62: Millenial Helps Gen X Mum Understand TikTok

Roula (00:00)

Tell me what do you feel like talking about? So you do the talking.

Rosie (00:00)

used to you by now. Hmm.

Roula (00:09)

I also have a question from my friend, TikTok about is TikTok good? And you're an expert on that field.

Rosie (00:14)

Okay. Well,

we have different opinions, so maybe that'll be interesting.

Roula (00:21)

Guides me into it, okay?

Rosie (00:23)

God, you went to it. Okay. Gently, gently.

Roula (00:42)

Rosie, know you're active on TikTok. And I have no, I mean, beside the news I hear about TikTok, I don't use it. You have positive experiences. Can you please share them with us on this episode?

Rosie (00:51)

Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

Oh yeah. TikTok. So I created a TikTok account a couple of weeks before I moved into my van. So that was in September, 2023. And I did it because I thought, what is all the fuss about? Like what are people on about? And in the marketing world, Gary V was banging on about how, you need to be on TikTok. If you are a business owner, if you need to do marketing, you need to be on there. And I thought, well,

both see about that. And I just got my phone out. I didn't think twice about it. put it up and said, this is my first TikTok video. I have no idea what I'm doing. It was something ridiculous like that. And within minutes I had 20 followers.

And I went, that's weird. And I thought, maybe I'll just start sharing my journey because I was finishing converting the vent. And so I just started sharing it. And all of a sudden all these people were joining me on the journey, commenting, going, that's so cool. Asking me questions, giving me advice. And so I've been on there for a little while and I don't consume much content on there because I'm somebody, if I start scrolling, I have trouble stopping. So.

I post on TikTok, but I don't sit on there and scroll. So I go through phases of posting on there a lot. And if I need a break, I'll go off for months. But recently, maybe since December, what are we now? March. So past few months, I have been very active on TikTok and

It just, because life threw me a curve ball. My van broke down, my electrical systems on the fritz. So I'm kind of stuck in one location. And I thought I got to fill my time somehow. So I started posting on TikTok every day and going live on TikTok every day. And I posted a video sharing what had happened to the van. said, I've started a crowdfunding page to see if I can, you know, get some help raising money. I just mentioned it offhandedly and donations started coming in.

What? And all these people coming up with ideas to help me, like maybe you could do this to source money or this or this. Roula I am at over $5,100 and the majority of that is from strangers on TikTok.

Roula (03:24)

impressive.

Rosie (03:25)

who care about me. I feel like they genuinely care. They check in on me. They ask how the van's doing. How's Tilly doing? How are her allergies going? How's your celiac, Rosie? You got gluten the other day. And it's just, it's like I've got this online family. It's, it's amazing. I have never had this feeling before. I love it.

Roula (03:50)

This is a side of Rosie that I don't know because I'm not on TikTok. I don't follow you on there. You are not active on Facebook and Instagram. And it's like you're telling me this. When first I knew you're on TikTok, I was like, be careful. then you were like, stop it. It's not as you think.

Rosie (03:54)

You're not on there.

No.

Yeah, I remember.

You were, you were

mother Henning. How, but, but in fairness, just like any other platform, even in real life, there are some weird nasty people on there. There are, but the overall experience I have had on there is just breathtaking. And in fact, I haven't told you this, I'm going to make us a Rosianne Roula Show TikTok page and start posting our reels on there because I think people will love it.

Roula (04:42)

Okay. Okay. Yeah.

Rosie (04:42)

Because my followers are my personal page. I can see you

on your phone. You're being very rude. can, I can, whoops. I take it back. I'm sorry. Everybody rulers playing with this plasticine type stuff. And I thought she was looking down while I was talking, texting somebody. I was getting offended, but she's flirting. I lost my train of thought ruler.

Roula (04:48)

on this. I'm making a cube.

I was flirting, okay.

Yeah, you said that you're going to make a podcast page on TikTok because you think it's going to be helpful.

Rosie (05:11)

Yes.

Yeah, because people are going to find us. We are going to get so much more growth on TikTok than we are on Instagram. I guarantee it because everybody, Rula is obsessed with our social media marketing plan. This is her, this is her baby. She goes, Rosie, go on LinkedIn, post this, Rosie, do that. And I'm like, shit. Yeah. Okay. So I'm, I'm the one, I'm the naughty child and Rula's the one going, no, this is the plan. And now.

Roula (05:40)

But it's so hard, Rosy, it's so hard. Nowadays, nothing grows without social media.

Rosie (05:45)

Nowadays,

nowadays. Do you agree everybody? Now I'm rolling my eyes because that's what old people say. Nowadays. We don't say that. You're old if you say that. Back in the day. No, I have been known to say that too, but it's, it's almost like if you lead a sentence with nowadays, you...

Roula (05:49)

It's not a good word nowadays.

What's the modern word for nowadays?

Rosie (06:13)

It's probably because you don't really understand what's happening nowadays. Don't you think? I reckon.

Roula (06:21)

Can we change the subject? Because I don't like it. Will you stop doing this with me? Don't correct me. We recorded an episode about correcting others. And that's not the way I want to be corrected.

