Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fitness Brands

The Surge of Influencer Entrepreneurship in the Fitness Industry

Fitness influencers have dominated top platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with high-quality workout tutorials, educational content, and unfiltered nutritional product reviews. Gym-fluencers and fitness creators understand the unique health needs and interests of their audiences, positioning them to create niche content and recommend the best products or routines possible. Given their countless years of experience in the creator economy, fitness influencers have the entrepreneurial skills, professional network, and fitness background to kickstart their own successful brands.

Let’s explore The Influencer Marketing Factory’s Top 10 Influencer-Founded Fitness Brands revolutionizing how consumers across the world approach athletic wear, nutrition, and physical training. For more insights, check out our existing blog posts on the Top 10 Influencer-Founded Beverages Brands, Top 10 Influencer-Founded Beauty Products and Top 10 Influencer-Founded Food Brands.

Top 10 Influencer-Founded Food Brands

1. Sweat by Kayla Itsines

Kayla Itsines has made a name for herself as one of the world’s most influential fitness trainers with confidence-boosting and effective fitness programs. Since 2008 and the early days of social media, Itsines has been on a mission to empower women to take control of their fitness journeys and make positive healthy lifestyle changes. Itsines began to make headlines with her signature High Intensity with Kayla program, formerly titled the Bikini Body Guides, in 2014 with other acclaimed programs soon to follow including Low Impact with Kayla, her Post-Pregnancy program, and more. During the Australian influencer’s BBG era, she began to document her fitness journey and the training results of her fabulous clients on Instagram, resulting in her rapid rise to social media fame. Today, Itsines has over 16 Million total followers and focuses her attention on her phenomenal female Sweat community.

Originally known as Sweat with Kayla, Itsines’s revolutionary female-only fitness app launched in 2015. Itsines shared in an interview with Vogue Australia that her inspiration behind creating the app was her experience leading women’s only training sessions in her backyard in 2014. “To track progress, I would get my clients to take photos of themselves before they started training with me and then again at around the 12-week mark,” she explained. After sharing their results on Instagram, Itsines “had women reaching out from all over the world asking [her] about [her] workout routine and how to get the results they were seeing from [the] client transformation photos.” Itsines’s fitness app reached #1 on Apple’s App Store in more than 142 countries within a year of its debut. In 2017, the app officially rebranded as 2017 and welcomed more talented female trainers and highly-requested programs. Itsines was also named the Top Fitness Influencer of 2017 by Forbes for the success of her empowering fitness platform.

As Co-Founder and Head Trainer of Sweat, Itsines continues to encourage women across the world to be active and contribute to social good. Sweat partnered with the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund back in 2020 to offer a free month of workouts and instead encourage users to donate $5 to support communities negatively impacted by the pandemic. Sweat also donated USD$100,000 to the initiative led by the World Health Organization. In 2021, Itsines introduced her signature workouts to Snapchat with a limited-time “body lens” featuring real-time movement tracking and corrections to make training even more accessible for users. The Move Again Program launched on the Sweat app catered especially to beginners on their fitness journey that same year. According to Shape, the program was inspired by research commissioned by Itsines’s team at Sweat about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s confidence and relationship with fitness. Itsines shared, “The majority (84 percent) of the women we spoke to said if they were able to exercise regularly it would help them feel more confident, but they needed to find a workout program that felt achievable, realistic, and motivating.”

According to a report from Business Insider, Itsines and her ex-fiancé Tobi Pearce sold Sweat for approximately $400 million to iFIT in July 2021. Itsines shared in an Instagram post announcing the sale that Sweat would continue as a stand-alone brand and ensured that her position as Head Trainer and all her viral programs were “not changing or going anywhere.” Itsines and Pearce bought back their Sweat empire in November 2023 for an undisclosed amount. The Australian reported that Itsines would, again, remain as the acting Co-Founder and Head Trainer of the business while Pearce would serve in an advisory role. “The decision to regain ownership is about ensuring the best future for Sweat,” Itsines shared. “We have always been a platform built for women, by women, providing a secure and encouraging space for them to share their transformation journeys. Our commitment to this community remains unwavering.” To follow along with Sweat’s dynamic journey and learn more about Itsines, check out her new podcast Sweat Daily with Kayla Itsines.

