Jewellery designer Samantha Wills has more than 220,000 followers on Instagram.
Millions of Australians include checking their Instagram feed as one of their daily habits but the photo sharing app is not just a land of selfies and beautiful food; there’s plenty of business inspiration if you know where to look.
According to figures released by Instagram in 2015, some five million Australians use the platform each month.
While recent changes to its timeline are a potential setback for businesses that rely on Instagram for marketing – and Instagram is ramping up its efforts to encourage businesses to advertise – the social network is still an important way for many businesses to reach their fans.
Last year, SmartCompany shared the Top Aussie entrepreneurs to follow on Instagram. Now to add to that list, they’ve uncovered another bunch of local entrepreneurs with public Instagram accounts to help inspire you. We’ve pulled out the women from the list and published them below.
You can follow our friends at SmartCompany on Instagram at @smartcompanyau.
Lisa Messenger is the founder and chief executive of the Collective Hub and her Instagram account is packed full of inspiration for fellow entrepreneurs. Messenger shares her favourite quotes, nuggets of business wisdom and regular snaps of her travels with her more than 93,000 followers. We’ve spotted several photos of Messenger with Virgin founder Richard Branson of late – including one of Branson wearing a mermaid tail.
The Instagram account of designer Samantha Wills is glamourous, artistic and inspiring – everything you’d expect from the founder of a $10 million jewellery brand. Wills has recently taken her followers on a trip down memory lane, revisiting some of the highlights of her 12 years in business from her first newspaper profiles to being featured in Forbes magazine.
It’s hard not to get travel envy looking at Kate Kendall’s Instagram account. Now based in the US, Kendall is the founder and chief executive of CloudPeeps, a startup that connects small businesses with freelance social media and online marketing professionals. She uses Instagram to document her travels and show her 3,200 followers the many beautiful locations she gets to work from.
Emma Isaacs is the driving force behind Business Chicks, Australia’s largest community for women, and her Instagram account is a must-follow for anyone interested in entrepreneurship. Isaacs is currently based in the US, where she is establishing a local chapter of Business Chicks. Expect to see plenty of travel pics, behind-the-scenes shots from Business Chicks events, and an inspirational quote or two.
Jodie Fox is one of the co-founders of retailer Shoes of Prey, which recently relocated from Australia to the US. Fox is known for her willingness to share advice and tips she’s learnt from her business journey – from how Shoes of Prey found its name to thetop mistakes the founders made – and her Instagram account is equally candid with plenty of photos of friends, travel and of course, great shoes.
If it’s creative inspiration you’re after, the Instagram account of Vanessa Holden might be just what you’re looking for. Sydney-born Holden is the former senior vice president and creative director of US homewares retailer West Elm and has also previously worked for Donna Hay Magazine in Australia and Martha Stewart Living in the US. Her latest venture is Soul Safari, a global forum for creatives that includes the likes of artist Ken Done and Megan Morton from The School.
For many entrepreneurs, it’s enough to focus their energy on one business. Not Taryn Williams, founder and chief executive of WINK Models and theright.fit. Like many of the other entrepreneurs on this list, Williams uses Instagram to share small pieces of encouragement for others in business, like the following quote: “You don’t get into something to test the waters, you go into things to make waves”.
Jessica Wilson’s Instagram account is packed full of fashion, technology and travel. The 24-year-old founder of fashion app Stashd is making serious waves in her industry, from being the last woman founder to remain on the recent season of Chinese reality television show for entrepreneurs, The Last Unicorn, to speaking at numerous startup conferences. She’s also passionate about supporting women in tech, something which also features throughout her Instagram posts.
Sheryl Thai’s Instagram account is full of daily motivation for her entrepreneurs and business leaders. Thai is the founder of Cupcake Central and the chief executive of the League of Extraordinary Women, a community-based organisation that aims to connect and encourage female entrepreneurs. Expect to see plenty of inspiring quotes and photos of delicious-looking cupcakes on Thai’s account.
Briella Brown is one of the entrepreneurs to score a deal on the current season of Channel Ten’s Shark Tank and she uses Instagram to share photos of her travels and time out of the office. Brown is the founder of Your Closet, a luxury dress rental service that allows women in Australia to rent designer dresses for events instead of purchasing new ones. After pitching to the sharks, Brown locked in an $80,000 investment deal with sharks Janine Allis and Naomi Simson, for a combined 30% stake in the business.
