Lilly Singh Aims Beyond Youtube

Social media stardom has a downside: Few who achieve it can transcend the digital platform and build a lasting brand. But with her new production studio, Lilly Singh intends to do just that.

- Stephanie Schomer

Since 2010, Lilly Singh has been lovingly known to fans as Superwoman— a moniker she has more than earned after amassing 14 million YouTube subscribers, producing and starring in a live world tour, and writing a best-selling book, among other projects. The actress and comedian cata- pulted to YouTube fame with her observational videos that tackle everyday life, and as her own celebrity grew, she started attracting top talent as collaborators: Dwayne Johnson, Priyanka Chopra, and Selena Gomez have all appeared on her channel. Now the 30-year-old is making plans for the next phase of her career and thinking hard about her own needs as a creator. She’s taking a closer look at her professional path, investing in her team, and shooting squarely for the traditional media world.

You started your YouTube channel in 2010, and over the past nine years, it’s grown into an entertainment empire. When did you realize this could be a sustainable career?

Even after I reached a million subscribers, I was like, This is just a fluke! I’m sure this is just luck! I was the last person to really believe this was a career path. It wasn’t until I did an international gig in India, appearing there as part of YouTube’s FanFest. Seeing the audience reaction there, understanding how many people knew me there, it was a major realization: Oh my God; the internet works! Seeing people in a different country, across the world, relate to my content and interact with my business was really eye-opening.

Once you processed that, did it change how you thought about projects?