Originally hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Kaeli Mae, the Seattle-based influencer, first skyrocketed to popularity in 2021. With her signature simplistic and ultra-organized aesthetic, she has captivated millions with her “clean girl” TikToks, seamlessly blending fashion, beauty, and home essentials into a mesmerizing tapestry of tidiness. Now boasting a dedicated fanbase of over 18 million followers across all platforms, Kaeli has partnered with a plethora of major brands, including Calvin Klein, L’Oreal, and Pureology.
As we sat down to chat, Kaeli shared insights into her influential style, reflecting on the highlights of 2023 and the genesis of the highly satisfying “clean girl” aesthetic. From her early days as a Starbucks barista to becoming a household name in the world of social media, Kaeli’s journey is as interesting as her meticulously curated content.
Hey Kaeli! Your TikTok has gathered a huge following; what inspired you to start creating content focused on cleaning and organization?
Back in 2020 when TikTok was starting to become more popular, I saw a lot
of organisation & restock videos! I’ve always had a passion for cleaning and organizing, so this really inspired me to start creating my own content!
There’s a lot of content creators out there but your content resonates with such a vast audience. What do you believe sets you apart in the world of social media influencers?
While growing my account and creating content, I’ve always tried to create different types of videos, but all around the same aesthetic! That way, all different types of audiences can be interested in my videos and enjoy them! I do home/cleaning videos, organizing/restocks, vlogs, etc. Even though the video topics may be different, I film & edit in the same way and keep my same aesthetic, so it allows for a broader audience! 🙂
You first rose to popularity with your viral mini fridge restock videos. Can you share when you first felt you were propelled into the spotlight, and did you expect such a great response?
My first ever mega viral video was a mini fridge restock in my bedroom at my parents’ house— I was SHOCKED! I never thought I would create any viral videos, especially thinking this would turn into my full-time job! After that video, I stuck with the restock & organising for a bit to really gain that audience, and people seemed to really love it! That’s when I started to realize like, okay people really like my videos about this! It felt amazing, and my followers keep motivating me to create more content 🙂
What was your favourite piece of content to make?
I truly enjoy it all! My favourite videos to film would probably be my home refresh and cleaning videos! Not only do I clean my whole house but recording the process and seeing everything become neat & refreshed is so satisfying!
You recently opened up about your Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. Can you share more about your journey and why it’s important for you to show to your followers what it’s like to live with an autoimmune disorder?
I was diagnosed in 2004, so I’ve been living with this disease about 20 years now! I want others living with Type 1 to know that there’s no shame in having it, and it can’t stop you from doing anything! I used to not tell my friends about it in middle school, nervous of what they’d say or think. Soon after, I realized there’s absolutely NO reason to hide it or think anything bad of it at all! I love getting messages from others with type 1 who see my videos and feel inspired and empowered— it means the world to me!
What were your highlights of 2023?
Some of my 2023 highlights would be coming out of my shell a bit more and engaging with my audience on a new level. I started to become more involved with my videos and started creating a community, rather than just an audience. Continuing to grow this community is my goal for 2024, and I’m really looking forward to it! Some other highlights of 2023 were working with brands I’ve always dreamed about!
Can you give your fans and followers a glimpse into what 2024 has in store for you, in terms of content and collaborations?
In terms of content, I’m excited to share more of my life and creating that bigger community with my audience :). Lots of vlogs, routines, GRWM’s, but also keeping my home content as well because I am so passionate about it all! For collaborations, I do have a few exciting things planned and I can’t wait to share them all!
You have a few pets, could you share where your love of animals came from? And if you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you have?
Yes, we live in an animal-lover house here! We have 3 dogs and 1 cat who we absolutely adore. They are pretty much our children, and they bring so much joy into our lives!! Growing up, I’ve always had pets in my home, so I think that experience growing up made my love for animals even stronger than it naturally was :). My fiancé and I have talked about it before, and we agree that we will never not have at least 2 pets! and if I could have any animal as a pet, it would still be a dog! They are truly our best friends, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them!