Why one creator’s evolution feels like watching one of us make it big.

I still remember watching Emma Chamberlain laughing at her own awkwardness. Her editing was chaotic, and her self-deprecating tone felt like it came straight from our own group chats. She did not need glossy lighting or a perfect aesthetic because her charm was enough. For Gen Z, Chamberlain was not like other YouTubers because she was the blueprint for relatability. 

Fast-forward a few years, and that same girl is now at the Met Gala, interviewing celebrities for Vogue and running a coffee empire. Watching her transformation feels like watching someone from your dorm suddenly rise to massive stardom. It is both astonishing and unbelievable because how did someone who once made vlogs about procrastinating end up becoming a regular at Louis Vuitton’s fashion week events?

When Chamberlain started posting in 2017, YouTube was still dominated by polished lifestyle creators. However, Chamberlain stood out because she would showcase an “unedited” and “unfiltered” aspect, this lifestyle being most accurately deeply human. She drove around aimlessly in her car with coffee as her co-star. Her editing style, with various jump cuts, zooms and random stock footage, felt like an inside look at her diary. She never really tried so hard to be relatable; she just naturally was. She captured what it felt like to be young and feeling lost while figuring it out (whatever “it” is). 

Her rise was fast, but it was not just because of pure luck. Behind the effortless vibe was someone working relentlessly by consistent uploads, nonstop editing and the kind of self-discipline that turns chaos into a brand. When she stopped posting vlogs regularly and reappeared in high-fashion campaigns, a lot of fans did not know how to feel. Some admired her evolution, while others missed the “old Emma” who wore hoodies and filmed Trader Joe’s hauls. 

The criticism was not about her, but about how uneasy we feel when someone escapes the box we built for them. There is something uniquely Gen Z about this paradox, because we celebrate authenticity, but get uncomfortable when it evolves. Chamberlain’s growth made people realize that being “relatable” is not always a permanent state.

Her move into fashion, entrepreneurship and podcasting was a continuation of her roots. She built her brand on experimentation, and her career now reflects the same thing. Chamberlain Coffee, the coffee company she started, was the logical next step for someone who made caffeine a personality trait. Her Vogue interviews have awkward and funny elements, which are representative of how Chamberlain is as a person. 

For university students like me who grew up watching her, her trajectory is inspiring. We are all trying to figure out how to stay authentic while chasing our ambitions. There is this fear that as soon as we start “succeeding,” we will lose our relatability or our sense of self. However, as important as it is to stay grounded, growth does not mean inauthenticity.

Chamberlain had the courage to reinvent herself before someone else did, which can often happen in the influencer world. This is also something every university student can relate to in their own fields. We start programs thinking we know exactly who we are, with one person deep in their classes composed of heavy literature and the other is swamped in their major composed of mathematical formulas. Then halfway through, everything shifts. They discover new interests, burn out on old ones and feel guilty for changing. Chamberlain’s career showcases that it is okay to try multiple new things.

Her coffee brand is a prime example of how she has evolved. As someone who grew up drinking coffee but now grinds their own beans, it bridges her past and her present. Is this not exactly what university students are striving for? To blend their passions with their professions. 

For example, I grew up loving learning—there was never a subject I disliked. Most of my bachelor’s, which I have yet to complete, is in Health Studies and yet I decided to change my path and go to law school. Now that I am in my second year of law, I am taking classes to advance my understanding of health within the law. This field allows me to constantly learn, and I enjoy learning about health topics much more now with a newfound appreciation from a different perspective.

Chamberlain is also transparent about how hard it is to balance it all. In her podcast, she has talked openly about burnout, imposter syndrome and redefining what “success” means. That honesty keeps her grounded, even as she navigates worlds that used to feel unattainable.

The real takeaway from Chamberlain’s entire career journey for students should be that persistence does not always look glamorous. Sometimes that means editing at 2 a.m. or rewriting the same paper three times. Staying consistent when no one is watching is what it takes. Chamberlain’s rise serves as a reminder that you do not need to be perfect to make progress; you just need to keep showing up, even when you are unsure where it is leading.

What I love most about her story is that she did not shrink her personality. She did not cling to the version of herself that made people comfortable. Instead, she leaned into the discomfort of being misunderstood. As students, we often feel pressure to not seem too ambitious, too different or too confident. However, Chamberlain’s evolution is evidence that you are allowed to take up space in new ways.

When I see her walking red carpets or releasing new podcast episodes now, it does not feel like she left her viewers behind, but instead is showing us what is possible. She is proof that the same messy energy we once saw in her vlogs can grow into something polished without losing its heart. We might not all end up at the Met Gala, but that is not the point. The point is that hard work, persistence and self-belief can take you to places you never expected.

Emma Chamberlain’s story is more than just about her internet fame and growing up publicly, but how she can succeed on her own terms.