Australia’s top 100 young entrepreneurs

Written on the 21 December 2018 by Camilla Jansen, David Simmons, Matt Ogg, Ben Hall, Paris Faint, Yasmin Bonnell

These young business men and women are our future business leaders fuelling the nations vibrant business culture, making our local economies tick and inspiring us with their drive and innovation.

They are well informed risk-takers who think outside the box. They have worked hard at building their empires and are prepared to act on ideas and implement new technologies to create thriving businesses.

From those working in new technologies like artificial intelligence and data, to those inspiring a generation online as influencers and others making a killing in online retail, every entrepreneur on this list has that something special that sets them apart from the rest.

Entrepreneurs are never content, always pushing forward, and breaking new ground in industries ripe for disruption.

This year we’ve seen the old guard in a number of key sectors fail to keep up. In retail, giants of the shopping world have floundered and Australian entrepreneurs have kept up, building businesses that have shone through and changed the environment for good.

The banking and finance sector too, previously seen as irreplaceable, has been rocked by scandals uncovered during the Banking and Finance Royal Commission. Entrepreneurs in the Top 100 have been building companies in the background of this turmoil that are set to take over from the slow-moving, and seemingly untrustworthy giants by employing the best in technological advancements and tapping into a new generation of consumers who expect more.

Marketing and advertising has changed rapidly too with influencers and those savvy about data reigning supreme. It’s a social media influencer’s world right now; we’re just living in it.

It goes without saying that entrepreneurs doing social good are seeing tremendous returns on investment and using this income to build businesses having a net positive impact on Australia. This is keenly reflected by a number of our Top Entrepreneurs who understand that the public reacts positively to generous displays of giving back.

The first ever Business News Australia Top 100 Young Entrepreneurs list is a comprehensive dive into the colourful and creative business community that we are so lucky to have in this country.

Whilst starting a business is certainly not an easy task, it takes guts, determination, and some serious grit to build empires; something many of these Young Entrepreneurs have achieved.

So, without further ado, we present the Top 100 Australian Young Entrepreneurs.

https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/australia-s-top-100-young-entrepreneurs.html

The Inside Story – Taryn Williams

By: Behind the Brands

Taryn Williams is one of Australia’s most popular female entrepreneurs and digital influencers. The smart, vivacious and down to earth powerhouse is the CEO and founder of theright.fit and WINK Models.

She was awarded the 2017 B&T Women in Media tech leader and recognised for her work with theright.fit winning the 2018 Mumbrella Award for innovation. Taryn has featured in the B&T Hot 30 under 30, SmartCompany 30 under 30, and been a finalist for numerous awards including 2015 Female Entrepreneur Awards, Women’s Agenda Emerging entrepreneur of the year and AIM young entrepreneur of the year. Phew! She is one female entrepreneur kicking some serious goals.

We recently met Taryn when she was in Perth speaking at a conference

What ignited the spark in you to start your business?

I could see the changes in our industry – a move to smaller bits of snackable digital content, a higher spend on online advertising, an the advent of social media, and I could see the traditional agency model was ripe for disruption. I had fallen in love with technology through building a platform to manage my first business, WINK models, and could see the opportunity to build a scalable marketplace for models & creative talent.

What is the vision for your business?

To build a global marketplace for creative talent to connect with brands and advertising agencies, to create world class content.

If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I’d hire talented professionals sooner! I spent so many years thinking I had to do everything myself because I couldn’t ‘afford’ help – like a bookkeeper, or account manager, or head of product. But what I know now is it was actually costing the business as it wasn’t allowing us to scale and grow, and my time wasn’t being spent on the areas I could really add value.

Was there a significant turning point when you decided to become an entrepreneur?

To be honest, I have never had a job so I don’t know any other way! I think I was born this way I’m afraid!

What do you believe was the best decision you made in business?

To just start. Honestly, there is never the perfect time, and you will never feel ‘ready’ or have all the time, money, resources you need. So just committing to executing an idea I think is the best decision I have ever made.

Looking back is there a piece of advice you wish to pass onto someone starting out their entrepreneurial journey?

Celebrate the incremental victories. It can be so easy to be caught up in ‘what’s next’ and that you always have something to do, and there is always something to ‘fix’ etc. But it is so important, for you and your team, to enjoy the wins along the way – whether it your 50th sale, or your new office, or a positive Google review. Enjoy the journey, as well as the destination.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

Tenacity. An appetite for risk. A bias for action.

Who do you look up to in business? Who inspires you?

My incredible mentor who has both soft skills and business acumen, and is incredibly patient.

Nicole Eckles from the Sapphire Group whose honesty, advice and vision is inspiring.

Rebekah Giles who’s strategic thinking and dynamic approach is world class.

How have you personally measured your success?

I think there are a few measures, for me personally. Having a business I am proud of is important – which means happy clients, happy talent, and a happy team. Industry recognition in terms of awards is definitely something we strive towards. And personally, growth and development and learning of new skills is how I measure my success.

