is the fact that I’ve remained true to myself. Navigating the social media world alone is challenging, and I believe it can change a lot of people. I take pride in the fact that I could turn that one viral video from a year ago into a career without losing myself in the mix.
I am extremely proud of the opportunities to collaborate with some of the biggest brands, including Amazon, Kiehls, and Skippy just to name a few. These collaborations have not only allowed me to expand my reach but also to maintain authenticity and integrity in the content I create.
I want my supporters to know that I’m incredibly grateful for their ongoing support and for sharing in my life. I genuinely love the community we’ve built together. Through social media, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know so many wonderful people, and my supporters truly feel like my best friends at times.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2XRJuc/
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being in the creative space, for me, is the ability to rewatch my life and relive specific memories. I’m such a reminiscent person that I love being able to travel back in time and revisit parts of my life that would normally be easy to forget.
Beyond that, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see how sharing something I perceive as embarrassing resonates with others and actually helps them. I’m always so surprised when someone tells me that my videos bring them comfort. There are moments when I question the worth of having such a substantial digital footprint, but then I’m reminded of the main reason I started this journey. There are numerous reasons to keep going, and I’m genuinely grateful to be here.
I believe the best way to support artists and creatives in a thriving creative ecosystem is to consistently show up for them. With numerous creatives spanning various niches and communities on the internet, it’s easy to get lost in the mix. If you enjoy someone’s content, actively engage with it! This significantly helps the algorithm of each platform. Diversifying your content and audience is equally important. Following your favorite creators across various platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, is incredibly helpful!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my audience over time by remaining consistent and showing up for them almost every day. Beyond posting frequently, I believe it’s crucial to establish a genuine connection with your viewers. Their support means everything, so I make an effort to respond to as many comments and DMs as possible.
I wouldn’t have the audience I do now if I had just posted that one viral crab video and then stopped showing up every single day. Being present in this way allows people to get to know you and grow with you. You could have the best personality and create the most entertaining videos, but at the end of the day, consistency and interactions are what truly foster a community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my.kimnguyen/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykimhnguyen
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgx0348vg2hU-cpwzJhnC8A
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mykim.nguyen?lang=en