Images by Ryan McGill
The Walker Leader recently sat down for lunch with social media sensations Shelby and Dylan Reese. The couple is known for their engaging and entertaining video content, which often includes humorous glimpses into their lives as a couple and as parents.
The pair, who met as students at the University of West Alabama and now call Winfield home, have gained a significant following due to their creativity and authenticity.
Here is a look into our lunchtime conversation!
WL: How did you get into the world of content creation?
SR: I’m a teacher, and over Christmas break in 2021, I started watching TikTok videos in my spare time. My favorite videos were those from funny and relatable couples, and I started telling Dylan, “Hey, we could do this!”
It took a lot of convincing, but he agreed to post one video daily for a month and see where it went. After a month, we had over a hundred thousand followers, and about three months in, we hit a million. We are so blessed that it happened as quickly as it did.
WL: What is something that people may not realize about the work that you do?
DR: How much time goes into it. We put a lot of time into filming and editing content, so we are always working on content creation, even if we aren’t actually in front of the camera.
I have definitely worked harder doing this than any job I have ever had, but I am so thankful for the opportunities it gives us.
WL: How have you been able to build relationships with other influencers?
DR: When we still had around 30,000 followers, we contacted some of our favorite influencers who made similar content and asked for advice. We weren’t sure if they would see our messages or even respond, but we figured asking didn’t hurt.
Several of them took the time to respond and give us suggestions, and some have ended up becoming some of our best friends.
SR: Those people like Hunter and Devin (Cordle) and Kaci and Casey (Driggers) all have similar values to ours, and we’re very aligned in terms of faith and what we believe. We have been very blessed to find good friends through this journey.
DR: And we’re all within a day’s drive of one another. We’re like the SEC of TikTok! (Roll Tide!)
WL: How do you maintain your authenticity and uphold your values when it comes to brand collaborations?
SR: Thankfully, it hasn’t been difficult. We have a wonderful management team that helps us navigate everything in terms of brand deals and promotions.
We express our thoughts to them, whether a yes or a no, and they always respect what we decide and handle the conversations with the brands.
DR: We once had an ad video get 20 million organic views. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with that many people seeing what we put into the world.
Because of that, you won’t see us promote a brand we haven’t personally looked into and researched. If it makes it onto our pages, we have vetted and believe in it. We won’t compromise on our values just to make money.
WL: In what ways have your lives changed since becoming public figures?
SR: Being recognized in public is definitely the biggest! I remember the first person who ever noticed us. A sweet girl in Tuscaloosa stopped us and asked us to take a picture. It was way before we hit a million followers, and it meant a lot to us!
DR: This has become our mission field because we would never be able to get in front of this many people any other way.
People recognize us, and that opens an opportunity to have a conversation with someone and share our faith and values. We might not have been able to do that otherwise.
WL: How do you think being content creators has changed you individually and as a couple?
SR: It has made me more aware that what we see online does not always indicate what is going on behind the scenes in anyone’s life. I’m not saying there is dishonesty, but there’s just selective display; it’s a highlight reel.
What you see from us is our highlight reel. It has made me more aware that everyone is human and deals with life in their own ways, no matter who you are. It has shown me the value of being kind to everyone, no matter what.
DR: I don’t think it has changed us at the core of who we are. It’s our job. Our job is just more public than some, but that doesn’t change who we are.
We have the same friends, and we’ve gained friends since starting this job, but we still have the same values, beliefs, and work ethic that we had before. If anything, this has just made us work harder.
SR: We’ve had to learn how to work together. It has all happened simultaneously with having our first child, so it’s hard to differentiate what we’ve learned from growing our family versus from being in the public eye.
We can’t do our jobs without one another, so working together in a business capacity has been a big thing to learn.
WL: You’ve entered the world of YouTube and long-form video. What are your hopes for that aspect of content creation?
DR: We’re excited to pursue longer-form video! We can’t wait to see where YouTube takes us while we continue to make the short-form content for TikTok and Instagram.
We also want to continue exploring new types of content we can create that will hopefully appeal to a broader audience.
WL: What does life look like now that you have both shifted into full-time content creation work?
SR: We’re trying to figure out our new normal now that I won’t be teaching. Previously, I was gone from 6:45 a.m. until after 4 p.m. during the week. We’ve tried to consistently film at least one video daily and edit at least one video daily
Now that I’ll be available earlier in the day, we can film earlier and have more time together as a family in the evenings. This job allows us to spend a lot of time with our son, and that’s a huge blessing.
DR: We have the greatest job in the world, being able to work together, and it is such a blessing to be able to do it full-time now.
WL: Lastly, do you have any advice for those wanting to pursue a career in content creation?
DR: Consistency is key. Even if you get no views at first, stay consistent and stay with it. Explore and find your niche, but don’t do something you don’t like because when you hit that mark and start to find success, you don’t want to be stuck doing something you don’t enjoy.
SR: Don’t be afraid to ask for advice and help from people who are already doing it!
Editor’s note: Thank you to Los Reyes Grill in downtown Jasper for graciously allowing The Walker Leader the space to facilitate this conversation and, of course, for the fantastic food and service!
Follow Shelby and Dylan on social media!
