Viral video producer Lilly Singh and figure skater Adam Rippon both know what it’s like to have all eyes on them. With over 14 million YouTube subscribers, Lilly Singh is an accomplished actress, bestselling writer, and comedian who never fails to entertain and inspire with her bold and unique perspective on fame and life. Rippon, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics (before going on to win the all-athlete season of Dancing with the Stars), is an inspiration for athletes and the gay community.
While their career paths may be different, when it comes to finding success, there’s a lot these two agree on. During the “Superpower You” panel discussion at WeWork’s recent Global Summit in Los Angeles, they shared their hard-won insights and life lessons.
Find your superpower
Any type of success starts with identifying the unique skill set that makes you who you are. Without his superpower of believing in himself, Rippon says he would never have been able to make it past injury and age (he competed in the Olympics at age 28, which is practically ancient by traditional standards) to win the bronze. Rippon notes that discovering your superpower can be more of a practice than a light-bulb moment. “Knowing myself came from years of being uncomfortable,” he says.
Singh also tapped into her superpower—storytelling—over time. After getting a degree in psychology, Singh began recording videos in 2010 simply to talk about the issues she faced. After teaching herself to film and edit videos in her living room, she realized the power of telling stories. “Taking people on this journey, whether it’s through a comedy video or a blog or my travels, I can capture people and show them what I care about,” she says.
Try—and try again
Both Singh and Rippon have learned to respect the power that failure holds. For Singh, this means “re-evaluating what you consider a waste of time. As long as you’re stepping out of your comfort zone, nothing is a waste of time.” Singh points to her “How Girls Get Ready” video, a hilariously relatable minute-to-minute account of preparing for a night out with friends. Even though she thought the content was too weird and would be funny only to her, she took a risk and released it anyway. It has become her most popular video to date.
Rippon notes that “you can’t put success on a timeline.” After missing his chance to compete in the 2014 Olympics, he faced a dark time during which he questioned his future. What could have been the end of his career was instead a character-building opportunity. “Nothing feels as dangerous or as powerful as being in the headspace of having nothing to lose,” he says. “I tried everything because I had nothing to lose, and that’s when I started to succeed.”
Lean on your team
Rippon and Singh also agree that there is always strength in numbers. A key to success for both has been learning to invest in and trust other people who complement their skills. “If you’re a smart leader, you should always put yourself in a scenario where you’re the dumbest person in the room,” says Singh. She regularly challenges her team to think outside the box and learn skills that are outside their wheelhouse, knowing that shared success is the best kind.
For Rippon, having a team provides not just a necessary support system, but also a valuable learning opportunity. “Sometimes the most humbling and important thing you can do is ask for help,” he notes. The athlete also experienced this first-hand from the other side, acting as a mentor to his younger Olympic teammates. “When you’re able to raise people up and tell them something about them that you admire, you’re also raising yourself up,” he says. “More for somebody else doesn’t mean less for you.”
Don’t let other people define you
Rippon was the first openly gay U.S. male athlete to medal in the Winter Olympics. Singh, meanwhile, has broken down barriers for Indian women in entertainment, giving a frank (and funny) voice to her community and women worldwide. For each of them, combating stereotypes is part of their daily struggle—but they say they have found success in not only embracing who they are but also being role models to a new generation.
Singh takes a “you have to play the game to change the game” approach to dealing with expectations and stereotypes, seeing potential conflicts as opportunities to educate. And for Rippon—who struggled with the timing of his coming out, fearing criticism and judgment as a gay athlete—the chance to help ease the angst of those who come after him makes it all worth it. “I want to be the role model I didn’t have growing up,” he says.