Rosie (06:27)

Go reflect on that!

Yeah, well, okay, moving on. We'll continue this discussion offline. Anyway, yes.

Roula (06:39)

Yeah. Let's go back to TikTok. Have

you had an experience with people bashing you or being rude to you?

Rosie (06:45)

Yes, yes, yes,

definitely. And it can be confronting. So I go live every day, most days. And because I've shaved my head, got very short hair and I've kept it short, sometimes random people will come into the live and say in the chat, because they're not on video, they're just in the chat. They say, what kind of cancer do you have?

Or they'll say, hi, Slim Shady. You know, Eminem, Slim Shady, because he has the short blonde hair. Okay, just checking, nowadays. Just checking. I don't know. Just in case. Or.

Roula (07:19)

I know who's slip shady. Yes, don't, please. I know who's slip shady.

Rosie (07:30)

just rant or they'll make weird sexual comments. So that happens, which is awful. I don't like that side of it. However, there are people in my community who have my back. They'll say to that person, shut up, stop doing that. And you can have what's called moderators. I give certain followers permission to block people and they are onto these assholes in seconds. If someone comes in talking about cancer or

commenting on sexuality or making sexual jokes, they are gone. They are out. See you later. There's none of that shit in my community. even though there's that yucky side.

I feel safe on the platform. I don't even know if that makes sense because that sounds awful what I was just saying about certain people coming in.

Roula (08:24)

mean, there is so much controversy and so much, so much things going on about social media in general. mean, Facebook is not the right place. Not one place feels fully safe in social media. And like so many other things, they made make us so scared of TikTok. And probably it's true. And I don't have experience with it.

Rosie (08:39)

Right. Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Mm.

Roula (08:52)

I'm

also scared from Instagram and Facebook, are all the games that my son play. Who knows if it's not in a private mode, who's getting in there? And how does it make you feel? Okay. You feel really good when people are having an affirmation for what you're doing, following you, supporting you, et cetera. And what does it do to you when others are being unkind? Can you let it go and sleep at night or you sit with it?

Rosie (09:01)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

can now, initially

it would fire me up. I'd engage with in conversations with these people. this is not productive. You can't talk someone out of being a dickhead. They're just assholes. So it's just block and I'll ignore the comments. Now I used to respond to them. and I can sleep easy. There's assholes. They get blocked. I've got my people. I've had

So currently Rula, I don't think I've told you this. I'm reading the Harry Potter series live on TikTok. So three times a week, I will get on TikTok. I have a witch hat that I made and some Harry Potter glasses and I will read three chapters of Harry Potter. And I've got people who sit there with me and are so excited to join me in the next Harry Potter reading session. They will sit there for hours.

and just hang out with me. So I'm getting to read, which I haven't done in a long time. And in a weird way, spend time with people and chat. It's a very, it's a very new thing for me, but I'm actually really enjoying it.

Roula (10:29)

Wow, that's amazing. Like reading Harry Potter for people on TikTok.

Rosie (10:30)

Right? And what we're doing,

so when I, we're on the second book, but when we finish each book, I do a random draw and post it to the follower. So we finished the first book. did a random draw. So only people have been tuning in and listening to it being read. And the lady who won was so excited. said, my God, my daughter's screaming. She's so excited.

Roula (10:58)

What did she win again? What's the price?

Rosie (11:00)

The Harry Potter book. It's just the Harry Potter book that I was reading.

And I put Tilly's paw print in it and everybody is so excited.

Roula (11:10)

and you ship it to wherever this person is.

Rosie (11:11)

Yeah. And

one of my followers, she's an artist and she said, I'll make bookmarks for it. So she's now designed all these Harry Potter themed bookmarks. And so the winner gets one of these bookmarks as well. It's just so cool.

Roula (11:24)

you're having quite

a blast on TikTok.

Rosie (11:27)

Yeah. And I don't think everyone has that experience, but I think

I've created this culture where it is positive because I'm getting rid of people who are taking away from that. Just a couple of weeks ago, a few people started attending lives who, I don't know, the feeling changed. And it took me a little while to realize, but I weeded them out. And now we're back to Rosie and Tilly's TikTok family. And it's great. So don't knock TikTok. Yeah. It's great.

Roula (11:57)

that's so cute.

So do you think I should have a TikTok account for my podcast?

Rosie (12:07)

Well, I'm thinking of doing one for mine. Our podcasts are exhausting though, Roula. They are. Yeah, I think let's start with a Rosie and Roula show on there. We'll put a link in the description you like, go check it out.

Roula (12:11)

Yeah, they're very serious. Maybe the Rosie and Roula is a nice thing.

Yes. And let us know what your experience is with TikTok. Are you on it? Do you recommend it? Yeah. My friends GenX also would like to know how to navigate TikTok.

Rosie (12:24)

Yes. Yes.

Mm-hmm.

think if you find the right people, it's great. You gotta be very selective.

Roula (12:42)

Thank you for listening to our TikTok episode. Bye.

Rosie (12:44)

And get by!