Milton Keynes student says ‘there’s no point’ in university as she earns up to £10k a day on TikTok

An A-Level student who started posting videos of herself lip-syncing to Katy Perry songs out of boredom, has revealed she’s scrapping plans to go to university because she now earns up to £10,000 a day as an influencer.

Alicia Breuer, 17, who lives in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, explained that she was planning to study a psychology degree, when she began sharing short videos of herself on TikTok last June.

The teenager said her followers swiftly grew from 30,000 to 740,000 on the platform as well as 200,000 on Instagram, leading her to be snapped up by a leading digital talent manager that has helped her to earn between £1,000 to £10,000 a day.

She now earns more than her parents Frank and Tammy who are in their fifties and run an independent financial advice business. 

Tammy revealed she’s giving Alicia her total backing, despite still being a student, saying: ‘I see my job as keeping Alicia grounded a bit. She’s very excited by what’s happening, and so are we.’

Alicia who thanks lockdown for her success, revealed she briefly joined TikTok in March last year but had her account taken down after being hacked. 

Alicia said: ‘I re-joined last June, to give me something to do during the pandemic, because I wasn’t going to school or going out and there was nothing to do when I wasn’t studying for my A-levels.

‘One or two of my videos went viral, so I thought, “I’ll carry on making them”, and the views turned into followers, after which brands started calling me.’

Jessica Henig, 31, who is the founder of digital talent manager unlockedbranding, teamed up with Alicia in July.

She has since had the opportunity to work with brands including Lancome, Urban Outfitters, Boohoo, Benefit, Fenty Beauty and Bershka.

Alicia continued: ‘If I’m now able to make £10,000 some days, I’m going to focus on my videos more heavily when my last school year ends very soon – as there’s no point in me going to university.

‘But I don’t think I would have even started again on TikTok if the pandemic hadn’t come along and I’d have been going to school full-time.’

No one is as surprised as Alicia by the tremendous success of her new career, which she says had simple beginnings. 

‘The majority of my videos are lip syncing to music,’ Alicia said.

‘But one of my first viral ones was a transition video of myself in the mirror, where I wiped across the screen with a cloth and edited videos together, so there were suddenly changes in what I was wearing.

‘I also now put my own twist on things that are trending.

‘But none of them take too long – even a transition video only takes an hour to make.

‘My success has taken me a bit by surprise, but it has led to me replanning my future.

‘I was going to study psychology at uni, but after this all took off I didn’t apply in the end.’

Alicia is astonished to be earning more than many much-older adults who have been working for years, despite still being in full-time education.

She said: ‘Mum is always supportive – as long as I’m happy – so she is backing what I’m doing.

‘I wouldn’t say she’s hopeless on social media – she has downloaded TikTok and gives my videos a look – so with her and dad I always get at least two likes.

‘But she was still always on my back during the coronavirus home-learning to do my school work. I have still been putting my school work before everything else as it’s been my final year.

‘There’s always time for other things, though. I also go to the gym.

‘My form tutor and psychology tutor also know all about what I’m doing, and they have been really supportive, too.’

Alicia revealed she hasn’t experienced any jealousy, despite her success and admiration from her peers. 

Alicia said: ‘My two really close friends have been really supportive, whereas I would probably be jealous if the roles were reversed and they were earning this much.

‘I get a lot of free stuff sent to me. I give them some of my free Lancome make-up when it doesn’t look great on me.

‘As for others like me on TikTok, I don’t feel in competition with them as everyone has their own style.’

Alicia is careful only to endorse products she is happy to be associated with and will not, for example, plug diet pills.

Still, despite trying to be discerning, she once fell foul of TikTok guidelines.

She said: ‘There’s no guarantee every video will go viral – some haven’t.

‘And I did a music promo for Alexa, where I lay in the plank position on my elbows and feet on the roof of a car, but it was removed because it was deemed dangerous if others tried it.

‘Now, if I make a video of me doing planks, it will be around the house – like on the stairs and the kitchen counter.’

She is also hoping that her videos will open doors for her, as she wants to launch a modelling career.

‘There is some talk that I’m going to be signed to a model agency soon,’ Alicia said.

‘Right now, I’m just saving. I have already passed my driving test and I have got a car, so I don’t need that.

‘I suppose if I won the lottery though I would buy a house – in a hot country! But there are no plans for me to do that yet.’

Alicia revealed she’s received very little trolling and the majority of her TikTok fans are kind, saying: ‘I’ll get questions about what hair products I use and how I wash my hair. I try to reply to as many people as I can, but I can’t answer everyone now – or I would be there all day.’

A big surge in music marketing during the pandemic has also led to Alicia playing artists like Katy Perry’s songs on her videos, while miming and acting to them.

Alicia said: ‘I’ve always wanted to own my own business. My dad has got his own business. And I’ve always wanted to travel, so this looks like the perfect opportunity to fulfill my dreams.’

Explaining how clients like Alicia make their money, Jessica explained they are usually paid retainers by companies for posting.

Jessica said: ‘Some of our earlier clients doing the same thing as Alicia now make £100,000 in one day, but that could be a deal for six months of content that is paid on one day.’

As well as showcasing other people’s brands, there is scope for Alicia to make money by building up her own company and have her own ranges or to invest in the firms she promotes.

Jessica added: ‘We have signed about 25 girls as we knew TikTok would become big.

‘When we approached them they only had about 20,000 followers, some even less, but they’re now earning high wages and making real careers and a lot are not going to university.

‘We also help them build their own businesses, like a fashion or skin care brand.

‘They build out of TikTok and Instagram and YouTube, but they can end up investing in a brand as businesswomen.

‘It can become a growing circle of success, where someone like Alicia posts about brands, and the big brands may then, in turn, post about her on their digital sites.

‘Alicia also wants her own clothing range, so we will help her create her own website and, as she’s in demand, she could get paid for personal appearances at events.’

Alicia sees her TikTok success as a door opener for the future.

Alicia said: ‘This whole whirlwind has been a bit of an eye-opener. But I’ve always wanted to own my business and now we’re in an era where you can be smart and become a successful company boss. while bypassing the traditional route of going to university.

‘By using skills in the digital world and creating content that gets out to millions of people on platforms you can realise your dreams and ambitions much quicker – and with thousands of followers you can become well-known, like many past big name businesswoman and TV stars.’