Camila Coelho on Leading With Purpose in the Creator Economy

At POSSIBLE 2025, Camila Coelho sat down with Shelley Zalis to talk about what it means to lead as a Creator CEO. But what unfolded wasn’t just a business conversation. It was a deeply personal story of resilience, reinvention, and redefining success in the spotlight.

For Coelho, a global entrepreneur, digital trailblazer, and founder of two brands, the journey didn’t begin in boardrooms or investor meetings. It began at a beauty counter in a Boston Macy’s. There, she discovered not just a love of product, but a passion for connection something that continues to define her work today.

From Makeup Tutorials to Movement-Driven Brands

Coelho’s first audience came from YouTube, where she began posting beauty tutorials in 2010, long before influencer marketing had a name. She didn’t set out to build a business. But over time, as followers grew into a community, the impact of her work became clear. People weren’t just watching, they were changing how they saw themselves.

Her next steps weren’t shortcuts. She built trust one tutorial, one blog post, one conversation at a time. That trust eventually opened doors with legacy brands and led to her groundbreaking product collaboration with Lancôme, the first time the brand ever placed an influencer’s name on a product.

From there, she launched two of her own brands: a beauty line and a clothing label rooted in her own aesthetic and experience. And though she remains a brand partner for others, she now balances the creative and commercial demands of running her own.

Leading With Identity, Not Algorithm

Coelho credits much of her business intuition to her upbringing. She moved from Brazil to the U.S. at 14, watched her mother work multiple jobs after a difficult divorce, and internalized a deep drive for independence. When she couldn’t find a college path that felt right, she gave herself six months to experiment, a window that led her to makeup artistry, and eventually to content creation.

That freedom to follow instinct and the risk tolerance to walk away from the expected path continues to shape her leadership style. For Coelho, staying relevant in a saturated creator economy isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about listening to her audience, surrounding herself with a team she trusts, and staying close to what brings her joy.

Balancing Growth With Boundaries

Coelho also spoke candidly about the challenges of building a business while staying present. In 2019, she was managing simultaneous brand launches, global travel, and front-row appearances but inside, she felt overwhelmed. The pace was unsustainable, and even moments of success left her feeling disconnected.

She realized that working harder wasn’t always the answer. What was missing wasn’t ambition, it was balance. Creating space for mental wellbeing, family, and reflection became just as important as brand growth. That shift helped her reconnect with her why and eventually made her work more impactful.

Turning a Personal Diagnosis Into Purpose

One of the session’s most powerful moments came when Coelho shared her story of living with epilepsy. Diagnosed at age nine, she spent years hiding her condition, afraid of stigma and misunderstanding. Even as her career soared, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about it until 2019, when she decided to go public while preparing for pregnancy.

Her decision to speak up was met with overwhelming support. Messages poured in from women navigating the same questions, the same fears. Some had never told anyone. Others found hope in her story. That moment, she said, didn’t just help her audience, it helped her heal.

Today, Coelho is a board member of the Epilepsy Foundation and continues to use her platform to raise awareness, normalize visibility, and advocate for others who feel invisible.

What It Really Means to Be a Creator CEO

For Coelho, influence is not about content volume or follower count. It’s about leadership rooted in lived experience, cultural identity, and a commitment to being fully seen.

As the conversation closed, one message stood out: You don’t have to follow the script. Whether it’s how you start, how you grow, or when you choose to speak out, the most powerful brand you can build is one that reflects your truth even the parts you once kept hidden.

Independently Created. Not affiliated with POSSIBLE.

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