Jay Sage
On Jeff’s Barbershop, TikTok Fame, and More!
Tennessee’s Jay Sage is simply in a league of her own; in just over a year, the TikTok star has become one of social media’s most popular creators. Her distinct personality, outlook, and humor have earned her TikTok account, @imthejay, over 5.4 million followers! The influencer first stepped into the spotlight with a mixture of comedy and TikTok challenge content. Since then, she has seemingly done it all. From casually playing with garden snakes, to eating ghost pepper hot sauce, and even a rare appearance on the “Jeff’s Barbershop” YouTube series, Jay never falls short of entertaining her audience. “I feel so blessed to have a platform to talk to and share my ideas and perspectives with,” she said. “Recently I’ve been sharing more about my faith and spreading the Gospel through my platforms.” Whatever the case may be, there is one thing for sure-- her content will never fail to disappoint, and she isn’t stopping anytime soon! The TikToker revealed in our interview that there is a lot more on the way, including a new Wildlife Project! Read our full conversation below!
Hey Jay! Thank you so much for speaking with us, your TikToks are a favorite at the magazine! How are you and how has the pandemic been treating you?
I’m doing great! I’ve really been able to find myself in ways I never thought during this time. I also took up a new hobby in cooking! I’m really enjoying trying new recipes.
Cool! What's your go-to recipe right now?
My go-to recipe is scrambled eggs with avocado toast on gluten-free French brioche bread! During quarantine I found out I’m gluten intolerant so I’ve had to make changes to the types of bread I eat.
Photo Credit: Jay Sage
A few months ago, you celebrated your one-year anniversary releasing content and surpassed five million followers. Describe one of the greatest memories that you’ve made during this time?
One of my favorite memories, dang there are so many. I loved going to LA and Playlist. In LA I got to collaborate with a bunch of my friends and meet cool people. At Playlist, I got to meet my supporters and that meant a lot to me.
Was there any moment during this time that still feels surreal to you?
I have this surreal feeling every time I meet someone who I knew about online before meeting in person, like Howie Mandel or Logan Paul. When I met them and they knew who I was, I realized just how crazy the internet can be!
What has been the best perk of your TikTok fame?
I feel so blessed to have a platform to talk to and share my ideas and perspectives with. Recently I’ve been sharing more about my faith and spreading the Gospel through my Platforms.
How so?
The way I get to connect with people that follow me and really create a community and connection. It’s so important to me to make sure that my followers know they are like my family and I’m so blessed to have them in my life.
You’re known to be incredibly candid with your audience. With that said, what is one thing that people still don’t know about you?
Hmmm probably that I really enjoy cleaning. Like seriously. I have cancelled plans in the past just so I can do a nice deep clean of my space. It helps me destress for sure.
What are some other things that you do to destress outside of TikTok and social media?
I love treating myself to self-care day and sitting in the bathtub for like six hours. I also love driving around in my car and listening to music, it’s such a great way to clear my head if something’s bugging me.
It seems like most if not all your content is done sporadically. Share a recent, real-life experience that inspired a TikTok.
You’re definitely right that my content is done so randomly! I can’t really think of a specific example, I tend to film stuff the minute something comes to mind, like something I wanna say or show my supporters. I want them to know how real I am and that my medias are very true to who I am. If I’m sad, I’ll make videos with a different vibe than if I’m happier.
If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?
Invisibility!!! It would be so dope to be invisible and sneak into a zoo to hang out with the animals and stuff.
You were on “Jeff’s Barbershop” earlier this year, how was that? Is the show as chaotic as it seemed?
It was probably the funniest video I’ve ever filmed! I remember we didn’t get much sleep so everything was chaotic! It is definitely one of my favorite memories from my trip to LA. so funny. The entire day before filming was chaotic and the video was especially.
What is that man like in real life? Not gonna lie, he seems a bit intense at times haha.
He’s such a sweet person and very caring. He’s kind of like me, very nice to others, and loyal to people he loves. Jeff definitely has all his friend’s backs.
In your opinion what is the biggest difference between Tennessee and Los Angeles? Which one do you prefer?
Los Angeles doesn’t feel like real life in the way that Tennessee does. It’s super fun to visit and hang out with friends and stuff but I usually need a few weeks to chill out after visiting! So much is going on there! I prefer Tennessee because it's more laid back, my family is here and I don’t get noticed as much.
So if someone was visiting Tennessee for just one day, where are some must-go destinations?
Come hang out with me! We can go on nature walks and ride ATVs. Other than that, I’d recommend Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid in Memphis, there are such sick views of the city from up there! You can see everything! It’s so crazy! If you have extra time, you should also check out Elvis’ mansion.
Jay Sage and Jeff Wittek
If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?
Invisibility!!! It would be so dope to be invisible and sneak into a zoo to hang out with the animals and stuff.
If you could create a content house with five fellow TikTokers, who would they be?
That’s a really good question! I’d probably choose Nathan Freihofer because he is so cool and has good morals and character. Joe Mele because he’s country and down to earth. Anna Sitar because she is so nice, happy and kind. Tabitha Swatosh because she’s also really nice and I would love to hang out with her. Last would be Ali Gate because he has a dope personality, is really chill and could sing me to sleep.
What is one thing that you would tell your younger self?
Stop people pleasing, my happiness matters as well.
Lastly, what’s next for you? Any future projects for fans to get excited about? Feel free to plug anything you want haha.
I have a really exciting project coming out about wildlife that I’m looking forward to. Also going to try out singing in 2021! Really excited for the future. Thank you to all my supporters! Love y’all. Everyone is welcome on my page.