Unless you live under a social media rock, you’re probably familiar with the digital media company, Betches — and even more likely, you’ve probably found yourself giggling at some of its tongue-and-cheek social media posts.
What you might not have known is that one of the minds behind the hilarity of Betches actually hails from Hoboken. Nicole Pellegrino, the director of TikTok content + strategy at Betches Media, had a brief Hoboken stint in 2017, and she found her way back to the Mile Square in 2019. She’s called Hoboken home ever since.
But beyond Betches, Nicole has become a social media influencer in her own right, amassing upwards of 69,000 followers on her personal Instagram account — and for good reason. There, Nicole posts a range of humorous lifestyle content, guided by her two social media principles: humor and honesty.
The Hoboken Girl spoke with Nicole to discuss all things social media, career, and of course, Hoboken. Read on for our interview with Nicole Pellegrino, Hobokenite + director of TikTok content at Betches Media.
(Photo Credit: @nicolepellegrin0)
Hoboken Girl: Tell us about your journey to Hoboken — where are you originally from? Where do you live now?
Nicole Pellegrino: I’m originally from Salisbury, MD (out on the Eastern Shore of MD in the middle of nowhere) and went to school in VA at James Madison University, where I met my (now) husband! After graduating college in 2015, I lived in Washington DC for almost two years, and then decided to move to the NYC area for more exciting job opportunities (groundbreaking, I know). I moved to Hoboken originally in 2017, and then ended up moving to Brooklyn for a year because I am incapable of sitting still. My husband Mike and I then made our way back to Hoboken in 2019. Since then, I’ve turned into the ambassador for Hoboken that no one asked for, making it my personal mission to make all my NYC friends move across the Hudson.
Read More: All About TikTok Star + Hobokenite Kate Norkeliunas
HG: How did you end up working for Betches? Walk us through your journey.
NP: I had been running social media accounts and creating content for media companies in NYC (Nickelodeon/Viacom and Verizon Media), and was looking for something new and more on-brand with my interests and passions. In the early summer of 2019, I saw a job opening for Betches for a Marketing Manager position, and it looked perfect for me. One of my husband’s childhood best friend’s younger sister (what a mouthful) worked there, so obviously I made him connect me to her so we could grab coffee. Next thing I knew I was interviewing and then got the job, and the rest was history! I’ve since moved into a content role as our Director of TikTok Content & Strategy and I’ve been there for over 3 years and counting.
HG: What challenges have you had to overcome?
NP: The toughest thing I’ve ever had to go through was losing my mom to cancer in 2017, shortly after I moved to Hoboken actually. I’m still and always will be grieving that loss, but I’ve definitely found ways to cope and grieve that work well for me. I also loved channeling my grief by helping others this past summer, volunteering as a camp counselor at Experience Camps for grieving children. It also helps that my husband Mike is extremely supportive of me and a great listener (a.k.a. sometimes my at-home therapist).
HG: At what point did you become aware of your personal following? Did your approach to social media change?
NP: I started growing on social media during the pandemic where I was having little social interaction, so I became more aware of my following later in 2021. I think I became most aware when people in NYC/Hoboken in real life started saying hi to me in real life and telling me they “love my content.” I even was recognized a handful of times in random niche locations like Tulum and Miami since those are big bachelorette party destinations.
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HG: Would you say your personal following was a result of your career/job?
NP: My job at Betches has definitely helped me grow my personal social media following. I’m constantly creating public-facing videos and content for the millions of Betches fans to see, so naturally people have had no choice but to get to know me via my content across those channels. Hosting the Betches Brides podcast for two years also helped me grow a very engaged (no pun intended) community of brides while I was also on my own chaotic wedding planning journey.
HG: Is there anything about the world of digital media — whether that’s brands or people — that has surprised you?
NP: Honestly, just the app TikTok in general has thrown me a ton of surprises. The fact that something can come along and just change so many peoples’ lives (including mine) quickly by allowing us to grow a platform there is wild. Something that also surprises me is how consumers truly love such authentic / unpolished content. Some of the videos that I’ve spent 3 minutes on have gone viral, compared to the ones I’ve spent 3+ hours on, so that’s fun.
HG: How do you block out negativity you might get from the internet? How do you cope with it?
