The Queen’s Voice: How Lillie Young Turned Pain into Power and Built an Empire of Influence

She has turned her scars into a crown and wears it for every survivor who has ever been told to stay silent.

There is a certain electricity that follows Lillie Young into any room. It is not the kind that announces itself loudly, but the kind that commands attention with quiet certainty. She is a woman who has not only endured the worst chapters life can write but has rewritten them in her own hand. Today, she stands as an author, actress, entrepreneur, and publisher whose influence stretches far beyond the borders of Atlanta. Yet to understand her power, you must first understand her pain.

Lillie’s debut autobiography The Purple Cinderella was more than a book, it was a revelation. It peeled back the curtain on the silent, hidden world of childhood abuse and dared to speak aloud what so many have been forced to whisper. The title itself became a metaphor for her life, a girl forced to navigate unimaginable cruelty yet determined to find her place in the world with dignity intact. Readers did not simply consume her words, they felt them. They saw their own stories reflected in hers. In writing it, Lillie broke her own chains and handed others the key to theirs.

Since then, she has continued to expand her literary empire with The Story of Kate, followed by the bold and unapologetic The Red Lipstick Hustler: Set the World on Fire and The Red Lipstick Hustler Beauty Guide. These works blend empowerment, style, and fearless ambition, proving that literature can be as glamorous as it is gritty. Through them, she has built a brand that is both message and movement.

But books are only one piece of Lillie Young’s canvas. She is a sought after speaker and host whose voice has become a rallying cry for survivors of abuse. She is also a talented actress whose résumé includes appearances in Fox’s The Resident, Lifetime’s Bring It, BET’s American Soul, The Bobby Brown Story, and Dynasty, where she appeared as Jessica Woods in Season 3, Episode 5. Her film credits include playing an attorney in Lifestyle, an urban comedy by Marcus Tompkins, now streaming on Tubi and other platforms. More recently, she has been cast in a leading role for the television series XCHANGE, produced and directed by Kadé Hill of Jaido Studios.

For Lillie, acting is more than performance. It is a way to inhabit new worlds while reclaiming her own. On screen, she embodies authority, vulnerability, and charisma with the ease of someone who has lived many lives. Off screen, she remains deeply rooted in her purpose, using her platform to encourage others to speak their truths.

Her work and story have earned her the spotlight in multiple magazines and radio shows, gracing covers that celebrate both her beauty and her resilience. Yet behind the accolades lies a girl who once walked barefoot through the fields of Spartanburg, South Carolina, dreaming of a bigger life in a bigger city. That dream eventually led her to Atlanta, where she would transform not only her own life but the lives of countless others.

The recognition she has received is both extensive and hard earned. On August 24, 2019, she was honored with a proclamation from the City of Atlanta. In April 2022, the Heaven Help One Foundation named her Entrepreneur of the Year at their second annual Constellations Awards. That same year, she took home Best Female Actress for her role in Lifestyle and was awarded Author/Media Influencer of the Year by Debby Classique Magazine at their Glamours Awards. In 2023, she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Icons to Humanity and 100 Global Influential Leaders to Watch by Global Women Wealth Warriors, under the leadership of Renee Knorr. Then, in December 2024, she received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden, along with a gold medal and pendant, an acknowledgment of her enduring service and contributions to the community.

But Lillie is not simply building a personal legacy. She is creating a platform for others. In the summer of 2024, she launched Queen Magazine, a seasonal print publication that has already featured some of the most notable names across industries. The magazine is a reflection of her vision, a place where achievement, empowerment, and elegance coexist.

Her entrepreneurial reach extends even further through her company I AM LILLIE YOUNG INC., the umbrella brand for her ventures Queen Lillie Hair Growth Oil, The Red Lipstick Hustler, and The Purple Cinderella. Like much of her life’s work, these businesses were born from both necessity and inspiration. During the isolation of 2020, while the world slowed under the weight of the pandemic, Lillie saw an opportunity. She stepped into the beauty and personal care industry, a space valued at hundreds of billions, with products that reflect her personal style and commitment to quality.

The creation of Queen Lillie Hair Growth Oil was a direct response to the universal desire for healthy, beautiful hair. Whether natural curls or flowing locks, she believed all women should have the tools to feel confident in their own beauty. Her lipstick line, The Red Lipstick Hustler, was a natural extension of her brand. Rooted in the symbolism of her book series, the collection features shades like Hustler, Romance, Brave, Faith, and The Queen Collection. The lipsticks are organic, richly pigmented, and designed to be as long lasting as the confidence they inspire.

Lillie’s beauty products have been featured in numerous magazines and reviewed by leading beauty influencers. They are available online at www.iamlillieyoung.com , making her vision accessible to women everywhere.

The reach of her influence is perhaps best measured not in sales or streaming numbers but in the personal testimonies she has inspired. At seminars, conferences, churches, and schools, she speaks to women who have faced abuse, rejection, and self doubt. She tells them that pain does not define them and that survival is only the first step. Her message is not abstract, it is rooted in her own history and lived experience. Every stage she steps onto becomes a place of possibility.

Her advocacy is fierce, but it is also filled with grace. She does not shy away from the realities of her past, but she refuses to let them overshadow her future. This balance is what makes her such a magnetic presence. She is both queen and confidante, role model and friend. People feel that they can trust her because she has already walked the path she is guiding them down.

In many ways, Lillie Young’s life is a masterclass in reinvention. She has turned tragedy into testimony, vulnerability into visibility, and ambition into action. She has shown that there is no single definition of success. It is what you create when you combine your talents, your passion, and your willingness to work tirelessly toward a vision.

Her ability to move seamlessly between industries from literature to acting, from beauty to publishing, is not just versatility, it is strategy. Lillie understands that influence is strongest when it is multi dimensional. By diversifying her reach, she ensures that her message is not confined to a single audience or medium.

What sets her apart is not just her résumé but her refusal to settle. Every achievement becomes the foundation for the next. She is not chasing accolades for the sake of recognition, she is building platforms that will outlast her. Her magazine, her products, her books, these are all legacies in motion.

Lillie’s story is also a reminder of the power of representation. For women who have endured abuse, for aspiring entrepreneurs from small towns, for anyone who has been told their dreams are too big, she stands as living proof that nothing is impossible when you are determined to rise. Her journey from the rural fields of Spartanburg to the stages, screens, and boardrooms of Atlanta is not just inspiring, it is instructive.

As she continues to expand her empire, there is no sign that Lillie Young will slow down. She is already shaping the next chapters of her career, with projects that promise to blend her signature style with her unwavering purpose. Whether through a film role, a magazine feature, or a beauty product, she is determined to leave her mark.

Perhaps what makes her story so powerful is that it is still being written. She is not a finished product, and she would not want to be. Growth is her constant state. Excellence is her daily pursuit. And resilience is the crown she wears, not because it is flawless, but because it is hers.

She is not only writing her own story, she is handing the pen to every woman who has ever believed she could not tell hers.