What is your favourite thing to do in your downtime?

Walk Centennial Park in Sydney with friends, it is an incredibly beautiful spot in the heart of the city that holds a lot of special memories for me.

What is your favourite app?

Slack – I don’t know how I operated a business without it.

Outsource the skill or learn the skill?

Depends on the skill and if it’s something you’re going to enjoy learning/executing, and if it’s a good use of your time!

Want to find out more about Taryn? Here’s where you can connect with her.  

http://tarynwilliams.com.au/

http://instagram.com/tarynwilliams

https://theright.fit/

http://winkmodels.com.au/

Demystifying Influencers -Our Exclusive interview with Taryn Williams

by: Retail Learning

In retail’s highly competitive landscape, retailers are always on the lookout for the next best thing in marketing. If you’re still wondering how effective influencer marketing could be, we share insights from Taryn Williams, CEO of theright.fit, on how to put your brand out there through the power of influencers.  

There’s more to just using the glamour of social media trendsetters to your advantage, as Taryn shows us exactly how this works. 

RLC: What are great examples that you’ve seen or experienced when it comes to influencer marketing making an impact in retail? 

Taryn: Showpo is a brand that absolutely nails it on every front with their influencer marketing and content creation. Their brand ambassadors (starting with the founder, Jane Lu) live and breathe the brand and create authentic content and stories that drive brand awareness, positive brand sentiment, and conversions to purchase. They work collaboratively with influencers to tell a story that resonates with both the brand and the influencers audience, and the tone of voice is so easily identifiable as Showpo.  

RLC: What are the usual tips you share with retailers when it comes to influencer marketing? 

Taryn: Define your objective and target audience before you get started! It’s amazing how many brands haven’t thought about whether they are trying to drive sales of a particular product, or increase brand awareness, or reposition the brand, or drive website traffic (and to which specific landing page) before commencing a campaign.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TARYN AS A SPEAKER FOR NEW RETAIL ’19 HERE.

RLC: How do you see the retail industry moving forward in terms of engaging audiences through influencers?  

Taryn: I believe that influencers and content creators will be more involved in the marketing process for retail, and at an earlier stage in the creative ideation process. They will be working collaboratively with brands to tell authentic stories, create content that will work across multiple channels and various touchpoints in a marketing funnel, and will be much more integrated as part of a brands ‘team’.  

RLC: Are there some points that retailers should know before they take on influencers in their marketing efforts? 

Taryn: To have a clear brief, budget and outcomes in mind when you brief the experts (whether that’s an agency, or content creator directly), and that you can’t be dictatorial when working with influencers. The reason you chose to work with influencers is that they have built up an engaged audience over time and invested heavily in time, energy and output to be a trusted voice of authority to their audience. Trust that they know the best way to integrate your brand into their storytelling in a way that adds value and deliver to your desired outcomes.  

RLC: What kind of knowledge and inspiration can attendees at the upcoming New Retail ’19 event expect from you? 

Taryn: I’d like to demystify influencer marketing for the guests, help them think more broadly about content creation and UGC (user generated content) and ‘who are influencers’ – changing this perception that they are just pretty girls on Instagram!   

About Taryn 

Taryn has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most popular award-winning entrepreneurs and digital influencers. She has proven herself to be a game changer, not shy to press the disrupt button. She was awarded winner of the 2017 B&T Women in Media tech category and recognised for her work with theright.fit winning the 2018 Mumbrella Award for innovation.  

Join Taryn together with over 70+ speakers at New Retail ’19. You can’t miss this opportunity to learn industry insights that can’t be found anywhere else. Book your seats now to secure your spot! 

Brand interview series: Taryn Williams (@TheRight.Fit)

By: Genevieve Maslin

This week we flip the lens on influencer marketing and take a look at commercial talent platform theright.fit.

We caught up with founder Taryn Williams to get her perspective on the past, present and future of influencer marketing for brands, models, bloggers and more.

Get her insider tips on when to engage influencers, how to avoid over inflated follower counts, and how to find the perfect talent for your campaign.  

How important has social media been to the current success of your business?

Social media is a fundamental part of theright.fit business. I saw a gap in the market for brands wanting to engage with a spectrum of talent based on their social reach and engagement to amplify their campaigns. 

Beyond influencers; models, actors, stylists, presenters and photographers were all starting to get booked, not only on because of their look and skills, but also their social reach. So we built the platform with a social media backbone to help talent and clients benefit from this additional dimension to talent booking.

This is one of the features that helped us stand apart from traditional talent agencies. And, of course, it has also allowed us to share our own brand to new users on both sides of the marketplace using targeted social campaigns.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDekwThEOj/?taken-by=theright.fit

What social media channels have you used and why?

We're active on all social channels, except Pinterest. Each channel has a different audience and content strategy, allowing us to share relevant content with the right people at the right time.

