Today we’d like to introduce you to Kali Sanders.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I’m a single girl in my early thirties, thriving personally and professionally. I didn’t grow up with much money, so college and a thriving career were my priorities. I graduated from Boise State University in 2013 with a Communication and Media Studies degree. I wanted to work in film and produce for television. Starting with little money in the industry, I found myself at a large IT Staffing Firm, Insight Global, in Denver, Colorado. I worked for different staffing agencies throughout my career until I landed a killer job at PwC. This is where I found myself professionally and crafted my skills. I was given a raise within 6 months and another in a year. Before I knew it, I was the highest-performing Business Recruiting Manager, hiring almost 600 people in one year, and the Lead of Financial Crimes contract recruiting. After 4 years, I was ready to move to a new company, and an opportunity with TikTok came at the perfect time. I’ve worked with TikTok since April 2022 as a Talent Acquisition Partner on our Global Mass Hiring team. I manage high-volume recruiting projects from end-to-end around the world. I love what I do, and working for a company like TikTok has given me insight into other cultures, ways of thinking, etc. Working in a start-up environment is always challenging, but it’s very much rewarding.
I started doing social media in 2022, mainly on TikTok. I thought that not many people I know in real life are on TikTok, so it was less “scary” to put myself out there. I was dating at the time, specifically on Hinge, and I started sharing “cringy hinge” profiles in Austin, and it was very well received. It resonated with many Austin women who can relate to the challenging dating pool. I’m receiving brand deals, collaborations, event invitations, etc. I’ve already seen how life-changing social media is, and I can’t believe I waited this long to start posting. Because of TikTok (the app), I found many creators that used their platforms to share dating tips, therapy, self-care, self-love practices, meditations, and my favorite ~ the Law of Attraction.~ I’m huge into manifesting your dream life, taking control of your thoughts, which ones you allow to run your life and the power of your mind. “Why not me?” ; “I am the luckiest girl in the world”; “Money is flowing to me endlessly in expected and unexpected ways.” — you get it. I work hard, play hard, enjoy the life I’ve built, and continue to grind for the life that I want.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In 2021 my boyfriend and I of 5 years broke up, and I had to find myself again as a single person without a domestic partner. This was tough, but I made it out the other side happier than ever and with so much growth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in big tech as a project manager, but my hobbies outside of work include the following:
- I’m huge into thrifting. I make thrifting videos/hauls on my Instagram to inspire people to thrift in their city. A goal of mine is to own a thrift store bar in Austin, Texas. I would curate this shop with my style and vibe and make it a space people love to come to.
- I’m into interior design. I have a ~neon maximalist~ style in my apartment, and it’s such a vibe, neon signs, disco balls, tons of plants, lots of colors, naked art pieces, and many thrifted elements. I’m moving into a new apartment in March, and I plan to post the entire decorating process on TikTok and Instagram.
- I’m a crafty girl. I love DIY projects related to fashion and home. Spray paint or up-cycle thrift items and make them one of a kind. Recently I bought this tall metal cactus that is pink and rusting; my next DIY project will be sprayed, painting it silver and covering it in disco mirrors, so I have a disco cactus in my living room.
My goal in 2023 is to learn how to sew because I have the ideas, I just need to be able to make them come to life.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is the power of your mindset. If you feel like life isn’t working out, you’ll never reach your goals, you’ll be single forever, etc. – that is the energy you’re putting out into the world, and that’s the energy you’ll get back. I tell my friends all the time when things get hard, take a breath and remind yourself of how much you have and how far you’ve come. Being grateful for what you have puts you on a different vibration, attracting more great things into your life. Your thoughts become your reality. When interviewing for TikTok, I fake-called my friends and told them I got the job before I even got it. I practice the “law of assumption,” where I assume I will get what I want. Hey, I work at TikTok now, don’t I? I had this white Tesla on my vision board for two years, then randomly, someone posted in our buy/sell group at work that they were getting rid of their Tesla. Is that now my Tesla? Is the exact one on my vision board? Yes, yes, it is. Be delusional. Go after what you want, and know that you’ll get it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/ATXgirly
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kal.atx/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@atx.girly?lang=en
