I recently had my TikTok account stolen. 

Getting the account stolen felt like a gut punch. I know, it might sound ridiculous — it’s just social media, right? But I poured years of work into growing that account, building my brand, and turning it into an income stream. And then, in what felt like an instant, it was gone.

Here’s what happened: I trusted the wrong person to help me grow my account. They changed the email and phone number tied to it, locking me out entirely — and then had the audacity to try and extort me for money.

Now, I’ve never been a George W. Bush fan, but his infamous line, “We do not negotiate with terrorists,” felt oddly appropriate. Hell no, I wasn’t paying them. I tried reasoning with them, but they didn’t want to hear it. They threatened to “burn my account to the ground,” and my response was intuitive and instant: Go ahead. Burn it. I’m not giving you a dime.

Part of me held onto a sliver of hope that they’d return my account, but deep down, I knew it was unlikely. The whole thing left me furious, frustrated, and embarrassed. Still, even in the middle of that emotional mess, I could feel something bigger brewing. A lesson I couldn’t quite grasp yet — but I knew it was there, waiting for me to uncover it. Something I might not have seen otherwise.  

Starting Over and Letting Go  

I had almost 4,600 followers on TikTok. Not massive, but enough to monetize through TikTok Shop and pull in a nice bit of extra income each week. Losing that stings. What hit me even harder, though, was the fear that the hackers might scam my followers or damage my reputation by misrepresenting my brand.

But then I remembered something really important: I couldn’t control any of that. The only things I can control are my own thoughts, choices, actions, and behaviors. How I responded to this experience is what mattered most. So, I started over. New account. Zero followers. It sucks, but it’s also a chance to do things differently — smarter, maybe even better.

Finding Perspective Through Perceptual Positions  

Last week I met with a friend from my NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) certification cohort. We often trade services to practice our skills and stay sharp. This time, we used a technique called Perceptual Positions to help me process the anger, frustration, and anxiety I was feeling.  

Here’s how it works: First, you sit in one chair and talk about the situation from your own perspective. Then, you move to another chair and speak as if you’re an outside observer. Finally, you sit in a third chair and imagine looking back at yourself, in the first chair — observing the situation with curiosity and compassion, asking, “What did they learn from this?”

It was a game-changer. This exercise helped me step out of the rage spiral and see the bigger picture. This wasn’t just about a stolen account. It was about resilience, creative problem-solving, and staying true to who I am — even when things go sideways.

Integrity in the Face of Challenges  

One of the hardest parts? I had stacks of free products from TikTok Shop that I was supposed to review — and now I couldn’t. I felt awful. I didn’t want to be the person who didn’t follow through on her word.

But through the exercise, I realized something important: I could still make the content. I could still tag the companies and share the products, even if it wasn’t part of an official partnership anymore. Would it meet the original agreement? Probably not. But it was the most honest, integrity-driven thing I could do — and that mattered more.

The Power of Perspective and Problem-Solving  

This whole mess reminded me (again) that there’s no one way to solve a problem. When we fixate on what’s broken, we get tunnel vision. But when we shift our perspective — literally move our bodies, like in the Perceptual Positions exercise — we open up new possibilities.

If you’re stuck on something, try looking at it from a different angle. You might be surprised at what you find. And if you’re curious about NLP or subconscious programming to help you let go of what’s holding you back, I’d love to support you. Our unconscious minds are powerful, and sometimes they’re the biggest roadblock we don’t even see. Learn more here.

As for ‘Live with Heather VIckery’

For now, you won’t find me live on TikTok unless I get my account back or hit 1,000 followers (that’s the magic number to go live). Until then, you can catch me on LinkedIn or YouTube every Thursday at 12 PM Central (add it to your calendar here).

This week, however, there’s no live show — I’ll be in Costa Rica, scouting our gorgeous retreat space for our January 2026 Costa Rica Retreat. I’ll share the journey on YouTube and post plenty of behind-the-scenes content after.

Losing my TikTok account sucked — hard. But it also reminded me that surrender isn’t the same as giving up. Sometimes, losing something clears the way for something even better. You just have to be willing to look for it.

Oh, and here’s my new TikTok account. I hope you’ll follow along and help me build back better and stronger.

On Resilience Through Setbacks

Transform your perspective on failure into powerful feedback. Embrace growth, success, and abundant living with NLP and empowered leadership. Check this out, There Is No Failure, Only Feedback.