We also have a highly engaged pool of talent ambassadors who, as influencers, help us further amplify our message.

In a nutshell, what is the current social media strategy at for your business and what role does in play in your marketing mix?

Social is a great way for us to celebrate and promote the amazing work of the talent available on our platform. This obviously makes a great brand awareness channel for us. There’s nothing quite like showing the market exactly how creative and skilled the talent on our platform are.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpGyTJdg6m1/?taken-by=theright.fit

We will often re-share content from our amazing talent to not only showcase what the platform can do but also to further amplify the reach of our talent. 

How has your brand used influencers to grow your business?

We're in a very fortunate situation in that not only do we have 'influencers' in the social media sense of the word, but a number of our talent are very influential industry experts, including renowned photographers, leading models, and business leaders.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpTsZbjgq9j/?taken-by=theright.fit

When they have great experiences on the platform, they go on to spread the word in the industry. That has helped position us as a market leader and delivered fantastic growth. Here are some examples of talent who have given us great testimonials. 

What social media tips/advice would you give to other brands?

Think about the audience for each social channel and create content that will appeal to them. It’s not always the best move just to ‘repost’ content from Instagram to Facebook to Twitter and so forth, so be strategic about how you approach this.

While different social media platforms are used to reach different audiences and demographics, this is also true for the product or service you are marketing. Be mindful that selecting the correct social media channel will allow you to better target your ideal audience; and the right platform to use.

https://www.instagram.com/theright.fit/

For example, a predominantly visual campaign is likely to outperform on Instagram than on Facebook where you are more likely to have people taking the time to read your written content.  So it is worth understanding fully the outcomes required but also the steps required to reach those outcomes.

And keep creativity front of mind, no more content for contents sake! That just dilutes your messaging. When engaging with influencers, make sure you have a clear brief and an understanding of what you are trying to achieve before you get started. Great influencer marketing results come from good collaboration.

Where do you see the social media industry headed in the future?

I think it’s evolving so quickly, with new mediums entering the market all the time, its so hard to say! I believe authenticity and creativity will always be at the heart of any successful social media campaigns. Consumers play a huge role in keeping brands accountable and demanding authenticity and honesty in marketing campaigns. This means that brands must become more socially aware and truly understand what consumers want in order to effectively connect with them.

Brands need to become much savvier about finding and engaging the right talent to work with. Influencers need to be considered much earlier in the planning process, so the creative execution is developed seamlessly with the individual influencer in mind. It’s no longer just about seeding and distribution.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpP6ycCAYir/?taken-by=theright.fit

There is plenty to be gained from influencer marketing, but as in all things due diligence is required. Artificially inflated follower counts, poor brand alignment and accounts that drive clicks without necessarily improving KPIs are all unfortunate realities of the practice.

Fortunately there are ways to evaluate social media influencers to make sure they are a good fit for your brand and business. One tactic is to seek out influencers who are famous for their expertise, rather than simply famous for being famous. I think we will continue to see more brands engaging these types of ‘influencers’ and it is one of the reasons why we recently launched our B2B platform.

https://theright.fit/talent/taryn-w

Our Business Experts section offers credible business leaders in specific categories like finance, entrepreneurship, property and tech. There are more than 50 leading business experts like Airtasker chairman & young rich-lister James Spenceley, ShowPo founder and CEO Jane Lu, Collective Hub founder Lisa Messenger and lawyer, Centennial Parklands Chair and GWS Board Director, Rebekah Giles.

About Taryn Williams


Taryn Williams is the CEO& founder of theright.fit and WINK Models. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2017 B&T Women in Media tech category and 2018 Mumbrella Award for Innovation.

She has appeared extensively in the media and is a speaker of choice for brands including Commonwealth Bank, Business Chicks, Hootsuite, QUT, Pause Fest, WA Tourism, ADMA and Vivid Sydney.

As a digital influencer, Taryn has worked with La Prairie, Samsonite, Sass & Bide, Fairfax & Roberts, Microsoft, Nature’s Way, Tuscan Tan, Franck Provost and the Art Series Hotel Group.

Taryn is a regular commentator on the tech industry, women in business, leadership & influencer marketing and is a Board Director of the Digital + Technology Collective.

Expertise First, Influence Second: When Influence Is A By-Product Of Expertise

ByB&T MAGAZINE

In this guest post, Taryn Williams, CEO and founder of influencer and creative talent marketplace theright.fit, explains why influence should be a by-product of success, not the foundation for it…

Like any form of advertising and promotion, influencer marketing is not without its controversies. Earlier this year Australia’s Federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, ordered his department to stop paying social media influencers engaged as part of a campaign designed to encourage young women to exercise more. Concerns about the return on investment from the $600,000 of taxpayer dollars, along with worries about brand alignment, led to the minister putting the kybosh on any further spending.

