Welcome to Creators on the Rise, where we find and profile breakout creators who are in the midst of extraordinary growth. You can check out previous installments here.
Sam Ramsdell has always wanted to make people laugh.
In the Before Times, pre-COVID, she was trying to build a career as a live performer. She’d moved from her hometown in Maine to around 30 miles outside New York City, and was working as a wedding singer with occasional gigs at local bars and restaurants. She also frequented the city’s many comedy clubs, using the improv skills she was learning from classes with the Upright Citizens Brigade at open mic nights. And, to top it all off, she was writing her own music, and released a single just before lockdowns kicked in.
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“I was really trying to make it as a performer,” she says. But once COVID hit, putting weddings on ice and shutting down all her usual hot spots, Ramsdell had to figure out a Plan B.
“I was like, ‘All right, what do I do?'” she says. “I was on TikTok, and I was like, ‘All right, what do I have? There’s a million now comedians and singers and performers that have gone to this app. What do I have that’s different than everyone else?'”
The answer was: her mouth.
“I have a ginormous mouth,” she says. She saw a trend on TikTok asking people to show off their unique features, and she posted a clip of herself making funny faces. It got 7 million views.
Not long later, Guinness came calling.
We’ll let Ramsdell tell you the rest of that story herself, but what you need to know is that since joining TikTok in 2020, she’s grown her account to nearly 4 million followers with hundreds of comedic videos, has launched a podcast, Weird & Proud, with her boyfriend, and has plans for 2024 that involve getting big on YouTube and rolling out more merch featuring her world-record mouth.
Check out our chat with her below.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tubefilter: Nice to meet you! To start, just imagine somebody’s reading this or watching this, they haven’t seen any of your stuff before. Give me a little introduction about you and where you’re from and what your life was before social media.
Sam Ramsdell: I currently live right now in Stanford, Connecticut. I normally like to say outside New York City, although most New York City people will say I don’t live close at all. I’m like 30 miles outside the city. I’m from Maine originally. Maine born and raised.
Before social media, I was actually trying to make it as a live performer. I was a singer and I was in a band that did weddings and bars and local restaurants. Then I also was doing comedy and was trying to do open mics in the city. I was taking improv at UCB. I always had this dream of being a live performer and doing my music. I write music too. I was writing my single that came out right before COVID. I was really trying to make it as a performer.
Of course, once COVID hit I was like, “All right, what do I do?” I was on TikTok, and I was like, “All right, what do I have? There’s a million now comedians and singers and performers that have gone to this app. What do I have that’s different than everyone else?”
Of course, you see all types of stuff on TikTok and I was like, “I have a ginormous mouth.” It was one of those trends where it was like, “Show us something that you have that’s different!” I was doing these crazy faces with my mouth and it just blew up. I think it got 7 million views.
Tubefilter: Oh, wow.
Sam Ramsdell: And to me, at the time, I had 10,000 followers on Instagram. That was a huge to me. I was lucky if I got 2,000 views. I was like, “Maybe there’s something here.” It just grew to the point where then literally Guinness reached out to me and was like, “Love your work on TikTok. We’d love to chat.” Because I was like trying to see like, “Do I have the world’s largest mouth?” Doing videos of me measuring it and I come to find out I now have two Guinness World Records.
Tubefilter: Two!
Sam Ramsdell: Yes. Actually I always have them nearby. [shows them]
Tubefilter: Very cool. What is each of them for?
Sam Ramsdell: One of them is for largest mouth gape for female. Largest mouth gape overall, largest mouth overall, and then widest mouth. I wish they were belts so I could wear them around.
Tubefilter: You can make it happen.
Sam Ramsdell: It’s what I’m saying, I’m like, “You got to make them as belts or a necklace with a chain on it so I can wear it around.” Now I do this full-time where, if you come to my page, I use the phrase that I’m “weird and proud.” I do obviously, the mouth makes me weird, but also is a superpower. Now I literally built a community off of it. You’ll see weird, I always love big food. You’ll see me doing weird stuff with my boyfriend. It’s all about just embracing what makes you different and giggling.
Tubefilter: What was the point where you decided to go full-time on it?
Sam Ramsdell: When I was really starting to get to the point where I was making money enough where it was almost just about equal to my full-time job. It was really always my dream to do it. I was getting to the point where right before COVID I was so close to putting my job and really just going for a full-time.
Once I was starting to make enough money where I could feel like I could quit my job without being in too bad of a place and also getting recognized…I think I’d hit just about two million on TikTok and I had in my mind that once I hit two million, I feel like that will put me in a good enough place where I can have a community that can help support me doing this full-time.
@samramsdell5 Classic gape one bite of the best foccacia bread in CT at Rosinas #onebite #foodtiktok #guinnessworldrecords #eatwithme #mukbang ♬ original sound – Sam Ramsdell
Tubefilter: How have things been for you since you went full-time? How did your production change? Do you put out a certain number of videos per week? How have things ramped up for you?
