A TikTok creator doubled her income with a 50-part post about her husband. She keeps her day job for stability.

• Tareasa M. Johnson, known arsenic "Reesa Teesa," went viral pinch nan TikTok series, "Who TF Did I Marry."
• She is now signed to nan talent agency CAA and ABC is making a show based connected her story.
• Johnson told BI she makes much than double her net from contented creation, but kept her aged job.

Dressed successful a crisp crimson blouse, Tareasa M. Johnson takes my Zoom telephone successful nan rule enforcement agency she useful from, a star-spangled banner successful nan area of nan screen.

Like millions of people, I first encountered Johnson 7 months agone connected my telephone screen, hooked to her 50-part TikTok bid which she titled "Who TF Did I Marry?"

For nan uninitiated, Johnson (username: Reesa Teesa) became an instant TikTok sensation erstwhile she shared nan communicative of uncovering retired that her hubby wasn't who she thought he was. From nan driver's spot of her car, she told followers that she had conscionable learned he wasn't a VP; he was a forklift driver. He had aggregate forged Social Security numbers, and a erstwhile complaint of impersonating a constabulary officer.

The posts — which amounted to 8 hours full — changed her life.

The bid and her ongoing contented creation now relationship for "about 70%" of her income, Johnson told Business Insider.

Since nan bid blew up successful February, Johnson said she's stopped going to market stores because 1 personification would admit her and it would quickly snowball into a frenzy. She's appeared connected "Good Morning America" and nan "Tamron Hall Show." She's signed pinch CAA, a apical imaginative agency, and sold her communicative arsenic an upcoming TV bid to ABC. Later this week, she'll speak astatine nan 2024 BodCon Conference astir really to day pinch assurance successful nan integer age.

Still, she kept nan aforesaid executive adjunct domiciled she had earlier she uploaded those fateful TikToks.

"That's nan 1 point that I americium still holding onto, my 8-to-5 job," she said. "It's normal. I needed thing to conscionable support maine grounded." Beyond providing her pinch a acquainted regular and coworkers arsenic she skyrocketed to overnight fame, it besides gives her a heavy consciousness of security.

"It's important that I don't trust connected societal media to salary my bills," she said. "To me, that's not wisdom." While nan financial occurrence of "Who TF Did I Marry" allowed her to consciousness for illustration she tin "breathe," she said she's strategical erstwhile it comes to spending money.

Law enforcement by day, contented creation astatine nighttime and connected weekends

Johnson said her existent occupation gives her nan state to recreation to events erstwhile she needs to, which she said has happened each period since nan bid went viral.

She useful normal full-time hours astatine her table occupation successful Marietta, Georgia and mostly does "the Reesa stuff," for illustration posting marque deals, erstwhile she gets location astatine night a fewer times a week. "I effort my champion to negociate my clip properly," she said. "But yeah, it is crazy. I cognize it's crazy."

She's besides nan executive shaper of nan TV bid she conscionable sold based connected her story. "The White Lotus" character Natasha Rothwell is processing nan show pinch her and will prima arsenic Johnson.

Johnson said she'll beryllium progressive successful nan writer's room, giving feedback connected nan adaptation's accuracy. "This is my babe and I'm hands-on pinch it," she said.

She bought a 'modest' house

A pivotal portion of "Who TF Did I Marry" was that Johnson said her ex, who she nicknamed "Legion," told her he paid $700,000 successful rate for a house they wanted. Johnson later learned that he could not show impervious of costs to nan sellers, who rescinded nan offer.

After nan bid blew up, and lucrative business deals started pouring in, Johnson said her first large extremity was to yet beryllium a homeowner and not interest astir rent increases.

She described her caller location arsenic "modest." "I made judge to bargain thing that was smart for me," she said. "I'm not going to bargain a seven-bedroom location pinch a three-car garage."

In Marietta, wherever nan average location costs $468,000, Johnson wanted thing she could spend moreover if she discontinue contented creation.

She's observant pinch her money

Johnson's alert of really drastically sudden, accidental fame tin alteration your life. "You get each this money starts flowing successful and everybody has a manus retired for something," she said.

But her life acquisition has besides taught her to beryllium wise pinch her money. "I cognize what it's for illustration to unrecorded from paycheck to paycheck," she said. "I grew up pinch a mom who was connected welfare, truthful I cognize what it is to virtually person $2 successful my slope account."

She said astir of nan contented creation money has gone into her savings and that she limits shopping and eating retired because they "can adhd up quickly." She values her full-time domiciled because it comes pinch a dependable income arsenic good arsenic aesculapian insurance.

Johnson said she would only time off her occupation for different full-time, unchangeable position — ne'er contented creation, which tin beryllium volatile and time-consuming.

Plus, it would suck nan nosy retired of posting. Outside of sponsored contented and media appearances, she only posts erstwhile she genuinely has thing she wants to share. "I deliberation that group would get sick of seeing maine each azygous day," she said. "'Hey, get fresh pinch maine to spell to work,' that's boring."