Meet Kristi Cook

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristi Cook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristi, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the biggest thing has honestly just been consistency and really understanding the audience. From the beginning, I wasn’t trying to be like a traditional news source, it was more like I just wanted to talk about what was happening online in a way that felt real and relatable, like you’re catching up with a friend who’s also super invested in everything going on. I also think timing plays a huge role. With internet culture, things move so fast, and being able to react quickly while still actually understanding what’s going on is really important. But at the same time, I’ve always tried to go a little deeper than just what’s trending and look at why people care, what the bigger conversation is, and how it all connects. And then just building trust over time. I think people come back because they know what they’re getting and feel like they’re part of it too, not just watching from the outside.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started Spill Sesh pretty organically. I was already super into pop culture and everything happening online, and I felt like there wasn’t really a space that talked about it in a way that felt both informed and relatable. I just wanted to break things down like you’re catching up with a friend who actually understands what’s going on.

In the beginning, I didn’t have a big plan. It was more about being consistent and figuring it out as I went. I stayed anonymous for a while, which helped me build without pressure, but eventually stepping out and growing the brand more publicly was a big shift.

It definitely hasn’t been easy. Things move so fast online, and there’s always pressure to keep up, but I’ve always tried to stay focused on building trust and going a little deeper than just what’s trending.
Now it’s grown into more than I expected, especially with After Hours and expanding across platforms. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that people can tell when something’s real, and that’s what keeps them coming back.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting LA, I’d want to do a little bit of everything because that’s what makes it fun. We’d keep it classic with a Runyon or Griffith hike, then grab coffee at Alfred or Maru after. For lunch, you have to try Erewhon at least once just to say you did it. Then definitely a Malibu beach day if we want something more chill, maybe pizza from Papa Razzi’s or sushi burritos from Howdy’s, and froyo from Scott’s Malibu Market before heading home. For dinner, I’m going with Ysabel or Craig’s every time. And I’d try to time it around something happening, like an event or a premiere or anything in the influencer world, because that’s such a big part of LA and honestly what I’m around all the time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would definitely shout out the early viewers who found Spill Sesh when it was still super small. I feel like they really helped shape what it is now just through comments, feedback, and even just being engaged with the videos. It really felt like we were building it together in a way. Also just other creators in the space. I feel like being on YouTube, especially in the beginning, you learn so much just by watching other people and seeing how they approach things, and that definitely influenced me a lot. And my team now. It’s grown so much from when I was doing everything on my own, and having people who understand the vision and help bring it to life has made such a difference.

Instagram: @spillsesh https://www.instagram.com/spillsesh/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/spillsesh

Other: TikTok: @spillsesh https://www.tiktok.com/@spillsesh

Image Credits
Hunter Cohen