Analysis by Lumio found that while many of the Instagrammers contracted by the government may have boasted impressively high numbers of followers and healthy engagement rates, they may not have been as influential as they claimed to be. In fact, Lumio’s origin story is one on the perils of influencer marketing – when they launched they engaged 87 influencers over three campaigns, but only five accounts led to any sales.

The story serves to highlight the importance of choosing the right influencers to partner with on social media, and the potential pitfalls in getting it wrong. There is plenty to be gained from influencer marketing, but as in all things due diligence is required. Artificially inflated follower counts, poor brand alignment and accounts that drive clicks without necessarily improving KPIs are all unfortunate realities of the practice.

Fortunately there are ways to evaluate social media influencers to make sure they are a good fit for your brand and business. One tactic is to seek out influencers who are famous for their expertise, rather than simply famous for being famous.

Unlike some social media stars out there, experts build their influence the old fashioned way – by knowing their stuff and creating consistent content to prove it. Experts may not always have the same reach as other influencers, but their followers are often much more loyal and seriously engaged. A good word about your brand from an industry expert might reach only a fraction of the numbers than if it came from an account with a larger, broader audience, but research shows that consumers are more likely to take action on recommendations from voices they trust.

A study by Nielsen comparing the effectiveness different sources of content found that expert content lifted purchase intent 38 per cent more than branded content and 83 per cent more than user-generated reviews. In fact, the research found that branded and user-generated content become more effective once a stable foundation of trust has been established through the channel of third-party experts.

Consumers play a huge role in keeping brands accountable and demanding authenticity and honesty in marketing campaigns. This means that brands must become more socially aware and truly understand what consumers want in order to effectively connect with them.

We’ve seen the power of this strategy play out time and again at theright.fit. For example, last year we helped source talent for AAMI Insurance’s International Women’s Day TV commercial, ‘Her to Hero’. AAMI were looking for strong, sporty and active models and actors to play AFL women’s stars in the shoot. Imagine how thrilled they were to learn that we already had three AFLW players from the Western Bulldogs on the books! Using real AFLW stars lent the TVC a far greater level of impact than could have been achieved by having actors play the part.

Our recent partnership with Pinstripe Media is another great example. In the two years since launching, theright.fit the platform has grown to a database of over 6,700 talent, but we recognised a need to provide credible business experts in specific categories like finance and tech. Our new B2B database contains more than 50 leading business experts like Airtasker chairman James Spenceley and ShowPo founder and CEO Jane Lu.

It’s easy to game the social media system, but trust and authenticity must be earned. Building credibility with your audience takes time, but businesses willing to go the extra mile to find voices and create content that really resonates will reap the rewards.

Theright.fit’s Taryn Williams on constructing her Mumbrella Award-winning startup

by ABIGAIL DAWSON

Founder of technology startup theright.fit, Taryn Williams, discusses how her three-year old business won Mumbrella's Award for Innovation and shares what she believes the word means in today's media landscape.

Taryn Williams, the CEO and founder of digital marketplace theright.fit, built her now award-winning business when she “fell in love with using technology to solve problems”.

Williams, who founded the digital marketplace which directly connects creative talent with clients, tells Mumbrella her business was born from the idea of being able to use an app which would enable her to check model availability for clients.

Williams says she ‘fell in love with using technology to solve problems’

Winning the Mumbrella Award for Innovation earlier in the year, Williams says when her business was born in 2015, the “industry was really ripe for disruption” and there was a push towards smaller businesses, “budgets were changing and brands needed social media influences to amplify campaigns”.

“The type of talent required in campaigns were more authentic and included a much broader range of demographics,” she explains.

Williams says it was through her modelling agency Winx that she noticed there was a gap in the market for a more sophisticated technology platform.

“I built an end-to-end on-boarding counter management payroll integration software first for my first business model and it was an incredibly time consuming, incredibly painful and expensive process.

“I thought if I could build this product for Winx, if only I’d built it in a way that could be opened up and our clients could actually utilise a platform to post their own jobs and find their own talent for bookings, but obviously it was not that simple so it gave me the idea to build a marketplace that really solves all the pain points of the creative industries,” Williams says telling the story of how she came up with the business idea.

Building a platform which “streamlined” a process which had traditionally been “so convoluted” and “time consuming” for clients was a focus for Williams when launching her business.

Theright.fit’s winning award entry for Mumbella Award for Innovation

After beating out competitors in the Mumbrella Award for Innovation category – including Host/Havas, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney and 90 Seconds Australia – the jury said Williams’ business is a “disruptive platform that helps clients source talent, creators, producers and much more to develop content faster, cheaper and easier than current processes without compromising on quality or engagement opportunity”.

Outlining how theright.fit came to fruition, Williams explains that the platform itself is inherently innovative as it involved conducting a lot of user research, testing, technology and talent.

