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In conversation w/ Nic Kaufmann

JUNE 26, 2023 → WORDS BENJAMIN SCHIFFER


Nic Kaufmann is a popular fashion and lifestyle influencer with over 20 million followers watching his content on social media platform TikTok. The 22 year-old is specially known for his fashion videos and individual looks. In conversation with Sicky we touch on how Nic started his career, the relationship to his followers as well as becoming one’s true authentic self.

 


Can you tell us about your journey on TikTok and how you developed your unique style of content?

I began on TikTok just having fun, doing it as a hobby. I was just trying things out while studying in university and didn’t really have an end goal in mind. As my videos started to perform better I really developed a love for creative concepts and for video production. I started to ask myself the questions “how can I do this better?” as well as “how can I make this ‘me’?”. By using those questions as a guideline, I took currently trending formats or themes on TikTok and developed them into my personal style, about my personal life and interests.

You recently participated in the Coachella Festival with BMW. The campaign “Dare to be you” is a powerful message. What inspired you to embrace this mindset and incorporate it into your TikTok content?

In my own biographies I have something along the lines of “be yourself” in there, as a message to anybody stumbling across my profile. I think in today’s day and age where everybody is so strongly influenced by social media, it is important to have a reminder that everyone is different, and that being different is something you should embrace. Personally, my upbringing was quite unique, from where I have lived as well as the cultures my roots find themselves in. Due to this, I feel like I developed into a unique type of young adult, where I found myself not being able to relate to many others of my age. I had always put pressure on myself to stop being the odd one out, and really strained my mental health with this topic. As I got older, I realized how much value there was in being slightly different, and thinking slightly different. The moment I realized that, my life changed. I embraced myself and made it my goal to be myself publicly, and to make it known that that’s ok.

What was the most important learning you took from the trip to Coachella with the other participants? Were you able to exchange brave advices?

One thing I learned from another participant is that it’s ok to not worry too much about the future. They told me that worrying too much about the future takes away from living in the moment and fully enjoying your life. I think something a lot of people struggle with is to live in the present, and not get caught up with the past or the future. This advice definitely changed the way I was viewing my life and it was a conversation I was happy to have.

How do you encourage your followers to embrace their true selves and overcome societal expectations through your videos?

I like to lead by example. I present myself authentically to the public and stand by who I am as a person. I don’t let hate change me, because I know that it just means that I am doing something different than the norm.

Can you share an example of challenging moments that you’ve faced personally, where you had to “dare to be you” and how it impacted your growth?

The very first decision I really faced where I had to “dare to be you” was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my life. I was young and studying computer science at university, something that I was quite good at. I personally knew that my passion lay in creative work, such as creating videos, but everyone in my life told me that I was made for the computer science path. To go against the wishes or advice of my family and friends and pursue my passion was the first time I really dared to be me, and until today it is the most impactful decision I have made in my life.

In what ways has your TikTok platform allowed you to connect with like-minded individuals and create a supportive community?

I am very grateful for the opportunities TikTok has given me to connect with people like me. Through events, brand trips such as Coachella with BMW, or simply over the internet, I have met so many friends, business partners and inspiring human beings who challenge me to challenge myself and to think bigger. Without my first beginnings on TikTok, I would never have had these opportunities, and I think about this every day.

How do you handle negative comments or criticism on your content, and how do you encourage your followers to stay true to themselves despite negativity?

I think negative comments are just a sign that I am doing something different. If what you are doing is boring and bland, you will avoid criticism because there is nothing to criticize. By consistently continuing to push on despite negativity, and by sticking to who I am and what I stand for, I aim to lead by example and encourage others that they are not alone and can do it too.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to embrace their true identity or is afraid to express themselves authentically?

I think the term “true identity” is a vague term. Our identities are constantly adapting to our environment, inspirations and position in life. My biggest advice to anybody is to try everything out and to take every opportunity you get to do something different, so that then you can find out what your true identity is. This process is life-long, and even while I am answering this question I am not under the illusion that I have found my true identity. But I stand by the things I like, the things I hold important, and the people I want to surround myself with, and I think that is the most important thing for anybody. Don’t doubt yourself.

Do you have any specific strategies or techniques that you use to boost confidence and self-acceptance, both in yourself and your audience?

I used to always employ the fake it until you make it mentally when it comes to confidence and self-acceptance. The majority of our struggles with these topics are internal and within our head. I’ve realized most other people would never be able to guess what is going on in our heads. The only way to get used to being confident and self accepting is to start at some point, and play the role, until what you are seeking becomes internalized.

How do you balance staying true to your unique style while also adapting to the ever-changing trends and algorithms on TikTok?

I prefer to think of the trends and algorithm changes on TikTok as a creative prompt when it comes to creating video concepts. I use them as a guideline as to what the viewer currently wants and then adapt from that prompt to create the content piece in my style.

Can you share a heartwarming or inspiring story from one of your followers who was influenced by your “Dare to be you” message?

One of my followers from when I first began actually has a very inspiring story, and I have followed it from the beginning. Since following me, she has come out to her family as lesbian, gone against her parents wishes of studying engineering to pursue a career in fashion design, and has been extremely successful with her first designs. She has even caught the attention of some larger fashion houses who have reached out to her to connect. All of this happened in the process of 3 years. She credits the first push to be herself to me, but I personally believe she always had it in her. I am still in contact with her to this day, and funnily enough, have become a fan of her and her work too. I think her success and happiness is incredibly inspiring and motivational.

