Michelle Phan
A decade after posting her first video on YouTube, Michelle Phan’s name is synonymous for influencer-turned-entrepreneur. I am super thrilled to add her to my Inspiring Greatness: Women who are changing the world! collection.
Michelle Phan is the first woman to build a $500 million company from a web series.
She is truly a woman that inspires greatness! She launched the beauty subscription company Ipsy at the age of 24! In June of this year, Michelle transformed her Youtube channel from the make tutorials it was known for to 24/7 Magic Hour Radio. Below read a snippet on how she speaks about her motivation to follow her passion and create a life her mom would be proud of.
I uploaded my first video in 2007. Social media wasn’t even called social media yet. It was a place where people would just go online and congregate and share ideas and videos and content. YouTube was just my creative outlet. I didn’t have sponsorship money, I didn’t have people giving me free products. I had to go out and buy my own makeup products.
I was very motivated at a young age to find a better life, for my mom’s sake. She wanted me to be a doctor, but I didn’t see myself in that future. I promised her that I would take care of her but I would still pursue what I loved.
Then I got this really amazing offer from a big beauty brand. When they told me how much money I was going to be making, it was so big – as much as a doctor would have made. The first person I wanted to tell was my mother. She’s the reason I work so hard, and she inspires me so much. I said, “What are you doing?” She said, “oh, I’m still at work, I’m doing someone’s pedicure.” I told her that it would be the last time she would ever have to do anyone’s pedicure and she won’t have to work the next day because I would take care of her. We both started crying It was a moment that I’ll never forget. I want more people to have moments like that.
To read about more amazing and inspirational women, head over to the Inspiring Greatness archives!
I would love to hear from you, who inspires you? Who do you feel is a woman who is changing our world? Let me know in the comments below or on the Studio’s Workshop Community.