“We spent a lot of time mapping out user journeys and the stories of how they would go about interacting with our product and the pain points that they have with the current system of using traditional off-line talent agencies and production agencies.

“There’s been a lot of time prioritising and working out what is going to make the biggest difference and how can we really streamline the process for them to make it more affordable and more efficient without it being too intimidating of a process.”

When awarding theright.fit, the jury also noted Williams had not only developed and built her business quickly but also continually improved the platform.

Acknowledging the jury’s accolades the founder and CEO of theright.fit says the path to success has definitely had been “challenging” and “crazy”.

“Obviously having a great team really helps. We raised venture capital fund about six months in which obviously gave us the additional capital to throw fuel on the fire and that meant either being able to hire great people and hire more engineers so that we really could build the product as quickly as we needed to and build out a team of marketing and salespeople to get the word out there.

“A lot of hands make light work but we’ve got a really great team that are very committed to the driving of innovation and development from here on in.”

Williams managed to edge out the Highly Commended: HC: Palau Pledge – Host/Havas with Red Agency for Palau Legacy Project

Having held positions in event production and ad tech companies, Williams says when she launched theright.fit she set out to find “a world class team”.

Recognising talent as a challenge in the industry, Williams admits having a “strong brand and strong PR” helped her recruit top talent and hunt for people who wanted to work in a startup.

“I really went out and found the best product managers, the best COO, best marketing marketing managers, head of engineering, because I knew it would be completely transforming the way people book talent and so I knew we had one opportunity to get this right.”

However, Williams says tracking down talent who wanted to work in the gruelling market of startups was a challenge.

“Finding people that want to work in startups and really genuinely understand how challenging startup up life can be compared to traditional, more established corporate environment can be challenging as well.”

But for Williams, one of her biggest focuses is not just having an innovative business but constantly reinventing it.

“The fastest way to go backwards is to stand still and I think innovation is very much about looking at the world with a different lens and not just settling with the status quo and always wanting to try and look for new ways of doing things, or new ways to attack a problem, new resources you can bring together to sell things in a more efficient way and then executing on that.”

The key to this, Williams shares, is keeping up with the needs of clients.

“Our industry is changing rapidly and dramatically with the types of clients and talent that we engage with and the kind of content that they’re creating.”

Part of this includes keeping up with overseas trends, listening to the market, assessing where marketing dollars are being spent and being on top of new platforms.

“It’s about trying to take that helicopter view of the overarching business whilst still being in the day-to-day minutia of decision making and being able to extract yourself and go ‘okay what can I see coming? What are the trends from the conversations I’m having with clients and talent? What am I hearing their pain points are? What new technologies are being released that would have an impact on our business’?”

Williams also notes how integral customer interaction has been when building her business, warning other business owners “you can’t build in a silo”.

“You can think that you’re building the most incredible product that solves everyone’s needs but if you’re not talking to customers and potential customers on a day-to-day basis you don’t actually know if what you are building is what they need.

“Sometimes you learn a whole new business idea which has to get chalked for the time being while you focus on what you’re doing.”

Model fit disrupts the talent agency market

Having made the digital leap from a traditional offline model, influencer Taryn Williams' online talent agency theright.fit is rapidly expanding with clients requesting the service globally.

Williams says her need-driven business model has resulted in the opening of the company's first international office in Singapore.

"We had clients coming to us saying 'look, we're shooting in Santorini. We'd love to use your service. There's nothing like this anywhere else in the world, do you have talent in our market?'" says Williams.

"Now we've started off boarding clients and talent globally so you can see client talent connections all over the world."

Theright.fit was founded in 2015 with a focus on connecting clients with suitable influencers, thus removing the service of a traditional agency.

Williams recognised early on that the freelance economy was on its way to take over.

"There was this leading indicator to me that our industry was going to be disrupted, that there was going to be a move away from the traditional call service agency-style approach to a more automated online experience," says Williams.

Recognising the opportunity, she began mechanising the day-to-day processes of a traditional agency and created her two-sided market model.

Theright.fit was a product of Williams' eagerness to digitalise her traditional offline modelling agency Wink Models, where she found her passion for the tech process.

"That was my first way into tech and I just totally fell in love with the process, I loved solving problems through using technology," says Williams.

The fast nature of working in the virtual world means the company must have the ability to shift and evolve.

Theright.fit focuses on coaching brands through the development of social media.

"Content co-creation marketing and branded content is a relatively new trend and it's evolving and changing all the time. We look at the launch of IGTV," says Williams.

"There are new things that brands need to keep up with and I understand that can be very overwhelming."

Social media influencing is now full-time work for many of Williams' influencers and models.

"If you're going to engage with brands in any kind of capacity as an influencer it really needs to be mutually beneficial, not only to the brand but also to your audience," she says. 

"I think if it's done well it can be incredibly powerful but it's just about taking that time to think about what you want to achieve and how you can add value to your audience."

