(NewsNation) — Shannon Martens had no idea what TikTok even was until her 15-year-old daughter introduced her to it. Then in September, when her father died, she began to use TikTok to cope with the loss.
Now, Martens, known on the app as “mrsdutchie73” is a viral sensation on the app, boasting more than 448,000 followers.
“I just started crafting as a means of grieving and just to kind of get away,” Martens said.
Her fame started to grow slowly. She started on TikTok by making rhinestone cups with an audience of about “30 ladies” who would join her to just “chitchat.”
Then her following exploded.
“We went from a group of about 30 women, and some gentlemen in there, to, I have had over 30,000 people in my live,” Martens said. “I never expected anything like that to ever happen. … It was not the reason I started crafting, it just happened.”
Her followers have started calling themselves “the Dutch Dynasty” and have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to troll and bullies trying to enter her live streams.
“My motto has become bless, block and release,” Martens said. “My followers, they don’t play, the Dutch Dynasty is strong and they will gladly bless, block and release somebody who is not there. We stress kindness and acceptance.”
A sign behind her says “we don’t do ugly” and she says her streams don’t. They laugh, have fun and “keep it real.”
What started as a hobby to cope with the death of her father has now replaced her old full-time job as a respiratory therapist.