Be ready for anything because what you envision as something bad coming your way, probably is not one-tenth of what is going to come your way.
Success is not ever easy.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, because there is going to be a lot of big stuff that is going to drive you over the edge at times.
Build a team you can trust, don’t build it on pity for giving someone a job.
Surround yourself with people who will nurture and live your dream with you.
As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Lillee Jean.
Lillee Jean is a content creator who focuses on beauty, wellness, and advocacy for her YouTube, website, and Instagram channels. She is also well known for being a young entrepreneur in the entertainment business, who is an influencer, actress, model, writer, producer, director, and model. Born in New York in 2001, her content is relatable and often touches on such items as the global pandemic as well as climate change. You can catch her self-produced web series, “Lillee Jean TALKS! Live”, which airs on her IG TV, her website, and her YouTube channel, and is IMDB approved.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Even as a little girl I loved entertaining people, I just didn’t realize my niche would become more than just makeup tutorials. I’m grateful I cannot only bring joy to people by giving them fun tutorials to watch, but also to be able to touch people with current events that need to be talked about, instead of ignored. I think I always knew that entertaining was a good fit for my personality and this would be where I would start my path.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the most rewarding things that have happened to me, has been having the ability to work with organizations, such as CHOOOSE Today, to help spread awareness on climate change. I think that while entertaining is in my blood, being able to also have a teachable moment with my fans, is equally of great importance.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
I believe that following your gut is always the best way to do things. There have been so many times throughout my career, I have allowed, my heart to rule, what I knew was a bad decision, and ended up with a poor result. Nowadays I live by the “follow my gut” rule all the time, the “Lillee Gut” is never wrong.
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
We live in a digital age, so nowadays, we no longer look at things in a 2-D format. I believe along with the privilege of accessing information quicker, we need to enforce real laws, that will bring actual change to the “Wild West” which is the internet, right now. No rules, no laws seem to apply. I think making everyone more conscious of what they are doing online, educating them about the consequences of what they put out as a digital imprint in the world, will make a huge impact going forward. Even with as technological we are as a people, right now, people tend to weaponize their usage on the internet in a way that can not only have mental side effects for them, but also the people that they affect. I think this will change how we look at privacy, freedom of speech as well as dissemination of information.
How do you think this will change the world?
It will put an end to a certain degree, the online bullying that exists out there, on the wide vast internet, which is bigger than most people realize. It will emotionally help a lot of people that not only depend upon their addiction of being “connected” on the internet, but also will end their dependence on feeling powerful enough to hurt others because they cannot be found. It is a bit like crypto in away. Crypto is not traceable, and fake profiles, to a certain degree, are untraceable too. It takes the screen away from the people who commit, what they believe are victimless crimes.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
I was once told if you aren’t doing something wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. That stands true for anything you do in life. In this instance, people who are affected, will be those who are doing something wrong. They’ll argue that you are taking their rights away, and that you are stepping on their Freedom of Speech. Lots of arguments, all empty, without texture. The potential for good here, outweighs any argument these internet fake protector of rights might have.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
The tipping point started when I was 15. I was a teenager when online bullying started. It was a 24 hour a day onslaught that has lasted still to this day. I have learned over time, after talking with law enforcement, that better laws need to be put into place. There are, it seems limits, to what even law enforcement can do on the internet, and the pain and suffering I have gone through, not to mention having to rebuild, at my age, a reputation, when I’m only 20, is preposterous to me. The time starts now, for all of us to make a real change, and I believe I can be part of that change.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption?
I am aiming for a Federal law to be put into place. This is my goal, and I do have a Senator that is interested in pushing this agenda forward. We have been sidelined because of the global pandemic, the insurrection and other things that are deemed (and I agree on this point), far more important at the moment, for Congress to deal with. I intend, however to continue pushing forward, and I hope to make some real headway in 2022 on this subject. We have lined up next year (hoping Covid is not as prevalent as it is right now) some speaking I will be doing at schools, etc., as well as interviews I plan on giving. My ultimate goal is to go to Congress to testify on having some real substantiative laws put in place.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Be ready for anything because what you envision as something bad coming your way, probably is not one-tenth of what is going to come your way.
Success is not ever easy.
Don’t sweat the small stuff, because there is going to be a lot of big stuff that is going to drive you over the edge at times.
Build a team you can trust, don’t build it on pity for giving someone a job.
Surround yourself with people who will nurture and live your dream with you.
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
I believe to be successful, you must believe in yourself. I find a mood board to be quite helpful when I am envisioning what I want my goal to be that I am aiming for. Being meticulous, waiting for the right moment to do something, even when you want to burst at the seams and tell the world about an upcoming project, sometimes is better when you wait, and allow the idea to flourish and grow.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
The old elevator pitch I am guessing you mean? I would say that my ideas are easy to attain, this in five points is what needs to get done to achieve the goal I am looking for, and to be part of the bigger picture with me, join forces with me to make a change that is meaningful.
