“Just Start!” and Other Simple Productivity Tips with Helen Polise

For the better part of three decades, Helen Polise made a living behind the camera as a TV commercial director. Her keen eye and authentic approach to storytelling helped to elevate the profile of global brands such as Sensodyne, Conair and the NFL, among countless others.

But when the pandemic hit in 2020 and production ground to a halt, it gave her the opportunity to dig a little deeper into the world of social media.

“I was always on social media, and I was always looking at the next thing,” Helen said on the Leading With Nice Interview Series podcast. “So when I decided to try TikTok … I just embraced it.”

Not only did she find herself in front of the camera, she was also at the helm of a new chapter in her career.

Known as the TikTok Teacher, Helen has 540K+ followers and over 100 million views on her clear, easy-to-follow tutorials, which demystifies the whole process and teaches people step-by-step how to start creating their own TikTok videos. She even has a TikTok course geared toward beginners.

“I had one follower when I started, and then I had 10 followers,” she said. “I built my whole thing by learning and trying and using myself as the experiment.”

Through all her trial and error on the platform, one thing remained constant: authenticity. And it’s a big part of what Helen believes is the secret to her success.

“People want real, they want genuine, they want kind,” she said. “The people who are trying to manicure the content and make it seem authentic aren’t really going to be the ones that end up at the top of the game.”

Helen stopped by the podcast to discuss everyday productivity tips and simple ways that anyone can create powerful, authentic content. She even provides a live TikTok tutorial during the episode. It was a blast! You’re not going to want to miss this one. Listen to the full episode below.

 

BONUS: Right after you listen to the episode with Helen Polise, you’ll want to check out our conversation with Corey McMullan, another TikTok star who found success by embracing authenticity.