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Samantha Vlasceanu, The TikTok Coach, is on a mission to convince businesses and brands that TikTok is not just for our teenagers! She is an entrepreneur, mom of two, and full-time TikTok Coach. When COVID-19 hit, her business (Travelling Munchkin) had to shut down and she had to pivot  – FAST. That’s when she realized that she’d been using TikTok all along and had grown her following to over 125k in just months. Fast forward to today, Sam works with parents, social media strategists, coaches, lawyers, fitness trainers – you name it! Sam ensures all her clients are using the app as a sales funnel in finding their target audience and converting them into ACTUAL paying clients.

In this episode:

• Staying Present. Making sure that we’re in the moment & present with those around us allows us to form stronger connections with others.
• The Football Analogy. Think of your goals as the end zone & the journey as the football game. Keep taking the steps so you can get a touchdown.
• TikTok Goes the Clock. Despite what many people believe, you cannot be “too old” for TikTok & it’s a valuable tool to have.
• Marketing Pros. Given how unsaturated the app is, businesses can promote their goods & services without fear of the algorithm working against them.
• Setting Boundaries. By separating work & home, we can recharge & dedicate time to ourselves.

Connect with Samantha:

• Instagram: @thetiktokcoach https://www.instagram.com/thetiktokcoach/
• Facebook: @TheTikTokCoach http://www.facebook.com/thetiktokcoach
  • Free Facebook Group: TikTok YOUR Business – For Entrepreneurs Ready to Grow on TikTok
• TikTok: @thetiktokcoachsamv https://www.tiktok.com/@thetiktokcoachsamv?
• Website: https://www.thetiktokcoach.ca

Connect with Tiana and The Part-Time Jungle:

• Instagram: @parttimejungle https://www.instagram.com/parttimejungle/
• Facebook: @parttimejungle https://www.facebook.com/parttimejungle/
• Website: https://theparttimejungle.com

*Thank you to Emily Mc., my amazing professional student intern, who wrote the show notes for this episode!

STAYING PRESENT
Samantha describes her home life as chaotic, she has two young kids at home who are both doing online school whilst she spends her days working from home. One tactic that she came up with was setting boundaries to calm the chaos, and let her children know when she’s working. Samantha also speaks about the importance of being present. Children often pick up when they aren’t getting enough attention, and being kids, they aren’t afraid to call people out on that. Whether it be that somebody is on their phone or half asleep, children pick up on these cues and risk exhibiting them when they’re older. This is why being present and giving children the attention they desire is important, it also keeps them engaged and excited to have a connection with you.

LEARN TO PIVOT
At the beginning of the pandemic, Samantha’s travelling business came to a screeching halt, so it is no surprise that she is comfortable with adapting, or “pivoting”, as she describes it. In 2020, Samantha found it hard to find a COVID-friendly career that suited her, so she would use the TikTok app as a form of distraction. Samantha then realized that her new career had been right in front of her all along, TikTok. Her account had grown so much that she had 125,000 followers in only a few months. Now, Samantha works with parents, social media strategists, coaches, lawyers, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

THE FOOTBALL ANALOGY
Samantha describes her experience with pivoting and finding work as a football game. Every corporation or company has an end goal, which she relates back to a touchdown. She says that you’re moving forwards, but sometimes when it doesn’t work out, you have to take a few steps back. Taking steps back is okay, but remember to keep the end goal in mind. Also, keep in mind that not everything you accomplish will be a touchdown, but as long as progress is being made, that’s okay.

TIKTOK GOES THE CLOCK

A common misconception about the popular app, TikTok, is that it’s for teens and young adults only. Samantha challenges this idea and talks about how TikTok is an app for anyone, with content for everyone. She also speaks about the importance of parents being on TikTok, because then they can get a better understanding of the content that teenagers are consuming, and the way in which the app helps them learn. Samantha also states that it is a great opportunity for parents to be part of the conversation, and provides a new way for parents to connect with their children.

AUTHENTIC CONTENT

Samantha expresses how much TikTok has helped her learn, and even states how people who aren’t on TikTok miss the opportunity to learn something new every day. She also compares the app to other social media platforms, such as Instagram. She feels as if, unlike on Instagram, the content on TikTok is real and raw, rather than people trying to make their lives look perfect. It is also a platform for people to market their goods and services in creative ways, whether it be participating in trends or doing virtual experiments. Samantha reckoned that the best part of the app is that anybody can join, and there’s a place on the platform for everyone, thanks to the For You Page feature. This helps divide TikTok, and showcase content that people would want to see, the algorithm is constructed personally “for you”–as the name implies. TikTok has content of all kinds, though Samantha finds that some of the most common types of content that she comes across are life hacks, “did you know?”, therapy, mom hacks, and advice on things to look out for.

THE COMMUNITY

One of the highlights of the app is the community. Samantha talks about the community of moms on tiktok who help each other out, and how they aren’t afraid to be themselves without fearing imperfection. She also notes that, despite popular belief, you do not have to participate in the dance trends to be successful.

MARKETING PROS

Samantha speaks from personal experience when she says that TikTok is a good marketing tool, and she believes that the app is slowly becoming an educational tool. Another pro to using TikTok is that it’s way less saturated than other apps, so it’s easier for people to find coaches who are trying to grow their businesses. The other advantage of this platform is that posts stay on people’s For You Pages for months, whereas on apps like Instagram, they only stay on people’s home pages for a few hours. This allows anyone, at any time, to see a video promoting businesses.

GETTING STARTED

The first piece of advice that Samantha offered was to consume content before posting anything. If you post before watching any videos, the For You Page will send your video out everywhere because you have not yet established what type of content you are interested in. Then, you risk going viral, which Samantha has said can be very draining. The second piece of advice that she had to offer was to do what you love. She also recommends that you keep it simple, start off with some of your top 10 FAQ’s to answer any questions potential clients may have. Another thing that helps promote businesses is using hashtags to describe the content in the video, along with the hashtag, “fyp”, to help get on other people’s For You Pages.

GO-TO DINNERS

Samantha gave us insight into what some of her go-to dinners are when she’s had a super busy day, and reminds us that it’s okay to eat junk food every once in a while. She says that some of her go-to’s are chips and dip, which are quick and easy after a long day of work.

SETTING BOUNDARIES

One of the essential things to keep in mind whilst working is to set boundaries so you do not experience burnout. Keeping your focus on your work life and home life separate as much as possible is also a key step for allowing yourself to have some down time. This also helps you stay in the moment, and Samantha finds that setting boundaries has helped her be more present whilst spending time with her children.

TAKE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE 

Samantha reminds us that, no matter what we think we know about other influencers on social media, we don’t know the full story. By taking a new perspective, we can see that people only showcase the best parts of themselves on social media, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. A good reminder is that just because somebody has a clean house or has time to put makeup on or workout, doesn’t mean that their life is perfect, and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to the lifestyle that we think they have. Samantha says that it’s important to remember that there’s always more to the story.

Thanks so much to Samantha for this fantastic conversation and thank YOU for tuning in!

~Tiana