If you have been on TikTok for any length of time, you know that the social media platform is more than trending dances, pranks and recipes. But you might not be aware that it could be an excellent resource for improving your marketable skills or that making brief videos could net you some serious cash.
Case in point: A TikToker named Kat Norton, who goes by the username Miss Excel, posts tidbits of tutorials. Since June 2020, she has gained more than 675,000 followers and over 1.4 million likes to date with videos featuring her dancing and teaching Microsoft Excel tips and tricks, such as this one.
@miss.excelTrick to clean data FAST! 🧼 ##selfimprovement ##excel♬ Fast (Motion) – Saweetie
Six Figures In Six Months
Along with her entertaining and informative TikTok and Instagram posts, Norton, who hails from Long Island, New York, creates and sells Excel courses online. Within two months of offering her first course, she made more money from it than she was from her day job, which she soon gave up.
“Before Miss Excel, I was putting in 80 hours a week at my day job and traveling for work every Monday morning, I was literally in the corporate matrix, grinding it out because that’s what I was told to do,” Norton told Thinkific. “Becoming financially free has been my biggest success. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Following her quick success and some viral TikTok videos, it wasn’t long before Norton was hitting major income goals.
“When I first started the business, I scaled it within six months to six figures,” Norton told The Verge. “Since then we have been doing six-figure months. I actually just had my first six-figure day a few weeks ago, which I was super excited about. It’s been just the most incredible, fun journey building this business.”
She outlined her “origin story” in a short TikTok video from August. Less than a week after her first video went up, she was approached by an IT company to create training videos about G Suite. Her fourth video went viral. She formed an LLC and then turn her side hustle into her main source of income.
@miss.excelIf my TikTok journey inspires one person to put themselves out there too — my day is made 🥺❤️ ##OriginStory♬ Goosebumps (Remix) – Travis Scott & HVME
Social Media Marketing
While it is possible to monetize a TikTok account, Norton says that the videos are her primary source of marketing for the courses, and the courses are her primary source of income.
“It’s mostly organic sales from there,” Norton told the Verge. ” I also host webinars that are usually those bigger, higher traffic days. I created lines of really fun courses. Each one’s around 100 videos. I design each video and infuse it with as much creativity and fun as possible. If you’ve seen my Instagram or my TikTok, you know I have to keep it fun.”
She edits all of her videos herself. And although not every day is a six-figure day, she is happy with her newfound career. Norton shares that her mission is to help others reach their goals with the content she creates.
“Teaching Excel is a way that I can help people land their dream job, get a promotion and build more confidence,” she explained to Thinkific.
Miss Excel Manifests Millions
Along with above-average MS Excel skills (she received the Microsoft MVP award in June 2021), Norton believes her “energetics” — in which she transmits her energy through social media — and her helped her manifest the success she has garnered in such a short period.
“That’s something I would highly recommend doing, whether it’s meditation, mindfulness — everyone has something that works for them,” she told the Verge, adding that she was always very shy and never wanted attention directed at her.
“That change really is a testament to the inner work and how anybody can really just take wherever they’re at and go into their subconscious and rework these things,” she said in the Verge interview. “You don’t have to take life at face value. You are a quantum creator.”
Tricia is a professional writer and editor who lives in North Texas with her family and one smelly dog. She is a wannabe problem solver, junk food maven professional coffee practitioner, web guru and general communicator. More.
