Suffolk's Millie Stennett on her love of country life

 Suffolk-born Millicent (Millie) Stennett has achieved exactly that. With more than one million followers on TikTok and over a quarter of a million on Instagram, she has become one of East Anglia’s most recognisable young digital creators.

Yet behind the extraordinary numbers is a young woman whose life remains firmly rooted in horses, farming and the countryside.

 Millie’s content offers her followers an engaging and refreshingly personal window into the realities of rural and equestrian life, combining humour, openness and personality with an unmistakable love of the world around her.

Her success reflects a new generation of entrepreneurship. Through creativity, instinct and an understanding of her audience, Millie has turned social media into a career and built a powerful personal brand, while learning to navigate the opportunities, expectations and responsibilities that accompany such an influential public platform.

Here, Millie talks to Gina Long about growing up in East Anglia, her passion for horses and rural life, the reality behind her remarkable online success and the ambitions she holds for the future.

What does Suffolk and East Anglia mean to you, and how has growing up here shaped the person you are today?

Suffolk will always be home to me. I feel really lucky to have grown up surrounded by horses, farming and the countryside, because it has given me a love for rural life that I don’t think will ever leave me. Growing up here has definitely shaped me into someone who isn’t afraid of getting their hands dirty.

Life with horses and farming isn’t always glamorous, there are early mornings, muddy boots and plenty of things that don’t go to plan, however, I think that has taught me to just get on with things and not take myself too seriously.

 Where did your love of horses, farming and rural life begin?

 I honestly can’t remember a time when horses weren’t a huge part of my life.  Farming and rural life have always been around me too, so I think it was something I naturally fell in love with. For me, it was never just a hobby or something I did at weekends,  it was always a way of life.

Can you remember the first video you posted that really captured people’s attention, and when did you realise your social media platforms might become something significant?

 I remember posting videos without really thinking anything would come from them, so seeing one suddenly get loads of attention was surreal. It was my first equestrian “pov” (point of view), skit video that took off first about horsey people’s clothes always smelling after being at the stables, people just loved my impressions of the horsey world and found it very relatable, so I just continued making more and more very similar to the first and the views and likes just kept growing and growing!

The moment I realised it could become something significant was when it stopped feeling like I was just posting for a small group of people and I started building a proper community. Even then, I don’t think I ever imagined it would grow to the scale it has today.

You now have more than one million followers on TikTok and over a quarter of a million on Instagram. Can you comprehend the scale of that audience?

Not at all! When you actually sit and think about how many people that is, it’s completely mind-blowing. I still see myself as just Millie from Suffolk who likes horses and spends half her life covered in mud, so the idea that more than a million people choose to watch what I’m doing is crazy to me. I don’t think you ever fully get your head around it.

What do you believe it is about you and your content that has connected so strongly with so many people?

I think it’s because I try and make content that people can really relate to, I want them to be able to send my videos to their friends to try and make someone laugh. Most of my videos are usually me doing “povs” however I do show the good bits of my life, but I like to show the chaos, and the things that go wrong too. I think people connect with honesty, and hopefully my content feels like you’re following a friend rather than watching someone trying to portray a perfect life. 

How much planning goes into creating your content, and how much of it is completely spontaneous?

It’s definitely a mixture of both. Some content is planned, especially if I’m working with a brand or covering an event, but some of my best videos have been completely spontaneous. Horses and farming are unpredictable, so sometimes the funniest or most interesting content happens when I wasn’t planning to film anything at all. I always try not to over-plan everything because I think that can take away the personality from it.

 People see the finished videos, what does a typical working day look like behind the scenes?

I think the biggest misconception is that you just pick up your phone, film a video and that’s your job done! There is so much that happens behind the scenes. A typical day can involve looking after the horses, filming throughout the day, driving a lorry, editing, replying to emails, organising collaborations, planning content and trying to keep up with all the different platforms. I spend a lot more time staring at a screen or editing videos than people probably realise!

Social media is now a serious and rapidly evolving business. What have you learned about turning your personality and creativity into a successful career?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to treat it like a real business. Being creative and having a personality people connect with is obviously important, but there is so much more behind it, communication, organisation, consistency, negotiating and making decisions that are right for you in the long term. 

 How do you decide which brands and commercial opportunities feel right for you and your audience?

 If I wouldn’t genuinely use it, wear it or talk about it in real life, I wouldn’t feel comfortable promoting it. My audience trusts me, and that’s something I take seriously.