The influencer market is not all teeth-whitening and Gym wear promotions; a large part of Williams' job is showing companies there are influencers for every business.

"Really trying to lobby them and help them understand that there is an influencer for every business is important. It's about how you think about it."

How To Launch A Start-Up, From Someone Who Already Has (Twice!)

by marie claire

When marie claire partnered with business-education company Tech Ready Women for a two-day masterclass, our mission was to help women reach their full potential. Below, founder and CEO of theright.fit Taryn Williams talks us through the secret to her success.

What’s the one piece of advice you would pass on to women thinking about launching a start-up?

Do you research before you take the leap - make sure you understand the size of the market, your competitors, and have a robust financial model so you can understand the metrics you'll need to achieve to make your idea financially viable. 

What’s been the biggest learning/takeaway along your business path journey so far?

The journey is much more enjoyable if you surround yourself with amazing people. Whether that's mentors, staff, other founders, board members or advisors, get the smartest people around you as early as you can!

https://www.instagram.com/tarynwilliams/

If you could go back in time what would you do differently?

I would have hired a product manager sooner - it transformed our engineering team and had a profound impact on the product having someone solely focused on this element of the business.

What are 3 main personality traits a founder of a startup should possess?

Tenacity, an appetite for risk and unwavering work ethic

What’s the one skill you need to be a successful entrepreneur? 

Resilience - entrepreneurs are survivors. The most important attribute is never being willing to give up.

https://www.instagram.com/theright.fit/

Taryn Williams' Vogue Interview-6 lessons in building social media influence from an expert who has done it

Being a social media ‘influencer’ is now a real, viable career option, but exactly how do you get into this next-gen role? Here, model, entrepreneur and digital influencer, Taryn Williams shares her expert advice on how to get into the influencer game.

Image credit: Getty Images

When the term ‘influencer’ first started being used to describe social media’s emerging stars—the Kardashian-Jenner crew, Aimee Song, Chiara Ferragni—who with their huge, dedicated, loyal followings, could put a brand on the map by simply posting one filtered snap on their social channels of themselves wearing that label, it seemed as though being an ‘influencer’ couldn’t possibly be a proper ‘job’  for a regular person, but rather just good genetics, great lighting and access to fashion contacts.

But then being an influencer exploded across all lifestyle areas from beauty to food to health to fitness and became an actual thing. As in a real, actual job that you can make a career out of, instead of something that makes your friends and family laugh and say, “Jokes aside, what are really planning to do with your life?”

‘Influencer’ is now a legitimate career goal and for those at the top of their game, like Chiara Ferragni (her recent wedding was basically an exercise in branding), it looks effortlessly easy.  Branding opportunities undoubtedly just fall into her lap and she can pick and choose which she wishes to share with her 15.5 million Instagram followers. But for someone with an eye on the social media influencer prize of an Insta-worthy life/career, where do you start? How exactly do you build social media influence?

Vogue spoke to Australian social media expert Taryn Williams, who aside from being a global ambassador for Max Factor’s new Radiant Lift campaign, is the founder of two successful businesses, modelling agency Wink Models, and two-sided agency The Right Fit, which connects brands with influencers, about how to build social media influence. Read on for Williams’s six lessons in building influence.

Image credit: supplied

When and how did you get your start as an influencer?
“I never really intended on becoming an 'influencer' or really think of myself that way now! But, essentially I think people relate to and are inspired by my journey as a business woman, entrepreneur and transition from a model, to [a model] agency owner, to [a] tech founder.”

What do you think are the keys to being a successful influencer?
“I think it’s incredibly important as a key opinion leader, online or offline, to respect your audience and followers, and only to work with brands or organisations that are truly aligned with your values. It really should be mutually beneficial and add value to your audience, who trust you with their time, and value your opinion. It's also important to understand that if you are engaging with a brand as an ambassador or content creator, to understand the objectives, deadlines, and measurables so you can add value to the campaign.” 

Taryn Williams's Max Factor campaign shoot. Image credit: supplied

What do you consider the biggest challenges in engaging with social media audiences and gaining a loyal following?
“For influencers, I think the saturation of the market means you really need a clear point of difference—whether this is a niche, or the creativity of storytelling—and you need to commit to creating high quality content on a regular basis to build and maintain an engaged audience.”

For budding beauty influencers out there, please share how the Max Factor opportunity came about?
“Max Factor reached out to me and explained the campaign, and that they had been following my journey for quite some time (that in itself was a pinch-me moment!) and asked if I was interested in being involved. I love that they are promoting beauty with depth and [I] am flattered to be included alongside such extraordinary women, globally. I'm one of their global ambassadors, as part of the launch of their new range Radiant Lift.”

Image credit: Getty Images

As a female social media role model, what advice would you give other women hoping to build their profile as an influencer?
“To stay true to their audience and know and own their niche. Be consistent, create great content with authentic stories, and only work with brands you feel the relationship feels natural.”

