Leilani Green on becoming a role model

Green first gravitated toward teaching because she enjoyed helping people solve problems, keeping the pedagogical aspect alive in her work as a beauty influencer. She posts tutorials and routines, delineating step-by-step instructions for perfecting eyeshadow or sculpting eyebrows. “I wanted to be a role model for students. I feel like, in a way, I’m still doing that. I’m able to continue helping people in real life, just like I wanted to do as a teacher, but I get to do it in a completely different way through makeup.”

Green has found that she loves connecting with fans and feels most proud of the community she has constructed from the ground up. “There should always be somewhere your audience can go to see your real, true self — not just the retouched, perfect version of you. Mine is Snapchat. I record my entire day. I record when I’m sad, or crying, or having the worst day. I record what my house looks like when it’s a mess. If you want to see the perfect version of me, go to Instagram. But if you want to see a real human who makes mistakes, go to my Snapchat.”

“I wanted to be there for people who wanted someone to talk to — like FaceTiming a friend — especially for kids who didn’t have anyone in their household. I wanted to fill that big sister void. Now that I have, I’m making a living off of it.”

While Green is now earning enough to support her household, the idea of pursuing social media as a career never crossed her mind as a teenager. She created videos with the sole intention of sharing her own artistry. “Don’t look at likes, views, or followers,” she says. “If you’re starting something that you love, it can’t be because of money. When I first started around eight or nine years ago, I didn’t see people like me making money, so I thought that it was just a fun activity. I feel like that’s where people get twisted in this industry — when they’re motivated by money to start doing something.”

As a result, Green’s approach to social media has evolved in tandem with her platform. Over the last few years, she’s learned to persevere and push herself outside her comfort zone. “What separates well-known creators who have been on these platforms for years from those who trickle in and trickle out is passion. The creators who are constantly growing over time started creating content because they had real talent and drive and motivation from the beginning.”

By following her intuition, Green has found a great degree of permanence. Her ability to innovate in an industry largely dominated by trends has set her apart from other influencers. “I try to reinvent myself every year. That way, you never stop, and you never fall back. If you’re stagnant, and you’re not doing anything different than you were yesterday, you can only fall back. If you’re continuously doing something new, you can only grow from that.”

Coming off of her third year as a full-time content creator, Green knows all too well the dangers of slowing down and the importance of staying true to her passions. Looking forward, she’s interested in branching out and trying anything that allows for creative expression. 

“I never thought I would get to where I am today. I didn’t know what the steps were. I didn’t know that I was taking the right steps all along just by doing what felt right and what felt true to me.”