Credit: Courtesy of Gabby Krenitsky
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, then-high schooler Gabby Krenitsky joined a TikTok trend, stuffing random items into a waffle iron and taste testing the results.
What started as a quarantine experiment has now turned into a personal brand, business and balancing act between college and social media.
Krenitsky, a second-year in marketing and Ohio State cheerleader, is the face behind WillItWaffleMini — her TikTok account, which quickly gained attention and now has nearly 550,000 followers and 28 million likes.
“I had only posted for a few days before the account blew up … I think of the account as a wonderful branding opportunity and a chance to build something bigger,” Krenitsky said.
Since going viral, Gabby has embarked on a new journey at Ohio State as a student, cheerleader and a full-time influencer. She’s using the new name, image and likeness regulations to leverage her online presence into a profitable investment.
The NIL policy allows college athletes to earn money from their personal brands while remaining eligible to compete in NCAA competitions — something that previously would have disqualified them.
Her content has featured Columbus favorites, waffle-ironing Mikey’s Late Night Slice and Buckeye Donuts, as well as collaborating with companies such as Krusteaz, a baking and pancake mix brand. Krenitsky said she’s also in regular contact with other prospective partners.
“You should see my Canvas calendar right now — it’s crazy,” Krenitsky said.
Between waffling and studying, the multi-faceted creator also has the pleasure of cheering in front of tens of thousands of Buckeye fans in Ohio Stadium throughout football season — an experience she describes as monumental.
“Being in front of that crowd every single Saturday just means the world to me,” Krenitsky said. “So many hours were put into that.”
Krenitsky said she tries to keep her perspective clear and take things as they come.
“Juggling three major parts of life isn’t always easy, and it brings a lot of stress,” Krenitsky said. “I try to view it as something that I get to do every single day, instead of something that I have to do. Not everyone gets to have this opportunity.”
Krenitsky credits her TikTok to helping her form strong bonds with teammates, friends and especially her younger brother, Nate. He appears in many of Krenitsky’s videos and is now a featured member of the account.
“He’s more like my business partner on WillItWaffle[Mini],” Krenitsky said. “His ideas and energy on the account are so fun to see.”
Nate connected with the fan base immediately after hopping onto another TikTok trend — throwing objects at his sister while she’s blindfolded, then making her guess what she was hit with.
“My friends all think it is super funny, and a shocking amount of kids at my school have told me that they have seen me on their ‘For You’ page,” Nate said. “Most of them suggest things to throw at her.”
Nate said his sister is the one who thinks of most of the ideas, but he tries his best to add his input when they’re brainstorming. He said one of his sister’s ideas in particular stood out to him.
“I came down after finishing homework to see her in a leprechaun costume making a St. Patrick’s Day waffle,” Nate said.
Nate said that kind of creativity is a symbol of his sister — and of how WillItWaffleMini has transformed Krenitsky’s life. One day, she was doing homework in the middle of a pandemic and the next, she had 500,000 eyes watching her create wacky waffles.
Nate said he’s thought about his future and the possibility of branching off from his sister’s internet fame, pursuing his own media presence, but he’s unsure about the direction that would take him.
Krenitsky said she encourages others not to be afraid of trying new things. For her, it was following a trend — one that ended up shaping her career, she said.
“It brings so many opportunities that could rock your whole world,” Krenitsky said.