What are your golden rules for social media?
“Social media is not a space for advertising. Its for connection, storytelling, education, entertainment—people don’t want to be sold to in such a personal medium. Both brands and influencers need to remember that when crafting a campaign.”

4 Ways Brand Marketers Can Inject Expertise Into Their Social Content

Social content can make or break a brand’s marketing strategy, and customers can tell when you’re not walking the talk. Taryn Williams, CEO and founder of theright.fit and Wink Models, explains how to capture your audience’s attention by showing off your expertise.

Identify your tribe

Before you launch into creating content for your social media channels, take some time to really get to know your customers. Great content is always tailored to a specific target audience, so it’s absolutely critical that you get to know yours and identify how you can add value to their lives.

Too many brands make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone, which only dilutes their message. Missing the mark means missing out on sales. If demographics don’t do it for you, try creating a few customer profiles based on your target audience so you can picture them more clearly during the content production process.

Find your voice

It’s almost a cliché these days to say ‘be authentic’, but it’s a simple fact that authenticity is key to connecting with your audience. People know when you’re faking it, so while of course you should strive to meet the needs of your audience, don’t let that stifle your brand’s voice.

Authenticity is also about showing that you can walk the talk. One way to demonstrate expertise is to partner with a voice of authority within your industry. At theright.fit we recently launched a business experts platform to connect industry influencers with brands seeking recognised, trusted voices to champion their message. Do some research into who might have the reach and be a good fit to act as a brand ambassador for your business. They don’t have to be famous or have 100,000 followers – just respected leaders who know their stuff and have an engaged audience.

Share your space

In the excitement of creating your own, original content, don’t overlook the power of sharing. Posting content from your customers and influencers is a great way to build a community around your brand. A carefully curated social media stream with the right balance of shared and original content provides a much richer experience than one that uses the same voice again and again.

The best way to leverage shared content is to add your own spin. Don’t just share and move on – add a comment that provides extra insight into why you found the post interesting or meaningful.

Team up

Sometimes the best way to inject expertise into your content is to have a real, live expert do the talking. Influencer marketing is on the rise, and partnering with a known name and face offers an opportunity to not just ramp up your content but also expand your audience.

Brand ambassadors are no longer just for product launches and big events. More and more businesses are connecting with social media influencers to help spread their message, with 87% of brands finding the strategy effective in creating authentic content.

Interview with Taryn Williams on the announcement of her Ambassador role with Max Factor Global

• How does it feel to be named the global face of Max Factor?

Honestly, a little surreal! It all happened very quickly, and I have to admit it was odd being back on the other side of the camera again. Im so flattered to be included against such amazing strong entrepreneurial females from all over the globe.

• Can you tell us about the Radiant Lift range?

The idea behind Radiant lift foundation is not having to compromise between radiance and long wear coverage. It has hyaluronic acid complex, micro-pearls to reduce the appearance of fine lines and reflect light & SPF 30.

• What was it like shooting the Radiant Lift range?

It was such an incredible experience. It was 2 seperate shoots in London, 1 for the TV commercial and 1 for the stills campaign, so I was flown there for about 5 days each time. The set, props, and all the team and crew were so amazing and it was such an honour to work with the incredible Wendy Rowe (creative director of Max Factor) who did my makeup on both occasions. 

• Why do you love Max Factor?

I love that as a brand they have continued to innovate and celebrate the uniqueness of female beauty, and that they are willing to challenge the status quo and work to bring a new meaning to a beauty campaign.

• Which of the Max Factor range could you not live without?

Radiant lift foundation, definitely! It's such a good coverage thats flattering without being heavy and lasts all day.

• Why do you believe there has been a change in the influences brands are now using?

I believe consumers demand authenticity in their marketing- whichever channel this may be on. Social media gives consumers a voice to openly feed back to brands about what does and doesn't resonate with them, and influencers pay a huge part in shaping that dialogue online. 

• How are women dominating the economy and what does this mean for brands?

According to Forbes, In aggregate, women represent a growth market bigger than China and India combined—more than twice as big, in fact. Globally, they control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending, and that figure could climb as high as $28 trillion in the next five years. Its clear that this huge purchasing power means brands would be foolish not to consider them in their marketing & sales campaigns, and in their product development.

• Are you surprised that 86% of women consult social media before making a purchase?

Not at all. I know personally I am certainly influenced by the content I see on my various social channels, whether that be linked in, facebook or instagram. I trust referrals from other consumers and I value brands who work with influencers to craft authentic and engaging stories to convey messages. Its such a fantastic, organic way for me to learn about a brand and their values and their products or services in a time and way that works for me, unlike traditional advertising.

• What’s next, for you?

Continuing to grow both my companies, and working with brands I love and who are aligned in my values as an ambassador.

How does social media impact your business?

• How important has social media been to the current success of your business?

