When Lilly Singh started her YouTube channel in 2010, she dreamed of becoming a successful entertainer. Now, she’s an internationally known comedian, actress, and best selling author. In this week’s episode, Brittany talks with Lilly about how she turned her dream into a reality. Then, Brittany turns to YouTube’s Head of Culture & Trends, Kevin Allocca, to learn more about the business side of the creator economy. Some participants have been compensated for their involvement in this series.

KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS

• [5:05] Representation for women of color in media
• [7:24] Why creators have to be business-minded
• [8:29] How transparency can help close wage gaps in the digital space
• [12:44] Being a YouTube creator isn’t a real job — “it’s actually 10 real jobs”
• [14:16] How Lilly adapted her strategy and built her team
• [16:25] How Lilly broke into Hollywood
• [18:23] Lilly’s advice for aspiring entertainers
• [23:13] Kevin’s definition of the creator economy
• [23:44] How YouTube creators earn money
• [26:18] Authenticity is key

RESOURCES

• Listen on YouTube
• Episode Transcript

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES

• Lilly’s YouTube: youtube.com/LillySingh
• Lilly’s Twitter: @Lilly
• Lilly’s Instagram: @lilly
• Lilly’s Facebook: Lilly Singh
• Brittany's Twitter: @bmluse

CREDITS

The Upload is a podcast by YouTube Podcast produced in partnership with National Public Media. Our Executive Producers are Brianna LaFleur and Erica Osher. Supervising Producer Shannon Boerner. Our Lead Producer is Theresa Avila; Editing and Engineering by Alie Kilts with assistance from Chris Hoff; Production Assistance by Gurjit Kaur with support from Maddy Weinberg. Our logo was created by Jen Grottle and our music is by TimaLikesMusic. Hosted by Brittany Luse.