A pair who beforehand used to wrestle with debt fully turned their lives round after they arrange their very own TikTok account throughout lockdown. Cat Keenan and Shaun Nyland from Chepstow now dwell in a shocking housing property in Newport after making sufficient cash from TikTok and Youtube alone to repay their mortgage.
Cat, 32, beforehand used to run a canine strolling enterprise whereas Shaun, 31, labored in gross sales at DPD. They each give up their jobs in 2020 and now boast over a million subscribers every, Wales On-line stories.
After deciding to give up, inside only one month Cat was already incomes extra in someday for her video content material than she would earn in a month by strolling canine. Shaun was additionally raking within the money as corporations had been determined for the pair to promote their merchandise on their channels.
As lockdown continued, followers turned extra invested with the couple's lives who share a five-year-old son referred to as Leo collectively as they'd share movies from their days out collectively to their newest pranks on each other.
In addition they generally documented Q&A's periods and life updates which attracted tens of millions of viewers who had been fascinated with how they went from regular working individuals to web sensations in such a brief area of time. Three years on from beginning their social media careers the rich couple have shared their ideas for aspiring TikTokers and confided how their new lives led to them dropping a few of their pals and even to their very own break-up.
Sat in the lounge of their four-bed indifferent home with their cocker spaniel, Bailey the couple described how their lives was once after they first met eight years in the past. Cat stated: “I used to be 24 and had simply had my first baby Tommy.
"I used to be working as a customer support adviser for an insurance coverage dealer which I’d carried out for a very long time earlier than I went into canine strolling.” Shaun, 31 had studied enterprise and advertising at college and was on a graduate scheme at DPD earlier than becoming a member of gross sales.
He stated: “I made a decision I needed to attempt to do one thing with gross sales as a result of we had been combating debt. We’d began renting a home and didn’t even have sufficient for a deposit so we needed to take out a mortgage.
"Then there was the furnishings we wanted too and loans prolonged. Our cash administration was horrible.” The couple additionally confided that TikTok didn't come naturally to each of them as Cat described herself as an 'introvert' whereas Shaun had no drawback in any respect in giving it a go to earn some extra cash.
Cat defined: “I used to be embarrassed and I struggled with confidence. Placing myself on the market didn’t come naturally.”
When requested the place his inspiration got here from to begin his personal channel, Shaun stated it was Belarusian-American entrepreneur, Gary Vee who motivated him to start his TikTok profession in 2019. Shaun recalled: “He stated TikTok was going to be the subsequent large factor and he was proper.
“There was no cash in it to begin with. However behind our minds we realised the larger image and what may occur and would possible occur if TikTok took off.” Their first movies concerned pranking each other when Shaun pretended to Cat that he had bought her a model new Audi just for her to search out out it belonged to his brother.
Cat received her associate again by inserting an insect beneath Shaun's cookie which was in style amongst viewers. Cat stated: “I feel as soon as the views began coming we realised we had been onto one thing good.
Shaun added: “Basically – discover one thing you’re actually captivated with after which doc it. Should you take pleasure in it you can be extra inclined to make a profession out of it.
"There are many individuals on-line who make 20 instances more cash making movies on what they do than they do within the precise job. Cat interjected: "You do have to remain according to it although. If I didn’t publish each day it wouldn’t work."
Because the blogger couple turned extra in style, they had been topic to plenty of web trolls who accused them of being inauthentic. It solely received worse in 2021 when the mother and father briefly cut up however then introduced they had been getting again collectively months later after Shaun paid off the mortgage.
They obtained plenty of on-line hate that claimed they faked their break-up for consideration and cash and had been pressured to movie a viral reunion video to clear issues up. Cat stated: "Throughout Covid me and Shaun had each been working from house and we drove one another insane.
"We labored and lived collectively all day each day and it did take a toll on our relationship. For nearly a 12 months I didn’t actually do social media, my views dropped lots, and my cash began to go down.
"I then hit a very unhealthy depressive episode. Shaun steered that we movie collectively as pals, which we began to do, after which we received the huge backlash about all of it being faux.
"It isn’t faux in any respect – the reality is that we’ve discovered enjoyable in one another once more. Now we have received new hobbies and ensure we’re sincere about having time away from one another. Our relationship is de facto wholesome now.”
Cat stated the unfavorable feedback had been hurtful principally as a result of they made a acutely aware effort to share their actual feelings on channels. She stated: “We’ve at all times needed to indicate people who we have now struggles and we’re not displaying off on a regular basis.
"We needed to current ourselves as actual individuals and present our actual lives. Though the couple shared it is not simply strangers who've been crucial of the pair, it is also been a few of their previous pals who've now turned their backs on them after their new web careers.
Shaun stated. “We knew that will occur. I knew individuals had been speaking about us [when we started making money on TikTok] – even individuals near us on the time would say issues I’d by no means repeat. I simply attempt to let it go over my head and let the outcomes do the speaking.
The mother and father say nonetheless that their predominant precedence is their followers and remaining optimistic about all of the assist they obtain from them. Cat proudly stated: “Lots of people in lockdown stated they lived to observe our movies and we like to focus on that.
"We had plenty of messages from individuals struggling mentally too saying how a lot we’ve helped them. It’s shocking the affect our content material has had on others.”
The standard couple additionally stated they haven't any intention of shopping for a 'million-pound mansion dream house' anytime quickly as their priorities lie with their household who dwell right here and their two sons who attend college regionally. Shaun stated: " We may by no means have dreamt of proudly owning a four-bedroom home after we had been in all that debt not that way back.”
Cat properly stated: “Sure I may go and get an enormous home and dwell a lifetime of luxurious however what if social media was to go tomorrow and we misplaced all of it?” When requested in the event that they ever remorse giving up normality to doc their complete lives for cash, Shaun replied: “I puzzled whether or not I’d remorse leaving my job as a result of I beloved the job and I knew that issues would get higher after the pandemic however I’ve not regretted it a single bit.
"Now we have freedom of life. It’s the perfect factor I’ve ever carried out. Sure you will discover it cringey, I discover myself cringey generally watching the movies again, however to consider how our lives have modified makes all of it price it.”