From Content Creator to Entrepreneur

The Journey of Instagram Influencers Turned Entrepreneurs

Danny Austin started creating content online about 10 years ago while living in Austin, Texas.
Danny's brother, Landon Austin, who is a musician, started on YouTube and suggested Danny start a channel as well.
Danny signed with a manager and started collabing with other creators in LA.
Danny learned about the back-end of brand deals and partnerships while working for her manager.
Danny realized that she needed to get out of her contract and manage herself to build her own team.
Danny's content is mainly on Instagram, with over 2.5 million followers across all platforms.
Danny and her husband started Divi, a scalp and hair care brand.
Divi was featured in a thread on Twitter about creators with successful businesses.
Divi did approximately $40 million in revenue in its first year.
Danny and her husband decided to create Divi after Danny started losing her hair in college.
Divi's success allowed Danny and her husband to move away from solely relying on brand deals and influencer work.
Danny and her husband are now able to share their lives online while also running their own successful business.How a YouTuber's Hair Loss Journey Led to a Successful Scalp Serum Business
The YouTuber experienced hair loss due to stress and hair extensions.
She tried to cover up the hair loss with extensions and bleaching, which made it worse.
Her husband suggested trying wigs, and they found a wig shop in Los Angeles through another YouTuber.
She initially kept wearing wigs a secret but later shared her experience with her audience, which led to the discovery of a hidden epidemic of hair loss among women.
The YouTuber developed a scalp serum in her bathroom using natural ingredients and shared the recipe with her audience.
The scalp serum gained popularity, and people started sharing their before-and-after pictures, leading to the launch of the YouTuber's business, Divi.
Divi's scalp serum is a clean, natural product that detoxifies the scalp and promotes hair growth.
The business, launched in October 2019, has seen explosive growth, generating $40 million in its first full year and on track to do $30-35 million in the current year.
The inspiration for the business was to serve the YouTuber's audience, and the success was unexpected.
Divi's success is due to the power of the community and the product's effectiveness.
The YouTuber had previously considered launching a tech-based service but did not have a clear idea until she developed the scalp serum.
The YouTuber's hair loss journey and the success of Divi have inspired other women to speak up about their hair loss experiences.Building a Relatable Brand: Lessons from Content Creators
The process of building a brand can happen organically or through intentional efforts.
Authenticity and relatability are key aspects of a successful brand.
It takes time to develop a brand and become known for a specific thing.
People often try too hard to be perfect, which can make them unrelatable.
Making mistakes and sharing them can increase relatability and connection with an audience.
The key to building a following is providing a transformation of emotion, not just information.
Signature stories that define a person's life can become the mental shortcut for their brand.
Meeting people who follow your content can feel like they know you personally.
Podcasts can provide a hangout experience and motivation or inspiration for listeners.
Staying humble and consistent is essential to maintaining authenticity and relatability.
Protecting oneself from sponsored content and not becoming pompous is crucial for content creators.
Starting out today, it is important to focus on the platform that best suits your content and to prioritize authenticity and relatability.How this influencer built a successful brand on Instagram
The influencer started on various platforms but would now start on TikTok due to its viral potential.
Focusing on unique content rather than trend-chasing is important for building a loyal audience.
Creating characters within content is important for branding and relatability.
The influencer's mother is a character called "Tornado" due to her energetic personality.
The family's relatable everyday life is the focus of their content.
The husband and wife dynamic works well for creating content together.
Brand deals started with simple product promotions but evolved into a focus on providing the best deals and value for the audience.
Combining brand deals with affiliates allows for more selectivity in choosing brands to work with.
The influencer's team works in the house but tries to stay out of the content creation process.
The influencer's brand prioritizes the audience first, then their business, and finally the brands they work with.
The influencer successfully secured a promo code for Free People after years of trying, resulting in a significant increase in sales.
The influencer's most successful brand deal was with Stanley water bottles, which they were the first to promote and resulted in a significant increase in sales.