NP: I’m not trying to jinx anything, but my followers are generally very supportive and nice. I’m fortunate that my DMs are for the most part a very happy place, which I know not all creators can say unfortunately. However, when I do get negativity, I honestly just try to ignore it. I’m comfortable enough with who I am as a person, so I’m not going to let some lame internet bully get under my skin. I have bigger things to worry about tbh.
HG: Where do you draw inspiration from for content?
NP: For my comedic content, it’s all about just finding everything in life funny. Life is hilarious, and people have so many weird quirks. If I notice that someone (or honestly, sometimes myself) says something funny or ridiculous, I like to think, “What else would this person say” and that helps me think of a fun character. It also helps so much to be able to work alongside such funny content creators. The content team at Betches is always bouncing hilarious ideas off of each other, it’s like a mini SNL but better I swear.
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HG: What do you think sets you apart from other influencers/content creators?
NP: I definitely try to be super honest with my followers and just say anything/everything without overthinking too much. I also think a unique thing about me is that you never know what to expect and can’t really put me into a “box” of a type of creator: One day I might post about wedding advice, the next day might be my dog Louie, and the next might be a comedy sketch about work. Some might call it chaos but I call it a strategy, ok?
HG: Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know looking at your social media.
NP: I get SO nervous before public speaking. Like literally shaky hands and heart racing. But I’ve learned how to deal with it well, thank heavens.
HG: What does a typical day look like for you?
NP: A typical day for me always involves waking up pretty early and then either working out (I’ve been doing SLT in Hoboken and loving it!) and/or taking my dog for a long walk along the water. Speaking of my dog, he forces us to bring him to the Hoboken dog parks at least twice a day. The rest of my day usually consists of working from home or going into my office in Flatiron, filming videos, sitting in meetings, etc. (I’ll spare you the boring work details). After work I either grab drinks/dinner with friends or Mike, go to a fun PR event, or honestly just come home and stare at screens next to Mike and Louie all night (my personal fav evening activity).
HG: What are some of your favorite local businesses? These can be boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.
NP: This is too hard, but for coffee shops I love The Hive, Bwe Cafe, and The Little Grocery. Some of my favorite restaurants are Grand Vin, Otto Strada, Saku, Anthony David’s, La Isla, Charritos, Grimaldi’s, honestly I could go on forever. I also love shop AxD and Alba for clothes and The Washington General store for gifts. Oh and of course Cornerstone Pets for my dog.
HG: How, if at all, does Hoboken (or the area) influence your content?
NP: I’ve definitely made a couple of viral TikToks about how living in Hoboken is better than living in NYC. But I think a great thing about living in Hoboken is that there’s always something fun happening and people doing stuff, so I basically can get inspired by simply walking outside.
@betches let’s go girls. #hotgirlwalk ♬ original sound – betches
HG: What is one thing about Hoboken that you didn’t know you needed until you moved here?
NP: A good pair of sneakers and a repertoire of great podcasts to listen to because you will be walking a LOT.
HG: Where is your favorite place to grab a cocktail in Hoboken + what is that drink?
NP: I think it’s hard to make a perfect Spicy Margarita even though they’re so simple, but I’ve been loving them at Olivia’s!
HG: Do you have a go-to workout spot in Hoboken?
NP: I love SLT for pilates and Project Sculpt for HIIT. I also cannot wait for the new Rumble to open up in November!
See More: This NJ Woman is Hosting a Montclair Launch Party for Her New Candle Line
(Photo Credit: @nicolepellegrin0)
HG: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own platform and/or break into the world of digital media?
NP: Don’t overthink it, just post the content. You’ll never know if you enjoy doing it or if others will enjoy your content until you put it out there, so what are you waiting for? Don’t worry about what other people think either. Without sounding too cliche, life is short so post the damn content!! (sorry for yelling)
HG: What do you think are the next steps for you personally + for Betches at large?
NP: For me, I’d love to just keep growing my channels/online presence, but more importantly keep creating more content that my audience loves and that provides value to them. I really love creating videos that make people laugh, so I want to ramp those up and work with more brands who appreciate those too. Betches is always growing and launching something new and exciting, so it’s great to be alongside and helping on that journey. Stay tuned *queue annoying influencer teaser voice*.
You can follow Nicole on Instagram and Tiktok, and stay up-to-date with Betches content on Instagram, TikTok, or its website. We can’t wait to see what’s next!
