Series 6

I Bet Emma Chamberlain will be a billionaire by 2034.

Not because she's had 1.6 BILLION views on her YouTube channel or won numerous awards for her content.

But because she cracked the secret Gen Z Attention Code:

2017. A teenage girl sits in her room, struggling with anxiety and depression.

She just failed her driving test. School feels meaningless.

So she starts a YouTube channel. Not for fame. Not for money.

Just to feel less alone.

But she didn't follow anyone's advice

Everyone told her to be polished and proper. The typical beauty guru format.

She did the opposite.

Quick cuts. Zoom-ins. Random voiceovers. Zero filter on her thoughts.

The internet had never seen anything like it...

While other creators chased perfection, Emma showed up exhausted in her pajamas.

She talked about failing tests. Having anxiety. Feeling lost.

In a world of Instagram filters, she dared to be real.

Then something incredible happened

Her subscribers exploded. 1M. Then 5M. Then 10M.

But Emma wasn't satisfied with just being another YouTuber.

She saw something bigger. A fundamental shift in how Gen Z connects with brands.

Here's the breakdown:

Step 1: Turn vulnerability into currency.

When brands wanted polished ads, Emma gave them raw authenticity.

She partnered with Louis Vuitton – then made videos about having panic attacks at their events.

It shouldn't have worked. But Gen Z loved it.

Here's why:

Young people today are drowning in perfect feeds and fake authenticity.

They're craving something real.

Emma gave them permission to be imperfect. To be anxious. To be human.

But she was just getting started:

Step 2: Build deeper than surface level.

While others chased viral moments, Emma built lasting connections.

She launched a podcast where she talked about mental health for hours.

She shared her darkest moments. Her failures. Her fears.

The strategy? Go beyond content:

Create genuine relationships with your audience.

Because when you truly connect with people, they don't just watch you.

They root for you. They defend you. They want you to win.

That's when Emma made her boldest move

Step 3: Turn attention into empire.

Emma noticed something in her videos: People loved watching her drink coffee.

Not because it was special. Because it felt real.

So in 2019, she launched Chamberlain Coffee.

But here's the genius part:

She didn't just sell coffee.

She sold moments. Emotions. Connections.

Her marketing? Just her, being herself, drinking coffee on camera.

No fancy ads. No pushy sales.

The result?

$7M in new funding. Walmart nationwide launch.

Her coffee videos alone hit 363M views on TikTok.

Why? Because Gen Z doesn't buy products anymore.

They buy into people. Stories. Authenticity.

And there's a massive lesson here:

The age of faceless companies is over.

Today's customers want to see the humans behind the brand.

That's why MrBeast can launch a chocolate bar and outsell Hershey's.

That's why Kylie can build a billion-dollar makeup empire.

That's why Emma next to be next Big Thing

Source - Fernando Cao Zheng on X