2. Oner Active by Krissy Cela

Growing up in an Albanian household, training influencer Krissy Cela developed a strong work ethic inspired by her parents. Cela embarked on her fitness journey during her time studying law at university and quickly fell in love with the world of strength training. Cela became determined to share this empowering fitness experience with others and pursued her Personal Training qualification. Social media served as Cela’s core platform to connect with and educate millions of women worldwide about strength training, fitness, and more. Finding functional activewear that made her feel confident was a frequent struggle throughout Cela’s independent and professional fitness journeys. Cela’s challenging relationship with activewear drove her to connect with more women to understand their unique athleticwear needs in the gym to support their performance lifting heavy weights. In 2020, Cela co-founded Oner Active, her debut activewear brand for women rooted in resilience, determination, and confidence. Oner Active serves as the culmination of Cela’s intensive fitness journey and her passion for empowering women through training.

In order to stand out in the saturated activewear market, Cela and the Oner Active team developed an innovative strategy that rejects mass marketing. Community-focused activations evolved to be the core of Oner Active’s marketing approach to reinforce the relationship between the brand and its dynamic audience. Oner Active’s first birthday celebration which took place online set the standard for such activations, according to PR Daily. In a segment of the Oner Active Documentary on YouTube, Cela elaborated on the importance of community in developing her brand. Cela shared, “Everything we do will be with (the community) in mind, every questionnaire we do, every survey we take, every campaign we build, how can we continue to nourish the community we have, is a message that will never change.” In 2022, Oner Active kickstarted its Extraordinary Stories campaign which raked in hundreds of thousands of views online and challenged the fitness industry’s perspective on what strong, powerful women look like. Cela shared to Instagram that the Extraordinary Stories campaign’s mission was to amplify the voices of women with diverse backgrounds and discuss their personal stories of overcoming illness, pursuing a health and fitness journey, and more. Other noteworthy campaigns from Oner Active include the Created By Lifters, For Lifters capsule and UK youth physical education initiative.

In December 2023, Cela announced that she would step down as CEO of Oner Active and pivot to embrace her new role of Creative Director. Cela shared with her Instagram audience that although she was “scared” initially to give up the “control” of her CEO position, working as the Creative Director of her brand would combine her passions for developing products, marketing campaigns, campaigns, storytelling, and community events. Oner Active shared an official update regarding its leadership team to LinkedIn in April 2024, reaffirming the brand’s dedication to long-term business growth and empowering its community. With its new leadership appointments, Oner Active continues to challenge itself and others to create impactive products. Check out Oner Active’s LinkedIn profile and other socials to keep up to date with all the brand’s latest updates, campaigns, and more!

3. Popflex by Cassey Ho aka @blogilaties

Cassey Ho aka @blogilaties is known as one of the earliest YouTube fitness gurus. Ho’s introduction to the world of fitness and influencing occurred in 2009. During her undergraduate studies at Whittier College, Ho taught pilates at a local studio to explore her interest in fitness. Ho had a deep-rooted passion for fashion design apart from her pre-med studies, and her time as a pilates instructor opened her eyes to gaps in the fitness and activewear industries. The Blogilates channel was born as a means for Ho to keep in touch with her pilates students post-grad while she pursued her early career in fashion buying. Today, the Blogilates empire has amassed over 19 million followers worldwide and more than 3 billion views. The heart of Ho’s design and fitness journey is Popflex, one of the best leading influencer-founded fitness brands to date.

Ho founded Popflex in 2016 as a direct-to-consumer brand alongside her now-husband Sam Levits. With Ho acting as CEO and Head Designer, Levits onboard as the COO, and a team of bright-minded women, Popflex was on track to develop some of the most innovative activewear pieces on the market. Ho incorporated her roots as a first-generation Vietnamese-American in the sustainability mission of her brand. Every Popflex design is thoughtfully curated to reduce waste, challenge fast fashion, and fulfill the specific needs of its consumers. Popflex’s sustainability journey is thoroughly detailed on the brand’s official website in addition to other eco-friendly and community-building initiatives.

Social media has been instrumental in Ho’s design process, community engagement, and brand awareness for Popflex. On TikTok and YouTube Shorts, Ho shares design iterations and product samples for upcoming releases, creating opportunities for fans to share insightful feedback and unique requests. “Those design videos for me have been doing so well — something that I really didn’t expect,” Ho told ModernRetail. “For example, for TikTok… I was getting around 10 million views a month, which is really crazy. But once I started posting those design videos to YouTube Shorts, I’m now getting 100 million views a month.” A report from Business Insider also detailed how user feedback on social media was key in the design process behind Popflex’s first swimwear line. Ho’s commitment to transparency and creativity strongly translates through her authentic entrepreneurial and behind-the-scenes content.

