She Pivots with Michelle Park

Originally published on Marie Claire on June 27, 2022.

If you are a fan of adorable bento boxers with star-cut fruit and positive affirmations about moments in life, then chances are you already love Michelle Park. Park, or @MichellewPark on TikTok, has amassed nearly one million followers on the app. As a television personality, Park is no stranger to the camera but she didn’t expect the millions of views she would garner on her videos. 

As an Emmy award–winning TV host and personality, Park has accumulated an impressive roster of appearances over the past decade. From NBC LX to the Steve Harvey Show and Drew Barrymore, she has flexed her journalism muscles across networks. 

Last year, AAPI hate crimes rose a staggering 339 percent. As an Asian-American woman, the racial crisis motivated her to focus on sharing the personal stories of Asian Americans. 

“I'm an Asian American woman. I want to be somebody who has some sort of autonomy, who can tell the stories that need to be told. And it didn't matter to me if I was in front of the camera behind the camera…it was just more about telling the stories of my community.”

Her goal translated to her TikTok, where she tells both inspiring and difficult stories. 

“It's these mundane moments in life, but there's something about it that feels so real. And that's what people kind of relate to,” says Park. “I know it's bizarre to say that I felt so fulfilled by making TikTok, but I truly did.”

Despite her rapid rise to success on social media, Park is still dedicated to her career in TV. 

“My goal is just to hopefully uplift people and tell stories that will help them in some way.”

Although her pivot to TikTok was not planned, Park tells the tale of thoughtfully deciding what one really wants from their pivot. Listen below to see how Michelle deals with the unexpected pivot that dropped into her lap.