Despite its apparent ubiquity, the career of "online influencer" is so young that the first generation of people to use that title are not only still working, but still young.
Ingrid Nilsen was one of the very first beauty and lifestyle YouTubers, and the work she did in her late teens and early 20s created the blueprint for what the industry has become today. A few of her highlights: She was the first online creator to work with CoverGirl, and she interviewed President Obama. Her coming-out video in 2015 went mega viral, and she invented Vlogmas, which is a daily vlogging challenge still used by thousands of creators every December.
She had more than 3 million YouTube subscribers, and in 2020, she quit.
When I was brainstorming the types of conversations I'd like to have this season, Ingrid was one of the first people added to my list. Ingrid had what so many people seem to want; when surveyed, 57 percent of Gen Z respondents said they'd like to become an influencer, and 41 percent of all adults agreed. Walking away from millions of followers and the financial perks that come with them is a big enough decision, but I was also interested in her decision to walk away from something that she was really, really good at.
We here at Defector are famously pro-"Quit Your Job," so please enjoy this interview with a big-time quitter.
Try Hard is also available wherever you get podcasts: RSS here, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify (if you must). A transcript of the episode can be found here.
Send me voice memos of the things you're trying at alex@defector.com or message me on Instagram @alexlaughs.
