"She started her account as a kind of personal challenge, as a way to push herself past the anxiety that made public speaking and even eye contact difficult. "I don't have a thing or niche, some people cook or dance, I just spend my time being me," DeVelbiss tells TODAY.com. And being herself, it turned out, was exactly what people wanted."
""I just wanted to say that words matter, whether good or bad," she begins, before listing the memories that she has never quite shaken: the kids in elementary school who told her "my nose was too small for my face," the child who warned her not to jump on the bed "because I'd break it," even her own mother cautioning that she "shouldn't wear striped shirts because it's unflattering for a bigger person.""
McKenna DeVelbiss overcame childhood teasing about weight and years of hiding her sexuality to create a nightly TikTok presence from Addison, Michigan. She began the account as a personal challenge to push past anxiety that made public speaking and eye contact difficult. DeVelbiss has no particular niche; she simply presents herself with quiet kindness, which attracts diverse viewers including celebrities and teenagers. A viral clip about how cutting and compassionate remarks linger for life amplified her reach. The livestreams foster a devoted community; some followers credit her words with saving their lives.
Read at TODAY.com
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