Colette Couillard, lifestyle influencer and UM freshman, was only a high school sophomore when she first went viral. She made a video on a new TikTok account talking about her then boyfriend breaking up with her.
“I posted it on TikTok, and it went super viral,” Couillard said. “At first I thought it was just funny, but then I realized people were actually following me and interested in my life.”
That single post launched her career. She racked up 500k followers in the months after her initial post. Even after the account was banned, her new account has since caught up to the original follower count, with more than 660k followers.
The UM marketing major describes her niche as lifestyle. Couillard’s feed offers a glimpse into college life, Miami culture and the realities of growing up online with get ready with me videos and vlogs of her nights out with friends.
“I’m on my phone all the time, doomscrolling,” Couillard said. “Whenever I see an interesting concept, I take inspiration from it or just think of the things people might find interesting about my life here.”
A typical day for Couillard involves juggling her classes with not only her social life, but her job as an influencer. She posts two or three videos daily, and has already found her routine on campus.
She usually films a “Get Ready With Me” video in the morning, goes to classes in the afternoon and then scrolls for more inspiration at night. After years of balancing schoolwork and sponsorships, she’s learned how to manage both worlds without letting either side take over.
“I’ve been doing it since my sophomore year of high school, so it’s just a habit now,” Couillard said. “If I have a big brand deal due the same week as exams, I just tell them to wait one second — school comes first.”
Brand partnerships have become a part of her everyday life. She’s worked with major brands like DoorDash, Best Buy and Ulta Beauty. Couillard says these collaborations help fund her tuition and even let her go to New York Fashion Week.
At fashion week, Couillard met Ashtin Earle, the sister of UM alum Alix Earle. Couillard says that Earle sisters are some of her favorite influencers, and even though she has wanted to come to UM since middle school, seeing Alix posting about how fun the school was influenced her in the long run.
She looks up to Earle’s success and sees her as a role model for the impact she would like to leave on campus. With her growing following, Couillard recognizes that she is starting to become a role model to her more than half a million followers.
“I went to the Olivia Rodrigo concert and there were little girls coming up to me, and one girl was crying and I didn’t know that I had that effect on younger kids,” Couillard said. “Just knowing that young girls are watching me too is just really special.”
Couillard makes it a point to keep her online presence authentic, but she also recognizes that it is okay to want to keep certain things for yourself. She credits her parents for giving her support growing up to be able to let any hate roll right off her back.
“I post almost everything, but my relationship is something that I keep private,” Couillard said. “I just don’t want to hear people’s opinions on that at all.”
As for her future, Couillard plans to graduate early and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in business law or political science. She puts her studies first, because she knows social media is not always going to be there.
“I could lose all my followers tomorrow,” Couillard said. “So I’m making as much money as I can now, investing in my education and seeing where it takes me.”