Popflex’s greatest social media and digital marketing campaign took place after popstar Taylor Swift was spotted wearing the Pirouette Skort in lavender. The Pirouette Skort was already on the rise following its patent award in January. According to Ad Age, the $60 lavender skort worn by Swift sold out in less than 15 minutes, and all remaining colorways sold out by the following evening. April 20th marked Popflex’s second-best day of sales in its entire history following the release of Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album release. The massive influx in demand for the viral skort led Popflex to open inquiries for pre-orders for the first time. Popflex took to social media to introduce Taylor Swift Eras-themed content and temporarily updated the brand’s website homepage to showcase a “Tortured Pirouette Department” banner. Ho noted in her interview with Ad Age that Popflex rarely invests in paid media and instead prioritizes organic marketing strategies. Swift’s support of the brand propelled Popflex to new heights and opened up new social media marketing opportunities for Ho’s amazing team. As Ho continues to leverage social media to her advantage and connect with fans, Popflex is on track for even more success this year and beyond.

4. Buffbunny Collection by Heidi Somers aka @buffbunny

Heidi Somers aka @buffbunny has always been passionate about helping others and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. Somers had early ambitions of going to medical school and spent time studying biology to prepare for a career as a doctor. Somers shared in a podcast interview with Maxx Chewning that she had transferred from studying at a university in Alaska to one in San Antonio to start a new life, resulting in an unexpected weight loss journey. “I hated the gym, I didn’t know what I was doing,” Somers explained. Eventually, challenging days at the gym turned into three, four, and five days of dedicated training. Fitness became the core of Somers’s lifestyle, and her hopes of becoming a doctor transformed into pursuing a career supporting others with their fitness goals. In a turn of events, Somers redirected herself onto a path of bodybuilding and social media stardom on YouTube, building a tight-knit community of motivated women in fitness. “I’m thankful every day for the opportunity to do what I love and positively impact people’s lives, even if it’s a simple tip,” Somers exclusively shared with OK!.

In 2016, Somers founded Buffbunny in San Antonio after recognizing the high demand for diverse and functional activewear made by women, for women. The debut launch of the Buffbunny Collection took place out of Somers’s Texas home and took more than 2 years to develop independently before hiring a professional design team. The immense success of Somers’s first Buffbunny launch resulted in the brand taking over her entire home and countless 18+ hour-long packing days, according to the official Buffbunny site. Somers and her team of three hardworking employees transitioned to a 2,000-square-foot warehouse which they quickly outgrew in only six months. Buffbunny’s tremendous growth and success led Somers to make the business decision to move the brand to Houston and utilize a 60,000-square-foot warehouse. The extra elbow room and location supported Buffbunny’s growth, allowing the brand to welcome more designers, access new diverse models, collaborate with amazing creators and photographers, and more.

Each design released at Buffbunny features creative artwork and custom-made fabric to cater to women from all walks of life and levels of fitness expertise. Buffbunny is made for every body, intentionally designed to support diverse bodies while being fashionable and functional. With such an amazing mission and gorgeous designs, the demand for Buffbunny is non-stop. This demand can sometimes lead to sticky situations, like when the #BuffbunnyBandit was “caught purple-handed” with unreleased Buffbunny designs. Desiree Mize posted a dozen videos following a viral TikTok of her neighbor wearing her stolen Buffbunny PR. The series caught the attention of millions of users, some of which questioned whether or not the viral video was an advertisement. Mize explained to In The Know that her two stolen packages and related series were “truly unintentional marketing” and that the stolen PR left her two weeks behind on content for Buffbunny. Somers also added to the conversation with In The Know, explaining that, “We were flooded with questions asking if this was fake and planned as a marketing tactic, and we’re here to state that this was not that.” Manufactured viral moments have been common recently in the beauty community, but the Buffbunny bandit was no marketing ploy although it boosted online interest in the brand.

Somers’s latest business project beyond Buffbunny is her fitness app Grounds, a new safe space for women to kickstart their fitness journey packed with tools for success. “There was a lack of fitness apps that truly understood the diverse fitness journeys of women, so I saw an opportunity to fill that gap to make others lives easier!” she explains of the social media app,” Somers explained to OK!. Grounds was designed to prioritize user experience and reduce friction when navigating various training courses and features. Ultimately, Somers’s goal with her businesses is to provide unique fitness roadmaps and the confidence to lead the best lives possible. To keep up with Somers and all the latest at Buffbunny, join Somers’s 1.6 million followers on Instagram.

