Jett and Campbell 'Pookie' Puckett Credit Success to Being a ‘Beacon of Love’ amid ‘Terrible, Scary, Angering News’ (Exclusive)

In 2024, Jett and Campbell “Pookie” Puckett relied on each other while navigating unexpected internet fame and realizing their biggest dream; becoming parents.

The couple — who have been married since 2018 — first went mega-viral on TikTok in January 2024. Campbell — who had built a devoted fanbase on her personal TikTok account — began including her husband Jett in her TikTok videos, where he affectionately called her “Pookie” or praised her “fire” outfits when they went out together.

The couple's wholesome content quickly gained traction online and as of December 2024, they have earned 1.4 million followers on TikTok.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE as two of 2024's Creators of the Year, Jett and Campbell open up about adjusting to the new-found attention on their lives and how they’ve learned to find “the right balance” between their public and private lives.

Related: Meet the Viral 'Pookie' TikTok Couple: All About Campbell and Jett Puckett's Relationship and Their Baby Girl

“It is very hard to relax when we leave our house because anywhere we go, people are going to be coming up to us,” Jett says. “But that's just part of it. The big benefit that we get in all this is when they do come up to us in person — while it can be overwhelming how sweet they are — it makes us feel like we're making a difference in the world.”

Campbell agrees with those sentiments, adding, "We want [our fans] to be happy” when they meet them out and about. “I think it's a balance,” she continues. “It's putting out content that people love, [which also] exposes more of our life. We want to let people in, but It's just finding that right balance.”

The Pucketts demonstrated just how delicate the balance can be when they announced they were expecting their first baby in June 2024.

"Our life has been building up to this moment, and we could not be more excited and blessed to bring another life into the world," the couple told PEOPLE at the time. "We're ready for this next phase in our life and this new purpose as parents."

After their announcement, Jett and Campbell shared the joy of their journey into parenthood publicly on social media, up to the birth of their daughter Paloma Campbell Puckett in November 2024. The pair even opened up to PEOPLE about the special meaning behind her name and explained that “Paloma is Spanish and Italian. In both languages it means 'dove,' and Italy holds a special place in our hearts."

“Her middle name, Campbell, is my mother’s maiden name and of course where I got my name,” Campbell added in their statement. "We wanted to keep the name in our family.”

Before their daughter’s birth, Jett told PEOPLE he thought Campbell would most likely be a bit of a “pushover” as a mom while Campbell says Jett would be the ultimate “girl dad.” Despite their differing parenting styles, though, Jett says he and Campbell are “a unit” at the end of the day.

“Campbell and I aren't individuals, we're a team,” Jett says. “Now we're bringing our daughter into the world and we're getting to show people that amazing experience of becoming parents and being the ultimate team as husband and wife. We’re very blessed and grateful to be able to put that message in the world.”

Related: Campbell ‘Pookie’ and Jett Puckett Reveal the Special Meaning Behind Their Baby Girl's Name: 'Greatest Gift of Our Lives' (Exclusive)

Even while the couple balance parenthood and their ongoing creative endeavors — like launching their fashion brand Quintessential Love in October 2024 — they remain committed to being a “beacon of love that fills a void that's badly needed in the world — especially on social media.”

“The modern media — traditional and social media — feeds on people's fear and anger,” Jett says. “It’s a clinical fact that humans weigh negatives more strongly than positives, so fear and anger are the best ways for the media to get you addicted and keep you watching. And also why we’re all bombarded with terrible, scary and angering news all the time.”

“We just feel like we have really been blessed in so many ways with our platform,” Campbell adds. “We're just so grateful for the people that love us and that they show us so much love. It’s very surreal to have so many people that love us and that are looking forward to our future.”

Read the original article on People