Blythe Beardsley never planned to become an influencer.
But one spontaneous TikTok dance filmed with her sorority sisters turned the University of Arizona senior into an overnight internet sensation.
“It was super last-minute,” said Beardsley, 21, a physiology major and Kappa Kappa Gamma recruitment director. “I taught a quick dance in our kitchen, we filmed it twice, and that was it. Within minutes of posting, it blew up.”
The video, which was posted during sorority recruitment in August, quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Beardsley, a Cave Creek native and aspiring veterinarian, was suddenly getting recognized on campus and flooded with brand offers — from skincare and clothing to music promotions.
Beardsley now has 225.400 followers on TikTok and 23,000 on Instagram. Whereas before the fame, she was only in the hundreds on TikTok and around 1,500 on Instagram.
“I felt imposter syndrome at first,” she said. “I’ve never had a big social media presence. I used to delete the apps to protect my mental health.”
Her rise wasn’t planned, but her approach to it is thoughtful.
With help from her mom, who now helps manage brand outreach, Beardsley is carefully navigating the influencer world while keeping school as her top priority
“She’s not your typical TikTok star,” said her mother, Audrey Beardsley, also a U of A alum and former Kappa. “She’s smart, grounded, and realistic. If it all goes away tomorrow, she’s still going to vet school.”
Despite the online attention, Beardsley remains focused on staying authentic. She only promotes brands she genuinely uses and hopes to eventually use her platform to discuss deeper issues.
Beardsley’s brand deals currently consist of Coach, Scuffers,White Fox, Cider, Nyx Professional Makeup, and local brands such as desertsunvintage.
“I don’t want to just post lip combos forever,” she said. “If I’m going to have a voice, I want to use it for something meaningful.”
Now in her final year at U of A, Beardsley isn’t letting the viral moment define her, but she’s also not afraid to enjoy it while it lasts.
“Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time,” she said. “School comes first, but if I can be someone relatable who shows you can balance both worlds — even better.”
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
