GASTON — Every Sunday, Tiffany Spradley and her family get together for lunch. Or, as many in the South refer to the midday meal, dinner. They each make a dish, traditional Southern staples like country-fried steak and black-eyed peas. Spradley, a Gaston native and resident, said this was just their routine.
"We didn't think it was abnormal," she said.
Then, the pandemic hit.
"When COVID happened, it all came to a halt. It was a shock."
Those Sunday get-togethers went on pause. Over time, as Spradley and her family felt it was safe to do so, they began eating together again. In the meantime, Spradley created a TikTok account. She enjoyed the sensational social media platform. She watched videos and posted some content of her own.
Then came the meatloaf.
Spradley posted a TikTok video of her favorite meal. And overnight, Sunday dinner became a viral sensation.
"I just randomly posted a video of our Sunday dinner on TikTok," Spradley explained. "There was no plan to become some sort of social media person. I just posted it because I love food."
So do millions of others. Spradley's account, now known as "Sunday in South Carolina," has become a hit, with 250,000 followers and over 4 million likes. Her videos rack up hundreds of thousands of views, with several in the millions.
When the account started growing, Spradley saw an opportunity. Her initial goal was to reach 10,000 followers.
Tiffany Spradley's beer can chicken
"When I got about 75,000 followers, I knew I should be making money somehow," she said. "My childhood best friend, her wheelhouse is marketing. So we made our website and we started posting recipes, reaching out to different companies and doing ads."
Those were the early days. Today, Spradley says her inbox is full of requests to feature products in her videos. She spends less time on those now, instead focusing on more significant collaborations with brands like Publix and Walmart.
A family affair
Spradley said her TikTok fame has changed her family’s approach to Sunday dinner. The family uses a group text to discuss dish ideas.
She puts more thought into what they serve and checks to ensure it isn't a repeat of a recent post. Once the food is made, Spradley shoots the video for TikTok, posts it and then adds the recipe to her site.
"So many of our recipes are already on the website," she said. “They're available for free.”
Spradley has spent significant time sitting down with her mother to compile them. She said many people in her audience have limited cooking experience, so she walks through every step.
"You have to write these recipes as if someone has never boiled water a day in their life," Spradley explained.
This experience has allowed her to record a piece of family history.
"It's also been a really good opportunity to document because I know she won't be here forever," Spradley said of her mother. "If TikTok hadn't come along, I wouldn’t have sat down and documented this knowledge my mama has."
The downsides to social media fame
While most of her rise to social media notoriety has been positive, Spradley said there are downsides.
"I feel obligated every Sunday to do this now," she said. If she doesn't post, many followers ask if she's okay. It now feels more like a job to her.
Like most social platforms, there are detractors and naysayers. Spradley has experienced those in her comments section but has a policy on how to handle them.
"I decided a long time ago to never engage with any negative comments," she said.
Tiffany Spradley, who creates content on TikTok as @SundayinSouthCarolina
While she ignores the negative voices, Spradley said many of her followers comment on how special it is to see a family get together every week.
"When we first started getting a lot of followers, people talked about the food, but just as many talked about the family," she said. "I get so many comments about how people wish they had that family and wish they had that time together."
Along with her TikTok account, Spradley works full-time for a local school district. It's a lot to balance, along with raising young children.
And as she partners with more prominent brands, more legal requirements are in place, adding an additional layer of complication.
Potential U.S. TikTok ban not a source of stress
TikTok has been a hot topic in Congress over the last several years and talk of a ban has once again picked up steam. Spradley monitors this activity but said it doesn't cause her much concern.
"I do know what's been going on," she said. "Just by my nature, I'm not a worrier. I also feel like things fly through the House (of Representatives) and get bogged down in the Senate, so that's my hope at the moment."
Spradley has begun setting up accounts on Facebook and Instagram in case TikTok is shut down. Either way, she said if it ends, she's content with that outcome.
A screenshot from one of Tiffany Spradley's TikToks, where she shares her family's Sunday dinners.
"This whole TikTok thing was not planned. I know this was just for a season. If it gets banned, that's okay."
Spradley said she hasn’t set a long-term goal for her account. She's happy to let it lead her.
"I'm just going to go wherever it goes," she said.
She was approached about possibly being on a reality cooking show but turned down the opportunity.
She is considering working on a cookbook in the future.
For now, followers can expect to tune in every Sunday to see what Spradley and her family are having for dinner in South Carolina.
