Meet Grace Helbig. This awkward-yet-charming 29-year-old YouTuber is known for connecting to her viewers, making them laugh and every now and then, putting the sarcasm aside and slipping in some meaningful advice. Though at first glance her alcohol consumption and foul language might turn people away (mind you the drinking is legal and she bleeps out swears in her videos), I’m here to tell you why Grace Helbig should be every girl’s role model.
Her Self-Built Career
If you know anything about Grace, it’s quite clear that she has been successful. She started vlogging as a hobby after graduating college, and in no time had turned it into a full-time career. Not only has Grace managed to engage over 2.4 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, "Grace Helbig," but she has also taken the leap into other forms of entertainment. Grace hosts her own podcast ("Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig"), starred in the movie "Camp Takota" (now on Netflix), wrote a book ("Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up"), and in April launched her own talk show on E! Network ("The Grace Helbig Show"). Making a name for yourself online is no easy task, but Grace has managed to do this by simply just being herself and working hard. A quick glance at Grace’s career shows girls that, as cheesy as it sounds, you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
Her Refusal to Fake Perfection
Grace burps on camera. She talks about her bowel movements, what a mess her house is, and how all she ate for dinner last night was taco dip. Grace is real with us. In a world where girls are expected to have perfect hair, a perfect face, and a perfect lifestyle, it’s refreshing to see a confident woman who refuses to pretend that perfection is realistic. It’s healthy to admit your humanness, and stop attempting to be flawless all of the time. Girls need to see that they can be loved and admired and successful, even if they forget to shower every now and then, and Grace proves this to be possible.
Her Relationship
Grace has never shared much, if anything, about her relationships.
Although it is fairly clear through her Snapchats and vlogs that she is currently in a relationship with another YouTuber, she rarely mentions her relationship. And to that I say, you go girl.
Too many times, especially among celebrities, relationships become the most important and most talked about aspect of a person. By not making her relationship a topic of conversation, Grace is not only able to maintain some level of privacy, but is also able to keep the focus on what is important: her talent, her personality, and the content she creates.
Girls can learn a lot from the way Grace handles her relationship. She shows that who you are is not defined by your love life, and that your relationship really is no one else’s business.
Her Friendships
Any regular viewer of Grace’s channel knows that her two best friends are Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart, both YouTubers as well. The three have done multiple collaboration videos, livestreams, live shows, and tours together, and are known to many YouTube fans as “The Holy Trinity.” These three are what friendship looks like. They share ideas, wine bottles, and lots of laughter. Grace’s dedication to her friends is inspiring. Even when she is traveling back and forth across the country for her various projects, she always seems to make time for her friends. She has nothing but positive words to say about them, and you can tell from the smiles on their faces when they’re together that they truly enjoy each other’s company.
This is something that everyone can aspire to. Being able to keep strong friendships while managing a busy career can be difficult, but Grace works hard to do so. Her commitment should be an example to all.
While Grace Helbig is no Princess Diana, her hard work, honesty, independence, and loyalty make her a perfect role model for girls in this modern age. As our generation is viewing digital content now more than ever before, online stars are becoming celebrities. Grace shows us that you can still be successful and influential in yesterday's makeup.
