Ms. PuiYi: How Building Global Beauty Brands And Overcoming Cyberbullying Fueled Her Rise To Asia's Top Social Media Icon

As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. PuiYi.

Recently featured as the first-ever Malaysian female on HYPEBEAST for her capsule collection. Ms. PuiYi is the world’s fastest-growing social media star who at only 23 years old has over 17 MILLION Instagram followers, her own fashion collection, and two worldwide beauty lines. She has singlehandedly carved her name as Asia’s highest-paid social media icon.

There is a lot behind the sexy image that MSPUIYI has meticulously crafted with her bold photos on social media. Looking sexy can be very controversial, especially in her conservative home country of Malaysia. However, MSPUIYI is not listening to her critics. She is empowered by them and is taking the world’s attention to the bank.

Fluent in English and with a quick wit, this savvy entrepreneur also just launched two beauty lines MS Pui Yi Cosmetics (sold out within a week and now relaunching worldwide) and the adored Kiseki Skincare. This month MSPUIYI also added singing to her resume with the release of her new single “Men-Mory,” produced by DJ Goldfish, Malaysia’s most famous DJ and award-winning producer who tours the world’s biggest festival stages, including Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, and EDC.

MSPUIYI first rose to fame after her private photos were stolen by a laptop repair shop when she was just 19 years old and started posting sexy pictures after she was threatened by these hackers who got their hands on her private photos and demanded ransom or the images would be released. Now she is no longer shy about her body or worried about criticism. She considers showing off her sexier side to be empowering, and her thriving businesses continue to expand beyond beauty. Now she speaks about becoming a target for her seductive posts on social media, the severe effects of being trolled online, and how it has all made her stronger.

Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. Can you share with us the backstory that led you to this career path?

Of course, thank you for having me. Honestly, when I was young I loved the way movies or books made you feel. After watching or reading them, they made me feel empowered and ready to accomplish anything. To be able to convey that feeling to others through a screen or through words is beautiful to me.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or takeaway you took out of that story?

When our entire cast was tired from working a night shoot for over 13 hours. It was literally freezing, and I was SO cold! The whole night was filled with SO many puns! The worst pun jokes I’ve ever heard… The continued jokes of that long night kept my tired eyes awake and kept spirits light and uplifted!

What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?

Honestly, I’d have to say stay true to who you are and never let anyone change that. Keep applying yourself and pushing yourself to not only get better at your craft, but to be a better person as well. You have to have self-love and know that you are beautiful, handsome, wonderful, and enough! Stay grounded in your decisions and the right kind of respect follows. Be teachable and reachable!!

Society tends to emphasize achievement rather than a contribution, but real success isn’t determined by how much you’ve achieved. It’s determined by how much you’ve contributed.

Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?

My mother: she had such strong faith, and she showed it to all her children.
My father is a kind and peaceful man who loved all his children equally.

How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?

Good, high trust, high-performance relationships give you the best chance for success in life — whether that is leadership success at work, leading your family at home, or success as a good citizen in the community.

When you are a good person with strong relationships, you have the best chance to help make our world a better place.

Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?

I do receive many emails from around the world. A lot of girls want to share their stories and talk about what they are currently facing. There are also girls who have been abused and bullied.

I just want to tell them “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?

Individuals — follow your dream, be brave, believe in yourself
Government — help create more campaigns to cultivate the younger generation
Society — be open-minded, and accept diversity

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”

1.) It’s not as easy or going to be as easy as it looks.
2.) Never compromise your morals or your goals for anyone or any project.
3.) Have a detailed plan and know what you want to accomplish! Set goals and actually write them down with dates
4.) Seek great representation and a great team that fits and will fight for you. Choose one that knows exactly what your goals are!
5.) Always keep learning, applying yourself, and continue to have determination!

You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Start a campaign for young people who don’t have opportunities & enforce freedom of speech.

Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?

Be true, be kind and be humble
No matter how hard your life is, face them bravely.

We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Madonna. She expresses woman empowerment, breaks boundaries, and is willing to express herself.

Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!