Once I heard my favorite influencer was going to host a virtual Q&A with Penn State’s Student Programming Association, you absolutely bet I dropped everything, grabbed my muumuu dress, and wore any Disney-themed attire fully in her honor.

You may know who I am referring to as “Kombucha Girl.” To her 6 million besties on TikTok, she is Brittany Broski. Ironically, her 2012-inspired nickname has taken over her legal name, Brittany Tomlinson. Of course, Broski wouldn’t change it for the world.

She had a very upbeat discussion with the SPA facilitator Evelyn Fonseca-Beltran Tuesday night. The range of questions had viewers glued to their screens. The conversation flowed easily because of Broski’s relatability, no matter how hilarious or serious the tone was.

The Q&A started out with a rapid-fire of trendy questions that tailored to Broski’s liking — what celebrity crushes were on her radar, any favorite Harry Styles songs, new ghost stories from her mother, and more. One question asked to Broski in the mix was, “What is your favorite viral video?”

“The meaning of viral has really changed since TikTok happened. Anything can be viral in a sense that a lot of people see it,” Broski said. “It doesn’t mean what it used to mean. Going viral is a global meme.”

Because Broski started her career as a viral meme herself, she elaborated on what that means to her now as she consumes countless pieces of media per day. She emphasized how much she loves it but said it can be tedious, too.

“You consume so much media in a day,” Broski said. “Infiltrating my brain with garbage, [I] can’t pick a favorite piece of trash!”

Yes, that rose a chuckle from audience members through their laptop screens. Broski and Fonseca-Beltran jumped right back into their routine of swapping catchy questions to one another. We learned that John Lennon is Broski’s favorite Beatle and she would do anything to ever experience a moment in time with him. She also elaborated on what Dolly Parton means to her and just how much of a culture shock moving to Los Angeles was.

Broski is originally from Texas, where she graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in communications and a minor in Spanish. She dreamed of writing Super Bowl commercials (just years later, she was in one), working for PR companies, or writing for “Saturday Night Live.” After getting fired from her job at a bank and going viral, she decided to move to LA with her internet best friends.

“People on the west coast are nice, but it is like a fake nice. In the south, southern hospitality runs true and deep,” Broski said. “When people talk to you in line at the grocery store, it’s because they genuinely care about how your day is going. Whenever I go home, I forgot how nice people can be.”

Not only does Broski miss the genuine encounters, but she also realizes how hard it is to live in a city with many standards. She said that she “has never felt more pressure to be beautiful” than when living out west.

Because Broski is so open and honest, she dove right into the next round of questions with confidence. Fonseca-Beltran asked what her plans are after the pandemic is over. Without hesitation, Broski said she wants the full entertainment series with any and every live performance. Not just concerts, but an average work experience with her new opportunities through social media. Before the pandemic, she was doing the most she had ever done.

With the social changes, Broski was able to experiment with YouTube and her audience on that platform. It has become her new outlet separate from TikTok that gave her a place to show more of her she is in longer content.

“I get to be myself, and I am lucky enough to have people watch for whatever reason,” Broski said. “YouTube is a form of escape, and I am lucky that I get to provide that for people because YouTube has given that to me. It’s like a cycle.”

Rising to fame so quickly was described by Broski as “chaotic,” “turbulent,” “mind-bending,” and, most of all, “lucky.” Within the span of two months, her life was uprooted, and everything she had known has changed. She said she’s lucky to say that she still has a grip on reality, unlike some other influencers.

From meeting Tyra Banks, Alicia Keys, or anyone else through her TikTok podcast, she said she’ll never understand how continuous opportunities come her way. Her rise to success is “beyond her.”

“Girl, if I knew, I would tell you. But I don’t know,” Broski said on her rise to fame. “It was just like something happened at the right time. The fact that I can provide lighthearted content to people is really an honor.”

Broski reflected with the host on moments where she thought, “Damn. I am so much happier doing this than being chained to my desk at the bank.”

Broski discussed that she does not regret anything leading up to where she is now and loves the rewarding moments she receives from all of the social platforms her content is on. TikTok especially shows their appreciation for creators who “use the platform to spread love and joy.”

The Q&A started to wrap up with how she doesn’t necessarily balance her work-life and home-life because her job is “basically to live.” Broski said it is hard to know when to unplug. With that territory, she loves the fanbase that comes with it. In Broski-glory, she told the audience that her alt-TikTok is like a “big group chat.”

After covering her favorite videos with Trixie Mattel, conspiracy theories, and exciting upcoming projects she will be working on, Broski shared her dream goals.

“The next step is I never want to see man late-night host ever again,” Broski said with laughter. “We’ve been there, done that. Women are so much funnier. It is time for the first one. I would love to do ‘SNL.'”

With the last hard-hitting question, Fonseca-Beltran asked Broski what piece of advice she would give to college students.

“Do something today that will help you tomorrow. I know how easy it is to let things snowball and to let your depression room get messy. Procrastination was a big thing for me [in college],” Broski said. “Do something today that you will thank yourself for.”