 Authenticity is so important online. How do you remain true to yourself while also managing the expectations that come with having such a large following?

 I think you have to remember why people followed you in the first place. If you suddenly change everything about yourself to try and keep everyone happy, you probably lose what people connected with to begin with. Of course, having a large audience comes with pressure and expectations, but I’ve learned that I can’t be everything to everyone. I just try to stay true to myself and remember that not everyone has to like or agree with everything I do.

What is the greatest misconception people have about being a successful content creator and influencer?

Probably that it’s easy! People see a video that’s a minute long and assume it took a minute to make. They don’t see the years it took to build an audience, the constant pressure to come up with new ideas, the editing, emails, negotiations and the fact that your work can follow you everywhere because social media never really switches off. It’s an amazing job and I’m incredibly grateful for it, it isn’t as simple as just posting a few videos.

 Social media can bring criticism as well as enormous support. How have you learned to deal with negative comments and protect your own confidence and wellbeing?

I think I’ve grown a much thicker skin over the years. At the beginning, I probably took negative comments far more personally because you naturally want everyone to like you. I’ve learned that having an opinion online means people will have opinions about you too, and you can’t let strangers who don’t actually know you dictate how you feel about yourself. I try to focus on the huge amount of kindness and support I receive rather than the small percentage of negativity.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility towards the many younger people who follow you?

Yes, definitely. I don’t think you can have a large audience, especially a younger one, without recognising that people are watching and can be influenced by what you share. I never want to pretend I’m perfect or that I have everything figured out, because I’m still learning myself. I’m hoping I can show younger people that you can be yourself, work hard and build a career doing something you genuinely love.

What have horses taught you about trust, patience, resilience and yourself?

Probably more than anything else in my life. Horses have taught me patience because, no matter how much you want something to happen, it doesn’t always go that way. They’ve taught me resilience because things don’t always go to plan, you can have amazing highs followed by some really difficult days. They’ve also taught me a lot about trust, not just trusting them but trusting myself and my decisions. Most importantly, they’ve taught me that hard work and consistency really do matter.

Farming and rural life are often misunderstood by those outside the countryside. Do you hope your content helps bring that world to a wider audience?

 Absolutely. I think there can be a real disconnect between people and where their food comes from or what rural life is actually like. I love being able to show the reality of it, the hard work, the funny moments and everything that goes on behind the scenes. If my content helps someone understand or appreciate farming and countryside life a little more, then I think that’s a really positive thing.

Who has inspired and encouraged you most throughout your life, and why?

 My family, without a doubt. They’ve always encouraged me to work hard and follow the things I’m passionate about. My dad in particular has probably shaped my work ethic more than he realises. I’ve grown up around people such as my grandparents who worked their way up from scratch with their own businesses and I think that has stayed with me.

What advice would you give to another young person who dreams of building a career through social media?

Start before you feel ready! I think so many people have ideas but are too worried about what other people will think to actually post anything. You don’t need the perfect camera, the perfect life or a perfect plan. Just start, be consistent and figure out what makes you different, the best thing you can bring to social media is yourself.

When you are not creating content or spending time with your horses, how do you relax and completely switch off?

Honestly, I don’t think I’m very good at switching off! My phone is usually never far away. But my favourite thing is just spending quiet time at home with the people I love and having a day where I don’t have to be anywhere or do anything. Although, knowing me, I’d probably still end up doing something and wanting to film!

What’s always in your fridge?

Guiness, my absolute favourite 

 Describe yourself in just three words.

Oversharer, Impulsive, Dramatic 

Your guilty pleasure is?

 Reality TV and absolutely wasting hours scrolling through TikTok, which is slightly ironic considering it’s also my job!

Looking ahead, what are your greatest ambitions, both personally and professionally, and what would you ultimately like your platform to represent?

Personally, I just want to continue building a life that I genuinely love, surrounded by horses, animals and the countryside. Professionally, I would love to keep growing what I’ve created and explore opportunities beyond simply posting on social media. I want to keep proving that you can turn an unconventional passion into a real career.

 Ultimately, I hope my platform represents authenticity, hard work and the fact that you don’t have to fit into one box. I want people to see that you can love horses, farming, truck driving and rural life, be completely yourself and still build something bigger than you ever imagined.

 @millicentstennett

 @ginageelong