Overview

The Challenge

At YouTube, I worked on the Creator Acquisitions team, where my role was to onboard high-profile creators and public figures to the platform and help them build sustainable YouTube channels.

Across 40+ top-tier creators I onboarded, those channels have gone on to generate billions of views for YouTube. But success wasn’t just about getting someone to sign up - the real challenge was helping creators start and keep posting long-form content in a way that made sense for their lives, audiences, and careers.

My Role

Led creator prospecting, onboarding, and long-term growth strategy for public figures across entertainment, sports, and digital-first platforms - including TikTok stars, professional athletes, and Hollywood talent.

Strategy

Selling YouTube as a Long-Term Creative Home

Many of the creators I worked with already had massive audiences elsewhere or demanding careers outside of social. The hurdle wasn’t awareness - it was convincing them that YouTube was worth the time and effort.

My pitch centered on three ideas:

• YouTube as the best platform for storytelling and depth, not just clips

• Long-term ownership: building a library that grows over time

• New features and monetization tools that could support their broader businesses

A key part of onboarding was also reframing production expectations. I emphasized that creators did not need high-end visuals or studio setups to succeed - filming on a phone at home could feel more authentic and, importantly, was what made consistent posting possible at scale.

Creator Onboarding

Adapting Creators to Long-Form Video

One of the most visible examples was onboarding Charli D’Amelio, who at the time was the biggest TikTok star in the world and primarily known for short-form content.

I worked closely with Charli’s team - including her father and videographer - to:

• Translate short-form instincts into longer narratives

• Develop repeatable formats that felt natural on YouTube

• Set realistic posting cadences that could be sustained long-term

Today, Charli’s YouTube channel has 9M subscribers and 400M+ views.

Portfolio of Partnerships

Working Across Industries

Beyond digital-first creators, I onboarded public figures from across entertainment and sports, each requiring a different approach:

• Kevin James
  Uses YouTube as a creative outlet for comedy sketches and stand-up clips
  → 939K subscribers · 86M views

• Tyreek Hill
  Built a channel blending personal brand, training, and behind-the-scenes content
  → 1.5M subscribers · 264M views

• Lindsay Lohan
  Leveraged YouTube for personal storytelling, music, and brand connection
  → 127K subscribers · 38M views

One key insight: creators from industries like reality TV or extreme sports often had natural instincts for self-promotion and content. Others - especially professional athletes - needed more hands-on guidance around storytelling, pacing, and audience engagement.

Results

Long-Term Impact at Scale

• 40+ creators onboarded

• Billions of cumulative views generated on YouTube

• Multiple creators scaled into sustainable, long-term channels

• Strong agency relationships supporting continued acquisition

More importantly, creators began to see YouTube not as another obligation, but as a platform for creative freedom, ownership, and long-term growth.