Meet the Pre-Med Nerd Who Modeled for Sports Illustrated and Became a $6M Forbes Creator (@haleyybaylee)

Aug 21, 2025

Haley Kalil, a multifaceted model, creator, and comedian, shares her remarkable journey—from biomedical science to winning beauty pageants and gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated. She discusses her viral success on YouTube, financial independence after divorce, and the unique pressures successful women face in dating. Haley provides insight into monetizing content and maintaining authenticity as a top creator. Prepare for a candid conversation filled with laughter, personal growth, and lessons for aspiring creators.

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ANECDOTE

From Biomedical Student To Model

Haley moved from studying biomedical science toward modeling after marrying young and pausing med school ambitions.
A Sports Illustrated casting via Instagram began her modeling career and eventual move to New York.

ANECDOTE

SI Casting From 50 Followers

Haley entered Sports Illustrated's open casting call with ~50 Instagram followers and was selected as a finalist.
She flew to the casting, shot on-site, and met SI editorial staff which launched her career.

ANECDOTE

Betting Everything On Viral Apartment Tour

A viral apartment tour (55 million views) triggered Haley to start posting five videos daily and pivot fully to content.
She re-signed her lease with savings and a co-sign, betting on herself to build a creator career.

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Model, creator, comedian, and Forbes Top Creator—Haley Kalil has lived a thousand lives (from science labs to Sports Illustrated covers to viral comedy).

In this episode of The Burnouts, Haley Kalil sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to share her rollercoaster journey: trading biomedical science for beauty pageants, paying her way through college, breaking into modeling without an agent, and then going viral overnight to build a multi-million-dollar creator career.

She opens up about navigating divorce, escaping an abusive relationship, reinventing herself through comedy, and betting everything on content creation. Plus: how she made her first $50k/month off YouTube shorts, why brand deals aren’t always the answer, and the financial realities (and taxes) of being a top digital creator.

Haley also gets real about the stigma of divorce, the pressure successful women face while dating, her viral “Billionaire Boyfriend” series, and what it really takes to stay authentic while scaling a $6M+ creator business.

Whether you’re dreaming of a career in content, modeling, or building your own creator-led brand, this conversation is packed with lessons, raw honesty, and plenty of laughs.

Chapters
00:00 – From biomedical science to beauty pageants
04:30 – Winning Miss Minnesota & paying for college with scholarships
06:00 – Sports Illustrated open casting call via Instagram
10:00 – Early modeling days & mental resilience
12:00 – Viral apartment tour → pivot to content creation
15:00 – Betting everything on YouTube & posting 5x a day
19:00 – Hitting $50k/month in ad revenue
22:00 – The viral “Billionaire Boyfriend” series
24:00 – Divorce stigma, healing, and rebuilding
29:00 – Going from red carpets to Oscars & Met Gala
33:00 – Social media backlash & accountability
37:00 – Advice for creators on finding your voice
41:00 – Monetization: ad revenue vs. brand deals
46:00 – Staying authentic in partnerships
48:00 – The true costs of creator life (taxes, management fees)
50:00 – What’s next for Haley

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The Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond the headlines to reveal the real blueprint for building power in your 20s.

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