Despite her success, Michele Phan is starting over - returning to her first love

David Yi photo

Michelle Phan in front of some of her products.

MICHELLE PHAN has become a living legend. She was one of the multitude of talented Asian/Americans who turned to the new media for opportunity and one of the few to move from almost complete anonymity to accompanying First Lady Michelle Obama on a trip to Asia last year to launch the Let Girls Learn campaign.

To say she is a beauty consultant vlogger doesn't do her justice. Phan, who was been on YouTube since July 2006, has more than 7.5 million subscribers to her channel where she not only teaches viewers beauty tips, she speaks personally about her own life and current events.

“I always had that yearning, that hunger, to one day be independent and be my own person and build my own world,” says the Vietnamese/American. “The most fulfilling thing is to live a life where you have freedom.”

Even with all her success with turning beauty into business, she now has the time to turn to her original love - art. She will be launching a comic book - a graphic novel - this March based on a storyline she has been envisioning since she was 11-years old.

I admit, I'm not into fashion. If I had my way, I'd wear jeans, t-shirt and sneakers every day. As far removed from the fashion world as I am, even I have heard of Michele Phan and her remarkable story. It's the epitome of The American Dream: from waiting on tables to a multi-millionaire overseeing a slew of businesses that she has created.

David Li wrote an article published in Mashable about Phan that lets  you peek into the mind of this young trend-setter.

Success didn't come overnight. Underlying her fancy clothes, perfect makeup and glamorous lifestyle, is a driven woman who has worked long and hard. That's the real story for those who would follow in her footsteps. Its not enough to have a dream. Dreaming is OK, but it's what comes next is what you're willing to do to achieve that dream. 

A preview of Phan's new comic HELIOS:FEMINA can be downloaded. Chapter One starts in March.

For more news about Asian/American &Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

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