Conversations with Colt Paulsen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colt Paulsen.

Hi Colt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins in Cozad, Nebraska! A town with one stop light and 4,000 people. I remember being in high school and hitting 70,000 followers on the app Vine and thinking it was so cool I had more followers than people in my hometown. It was always my dream to work in the entertainment industry growing up and I got all of my inspiration from The Kardashians, specifically Kim Kardashian.

I always thought of myself as a Kardashian Super Fan but never could imagine I would become THE Kardashian Super Fan. All my years of keeping up paid off when I got to go head to head against Kim Kardashian on the ABC game show ‘Big Fan’ winning me the title of Kim Kardashian’s biggest fan. I never truly understood how powerful I was at manifesting until this moment. I always prayed that when I got to meet Kim Kardashian for the first time, it would be a memorable moment for both of us. Which came true as I don’t know how Kim Kardashian could forget losing in a game of trivia when the questions were about herself. Little did I know that appearance with Kim would be the first of many unforgettable Kardashian moments in my career.

Before I made the move to Los Angeles I went to college at The University of Nebraska at Omaha. Where I received my journalism degree. During college, I modeled and was the first red-carpet correspondent for Omaha Fashion Week, the nation’s fifth-largest fashion event. A few months after graduating in 2018 I made the move to California and never looked back.

It’s now been five years of living in LA, and I have landed my dream job working for E! News, have amassed over a million followers on TikTok, and been able to accomplish so many major milestones so early on in my career. All of this happened after I stopped waiting for opportunities to appear out of thin air and started showing people why I deserved these opportunities. And the first step was to be authentically myself online and TikTok was the perfect platform to do so.

I created my account @gaymanwithaspraytan and talked about what I loved most: The Kardashians. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my Kardashian obsession would be the catalyst ‘with a K’ to E! News reaching out about me hosting a new YouTube show ‘Kards Katch Up’. It was only a few months into consistently posting on TikTok that I landed my dream job as an E! News host, and that was just the beginning. I have been posting content every day for the past two years and have gotten to work with brands like 818, Bondi Sands, Good American, and Fabletics.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Creating your dream life is never a smooth ride, but it is a lot of fun. The thing that made my content stand out was my genuine passion and excitement for the videos I was creating. I still pinch myself that I get to say it’s my job to report on The Kardashians. But, like any content creator, I have faced major burnout and creative fatigue. Posting every single day can be draining added with the highs and lows of being an influencer. Where one month consists of brand deals and amazing events and the next is stagnant with was feels like nothing on the horizon. But, I always try and remind myself to stay in a positive headspace when it comes to ‘work’. Because even though my silly Kardashian videos started as just a fun hobby it’s now my full-time job. And I never want to take for granted how cool it is to be a Gay Man with a Spray Tan!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My content on social media started off very niche as I am the go-to when it comes to all things Kardashian. But, now I am excited to build out the Gay Man with a Spray Tan brand and showcase not only my hosting ventures but my other passions like beauty, tanning and all things pop culture.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the energy Los Angeles has and the amount of people who are here chasing their dreams. It’s inspiring to live in a city where so many people from all over the world have moved to make their dreams a reality, and I feel so special to be one of the ones who were able to make it happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gaymanwithaspraytan.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/coltpaulsen
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@gaymanwithaspraytan
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@gaymanwithaspraytan

Image Credits
Colt with Sunglasses Photo: Victoria Sirakova Colt and Khloé Photo: Joyce Park Instagram Colt Blue Sequin Jacket: EDLT Photo Colt White Shirt/Yellow Pants: Jason Sean Weiss Colt 818 Photo: Sophie Sahara