Sam Ramsdell: It is definitely a balance. Right now, of course it always changes. Right now, it’s obviously like I try and post every day, but I also don’t want to force it if I’m not proud of it and it’s not something that I would look at and giggle and laugh about. Obviously trying to do it once a day every other day normally is what it comes down to. Also just expanding the different social media platforms like of course Instagram. TikTok’s my number one, then Instagram. I’m also trying to grow Instagram just because there’s a lot of brand opportunities on Instagram too. Now I’m really trying to go towards YouTube and growing my YouTube. My boyfriend and I do a podcast, which also comes out as a video option on YouTube. Trying to grow that as well and trying to at least do one of those a week. It just varies on depending on which platform it is, but every day keep churning it out.
Tubefilter: How is the video portion of podcasting working for you on YouTube?
Sam Ramsdell: It’s good. Obviously, it’s for a specific type of person. I love podcasts, but I don’t really, like, watch them, but when we first launched it and were just doing the audio version, so many people, I feel like it’s a younger crowd that was like, “I really prefer to watch, I’d love to watch it.” That just gave a good opportunity to have some longer-form content for YouTube and have a set schedule. Every Monday at 6:00 AM, you’re going to get a video on YouTube.
There’s a lot of strategizing too with, maybe making a separate YouTube page versus a personal page. I’m still trying to figure that out, because I didn’t really grow up on YouTube either. I was really more of an Instagram millennial, so YouTube is a little different for me. It’s funny trying, I feel like I’m back at the beginning again trying to figure out YouTube.
Tubefilter: What makes Instagram appealing for you?
Sam Ramsdell: I love Instagram because, again, I am a millennial and that’s just my preferred, if I’m going to open a social media app, I will go to Instagram naturally. I feel like I get more behind the scenes, especially in Stories. I feel like Instagram Stories are really nice for me to really be interacting with my audience in a different way that they will see on TikTok and versus my Reels.
I love, if you want some really wacky, weird behind the scenes of what I’m doing, check out my Instagram Stories. It gets a little weird. Those are the people that follow those, I feel like are also my most loyal because they really get to see really behind the scenes and what I’m doing day-to-day. I post on my Instagram Stories multiple times a day.
Tubefilter: Instagram seems like one of those tricky platforms.
Sam Ramsdell: It is. It’s funny, that’s the app that I always spent my most of my time on, I was inspired by so many. Like Heather McMahan is someone that I really look up to and is someone I inspire to be. She really started doing funny Instagram Stories. I just remember watching her Instagram Stories and dying and now she’s touring all over the world as a comedian. That was exactly what I wanted to do and what I want it to be.
I feel like I just naturally was like, “Oh, Instagram Stories.” It’s such a great way because it does feel like you’re just on a FaceTime call with your best friend. I feel like that is the kind of content I like, and it just feels natural to do it that way just because I’ve been watching it like that for so long. I feel like that’s why I’m more drawn to it.
If I have something that happens to me during the day, the first thing I want to do is go on my Instagram Stories. I don’t know, except that was my social media of choice growing up, so to speak, even though I’m old and it didn’t really come out until I was 20.
Tubefilter: You’re not that old. You didn’t grow up with YouTube and didn’t really grow up with watching video content, so what drew you to like TikTok?
Sam Ramsdell: I really was hesitant towards doing it, because in my head I was starting to grow an audience on Instagram. I had just hit 10K, which to me was huge, but TikTok people were just blowing up. I had some other comedian friends that were starting to blow up on TikTok. I even have some Instagram Reels of me in the beginning being like making fun of TikTok and me like, “What is this app?” I remember my neighbor, who is 13, she was always doing TikToks and I’m like, “What is this app that these children are doing?”
Tubefilter: The children’s app!
Sam Ramsdell: The children’s app yes. I was like, “What are these kids up to?” [laughs] Again, just me going on and literally the first video that took me 10 seconds to just do like [making a face] and then seven million views. I’m like, “Okay, there’s obviously something here,” and then I grew the love for it. Once you’re on it, then I was like, “Okay. I get the love for it, obviously.” I love TikTok too, of course, but it takes a second.
You got to watch TikTok to really understand it. If someone randomly, like a random person had never been on TikTok, you show it to them and they’re like, “What is this app?” There’s certain like, almost like inside jokes in TikTok that you can only know by watching it, so just watching it and then finally being like, “Okay,” it changes so much too. It’s funny how like different TikTok was at the beginning of 2020 versus like what it is now.
Tubefilter: It’s been quite a ride.
Sam Ramsdell: It has, yes.
Tubefilter: In terms of focus, have you thought about doing Snapchat at all?
Sam Ramsdell: That’s another one that like the kids that was like such a kids app for me and because I do so much of it, like on my Instagram Stories, Instagram Stories basically was Snapchat. I just had some bad experiences with Snapchat where it was just like too many wieners and weird things that I would find. Not that there aren’t those everywhere but I just had bad experiences with it and then I just, I don’t know. It was just never my social media of choice either. I forget about Snapchat until you bring it up. I’m like, “Oh, yes, I forgot Snapchat.”
Tubefilter: I was just curious since you’ve mentioned posting multiple Instagram Stories, I feel like that tends to translate.
