#BizTok: Five Business Leaders Crushing It Right Now On TikTok
Funny dances, lip syncing, cat memes … and HBR-worthy business insights.
Welcome to TikTok 2023. The network originally known for catchy pop-culture shorts has grown up. These days, business leaders are sharing actionable insights in inventive ways … and gaining millions of followers.
Little wonder. For busy professionals seeking career tips and hacks, TikTok can be an exceptionally handy resource — offering concise, well-presented information that’s easy to consume on the go.
Here are five business leaders who have mastered the art of #BizTok, creating educational and entertaining content for entrepreneurs and leaders at all stages of their career.
Online Business School for Women with Dulma Altan (@iamdulma)
Pop quiz! What does “unbundling” a company mean?
I had no idea until I watched iamdulma’s TikTok about it, and she made it clear and easy to understand. (BTW, it’s when small or new companies adopt a niche of a larger company’s offerings and do it better to stand out in a saturated market — i.e. LinkedIn is “Facebook but for professional networking,” so it’s one branch of Facebook’s unbundling!).
While Dulma presents herself in her bio as a “B-school for women,” her content is useful to anyone, filled with educational breakdowns of terms and events, alongside useful analysis of conversations happening in the business world. A great place to start learning the basics of Dulma’s B-school is the greatest hits playlist on her profile — at a minute per video, you’ll have your degree in less than an hour!
Making Dreams Happen with Simon Squibb (@simonsquibb)
Okay, one thing we have to admit about the business world is that it can be really negative (especially recently, with news of layoffs and other struggles related to the faltering economy). But Simon Squibb will make your digital life better … and show you how to start a business that beats the odds.
No matter where Simon is, he has a knack for finding people with bright business ideas. Not only does he share actionable advice on getting off the ground, he also gives them an investment to start. Look at Daisy, owner of Racine Patisserie, who Simon met on the street. He worked with her to start her dream and shared the whole journey over TikTok and YouTube. Aside from a source of inspiration and great ideas, Simon is also guaranteed to be an injection of positivity into your feed.
Free Career Advice with Christen Nino De Guzman (@chrristen)
Navigating career choices is hard, which is why Christen graciously shares her own journey through TikTok. Her videos are useful to anyone new to navigating the world of work, featuring tips for specific people like what to post on LinkedIn as a college student, or more universal ones like how to thrive at work as an introvert.
What makes Christen’s account especially valuable is that she doesn’t only post well-researched tips in digestible videos but also peppers her own personal journey into them. By bringing her experience into play alongside well researched tips, Christen provides a treasure trove of useful advice.
Side Hustle City with Sierra Nicole (@sierranicoleofficial)
As a stay-at-home mom herself, Sierra Nicole has built a following by offering an honest look at the lifestyle of a parenting entrepreneur. She also shares an assortment of tips on how parents and other busy people can juggle entrepreneurship on a limited schedule.
When one study revealed that it would cost $112K a year to replace a stay-at-home mom, Sierra responded by telling moms how they can make that money themselves *while* being a stay-at-home-mom by creating content and taking advantage of social media. Like she says, “we don’t gatekeep here,” so she’s ready to share information to help people out. If you feel like you’re too busy to start a business, Sierra will convince you otherwise, and tell you how to make it happen.
Content Creation Masterclass with Sandy Lin (@bysandylin)
Watching TikTok is great, but what if I want to start making my own?
I’m so glad you asked! The answer is to go straight to @bysandylin for tips on how to create quality content and build an online following.
She’ll share tips you’ve never even thought of, like her hottest piece of advice in her breakdown on how to go viral: upload your own sounds. Having a viral sound linking back to your profile will get you MASSIVE exposure, and she has the stats to prove it.
But Sandy doesn’t just have tips on excelling at social — she has secret tips. If you want to know what goes on behind closed doors in Instagram meetings, Sandy has the tea, and she’s ready to spill it. So by following her, you’ll be the first to know insider information about new changes coming to social media platforms.
The success of these TikTok business leaders proves there is a way to learn about business in digestible and entertaining chunks instead of crawling through whitepapers or pay-walled case studies.. nn Do you know a leader who’s inspiring and motivating their followers with TikTok? Let us know in the comments or — better yet — nominate them for a CSuite Award.
