Intriguingly, each of these individuals has harnessed the power of social media to carve out unique niches for themselves and capture the attention of millions. From the hilarious Cyrus Veyssi, who manages to weave humor into deep discussions about beauty, dating, and their relationship with their Iranian father, to the tenacious Haliey Welch, who has leveraged her viral moment into a successful podcast career and even launched an AI-powered dating app – these content creators are nothing short of inspiring.
On social media, young people often find rapid success, going viral even before reaching adulthood. However, transforming likes, views, and clicks into a long-term career proves to be significantly more challenging than the high follower counts on TikTok might suggest. These 15 emerging content creators stand out because they’re not just amassing followers, but are creating thriving futures for themselves. Whether it’s Meredith Hayden from Wishbone Kitchen demonstrating culinary skills, Cyrus Veyssi sharing their personal truth, or Jordan Howlett fostering a community, each one of them is making a mark and shaping their own successful paths.
The first list unveiled by THR (The Hollywood Reporter) recognizes rising stars across various digital platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, streaming services, and podcasts. These individuals are selected based on factors like rapid growth, signed deals with brands, and upcoming Hollywood ventures. The individuals highlighted here represent a snapshot of the dynamic digital landscape. Some, like Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch, have capitalized on viral popularity, while others such as elite gymnast Livvy Dunne have been consistently working hard for some time now. These individuals boast book deals, sold-out tours, top-charting podcasts, and successful video formats. They aim to continue shining in the limelight by expanding their online fame into Hollywood projects, music, or brand development.
Discover the names of these individuals prior to seeing them on television, your Spotify Weekly Discover playlist, or your Instagram Explore feed. This way, you’ll be better prepared for discussions during meetings at work or dinners with tech-savvy children.
Morgan Absher, 30
REPUTATION-BUILDING POINT The podcast titled “Two Hot Takes” by Absher, where he and his guests share intriguing Reddit tales about relationships and dating, has garnered an astonishing 60 million listens annually.
INITIAL INTERNET ALIAS SpeedyBarrelGirl is the name that Minnesota native adopted, as her passion for barrel racing during the pandemic led to a side business. In 2021, she established Two Hot Takes, which gained momentum on TikTok and amassed over 4 million followers. A Subreddit with 800,000 followers was created based on the show, enabling the occupational therapist to leave her day job in 2022. “My aim is to expand this community as much as possible,” Absher shares, taking the show on tour this year. “I can only speak into a microphone for so long if others don’t enjoy it.” Future plans include relocating Two Hot Takes and launching a second podcast.
Quenlin Blackwell, 23
REPUTATION BUILDER Blackwell’s YouTube Series: Cooking for Celebrities Like Lil Nas X consistently draws over a million views.
EAGERNESS TO COLLABORATE WITH “Jacques Audiard.
Rachel Coster, 28
REPUTATION BUILDER The inaugural season of the show Boy Room, featuring Coster exploring the unsanitary dwellings of young men from the millennial and Gen Z generations, typically attracted around a million viewers per episode on TikTok.
MY FIRST SCREEN NAME’S STORY The Northeastern University graduate, on the hunt for production work amidst Hollywood strikes in 2023, initially contacted Gymnasium founder Adam Faze. Although he had no job to offer her, he requested video pitches instead. She presented him with the idea for a show called Boy Room, and together they created a project that became an online sensation. Coster, who is known for her comedy and also does standup, describes her character as an unwavering positive influence, which she believes contrasts effectively with filth or masculinity. The show has drawn attention from Amazon Prime, who will sponsor the refurbishment of the boys’ rooms for season two.
Harry Daniels, 20
FAMOUS FOR: He gained popularity with his heartwarming and quirky TikTok performances, singing for an audience ranging from Billie Eilish to Barack Obama, amassing over 1.6 million followers.
ORIGIN OF HIS STAGE NAME Daniels, who has gained fame with his singing videos that even inspired Bowen Yang’s portrayal in a Saturday Night Live parody, came up with his stage name during a Sabrina Carpenter CD signing event. “I was waiting in line and thought, ‘I don’t have anything clever to say to her,'” Daniels recalled. “So I decided to do something out of the ordinary for my own entertainment. I approached her and sang as dramatically and extravagantly as possible.” Now, with UTA representation, Daniels is working on releasing music that he can perform without causing discomfort. His debut single, “I’m Him,” was released in October.
Maxwell Dent, 21
PRIDE AND RECOGNITION With a diverse array of topics such as music, basketball, and video games, his videos have garnered him a fanbase of 1.3 million on Twitch.
