Wrong move, dude. “Six weeks later, I flew to San Diego and learned to surf,” Burke tells Parade.com. “I love a challenge, I’m very competitive. If someone says I can’t do something, I’m like, ‘Challenge accepted—let’s go.’” For Burke, who started as a motivational speaker before pivoting to YouTube seven years ago, where she now has 1.99M subscribers, learning to accept yourself—and not let anyone stand in your way—is an important journey. “You truly find self-acceptance when you stop seeking acceptance from other people,” she explains. “When you are happy with who you are, it doesn’t matter what anyone says.” This is why Burke approaches life with a “let’s do it” mentality. For instance, when she wanted to try mermaid swimming, she went 100% for it. She talks about her love for mermaid swimming, including her tips and tricks, in this week’s Passion Project video: “Anybody can be a mermaid,” she shares. “It’s the most childlike version of swimming!” When Burke isn’t kicking her tail, you can find her posting two videos a week on YouTube, covering everything from five things all sighted people should know to blindness body image to renovating and design. So what’s her best advice if you want to be a YouTube or TikTok star? “It’s a really packed space, so you need to approach it with the same strategy as you would for your dream job,” she tells Parade.
Here are Molly Burke’s top TikTok tips:
Practice before you post! “Get comfortable recording, because it’s really awkward. It’s not easy. Get comfortable editing content. I would say don’t post your first 10 videos—let that be your practice. Take an acting class, or an improv class, just so you’re comfortable on camera and talking off the top of your head.” Be unique in your content “What’s in your niche? What are you bringing? What angle are you going to come out to make your content stand out in a crowded space?” Be organized “Make lists of content, meaning have one to two months of content pre-planned. Make a schedule with the exact days and times your videos will post because you want people to be expecting it, just like their favorite TV show.” Next up, check out the best kid activities on TikTok.