SICKY

In conversation
w/ Nic Kaufmann

JUNE 26, 2023 → WORDS BENJAMIN SCHIFFER


Nic Kaufmann is a popular fashion and lifestyle influencer with over 20 million followers watching his content on social media platform TikTok. The 22 year-old is specially known for his fashion videos and individual looks. In conversation with Sicky we touch on how Nic started his career, the relationship to his followers as well as becoming one’s true authentic self.

 


Can you tell us about your journey on TikTok and how you developed your unique style of content?

I began on TikTok just having fun, doing it as a hobby. I was just trying things out while studying in university and didn’t really have an end goal in mind. As my videos started to perform better I really developed a love for creative concepts and for video production. I started to ask myself the questions “how can I do this better?” as well as “how can I make this ‘me’?”. By using those questions as a guideline, I took currently trending formats or themes on TikTok and developed them into my personal style, about my personal life and interests.

You recently participated in the Coachella Festival with BMW. The campaign “Dare to be you” is a powerful message. What inspired you to embrace this mindset and incorporate it into your TikTok content?

In my own biographies I have something along the lines of “be yourself” in there, as a message to anybody stumbling across my profile. I think in today’s day and age where everybody is so strongly influenced by social media, it is important to have a reminder that everyone is different, and that being different is something you should embrace. Personally, my upbringing was quite unique, from where I have lived as well as the cultures my roots find themselves in. Due to this, I feel like I developed into a unique type of young adult, where I found myself not being able to relate to many others of my age. I had always put pressure on myself to stop being the odd one out, and really strained my mental health with this topic. As I got older, I realized how much value there was in being slightly different, and thinking slightly different. The moment I realized that, my life changed. I embraced myself and made it my goal to be myself publicly, and to make it known that that’s ok.

What was the most important learning you took from the trip to Coachella with the other participants? Were you able to exchange brave advices?

One thing I learned from another participant is that it’s ok to not worry too much about the future. They told me that worrying too much about the future takes away from living in the moment and fully enjoying your life. I think something a lot of people struggle with is to live in the present, and not get caught up with the past or the future. This advice definitely changed the way I was viewing my life and it was a conversation I was happy to have.

How do you encourage your followers to embrace their true selves and overcome societal expectations through your videos?

I like to lead by example. I present myself authentically to the public and stand by who I am as a person. I don’t let hate change me, because I know that it just means that I am doing something different than the norm.

Can you share an example of challenging moments that you’ve faced personally, where you had to “dare to be you” and how it impacted your growth?

The very first decision I really faced where I had to “dare to be you” was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my life. I was young and studying computer science at university, something that I was quite good at. I personally knew that my passion lay in creative work, such as creating videos, but everyone in my life told me that I was made for the computer science path. To go against the wishes or advice of my family and friends and pursue my passion was the first time I really dared to be me, and until today it is the most impactful decision I have made in my life.

In what ways has your TikTok platform allowed you to connect with like-minded individuals and create a supportive community?

I am very grateful for the opportunities TikTok has given me to connect with people like me. Through events, brand trips such as Coachella with BMW, or simply over the internet, I have met so many friends, business partners and inspiring human beings who challenge me to challenge myself and to think bigger. Without my first beginnings on TikTok, I would never have had these opportunities, and I think about this every day.

SICKY
SICKY

How do you handle negative comments or criticism on your content, and how do you encourage your followers to stay true to themselves despite negativity?

I think negative comments are just a sign that I am doing something different. If what you are doing is boring and bland, you will avoid criticism because there is nothing to criticize. By consistently continuing to push on despite negativity, and by sticking to who I am and what I stand for, I aim to lead by example and encourage others that they are not alone and can do it too.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to embrace their true identity or is afraid to express themselves authentically?

I think the term “true identity” is a vague term. Our identities are constantly adapting to our environment, inspirations and position in life. My biggest advice to anybody is to try everything out and to take every opportunity you get to do something different, so that then you can find out what your true identity is. This process is life-long, and even while I am answering this question I am not under the illusion that I have found my true identity. But I stand by the things I like, the things I hold important, and the people I want to surround myself with, and I think that is the most important thing for anybody. Don’t doubt yourself.

Do you have any specific strategies or techniques that you use to boost confidence and self-acceptance, both in yourself and your audience?

I used to always employ the fake it until you make it mentally when it comes to confidence and self-acceptance. The majority of our struggles with these topics are internal and within our head. I’ve realized most other people would never be able to guess what is going on in our heads. The only way to get used to being confident and self accepting is to start at some point, and play the role, until what you are seeking becomes internalized.

How do you balance staying true to your unique style while also adapting to the ever-changing trends and algorithms on TikTok?

I prefer to think of the trends and algorithm changes on TikTok as a creative prompt when it comes to creating video concepts. I use them as a guideline as to what the viewer currently wants and then adapt from that prompt to create the content piece in my style.

Can you share a heartwarming or inspiring story from one of your followers who was influenced by your “Dare to be you” message?

One of my followers from when I first began actually has a very inspiring story, and I have followed it from the beginning. Since following me, she has come out to her family as lesbian, gone against her parents wishes of studying engineering to pursue a career in fashion design, and has been extremely successful with her first designs. She has even caught the attention of some larger fashion houses who have reached out to her to connect. All of this happened in the process of 3 years. She credits the first push to be herself to me, but I personally believe she always had it in her. I am still in contact with her to this day, and funnily enough, have become a fan of her and her work too. I think her success and happiness is incredibly inspiring and motivational.

SICKY
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