RISING UP: MY JOURNEY AS A LIVE STREAMER
Olivia Dunne, 22
NOTABLE PRESENCE ON INSTAGRAM This accomplished LSU gymnast, whose life has been openly shared on Instagram since the age of 10, boasts a follower base of 5.3 million people.
GROWTH IN POPULARITY AND WEALTH After gaining significant popularity on TikTok during the lockdown, Dunne found herself basking in fame but lacking financial rewards – until the NCAA eased its restrictions on college athletes earning from their names, images, and likenesses. Since then, she has secured lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Vuori and Motorola, estimated to be worth a combined $4 million. Dunne has also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and is the focus of the Prime Video series, The Money Game: LSU. As she prepares for her post-college career, she plans to grow the Livvy Fund, which assists female student athletes in securing NIL deals. “There are not many professional leagues for women’s sports after college,” says Dunne. “It’s crucial to secure those deals while you have the chance.”
FIRST LUXURY PURCHASE “A Canada Goose coat as a special gift for my mother.”
Katie Fang, 18
CLAIM TO FAME Her “Get Ready With Me” videos on TikTok have amassed 5.6 million followers.
SURPRISING DECISION AFTER VIRAL MOMENT After Tiffany became a viral sensation in 2023 with a TikTok where she cried while getting ready for work, the native of Vancouver made an unusual choice. She took a week off from the video app. “I didn’t think it would blow up like that,” she said. “It all happened so suddenly.” When she returned to TikTok and started posting daily videos, her fan base grew rapidly, catching the eye of brands such as Glow Recipe and Cetaphil, which featured her in a Times Square billboard ad. Tiffany moved to New York this summer and is eager to establish her own brand.
Golloria George, 23
MY CLAIM TO FAME I’ve gained over 3 million fans on TikTok by putting popular beauty brands’ darkest shades to the test.
EAGERNESS TO COLLABORATE George, an Austin resident and South Sudanese refugee, has always struggled to find makeup shades that suit her skin tone. This issue wasn’t something she initially thought about addressing through videos, but a viral TikTok praising Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty changed that. Despite the emotional strain of advocating for representation, George says, “Sometimes I don’t want to make these videos; it feels draining.” However, her persistence has not gone unnoticed. After criticizing Rhode’s blushes for causing an ashy appearance on her skin, founder Hailey Bieber reached out to her and offered her shade consulting, even compensating her for her insights. Now, George is excitedly working on her own makeup line, dreaming of potential collaborations with industry legends like Danessa Myricks or Pat McGrath.
Meredith Hayden, 28
REPUTATION BUILT ON With a style reminiscent of Martha Stewart, her lifestyle content and cooking videos have garnered a following of over 3 million on TikTok and Instagram combined.
PROGRESS Despite appearing effortless, Hayden is adept at hard work. While she was employed in marketing at Condé Nast, she opted to attend culinary school in the evenings. Simultaneously, she held a second full-time position as a private chef for designer Joseph Altuzarra, where she shared “Day in the Life” videos on TikTok. Hayden expresses joy seeing her recipes being recreated in home kitchens by others. Leveraging her audience, she has secured partnerships with All Clad, Etsy, and featured in a T-Mobile Super Bowl ad. In May, she will publish her first cookbook.
“I’VE BEEN DIGITALLY REVISITING THE CLASSIC ‘MARTHA STEWART LIVING’ EPISODES, AND THEY’RE JUST PERFECTION! I’VE ALSO GOTTEN INTO A HABIT OF COLLECTING HER MAGAZINES.”>
Danae Hays, 31
POPULARITY SOURCE Amusing prank phone calls and comical skits depicting life from a Southern, gay woman’s perspective attract over 3 million followers on TikTok.
Since childhood, Hays has been creating and editing comedy videos featuring multiple characters. This talent served her well when she gained traction on TikTok, with her unique humor contributing to a million new followers in the past year. In 2023, her debut comedic song, “Rode Hard,” reached No. 5 on the iTunes global country music chart. This year, she launched a 30-city comedy tour. Hays attributes her success in her career to her father’s wisdom: “He said, ‘I may not understand social media, but if you focus all your efforts on what you love – making people laugh – the financial rewards will come.’
“My Instagram Discover Feed is predominantly filled with: NASCAR races, various animal videos, country tunes, and offbeat humor. It seems the algorithm has mistaken me for a fan of classic rock ‘n’ roll!
Jordan Howlett, 27
NOTORIETY GAINER The Fast Food Secrets Club gained a massive following of 13.5 million on TikTok through his videos that reveal restaurant recipes and smart ordering tips.
