We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rose Emanuel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rose, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I was asked to come onboard with Tiktok last February, for their new live streaming platform which had just launch. They were signing certain creative talent they scouted via other apps. At that point I was hustling on 5 different live streaming apps and they found me! While doing this we had the pandemic going and I lost all my acting jobs. I was busting my *ss dog walking, assisting as a musical theatre director, working a beach camp and pet sitting. I was miserable and exhausted. All I wanted to do was perform and suddenly Tiktok came in like a fairy godmother and changed my life. I have never made the amount of money I do now, it’s still wild to me to think about. I used to have days were I had $1 in my bank account and tried to figure out a way to hustle so we could afford to eat that day without asking my parents for help. I am so incredibly grateful to Tiktok and everything it has done for me. Not only has it changed my life financially but I’ve also gained a massive community and I can even say I have “fans” now.. WHAT? It blows my mind but I love to make people laugh. People always think I’ve started an “Only Fans” or I’m doing something sneaky but I’m not. I’ve also been voted one of the top women in comedy for live streaming. Absolutely barking mad.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been acting in the industry since I was 6 years old. I started professionally with my first gig performing in the Michael Jackson charity show “In Our Time”. After that, I went on to take lessons for the performing arts at Sylvia Young Theatre School. We were assigned an agency and by 9 years old, I was working on multiple projects and going on auditions weekly. My family then moved to Los Angeles and I continued to pursue my acting career. Fast forward to now, I’m a fully contracted live streamer for comedy with Tiktok and I’m in the midst of launching my production company with a few projects already slated for production, once the strike is over.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My biggest inspiration is Lucille Ball. Not only was she a brilliant actress, she also was a powerhouse of a business woman. My goal is to be a Lucille Ball. In the future I foresee myself being a very successful actress along with having a successful production company. My determination and drive is one of my favourite things about me and I know it will push me to make it happen.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Oh man, this question. The amount of people who have said I’m delusional or I’m dreaming too big.. HA and do you want to know the funny thing about this? A lot of them have become my “friend” again after ignoring me for so long or popping up in my live streams to see what I’m doing and asking for advice. Never ever let other people’s thoughts deter you. A lot of people are stuck in their ways thinking they need to stick with a 9-5, you don’t and I’m proof of that. However, a lot of people don’t understand how much time and work you have to put in and think it just happens over night. A lot of people also think I’m just sitting on my *ss in front of a ring light and it’s not that. It is mentally draining and exhausting but seeing that I’m making people smile, laugh and forget about their worries really is the biggest reward.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @rosekemanuel
• Other: Tiktok: @rosekemanuel