Who said Gen Z doesn't have work ethic?

Anyone who doubts that success can come at any age hasn’t met Sir Julien George. Growing up attending private schools and living in the affluent, entrepreneurial environment of Atlanta, and even studying abroad, Sir Julien was surrounded by success. This community helped him form genuine relationships with public figures and music industry powerhouses, including family friends Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys.

Determined to build a name for himself, Sir Julien launched his own branding and digital marketing company, Viral PR Group, also known as Viral Management, at the age of 17. With a tagline like “The Generation That Makes The Rules,” Sir Julien cemented his mark as a Gen Z leader in the entertainment industry. With help from Swizz Beatz’s son, Prince Nasir Dean, Viral Management was able to land partnerships with major artists like Rick Ross, Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd, and more.

Now, the socialite is expanding his growing career with a role leading Create Music Group’s in-house marketing team, VRTCL. The mogul in the making will also be adding “reality star” to his resume as he joins the cast of BET’s “The Impact: ATL,” alongside his best friend LightSkinKeisha, for the show’s upcoming third season.

In an exclusive conversation with REVOLT, Sir Julien chats about growing up in Black Hollywood, Gen Z’s work ethic, his venture into reality TV, and more! Get into the chat below.

You started your career as a teenager. What inspired you to dive into the entertainment industry at such a young age?

You know what it is? I feel like growing up, I always was in rooms that inspired me. But it was always because of my network or [my] family network. Family, friends, people I went to school with, etcetera. I think that by the time I reached high school, I had so many passions and desires that I had built over time, and it only felt right going into my senior year of high school and kind of [having] an understanding of what the next pivot of life looks like. I thought at the time I wanted to be a publicist. I had this whole dream of it. And then I started to dive in deeper and see that there's so many different realms within this industry and it kind of just started from there.

Tell us about your experience growing up around success and affluence in Atlanta aka Black Hollywood. How has that environment influenced your career?

I was born in Atlanta. I grew up there and then I left in 11th grade for boarding school in Connecticut. I went to this boarding school called Suffield Academy. I went there for 11th and 12th grade, and then I did my freshman year of college abroad in Florence, Italy.

There was a very huge prestige about Atlanta at the time, like Atlanta used to be really elite. I remember [in] 2005, I was going to Christmas parties at the Governor’s Mansion and upstairs there were the nannies for the kids. It was really a different vibe. I feel like [there were] so many senses of inspiration around.

Viral Management’s tagline is “The Generation That Makes The Rules.” What would you say is the Gen Z approach to branding and marketing?

The Gen Z approach, I think, is all about highlighting who you are, showcasing your talents and not being afraid of opinions. I think that we're the most free-spirited generation, and I think we truly make the rules as far as what's in [and] what's not.

... I think that it's just about being yourself, making sure that you are utilizing social media as the best resource first and really having the understanding of what your personal brand even is.

You’re family friends with Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys, and Prince Nasir Dean. What has this relationship taught you about the industry?

I would say that was my first and I give it to them still to this day. That's my first sense of inspiration within the music industry. You know, like, I would wake up at breakfast with Alicia.

Or even [my friend Prince Nasir Dean] ... seeing kind of what he's been learning and the interactions he's been having, it would teach me a lot about what I wanted to be able to make happen for clients, for artists, for anybody who I'm working with. And I think that was the first sense of inspiration for me and then of course, like when I turned 18, he's a year younger than me, so he was 17. I was a senior in high school. He basically came to me. He was like, “I want to do music for my dad.” And that was my first trial client. I was like, “D**n, I just told myself I want to be a publicist.” So, it was like a fake manager/artist duo. We made a lot of s**t happen. Of course, thank God, he had a lot of the resources that we needed. But within that, it was my first step at doing things at such a high level.

Who are some other public figures who have inspired you or made an impact on your career?

Maybe not so much public figures, because I really do feel like within my realm of what I do, I feel like I'm starting and doing something first. I'm a Black gay guy. I live in LA. I work at a label now. I have my management company, but also I am the personality, I'm the life of the party, and I have a real middle between being talent and also the exec. A lot of my friends have the talent. That's just kind of what it is. So, I feel like I'm starting something new. I would say my inspirations come from executives like Rayna Bass at 300 Entertainment, Ebs Da Boss... I think she's amazing, [and] JAY-Z. I look at people like [they are] more than public figures. [I look at them] more so on the executive side of things.

