Who is Kat Stickler

A mom, digital creator, and someone who second guesses what to say when asked this question.

What is your dream comedic role? 

I have had the dream to be a host on SNL for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, my family and I used to all watch SNL together and laugh hysterically. Those memories are some of the most cherished times from my childhood. 

Please tell us, how do you come up with your comedic material, and what is your process for developing it? 

Most of my comedic material is based on real life, or inspired by people or “characters” in my life. I do my best to write down ideas when they come to me, either at 2 am in bed, out with friends, or while doing whatever other miscellaneous activities. Once I have the idea written down, I run it by friends and family and see what comes off as the funniest, and most of the time we’re all laughing and building off of each other’s jokes! My favorite aspect of filming is the improv part.

Who are some of your comedic influences? 

Kristin Wiig, Amy Poehler, Jim Carrey, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart, and Kim Kardashian (not many people think she’s funny but I think she’s hilarious).

How have those comedians impacted your style of comedy? 

Skit comedy has always been something I’ve been passionate about. Growing up watching these hilarious people dress up in costumes and carry out these comedy acts, making myself, my family, and the rest of the world erupt in laughter showed me exactly what I wanted to do. This played a huge role in forming my comedy. 

As a creator and a mother, how do you balance your career and parental responsibilities? 

MK will always be my number one priority, I consider my career in itself a parental responsibility, which helps alleviate some of that all too familiar mom guilt that finds its way to me whenever I’m away from her due to work commitments. My biggest balancing technique for both responsibilities is practicing the act of being present. When I mom, my phone is put up and all of my attention is on her. When she is away at school or with her dad, I pour all of my focus into work.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a creator and how have you overcome them? 

Truly one of the biggest challenges has been doing my best to balance what I process on my own and what I share with my followers. The “healing journey” is not always the cleanest or “nicest” sounding thing to share with 10 million people. I often struggle with the question “Is this going to help someone or am I just making a fool of myself on the internet?” Being as vulnerable and open as I try to be on social media is met with its fair share of backlash, which would be the other end of the challenge of the platform I have chosen to pursue. I have learned to overcome them by learning how to slightly detach and separate myself from the good as well as the bad. Sharing the struggles of motherhood, single motherhood, divorce, growing up, and life in general, has helped so many people, which in turn is worth the hate I receive. Learning also that happy people don’t do things like troll on the internet, and the people who engage in that behavior are doing so due to them disliking themselves more than anything to do with me and my content has also helped. 

What is the funniest or most memorable parenting moment you have experienced so far?

Every day there is something a little funnier than the last, it’s impossible to pick just one. It is all relative to where she is in her growth. She finds a way to outdo herself every single day. 

How has becoming a parent influenced your material as a content creator? 

I had already had MK when I started creating content, but as she grows and evolves, so does the content. We are entering a really fun stage right now where she is able to be an active participant in the content creation! Watching her personality flourish on camera is so much fun. 

How do you deal with negative comments or criticism from followers?

At first, I had a really difficult time with them. I would fixate on some of the worst comments but after years of receiving them, I do my best to not give them any energy. If they don’t like my content there’s not much I can do about that. 

How do you balance your public persona with your private life? 

I am really so fortunate that my followers and the community that has been built allow me to be so authentically me. They are so sweet in understanding my privacy and although curious, they are great about giving me the time I need and trusting that when that time is right I will share with them whatever I feel is appropriate

With such a large and engaged following, how do you stay connected to your fans and ensure that you are creating content that resonates with them? 

Really the basis of social media is the personal connection. I make it a priority to cultivate meaningful relationships with my followers. To me, that’s what it’s all about. I have had the privilege of getting to know so many beautiful people who continue to make my career even more rewarding than it already is. By fostering those relationships I can see what they are really interested in seeing or learning about. 

What would your advice be for someone who is just starting to gain a following on social media?

My advice would be to stay as true to who you are as possible. Don’t let the negative or the positive get to you. Do not let the negative comments, trolls, and haters bring you down or make you question your value. On the other hand do not let the inundation of love and adoration go to your head and inflate your ego, making you out of touch. Remain humble, remain gracious, work hard, always be kind and remain true to who you are. It’s a big balancing act and you won’t always catch everything.

How has sharing these experiences on social media helped you connect with your audience and what kind of feedback have you received from your followers? 

Sharing my experiences requires levels of vulnerability I didn’t believe possible until I was crying on camera to 10 million people about things happening in my life. Vulnerability is the root of all connections, so I believe that sharing these experiences is the only reason I have been able to connect with as many people as I have been able to. 

Does it get hard to decide what to share and what to keep private? 

That is often one of my biggest challenges. When to share, what to share, am I oversharing? I try my best to differentiate and run drafts by my manager and family to see if a video might be too much to post. For the most part, it’s always a problem of me overthinking things. 

How do you stay motivated and positive even in difficult situations? 

Honest answer? It’s so hard. Sometimes I don’t and I eat cereal on my couch in my robe. Eventually though, talking it through with my friends or therapist, journaling, working out, and listening to a happy playlist or a productive and inspiring podcast.