PS: What made you so successful in those first few years of beauty videos?
MP: I just kept pushing the envelope. I didn't want to do the same thing everyone else was doing; I wanted to create a story and almost bring a more theatrical element to my videos. I've been doing this for seven years . . . that's a long time, like doggy years! I have to constantly evolve. If you're always putting out the same videos, people get bored, and they move on. Big pop culture icons like Rebecca Black or Gangnam Style last for a year, and then they're gone. I think that because I constantly evolve and grow with my audience, I'm able to stay relevant.
PS: How do you keep it exciting for you? How do you always know how or when to evolve?
MP: In my personal life, I evolve. In Hollywood, you have a storyline and you play a character, but digital talent is so different because we are authentic to who we are, online and off. As I grow up, my audience grows up, too, and I teach them everything I've learned. Life is not a marketing scheme; life is about evolving and growing. We're no different than a blossoming, growing tree. I want to keep growing and branching out, learn as much as I can, and teach what I learn to those who are following me.
PS: Do you have tips for women who aspire to be the next big YouTube phenomenon?
MP: It's going to feel like exam week every day for a year. It's not like talent offline and talent that we see in the media. If you were to take a month off online, it would have a detrimental effect. You have to update on a daily basis because the Internet is always on. Have in the back of your mind always that this is a job that's open 24/7, every day, every hour, because it's the Internet. It's important to know that it's a lot of work and commitment, but it's so fulfilling, because you're in control of your message, vision, and career. You sacrifice a lot, but you gain so much more.