GROWTH OF A TIKTOK STAR Howlett, originally from the San Diego area, was playing baseball for UC Riverside when the pandemic struck. “I couldn’t shake off the sensation, and the ache, of things ending before I even realized they were going to end,” he recalls. As a means of dealing with his emotions, he began posting on TikTok. “The videos served as an enjoyable outlet for me not just to confront my anxieties but also to feel like I had something valuable to contribute.” His casual, personal approach struck a chord with viewers, particularly when he shared behind-the-scenes stories from his fast food job experiences. His popularity has skyrocketed in the last year, largely due to collaborations with celebrities such as Donald Glover, Method Man, Kevin Hart, and Halle Berry.
ALTERNATE CAREER PATH “If I weren’t a creator, I’d be working at a movie theater. It was probably one of my favorite jobs in the world.
Jack Innanen, 25
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT He amassed a 3.3 million fanbase on TikTok by consistently sharing absurdist comedy content for 60 consecutive days.
A NEW CAREER PATH IN SOCIAL MEDIA Previously, Innanen might have pursued a career as a physics professor. However, instead of following that path at the University of Toronto, he discovered a passionate fanbase on TikTok. “I sensed it could be a profession, and I secretly desired it to be,” shares Innanen, who transitioned his social media presence into a full-time career in 2022. Since then, he has collaborated with brands like Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton and recently landed a leading role in an upcoming FX series. Innanen, who spent countless hours writing, filming, and editing all of his videos himself, says he’s enjoying working on something that is “greater than myself.
Caleb Simpson, 32
POPULARITY TRACK RECORD His videos where he inquires about rental costs and subsequently explores New York City apartments have attracted over 13 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
THE RISE OF SIMPSON’S APARTMENT TOUR VIDEOS ON TIKTOK For years, Simpson worked with media companies, helping them produce and edit videos. But it wasn’t until he found his own unique idea on TikTok that he truly made a name for himself. “I was considering giving up,” says the graduate of Methodist University. However, getting fired from his day job sparked something within him – it was now or never. “With my back against the wall, I asked myself, ‘Caleb, with all your skills, do you want to be a content creator? Can you come up with an idea?'” His apartment tour videos quickly gained popularity and even caught the attention of celebrities like Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank and Drew Barrymore, who invited him to tour their apartments. This year alone, Simpson’s videos have amassed over 1 billion views, and brands are paying six figures to reach his audience. Now, he’s considering turning the format into a TV show.
Cyrus Veyssi, 30
POPULARITY REASON Hilarious videos centered around beauty, dating, and the unique bond with their Iranian father have garnered a following of 622,000 people on TikTok.
GROWTH Veyssi was employed in brand marketing in New York while also sharing beauty and fashion content on the side. A comment under one of their videos read: “You’re queer, you’re Persian, your father must be so ashamed of you.” In response, this Tufts University graduate saw it as a chance to showcase their genuine bond with their father. The humorous and heartwarming video gained approximately 10 million views on TikTok in just one day. After dedicating themselves full-time to content creation in 2023, Veyssi secured a role co-hosting the Amazon Prime Video series Influenced alongside Hello Sunshine and was appointed as a spokesperson for French skincare brand Caudalie. “I’ve been able to discuss matters I care deeply about through humor,” says Veyssi, “creating an environment where people can feel accepted.”
IF I HADN’T BECOME A CREATOR “If I weren’t a creator, I might have pursued a career as a ballet dancer or started my own cleaning service. I have even contemplated transitioning into a cleanfluencer (though I won’t, I assure you).
Haliey Welch, 21
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT The “Talk Tuah” podcast, known for hosting celebrity Q&As with the “Hawk Tuah girl,” quickly rose to No. 3 on Spotify following its launch in September and now has a subscriber base of 193,000 on YouTube.
PARAPHRASING: MY JOURNEY TO SUSTAINED SUCCESS Sometimes the leap from fleeting viral fame to a long-lasting career can be bridged with clever decision making, and I’ve been quite strategic in extending my brief moment of recognition. My initial actions included hiring a lawyer and seeking a management team that genuinely cares about me and has good intentions. In just three months, they helped the ex-spring factory worker secure a deal with Jake Paul’s Betr to create my own podcast. Notable guests include Whitney Cummings and Jojo Siwa. Now, based in Tennessee, I’ve launched an AI-driven dating app, Pookie Tools, and hint at future plans for a line of branded pickles. Many doubted I’d make it this far, but here I am, still thriving amidst skepticism.
A version of this story appeared in the Nov. 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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2024-11-21 02:26