A few years back, social media influencer Blue Kim didn’t get the CBS internship she had her heart set on. Little did she know this minor setback would culminate in her skyrocketing to fame as a contestant on Big Brother 25. If she’d gotten the internship, she’d would have never delighted reality show audiences, considering the conflict of interest.
“It’s corny, but everything happens for a reason,” says Kim. “You just have to either take it or leave it.”
Many that grew up with the Big Brother star knew she was destined for greatness. At one point in college, Kim was even voted “Most likely to become a millionaire by 30.” Considering her unique voice, natural talents in front of the camera, and her almost exhausting-to-watch work ethic, there’s a good chance that title will be eerily prophetic before we know it.
Kim sat down with Playboy to discuss her time on the CBS reality hit, dealing with her newfound fame, and her secrets to success.
Playboy: How was your experience on Big Brother?
Blue Kim: At this point, I think it just feels like a fever dream, right? Today, I just came back from a pole dancing class and we do this round of intros and then a little question. This girl in my class turns around, she goes, “Are you from Big Brother?” I was laughing. And she’s like “That is so funny because my brother—who is a huge fan of yours—his boyfriend, and I we were just talking about you yesterday. They’re dressing up as you for Halloween.”
And I was like, “My God, that’s so funny!” But again, it’s just one of those things where, at this point, I’m going through the daily motions of life. I don’t think about it on a day to day anymore, until something like that happens.
Playboy: How often do you get recognized on any given week?
Kim: I don’t get recognized as often anymore. Once or twice a week. But when I do step out and go somewhere that’s a little more suburban…I get recognized quite a bit. A few months ago, I was at Disneyland. And it was like every 30 minutes I’d get stopped by someone.
Playboy: Chappell Roan has sparked this conversation of fans occasionally overstepping boundaries. Do you have any times when fans went too far?
Kim: My God. A few months ago, I was walking a friend’s dog around my neighborhood. And this guy in a truck stops in the middle of the road and starts screaming. He’s like, “What’s your name?” And there’s a certain look people give you when they recognize you. There was no way he was trying to holler at me because I was in a big T-shirt, no makeup, hair all messy. And I was like “God, I’m not giving you my name!” I think he was really mad so he just drove away. But then, just to be safe, I did an extra few laps around my block. I understand that people are really excited but at the same time…read the room and understand why a grown man yelling at a small woman can come across a little fucking weird.
Playboy: What are you passionate about?
Kim: I’m a professional shapeshifter because I like to cycle through different looks, different styles, but also different passions. Right now, I want to get back into pole dancing and my fitness journey. I’ve always been super passionate about cooking. I love learning about food pairings, what tastes good. And just like the sense of achievement that you feel when you home cook something. I just love that shit.
And then, obviously, I’m very passionate about beauty, fashion skincare, things of that nature. It’s just been really exciting to keep pursuing that passion in a really creative, but fun, non-judgmental way.
Playboy: Let’s say you have a bad day. What’s for dinner? What are you making yourself?
Kim: If I’m having a fucking bad day, I’m making something cozy. I do not give a fuck how hot it is outside. I will make you something warm, something hearty. My favorite meal of all time is spicy braised chicken stew. It’s Korean. It feels so cozy. And it’s seasoned so well with Korean spices. I love a spicy sweet mixture. That’s what I’m doing. And I’m writing in bed, turning my phone off, do not disturb me!
Playboy: Your following is fairly massive. What do you believe is your secret to success?
Kim: I came into the [Big Brother] house as a brand strategist. Instead of using what I practiced on multimillion dollar brands, I’m now using it for me. And I think I have a knack of bringing people together. I’m such a people person. I prioritize community. Even prior to Big Brother, I was kind of the middle person with any friend group that I enter. I always say, “My DMs are open.” I always respond to fans, and I like to connect with people, as much as I can.
Playboy: What advice do you have for aspiring content creators?
Kim: For me, personally…what worked well is going in with a game plan. I kind of had to quickly learn on how to navigate this realm, and how to milk every last drop that I had with Big Brother to the fullest potential. As soon as my ass got kicked out of the house, I was like, “All right, I need to figure out how to make 750k because I didn’t get it. What’s my brand? How am I going to portray myself?” And this will constantly change as you grow and as the ecosystem and the trends change as well. I’m still constantly changing my plans. Plans I made nine months ago are not my plans now.
Playboy: What’s next for Blue Kim?
Kim: My God, I don’t even know, there’s so much for me. Ultimately, I think I just want to keep cultivating my relationships. One of my friends and she was like, “Girl, one thing about you is: you’re gonna dream big.” I am trying to make an entire event where I can bring out my fans, my queer community of vendors and just come together, celebrate community. I’m trying to align with this partnership and just bring everyone together to hopefully create something beautiful, but there’s a lot for Blue Kim so definitely watch out.
Read More: Getting Laid Off Made BYNX a Music Icon