Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Peyton.
Hi Tina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Tina, and I go by Tinapey on social media which is actually where my story begins.
Tinapey like Tina Fey, the notorious writer, and comic who gave us believed movies like Mean Girls and was the first head writer on Weekend Update in the 90s on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. She’s still my idol to this day and who I originally wanted to “emulate” when it came to my life journey in some way or another.
After high school and developing a love for the arts and comedy my plan was to magically run away to LA, and become some saught after movie star or celebrity, and hey maybe that’s still in the cards one day (being a cast member on Saturday Night Live has always been my ultimate goal). I first decided to finish my Journalism degree at the University of Utah. I graduated high school several years early and decided journalism was a “safer bet” for college and I had a huge passion for writing and storytelling.
I enjoyed my time at University, I was able to write producer, and work in local television and movies in and around the Salt Lake City area. I was studying journalism by day and by night was working 12-hour shifts on Hallmark and Disney sets at night where I would often do extra work to make ends meet.
During this time (around 2016-17) social media was in full swing and a lot of castings were asking for social media profiles when going into castings. Since I was already making camera appearances for school and putting together packages and television reels, being more active on social media sorta became second nature.
I started by posting my television and modeling work on my Instagram page @tinapey, and that is originally where traction to becoming a content creator came from. Larger photographers and directors would feature me on their accounts and it would drive traffic and followers to my page.
It wasn’t until my last year of University that a few Utah bloggers reached out to me via DM saying they were holding a “social media retreat” and they would love to have me come join as someone who knew the acting and modeling field. Honestly, I cannot believe still how well that weekend worked out, and how it changed my life.
Immediately after graduating college in 2017, I worked as an assignment editor and associate producer for Fox 13 Utah. It was my first actual big girl job and it combined my love for storytelling, writing, editing, photography, and on-camera presence all into one. I would work from like 4 am until 1 pm and then spend the afternoons working on my blogging and Instagram presence. It was here I started to transition more out of a portfolio page to an actual content creator/blogger.
The summer of 2018 is when I started taking blogging and Instagram seriously, looking back at my page then I’ve made a huge transition in content, style, and overall aesthetic. It’s been a big journey filled with ups, downs, and curveballs at every angle but I love it.
I guess that probably leads us up to the present day. Since 2018, I’ve been doing content creation and blogging for major brands such as Sephora, Target, and Pandora Music to name a few. I now do mostly fashion, beauty, and Utah commentary-type videos on my Instagram and TikTok. I also keep things pretty natural in terms of editing and style, I no longer shoot on my DSLR camera and opt for iPhone moments instead.
I still do any type of news, acting, or anything media-related when I can as well. I’ve had amazing opportunities to be a journalist and media correspondent in more ways than one. I’ve been invited to CNN parties, galleries, restaurant openings, festivals, and more.
I think that’s the absolute beauty of what the social media industry has become, I have more of a say in my career now because someone may have liked my video on TikTok or styling on Instagram than I did going through formal training in school, but don’t get my wrong I don’t regret school one bit.
These days, I work as a social media manager in addition to being a content creator, I love seeing all sides of the industry, and working in social media is definitely my dream field.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’d be lying if I said I haven’t cried over a photo on Instagram a few times (but hey we’re human).
Being a Utah-based creator is an interesting dynamic as well, I don’t think I really understood to power and struggle that comes from being a Utah creator until I left for a few years to live in Washington D.C.
Utah is a POWERHOUSE when it comes to bloggers, content creators, photographers, models, actors, or just anything media-related. Some of the first OG bloggers and creators are from Utah and have set precedents on how a lot of ways things are done today – which is actually pretty cool.
Utah also has a picture-perfect mentality from my experience as well. Maybe it’s just the dominating culture around here and how everyone is super pretty. Even growing up the idea of “keeping up with the Jones” or maybe for my generation the Kardashians (hey Kimmy) was super prevalent.
Things had to be perfect, and they were set to a specific standard. That trickles into media and social media especially. I know at the beginning of my journey I would often feel like I’m not as good to be a content creator or blogger.
Now thankfully the curtain has been lifted on the social media industry when it comes to things not always being picture-perfect. But don’t get me wrong some days I still feel like I’m not doing enough, not working enough, or comparing myself to others. It’s a journey, but one I’m always working on to better myself overall.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock dry humor run through my veins the same way Cafe Rio sauce and Dirty Diet Coke might run through others.
I think I’ve become most known for my Utah-based humor, and how I present myself on social media. One moment I’m doing it for the aesthetic, the next I’m ripping into why those flat brim hats don’t look good on everyone. I like to keep it ying-yang on my social these days.
Since the rollout of Instagram Reels and TikTok, I specialize more in video and long-form content on social media. I post daily to my Instagram (@tinapey) and my TikTok account (@tinapey10) creating UGC content for brands and entertainment for my following.
2 years ago I don’t even think you could get me to talk on Instagram or TikTok (which is wild considering I started out in film first). I just wasn’t comfortable in my skin and being truly authentic to me. I’m incredibly proud that I can just show up. Really showing up. I can post cute outfit videos and makeup tutorials while still providing humor and entertainment.
I don’t see myself as a “blogger or influencer” actually, when people ask me what I see myself as I actually say content creator or Public Figure (bougie right?).
Because I’m not always trying to “influence” I just wanna be me and make all things that make me happy, sometimes that’s fashion and makeup, and others it’s explaining to people that Utah doesn’t put milk in their soda (it’s creamer).
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
If I had a dollar for every time someone doubted my journey I might have enough money to pay back my tithe to the Mormon church for the last ten years.
Social media is risky, but maybe not as risky as investing in made-up crypto. Do I consider myself a risk-taker? Absolutely, I mean I have to be in order to really achieve what I want to achieve.
My favorite person in the world, my Nana, who recently just passed told me the greatest piece of advice a couple of years ago when I first started taking my social media seriously.
She said, “All they can do is say no, so you might as well ask.”
I live by that now, I don’t want to have any regrets at the end of whatever this crazy journey we’re on called life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinapey/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf0zLqdBWkiLsjOaKULit6w
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/tinapey10
