Haley Kalil (@haleyybaylee) does what she wants, even if it scares her. Entering pageants. Double majoring in biomedicine and psychology. Winning Sports Illustrated’s very first open casting call with zero modeling experience. But it wasn’t until two and a half years ago that she stepped into her true talent: making people laugh.

Haley, now 32, has amassed 17 million fans across platforms, with 6.9 million new followers on Instagram since October 2022 alone. Her approach is refreshingly straightforward: post what you think is funny. "Don't overthink it," she says. "Overthinking kills everything." It's a simple philosophy that requires a certain kind of fearlessness, or at least a daily dose of courage to hit post anyway.

“Don’t overthink it. Overthinking kills everything.”

This mindset is reflected in her DIY approach to creating content. She shoots most of her videos on her phone camera, using minimal apps to edit them without much fuss. It's a low-key setup that allows her to move quickly and post anywhere from two to five times per day.

We sat down with Haley to talk about how she comes up with ideas, what motivates her, and how other creators can break free from impossible expectations to create more of what they love.

How would you describe the kind of content you make?

Relatable humor, satire, social commentary, and randomness from my brain.

How did you become a creator?

I did an apartment tour back in October of 2022. At the time, I was working as a model in New York and was planning to move home to Minnesota. But then our video blew up, and it felt like a now-or-never opportunity. I took a bet on myself and committed to posting content every single day.

It’s through that I found myself again.Content reinvigorated my life. It gave me a purpose that I just didn’t have for so many years.

“Content reinvigorated my life. It gave me a purpose that I just didn’t have for so many years.”

In the beginning, you posted five times per day. Is this advice you give other creators?

When I started out, I was used to working 9 to 5, so I committed myself to 8 hours of content creation per day and treated it like my full-time job. But every creator is different. My advice is to do what feels right.

How do you come up with ideas for your videos?

The content I make is mostly social commentary, so I get my inspiration everywhere. But I also love looking at my own comments. If you think a video of mine is funny, go to the comments, because chances are you’re going to see something even funnier. My followers always have my back, and they give me really good ideas for new content.

What tools on Instagram are your favorite and why?

Hidden Words is the best thing to happen to Instagram. It’s an easy way to create a safe space for not only yourself but also your followers.

I used to feel nervous about turning on tools like that, but now I highly encourage creators to use anything that helps keep them safe. I just see it as a way to prevent interactions that shouldn’t happen in the first place.

“Hidden Words is the best thing to happen to Instagram. It’s an easy way to create a safe space for not only yourself, but also your followers.”

I also really enjoy my broadcast channel. It feels like a group chat and gives me a better way to connect with my fans. And then Reels, obviously. I take full advantage of the Instagram filters, especially the beauty and face-changing ones because it’s an easy way to transform into a different character, which is great for comedic work.

What's your most memorable collab?

Jared Leto was my first celebrity collaboration and it started in my Instagram DMs. His team reached out to me because they saw my reels, and we ended up creating a few videos of me and him in his cat outfit from the 2023 Met Gala.

But I’m always connecting with people in DMs. The messages I get from other women are especially encouraging, and sometimes when I’m having a bad day I open my DMs and read them.

That’s also how the whole me being “mom” thing came about.

How does it feel being the internet's mom?

I started noticing people calling me “mother” in the comments, and of course me being a millennial was like, “what does that mean? Do people think I’m old?” But my followers were quick to let me know that it’s a compliment. That all started on Instagram.

You have millions of followers on other platforms. Why Instagram?

I’ve found that Instagram has the widest reach. On my other platforms, there are more niches and they almost all live in their own space. On Instagram everyone’s “space” is the same, and it allows me to reach more people who might not be my core audience. Men and women of all ages. It’s a really diverse audience, which I love.

You seem fearless. What advice do you have for other creators who want to take more risks?

Oh, I’m definitely not fearless. The fear around posting never fully goes away, and that’s something I think all creators should be aware of. No matter how big your audience gets, you’re still human! The nerves are normal.

Maybe it’s easier for me to say “just post it” because I do it everyday, but it’s true! I swear being true to yourself and authentic in your content will pay off. Take the risk. As long as you’re happy with what you’re putting up then you’re on the right path.

“Being true to yourself and authentic in your content will pay off. As long as you’re happy with what you’re putting up then you’re on the right path.”

One thing my mom taught me in life is that it’s just not that serious. So you might as well have some fun.

GO TO INSTAGRAM