There are many misconceptions about Gen Z. How would you respond to claims of your generation not having the same work ethic as its predecessors?

As an overall generation, I think we're very ambitious, but I don't think we have as much of a work ethic. I know that I‘m very dedicated. When I want something, I work to get it. It's more so that I work off of goals. So, if I have a list of goals and I know I want to knock those out, I'm gonna go hard at making that happen. I think that we're very goal-oriented and very dedicated in what we want versus necessarily working hard across the board, if that makes sense.

I would say that for the overall generation, I do think that we have a lot of access to getting things faster than most because of resources, social media and all those types of things, [and] who we know. All of it plays a role and I do think that we do get things a little bit easier, but at the same time, we all still have the same goals and desires, and we all have to work at some point for it. I'm not gonna slack on anything. I put my best foot forward in everything. But when it comes down to what I really, really, really want, I'm driven by passion.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career so far?

I would say actually jumping into the corporate world, like where I'm at right now. I'm working at Create Music Group. I am running all TikTok campaigns. We've done campaigns for Beyoncé... We’ve done campaigns for Gunna. I've actually brought the 300 Entertainment account because I know the president of the label. I brought it over to the company. So, she brings us Megan Thee Stallion campaigns. I think that's just where I am now.

I'm having the best of both worlds in life right now. I'm filming a show right now, a reality show and it is drama. But, on the flip side, it's gonna be interesting because people don't even know the other side of my world, which is real – like, it's real life. I'm in the office right now. Literally, it's real life. And we work hard. We make s**t happen. I started in February. We're at $3,000,000 revenue profit based on the campaigns we've been running just from my division, and I'm helping lead it, and I think that would be my biggest accomplishment.

Last year, I knew I wanted something new. I wanted a fresh perspective. I really asked God for a new perspective and a new reality. I live in LA. I love living here and [all], but I really wanted to feel more so [that] I'm here fulfilling a purpose. The one thing that has given me reason. And I love my company. I still run Viral Management. I have independent artists and clients all the time. But I now have something that is part of a bigger end game for me. So, I would love to see where it takes me.

You’ll be joining season three of BET’s “The Impact: Atlanta.” What can the audience expect to see from the show?

I am bringing the heat for sure. I'm definitely bringing the heat. I will say that... It is a reality show, so it’s going to be a lot of mess. I’m not going to lie. [There's] a lot going on in there. I will say that you get to see an inside look at me and my best friend LightSkinKeisha, our work relationship, balancing friendships, business, all of that.

What sparked your interest in reality TV?

You know what's crazy? I never auditioned for the show. I didn't even plan on doing the show. Keisha is like one of my best friends. She is my best friend, so it's like anything that I think she belongs on, I work for it, you know? So, when the first season aired, I was like, “Keisha needs to be on the show.” Season two happened. We were kind of in talks, [but it] didn't work out. Season three, they reached out to me, and I think that because I was the main communication for so long – like, they were getting a lot of my opinions, a lot of my personality, a lot of “We can't get Keisha without Julien” -- it ended up becoming them offering me the show.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would love a family. I'm going to start there. I think that a lot of times I get so lost in the goals, the physical goals... money, jobs, career, life, you know? But I want to stop and smell the roses and enjoy life. I think that's definitely a goal. I want to expand. I don't know exactly in what direction, but I know that I love the corporate space, and I love being a power player in this. I would love to be a president of a label. I would love to own a label. You know what my real, real goal is? I really want to have my own label, and I want to sign an artist. But under my label [as] a subsidiary of a major. So, if I could have Viral Records under Warner Music or Columbia or any other major, that would be a dream for me – being the president of my own label.

Do you have any advice for other young Black gay men who are looking to you for inspiration or wanting to get in the same space?

You just have to believe in yourself, that's No. 1. And I think that's what honestly really makes me sometimes a little sad because I feel like the first step is always believing in yourself and believing that you're capable... knowing it. You have to be a little delusional in the beginning. You have to know you're that b**ch. You can do it. There's nothing in this world I don't think I can do. With hard work and putting your efforts into your passions and your energy into it, I don't see it not happening. So, I would say that would be my biggest, biggest, biggest piece of advice. It starts within.