Social media is a fundamental part of theright.fit business, and the platform is built around a social media backbone in being able to see the reach of all of our talent. The platform was designed as I saw a gap in the market for brands wanting to engage with talent based on their social reach and engagement (models, photographers, actors etc) to amplify their campaigns. It has also allowed us to share our brand values and key messages in our marketing to a highly targeted group of individuals using targeting social campaigns.

• What social media channels have you used and why?

  We're active on all social channels, except Pinterest. Each channel has a different audience and different content strategy, and allows us to share relevant content with the right people at the right time. We also have a highly engaged pool of our out talent ambassadors who are also influencers who help us further amplify our message.

• How has your brand used influencers to grow your business?

  We're in a very fortunate situation in that not only do we have 'influencers' in the social media sense of the word, but a number of our talent are very influential industry experts (renowned photographers, leading models etc) so by aligning themselves with our platform this has also increased our position as a key market leader and helped with growth.

• What social media tips/advice would you give to other brands?

  In their own socials - create content that is suitable for the channel, and keep creativity front of mine (no more content for contents sake!). In engaging with influencers, have a clear brief and understanding of what you are trying to achieve before you get started.

• Where do you see the social media industry headed in the future?

  I think its evolving so quickly, and new mediums being released all the time, its so hard to say! I think authenticity and creativity will be a the heart of any social media platform or feature that does well. I think for a brand, they will be much savvier about finding and engaging the right talent to feature in, and amplify their campaigns - and influencers will be considered much earlier in the creative execution instead of at the end as a tool to seed/distribute.

NEWSLa Prairie, Fairfax & Roberts, The Origin Agency and TheRight.Fit to speak at the Mumbrella Luxury Marketing Summit

Taryn Williams, founder of talent platform TheRight.Fit, winner of the Award for Innovation at this year’s Mumbrella Awards, will join Sarah Orfanos Vant, brand and partnerships director at Fairfax & Roberts, Ai San Beaumont, regional marketing and public relations manager at La Prairie Australia and Phemmie Wilkinson, agency lead for Lamborghini Oceania at The Origin Agency, to discuss the use of influencers for luxury brands and the trends that are emerging.

https://mumbrella.com.au/la-prairie-fairfax-roberts-the-origin-agency-and-theright-fit-to-speak-at-the-mumbrella-luxury-marketing-summit-547327

Expertise First, Influence Second: When Influence Is A By-Product Of Expertise

In this guest post, Taryn Williams, CEO and founder of influencer and creative talent marketplace theright.fit, explains why influence should be a by-product of success, not the foundation for it…

http://www.bandt.com.au/newsletter/expertise-first-influence-second-influence-product-expertise

Theright.fit’s Taryn Williams on constructing her Mumbrella award-winning startup

Founder of technology startup theright.fit, Taryn Williams, discusses how her three-year old business won Mumbrella's Award for Innovation and shares what she believes the word means in today's media landscape.

https://mumbrella.com.au/theright-fits-taryn-williams-on-constructing-her-mumbrella-award-winning-startup-541234

Model fit disrupts the talent agency market

Having made the digital leap from a traditional offline model, influencer Taryn Williams' online talent agency theright.fit is rapidly expanding with clients requesting the service globally.

https://www.businessnewsaus.com.au/articles/model-fit-disrupts-the-talent-agency-market.html

How To Launch A Start-Up, From Someone Who Already Has (Twice!)

When marie claire partnered with business-education company Tech Ready Women for a two-day masterclass, our mission was to help women reach their full potential. Below, founder and CEO of theright.fit Taryn Williams talks us through the secret to her success.

https://www.marieclaire.com.au/the-right-fit-taryn-williams-interview

Little cancer sufferer challenges CEOs to suffer some pain to raise money for research

CEO of theright.fit and WINK Models, Taryn Williams, has accepted a challenge to get in a snake pit.

“I’m going to do the snake challenge and get in a box with pythons and let them crawl all over me,” the entrepreneur said.

“It’s just one day we have to experience some discomfort when these kids have to endure it for months or years.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/little-cancer-sufferer-challenges-ceos-to-suffer-some-pain-to-raise-money-for-research/news-story/f99e7a0e6afdeaf7481c8b3b677718f2

Influencer martketplace theright.fit scoops the 2018 Mumbrella Award for Innovation

theright.fit has won the Innovation category at the 2018 Mumbrella Awards, with the award accepted on the night by CEO and founder Taryn Williams.

http://anthillonline.com/influencer-martketplace-theright-fit-scoops-the-2018-mumbrella-award-for-innovation/

Taryn Williams of The Right Fit + WINK Models – Fear At The Top

“We do a lot of music videos. Whether that’s videographers, actors, dancers, stylists, hair and makeup artists to actually work on campaigns for musicians. And then for musicians themselves, we have a huge number of different types of musicians on the platform.”

https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/podcast/taryn-williams-of-the-right-fit-wink-models-fear-at-the-top/