Blake Manning may look like your sweet boy next door, but the Southern California native is one of the hottest models and influencers on the rise in the world of social media.
Originally joining TikTok for his love of dancing and entertaining people, Blake just wanted to spread a positive message on social media. But after consistently posting, the 18-year-old built a platform with countless viral videos and a fanbase of over 1.9 million.
“I first started on TikTok, and it was perfect for me to try to use my creativity,” Blake tells Celeb Secrets in an exclusive interview. “I didn’t even mean to go viral. I was just dancing and a million views later, I started to really think like, wow, this could like actually be my career.”
When scrolling through Blake’s feed, you can find him playing basketball or golf, throwing the football around with friends, or even giving his followers an inside look at what it’s like to make videos for his growing YouTube channel. You’ll also see clips from various social media and print campaigns, as he has been a model for brands like BOSS, DICK’s Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Friar Tux, ROMWE, Curology, EyeBuyDirect, and Allen Edmonds.
“I first got into modeling about a year into social media, and it’s one of my favorite things to do. It’s a super fun environment with music while people are taking pictures and everyone’s so friendly,” Blake shares.
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Currently, Blake is working on one of the biggest projects of his career, as he is currently enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a full time student. Majoring in theater arts, the 18-year-old also has plans to play for the basketball team — all while balancing the daily demands needed to stay relevant on social media.
“I would love to grow more as a person and start off as college strong on a good foot, maybe try to shoot for a 4.0. I know it’s hard balancing everything, but it’s definitely a goal of mine,” he shares. “On the social media side, [my goal] is to really grow and focus more on the day in the life stuff like the skincare… the men’s health; the fashion, the shoes… things like that.”
@blakethegoatt DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COLLEGE STUDENT
For more on Blake and his budding career, make sure to watch our full interview below.
You can connect with Blake by giving him a follow on Instagram at @blakemanning and TikTok at @blakethegoatt.