Kelsey Grennan used to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night, to grab her iPod Touch, and record a makeup tutorial while her parents slept down the hall. This teenage act of rebellion marked the unlikely beginning of a content creation career that now reaches hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple platforms.

Today, Kelsey has transformed that early passion for beauty content into something much more meaningful – a digital space where followers find comfort in her unfiltered approach to life’s realities. Her content now spans from plus-size fashion to mental health discussions, but it’s her candid documentation of binge eating disorder recovery that has fostered her most profound connections.

“I try to encourage my audience that every day is a new beginning,” Kelsey explains. “Life can feel like there’s a timeline and that if you haven’t done things by a certain point, you’re a failure. But it’s never too late to start again or become who you’re meant to be.”

Finding a Voice Through Vulnerability

The decisive shift in Kelsey’s content approach came in 2022 when she launched her TikTok account and rebranded as @kelssjourney across Instagram and YouTube. “That was the turning point in my career, when I got really honest and vulnerable,” Kelsey says. Initially focused on health and weight loss content, her direction changed unexpectedly.

“I started TikTok to document working on my health,” Kelsey says. “It began with weight loss. I posted a ‘what I eat in a day’ video. That’s how my binge eating recovery content started.”

The pivotal moment came when Kelsey made a brave decision during one of her routine food diary videos. “I binged one day and hesitantly included it,” she reveals. The response was significant; people connected deeply with this honest portrayal of struggle rather than just success.

This genuine expression became the cornerstone of Kelsey’s content identity. She began sharing aspects of her life that many creators keep hidden, allowing her audience to see beyond the polished exterior most influencers maintain.

“I started posting ‘cleaning my depression room’ or ‘cleaning my messy room,'” Kelsey says. “That resonated, because life is hard sometimes, and it’s okay to fall down. It’s about bringing everything back at a certain point.”

Building a Business Through Openness

While Kelsey’s content feels unfiltered, her approach to content creation is anything but haphazard. Behind the scenes, she maintains a highly organized system that guides her output while still allowing space for spontaneity. This structured approach has helped her grow her TikTok following to more than 184,000.

“I have a document with my content pillars, and under each, I list the videos that fall within it,” Kelsey explains. Her content strategy revolves around five core pillars: plus-size fashion, beauty and skincare, lifestyle and body positivity, cleaning/home content, and eating disorder recovery/fitness/health. For each category, she maintains a list of specific video formats to reference whenever she needs inspiration.

The careful planning extends to her recognizable presentation style. “For my ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, I always start with typing sounds and the caption ‘what I eat in a day, binge eating recovery.’ That’s been my thing for years,” she says. “It catches my audience’s attention right away because they know it’s my video.”

For her, this thoughtful balance between consistency and variety has proven effective for building audience loyalty. “It’s a balance of trying new things, doing what works, but also not falling into a stagnant pattern,” she reflects. Kelsey regularly experiments with editing styles, video angles, and formats while keeping core elements her audience recognizes.

The Multi-Platform Strategy

When she began focusing on TikTok in 2022, Kelsey immediately implemented a cross-posting strategy that accelerated her growth on other platforms.

“I cross-post. When I post on TikTok, I also post that same video to Instagram,” Kelsey explains. “That’s how I grew my Instagram to over a hundred thousand in a year. I recommend cross-posting. If you’re already making the content, you might as well.”

Kelsey extends this approach to YouTube Shorts, though with more curation. “With YouTube Shorts, I don’t repost everything. I post the videos that do really well on Instagram and TikTok to keep YouTube more professional.”

The Business Side of Creation

As Kelsey’s platform has grown, she’s had to handle the business aspects of content creation, from developing a content production workflow to managing monetization opportunities. When it comes to what she wishes she’d known sooner about the business side, Kelsey is refreshingly candid.

“How much money there is in social media,” she admits. “People outside the industry wouldn’t realize it. But also the inconsistency; it’s new and there’s still so much to learn.”

For Kelsey, content creation involves a detailed production process that requires careful planning. “When I’m at my best, I have everything scheduled out,” she says. Her workflow includes saving audio clips, maintaining shot lists, dedicating specific days to filming and editing, and creating consistent thumbnails.

Monetization primarily comes through brand partnerships, but Kelsey is highly selective. “I try to balance brand partnerships with organic, unsponsored content,” she explains. “While brand deals are important, my audience is more important.”

“Learning when to say no is so important, especially for newer creators overwhelmed with opportunities,” she says. “Your voice matters. Whether you have a hundred followers or a million, show up as if you already have a million.”

Challenging Industry Standards

While business strategy and content planning form the foundation of Kelsey’s work, she also faces unique challenges that come with her identity as a plus-size creator in a digital world often dominated by conventional beauty standards.

“When you’re a plus-size influencer, there’s this expectation to stay big, which I don’t feel,” Kelsey explains. “I’m going to do what’s best for my health. But I’ve seen audiences turn on creators when they lose weight or change.”

This dynamic creates the challenge of balancing honest personal growth with audience expectations. Kelsey addresses these expectations by focusing on self-acceptance. “We’re all just people, always changing,” she says. “When I started, I wasn’t even fat. I’ll probably change a thousand more times. But having self-love and confidence in who I am is what matters.”

Kelsey’s approach to representing plus-size experiences extends beyond body size to include everyday activities. “Things like traveling – that seem simple to others – can be hard for bigger people like me,” she says.

Mental Health

The mental toll of content creation is significant, especially for individuals who share vulnerable aspects of their lives. Kelsey has developed strategies to protect her well-being while maintaining her authentic presence online.

“Being able to set boundaries, like logging off when I need to,” Kelsey explains. “I can recognize when I’m triggered or upset. Then I tell myself, let’s go outside, go for a walk, get some air. It can feel overwhelming, but you can just shut it all off.”

Kelsey also practices self-affirmation. “Something that really helps me is saying positive affirmations,” she shares. “In the mirror, even if it feels silly – ‘you’re pretty, strong, brave.’ Saying it over and over until I believe it, or writing it in a journal.”

Looking Toward the Future

With her platform continuing to grow, Kelsey remains focused on making a meaningful impact rather than simply chasing numbers or trends.

“My most important goal is connecting with people,” Kelsey says. “I’ve considered support groups for binge eating. I’m exploring options, since it’s a medical issue, but supporting women or anyone is my biggest goal.”

Kelsey has already begun to see the impact of her advocacy beyond social media. “I was interviewed by The New York Times about binge eating stigma,” she shares. “Advocating for people like me who might not have a voice makes me happy.” Her appearance on “Dr. Phil,” where she joined medical professionals to discuss the impact of food on health, further demonstrates how her openness has elevated her voice in mainstream conversations about eating disorders.

The business Kelsey has built through honest content creation enables her to reach a wider audience with her message of self-acceptance and new beginnings. “I promote being unapologetically yourself, whether that’s embracing plus-size style, flying on a plane even if you’re overweight, or not caring what anyone says,” she says.

For Kelsey, success isn’t measured in follower counts or brand deals, but in human connection. “If sharing my journey helps even one person feel seen or understood, that’s what’s important,” she reflects. “You don’t need to look a certain way or wait for a certain timeline to start living. You’re enough as you are.”

Checkout Our Latest Podcast