Open. Watch. Like. Swipe. Share. Swipe. Repeat.
Sophomore Ella Hultquist interrupted this common social media pattern when a video of her talking quickly and making iced coffee popped up on their “For-You” pages.
Ella, who has since amassed 223,600 followers on TikTok in her now-signature style, has utilized the popular social media platform as a creative outlet to share her personality, but she has also had to face some challenges that come with internet fame.
Originally, Ella used the app just like any other teenager: scrolling endlessly and making her own dancing and lip-syncing videos.
“Then I decided I wanted to be able to show my personality on the app, so I made a video of me talking and making coffee, which ended up blowing up and getting 10 million views, which is pretty insane for me,” Ella said. “That’s how I got most of my followers, and after that, things just kind of took off.”
Her sister, junior Natalie Hultquist, thinks TikTok has been a great place for Ella to display her creativity.
“It’s been an amazing space for her to be herself and enjoy the day-to-day experiences with thousands of people who want to support her and enjoy her personality and videos,” Natalie said.
Ella has been working as an influencer, taking products companies send her and promoting them to her followers. She appreciates the unique experience her TikTok career has provided that is different from her life as an everyday teenager.
“I’m able to experience working with companies and gain experience in social media marketing,“ Ella said. “I feel like making commission working with these companies is not an experience every 15-year-old gets, so it’s really amazing.”
However, her rise to fame has not been entirely positive. Her growing presence on the internet has brought her some negative attention as well.

“There’s definitely some hate that comes with it,” Ella said.
Luckily, Ella’s close friends at Lab have been there to support her through her journey navigating her new fame and tolerating hate.
“My friends have been so supportive. My two closest friends have been there for me the whole time. They got me a cake when I hit 200,000 followers,” Ella said. “They’re always there to help me and support me because there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it.”
In addition to her friends, Ella said that her family was a part of her support system, especially when dealing with the business side of social media promotion.
“My parents help me, too, because I have to communicate with a lot of full-grown adults who are doing their full-time jobs working with me because I’m working for their companies or contracts I have to sign.”
Ella’s family also enjoys trying out products sent to her and being in her videos from time to time.
“It’s a lot of fun, and every once in a while our family will pop into a video or two,” Natalie said.
Natalie thinks that Ella’s experience on TikTok has helped her through the socially challenging period of distance learning.
“It’s become a daily activity for her as it’s now a mix of a job and a hobby,” Natalie said. “It’s been a form of expression that’s pushed her past the boundaries of quarantining and social distancing.”
During a time of quarantining and social distancing, Ella has been able to break the monotony of her everyday routine by utilizing social media in a way that allows her to showcase and explore her personality. Record. Upload. Repeat.