I remember downloading the dancing app I was too old for in 2020.

“People were really clamoring for relatable, unscripted, and unvarnished elements of life,” writes Brooke Duffy, an associate professor at Cornell University who researches digital and social media industries. "It was kind of positioned as the antidote to Instagram.” 

I spent the first 3 years with a TikTok trying to hide the fact that I was 30 years old with a TikTok. 

Now, roughly HALF of the U.S. population has an account and we all saw comedy as we know it flash before our eyes as the app went dark on Saturday night as part of a nationwide ban.

Not only does the app have a special place in many of our hearts, but the silly hotbed of viral trends has had effects in the real world. 

BookTok gave the publishing industry a boost in sales and a new generation of readers.

Songs jumped to the Billboard charts and brainwashed us at the same dang time.

Ingredients like Feta reportedly became harder to find in grocery stores after recipes went viral on the app.

Fashion and interior aesthetics like coastal grandmother and cottagecore had us all adding to cart as fast as we could.

It was the platform that had people stuffing Taki’s into pickles and wrapping them in Fruit Rollups, and the same one where people pretended to die after drinking the purple McDonald’s Grimace shake.

TikTok, all things considered, was an absolutely unhinged place on the internet. 

But the app had a knack of bringing out the best in humanity somehow, too. 

A teacher’s viral video raised over $30,000 to pay student lunch debt. 

Another video helped raise over $230,000 to help an Uber driver pay family medical bills and other expenses. 

Spencer Pratt has become the people’s prince as he’s used the app to rally listeners to wife Heidi’s album after losing everything in the Palisades fires.

It’s the place I’ve personally been able to practice talking face-to-cam and post in a way that feels like there’s absolutely nothing to lose - a rarity in the world of perfect Instagram feeds.  

So sue me for being sad!

(THIS IS WHERE I WAS IN WRITING THIS ARTICLE WHEN I GOT THE TEXT THAT WE WERE SO BACK)

It only took 12 hours and no less than 10 times opening the app and getting the error message for me to realize what I really missed the most yesterday. 

I love that TikTok is a place that encourages creation over documentation. 

Anyone and their great aunt can (and do) post on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. 

But to post on TikTok, you’ve gotta have something to say. Is it silly and unfiltered? Sure! A lot of times. But in a world that’s obsessed with consumption and aesthetics, a group of people with something silly to say is a delight. 

Aside from the national security threat (OPE!), I hold the potentially unpopular opinion that NOT using TikTok could be more damaging to our creative brains as business women than using it. 

3 Ways You Should be Using TikTok (None of Them are Dancing Unless You Want Them to Be):

#1. Scrolling

The TikTok algorithm should be studied in tech everywhere. The Chinese spy in my phone knows me better than my husband and mother combined. TikTok curates your feed based on what you watch and for how long you watch it. This means you can train it to be exactly what you need and want. Oh, your interests changed? Keep scrolling and so will your feed. I love everybody’s kids, but scrolling Instagram where the feed is full of my family and friends has almost never inspired me to do anything but gossip. It’s like going from a stagnant pond to flowing freshwater spring. 

#2. Posting

Are you going to close any deals in this app? If it’s more than $10.99, I’m not sure. It’s less a place for buyers and more a place for you, IMO. If you’re new to posting - amazing, it’s the perfect place to get reps just talking to a camera. If you’re a seasoned pro and have been posting for years - perfect, you may need to practice being less polished and more relatable. No need to overthink or worry that 500 people would see it and they’re all from your graduating class - let the algorithm work and your people can find you - if you post. 

#3. Engaging

Real TikTokers know that the comments are the best part. Be honest, be funny, hype a stranger up - anything goes in the comment section. People have THOUGHTS and they’ll tell you when they agree with you and they’ll be even louder when they don’t. Remember when hundreds of environmentalists came for me? I’ve tried to forget. Personally, I can see something I disagree with and keep scrolling (novel, I know) but you gotta respect that comments are the culture on this app. Lean in and have fun. 

If you love something, let it go. 

If it comes back, it’s meant to be.

Xo, The Salesgirls