Sam Ramsdell: Yes. If there was a way that I could just have them automatically uploaded to my Snapchat, that would be ideal. A lot of these social media platforms, I have to download it and then re-upload it, I don’t know. There’s only so many social media platforms I feel like you can really focus on at a time. I never was like a big Snapchatter. I love the Instagram Stories more because I feel like it’s easier to communicate and write back and forth. I don’t know, who knows, I could be missing out.
Tubefilter: I’d love to hear more about your audience. Your biggest audience is on TikTok. How do you engage with your audiences across different platforms?
Sam Ramsdell: Of course, a lot of my audience is female even on TikTok, it’s 90% I think of my audience as female.
Tubefilter: Oh, really?
Sam Ramsdell: A lot of them are the millennials, obviously TikTok is a little bit younger. A lot of different ways I do live shows, so I always do a meet-and-greet when I do live shows in person. There are a lot of opportunities whether it’s on the podcast, we do voicemails where we chat with people, as basic as it is, like responding to comments when I can. Especially at the beginning of when I post a video. I think that’s what’s cool about Instagram is that it makes it easy for me to respond to people on Instagram.
I try to respond to at least 50 DMs a day just to randomly chat with people. I think that builds a bond too where people are like, “Oh my god, I didn’t expect you to respond,” but I try to engage. Especially for people who say nice things or like are asking questions, I do try to make it a place where they feel like I could message them or am open and engaging with them.
Tubefilter: That’s a lot of DMs to respond to every day.
Sam Ramsdell: It’s more like it’s quick, like, “Thank you, love you.” A lot of it’s like, “Love you,” like quick and I have little text shortcuts that I can respond to people with, but really 50 is honestly, I can do that in half an hour. That’s also, I probably get close to like, depending on my Stories, like 800 responses. Especially to new people, I’ll go through my message requests, especially if people send me nice things and are like, “Hey, thank you for getting me through a dark time.” Messages like that, I’m like, “Oh my god, love you. Sending love.” That makes someone’s day. It does make me feel good when people are like, “Oh my god, you just made my day. Thank you so much for responding.”
Those are little ways that I can feel like I’m getting to connect with people and, you know, lonely over here. I’m by myself in my room with my cats, I like to connect with people. That’s why I do this.
Tubefilter: How does the production process work for you in terms of like, walk me through the average video from start to finish. How long does it take you? What’s your process?
Sam Ramsdell: It totally depends. They could take anywhere from 15 seconds to four or five hours, maybe more. It depends, like many creators, I feel like I have a notes app with tons of ideas of things. If I get in a situation where I’m like, “Okay.” I’m like, “Oh, what should I do now?” I will try and look and especially have like a good mix of types of videos that I’m doing. Whether it’s like a challenge with my boyfriend, like I try and do one of those a week. I try and do at least one food video a week.
I like a list of different variations of videos I can do. I also do a lot of finding weird clothes to wear. I’m like go through and just try to find ideas. It can take me hours to think of ideas or search for different challenges to do and bookmarking different ones, looking up different outfits, I’m like, “Oh, can I do something with that?” That part is probably the longest. Then filming it can take anywhere from an hour to a couple of hours, and then editing, I do all that myself too, and that’s all on my phone.
Again, that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours–but yes, it varies. It totally varies. Again, I try and do it based off of two, what I think is funny at the time, what I think is relevant. Again, feedback that I’m getting, I’ll go back over the last week and be like, “Okay, what video did really well? What did I get a lot of feedback on?” Also in my DMs is like a plethora. I feel like people are always sending me stuff.
It’s also really important that I’m going through those, because my audience also gives me great ideas. A lot of times I don’t even have to search for stuff anymore because they’re like, “Hey, this is a great outfit for you to do. This is a great challenge for you to do. This is a great food item.”
Most of the stuff now comes from my own audience, which is cool. I’m like, “Oh, if 100 people are sending me this outfit to do, obviously they really want to see that.” That really gives me a lot of good ideas too.
Tubefilter: It’s cool that you have that relationship with your audience.
Sam Ramsdell: Yes. It’s probably like, it’s so cringey, but it’s like, “They are like my best friends.” I feel like I’ve weeded out anyone that isn’t into what I’m into. People who come to my stuff, they want to laugh, they like weird stuff. I’m a huge animal lover, I’m always posting about my animals. I’m always posting about food, so it’s like now I’ve found my people that like the things I do and so that’s fun. It’s like, “Yes, I want to talk to them because they like and think the things that are funny as I do.” It’s like, “We’re very similar.” If they’re following me, they probably like and think are the things I think are funny or funny.
Tubefilter: Obviously you’ve got a lot on your plate now. What are you looking forward to over the next six months to a year or so?
Sam Ramsdell: Hopefully doing more live shows and continuing to grow that and improve that. I have a merch line, I’m launching merch and really growing my podcast. Growing on YouTube and trying to invest more in that. Also, almost a full-time job just to edit clips and edit the videos and think of content for the podcast. Really trying to grow that. I got merch and a whole like brand of “weird and proud” that I’m really trying to focus on.
Also, just growing my audience, and just continuing to have a lot of good moments and laughing together and just continuing to do this. I’m so grateful every single day that this is my job. As long as I can keep doing this, I am very happy.
