Influencer
Mukbang Maven: Sa Nguyen’s Unfiltered Approach To Content Creation
In the blink of an eye, Sa Nguyen went from filming late-night ramen videos to becoming a TikTok sensation with millions of followers.
But what separates her content from the countless other food videos flooding social media? And how did this 19-year-old college student manage to turn her spontaneous mukbangs into a full-fledged career? Sa’s journey from ordinary student to content creator phenomenon offers a fascinating glimpse into the unpredictable world of viral fame and the power of authenticity in social media.
Sa Nguyen, a 19-year-old college sophomore, never set out to become a social media star. “I mainly do beauty, lifestyle, and food,” she explains. “People really like my food mukbang type videos.” For those unfamiliar with the term, Sa elaborates, “Mukbangs are Korean eating shows. And it’s very popular in East Asian culture to film yourself eating food.”
What sets Sa apart is her unique blend of cultures and cuisines. “I share with the internet my culture,” she says proudly. “So [I share] a lot of my cultural foods like Vietnamese style foods, ranging from [familiar cuisines] like Italian food all the way to [more exotic] Vietnamese food, like Balut [a fertilized duck egg delicacy] or like live octopus and stuff like that. And people get really intrigued by it.”
Sa’s rise to fame wasn’t an overnight success story. She had been creating food videos since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but they didn’t gain traction initially. The turning point came unexpectedly. “One day I filmed the ramen video,” Sa recalls. “But [that] one day it went viral after [a] senior football game. I got home and I made ramen and I filmed [another] one.” That video hit a million views in a single night, and the success continued with subsequent posts.
What was the secret ingredient that made Sa’s content suddenly irresistible to viewers?
According to Sa, “It’s most definitely the authenticity. People really like the FaceTime type [of] call. [It’s] really comfortable, comforting.” She adds, “Most people tell me that they watch my videos at 3am at night when they have a late night craving. Or [when] they want to relate to someone and they pull up my videos.”
This relatability factor is key to Sa’s appeal. She shares snippets of her daily life, discussing school activities, homework assignments, and typical teenage experiences. “So it was very relatable to high school students,” Sa explains. “[I was] reciprocating my [experiences], my high school experience in a way [that] was very comforting to other people, [and] people really liked that about me.”
One of the most surprising aspects of Sa’s content creation process is its spontaneity. “It’s extremely spontaneous,” she admits. “I don’t even know what I’m going to eat the minute I wake up in the morning.” This off-the-cuff approach extends to her editing process – or lack thereof. “I actually do not edit my TikTok videos. At all,” Sa reveals. “I film it within the app and then I sometimes don’t, most of the time I don’t watch my videos again. I just hit post.”
While this unfiltered approach has endeared her to fans, it doesn’t mean Sa’s journey has been without challenges. Balancing her newfound fame with her academic and personal life has been a significant hurdle. “I think it was just balancing time management,” Sa reflects. “When I started going viral and started making this my job, I was also balancing other extracurricular activities, school, obviously full time school.”
Sa is also involved in volunteer work, including an annual medical mission to Cambodia. Juggling these commitments with content creation, which she estimates takes up 50% of her time, is “a pretty big challenge.”
Another misconception Sa wants to dispel is that being a content creator is easy. “People say that content creators shouldn’t complain because everything is easy,” she notes. However, Sa emphasizes the mental fortitude required to thrive in this field. “Every content creator has to have a strong mindset. You have to have really thick skin,” she explains. Even as a creator of wholesome content, Sa faces her share of negative comments and criticism.
To manage this, Sa has developed strategies like filtering out profanity words and leaning on her support system. “I also talked to my friends and my family. They’re always there to help support you,” she says. Sa also reminds herself that negative online interactions rarely translate to real-life encounters with supporters.
As her following has grown, Sa has had to navigate the world of talent management. After interviewing with numerous companies, she chose to work with Charley Button at Select Management, partly due to familiarity with her clients. “Familiarity is one of the greatest feelings,” Sa explains. “Just being familiar with something, being comfortable with something. Because I already knew of it, I liked it the most.”
Sa’s content now spans multiple platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, in addition to her primary platform, TikTok. She tailors her content to each platform’s unique characteristics and audience expectations. For example, she describes her TikTok content as “chit chat FaceTime videos,” while her YouTube content is “more put together, longer, long-form, and definitely more informative.”
Despite her success, Sa remains grounded and connected to her roots. She still lives at home in Orange County, even though it means a long commute to Los Angeles for events and meetings. “I like staying with my family and living with my family. I don’t want to move out yet because my siblings are still at home. And I have a twin sister,” Sa shares.
Looking to the future, Sa is excited about using her platform for social good. She plans to document her upcoming medical mission to Cambodia, hoping to inspire her audience to engage in similar acts of service. “My biggest goal is to share with the world how you can uplift others and make other people happy,” she says enthusiastically.
For aspiring content creators, Sa’s advice is simple yet profound: “I know this is really basic, but it’s just do it.” She emphasizes the importance of persistence, noting that it took her three years to “skyrocket.” Most importantly, Sa advises against seeking attention for its own sake. “If you’re seeking attention, and it’s really obvious you’re seeking attention, people will not want to watch you,” she warns.
Sa Nguyen’s journey from late-night ramen videos to social media stardom is a testament to the unpredictable nature of viral fame. Her story reminds us that in a world of carefully curated content, authenticity and relatability can be the most powerful ingredients for success. As Sa continues to grow her platform and use her influence for good, she serves as an inspiration to aspiring creators and a reminder that sometimes, the most genuine moments can resonate with millions.
