In the early days of social media, before the rise of TikTok stars and the professionalisation of the influencer economy, a handful of women were already shaping culture and commerce through YouTube and Instagram. These OG influencers built massive communities by sharing beauty tips, lifestyle content, and personal stories and soon discovered that influence could be a powerful tool to launch businesses of their own.
What makes their journeys remarkable is not just their ability to sell, but their foresight in creating brands that now stand as industry leaders, stocked in global retailers and recognized well beyond the personalities who founded them. From skincare to fragrance, these women have proven that the influencer-to-founder pipeline can yield powerhouse businesses when executed with vision and authenticity.
Marianna Hewitt — Summer Fridays
Marianna Hewitt, one of the earliest lifestyle and beauty influencers, co-founded Summer Fridays in 2018 with Lauren Ireland. The brand’s debut product, the Jet Lag Mask, became an instant cult favourite, celebrated for its simple yet effective formula and Instagram-ready packaging. What began as a single hero product has evolved into a full skincare line available in Sephora stores worldwide. Hewitt’s understanding of her audience gave Summer Fridays an early advantage, but the brand’s staying power comes from consistent product quality and a strong, recognizable identity. Today, Summer Fridays stands as a serious player in the beauty industry, no longer defined only by its influencer roots.
Negin Mirsalehi — Gisou
Dutch-Iranian influencer Negin Mirsalehi transformed her personal story into a global beauty empire with the launch of Gisou in 2015. Inspired by her father’s beekeeping, the brand began with the Honey Infused Hair Oil, a product that has remained central to its success. From that foundation, Gisou expanded into shampoos, conditioners, and styling products, carving out a distinctive space in the luxury haircare market. The brand has also become known for its immersive holiday pop-ups, which bring its heritage and ethos to life. Gisou’s rise illustrates the importance of authenticity and storytelling, showing how personal history can evolve into a brand identity that resonates with consumers worldwide.
Chriselle Lim — Phlur
Chriselle Lim, another pioneer in the influencer space, co-founded the fragrance house Phlur, a brand that has disrupted one of the most traditional categories in beauty. With its modern, gender-inclusive scents and chic minimalist packaging, Phlur struck a chord with younger consumers looking for fragrance that feels contemporary and approachable. The brand’s success culminated in the recent sale of a stake, underscoring its position as a rising star in the perfume industry. For Lim, her ability to connect authentically with her audience translated into a business that is now thriving well beyond her personal reach.
Huda Kattan — Huda Beauty
No discussion of influencer-founded businesses would be complete without Huda Kattan. Starting as a beauty blogger and YouTuber, Kattan launched Huda Beauty in 2013 with a line of false eyelashes that quickly became a hit. Since then, the brand has expanded into a full range of cosmetics and grown into a global powerhouse valued at over a billion dollars. Today, Huda Beauty stands shoulder to shoulder with long-established names in the industry and loved by millions of customers worldwide. Kattan’s journey shows how an influencer can successfully scale a brand into an empire through product innovation, community connection, and relentless vision.
While Marianna Hewitt, Negin Mirsalehi, Chriselle Lim, and Huda Kattan each started with the advantage of influence, what unites their stories is how they moved beyond it. Influence sparked initial curiosity, but it was the quality of their products, the strength of their brand identities, and their ability to adapt to consumer needs that ensured lasting success. They understood that while personal reach could introduce a brand to the world, it would not sustain it. To thrive, a brand has to stand on its own and appeal to customers who may have never heard of the founder.
Their successes reveal a winning formula: build from a place of authenticity, launch with a product that delivers real results, and nurture a brand identity that resonates across markets and demographics. When done right, an influencer-founded brand can evolve into a household name, capable of flourishing long after the spotlight shifts from the creator to the company itself.
The rise of these OG influencers-turned-founders shows that the line between creator and entrepreneur has blurred permanently. What began as personal platforms to share beauty tips and lifestyle inspiration has evolved into businesses that rival legacy brands in scale and influence. Their journeys offer an important blueprint for the next generation of creators: influence may open the door, but it is vision, strategy, and execution that keep it open.