5. The Body Coach App by Joe Wicks aka @thebodycoach

Joe Wicks’s journey as a trainer began with handing out flyers at his local train station for his early morning boot camps in the park. Wicks took his trailer of dumbbells around Richmond and other communities to connect with potential trainees although he was initially unsuccessful at securing fitness clients. Rather than be discouraged by his stagnant growth, Wicks was determined to build a fitness community and share his expertise. Wicks joined Instagram and began posting beginner-friendly healthy meals with the hashtag #Leanin15. Gradually, Wicks grew his platform on social media as The Body Coach and released his first online training plan, the 90-Day Plan, which has transformed the lives of more than 600,000 people. Wicks took his passion for nutrition and fitness to new heights and new audiences when he kickstarted his daily PE with Joe series on YouTube in 2020. PE with Joe was specially curated for children and teens to stay active with their families during the global 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Wicks’s YouTube series accumulated over 80 million views and £500k for the NHS.

Wicks launched The Body Coach App in October 2020 to support the growth of his fitness empire and offer more tailored fitness and nutrition programs. Nikki Wicks, COO and Creative Director at the Body Coach, explained to Creative Review how the app is instrumental for users looking to improve their health. “One of the main features is that we tailor the meal plans to each user, so they’re eating just the right amount of food,” Nikki Wicks shared. “We also give them a workout plan with real-time workouts with Joe, that match their individual fitness levels – ranging from beginner, intermediate and advanced.” Joe Wicks and his brother teamed up with tech studio Ustwo and design agency Koto to build a colorful yet user-friendly design for the app which aligned with The Body Coach’s recent rebrand. This year, GQ Australia named The Body Coach App one of the top ten Best Fitness Apps of 2024.

Making fitness accessible to as many motivated individuals as possible has been the core philosophy of Joe Wicks’s mission as a trainer and creator. The Body Coach App reportedly earned more than £9 million in a week following an overflow of sign-ups with discounted holiday pricing. Between Christmas Eve and New Years in 2020, Wicks’s viral app welcomed 130,000 new fitness users. Wicks also launched a special discounted membership during back-to-school season for educators based in the U.K. and Ireland in 2022. “I really hope every teacher in the UK takes up this offer of three months free on the Body Coach app, because it can really help change their lives…to feel calmer, less stressed, more patient, more energized and just happier in themselves,” Wicks shared with Verge. “ That’s what regular exercise combined with a healthy diet can do. I truly believe that fit, healthy and happy teachers will help and inspire children to feel the same.”

Wicks’s initiatives to get the U.K. and beyond moving are moving full steam ahead with popular in-person activations resembling his original boot camps. Wicks hosted his first pop-up for The Body Coach at London’s Protein Studios in January 2023. For one weekend only, fitness fans could join Wicks and his talented team of The Body Coach App trainers for various HIIT, strength, and yoga sessions. Wicks hosted a similar pop-up for his Move Manchester campaign earlier this year at the brand-new multi-use venue Aviva Studio. The Move Manchester three-day weekend included activities for all ages from workouts and icebaths to wellness workshops and soundbaths. Sportswear brand Lululemon supported Move Manchester alongside Wicks with clothing customization stations and shopping pop-ups.

The Body Coach App continues to make headlines as one of the most downloaded and rewarding fitness apps by a fitness influencer. To follow along with Wicks’s fitness journey and the growth of his Body Coach empire, check out his Instagram and YouTube channels.

6. Vitalura Labs by Anna Victoria

Plant Based Protein “Vitalura Labs” by Anna Victoria

Fitness guru Anna Victoria began supporting women on their fitness journeys in 2015 as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Victoria grew her following on social media by documenting her authentic training and postpartum experience. On Instagram, Victoria began to share simple workout routines, recipes, and other health regimens for moms on the go and women with fitness goals. Victoria’s Fit Body Guide became a pillar in the female fitness industry online and the inspiration behind her 2017 fitness app, Fit Body App. As CEO and Co-Founder of Fit Body App, Victoria was determined to build a welcoming and motivating #fbggirl community worldwide. Victoria welcomed three professional female trainers, a physical therapist, and a registered dietitian in 2020 to the Fit Body App team to add to the platform’s diverse library of fitness resources and routines. The Fit Body App was awarded Fitness Program of the Year at the 2021 American Influencer Awards and named a 2022 Webby Awards Honoree in Health & Fitness Apps and Software. The next step in Victoria’s fitness-based entrepreneurship was to take one of the most prominent products in the fitness industry and reimagine it for the better: protein powder.

Throughout her entire career as a fitness influencer, Victoria has frequently preached about utilizing protein powder for muscle growth and maintenance. Victoria’s mindfulness about product recommendations as an influencer has led her to refrain from protein powders although they have been instrumental in her training. “There were brands that I was using and that I liked, but I take my recommendations so seriously,” Victoria told Popsugar. “I just did not feel like there was a brand that I could 100 percent get behind, mainly because there’s such a lack of transparency in the supplement industry.” Victoria curiously tested one of her favorite protein powers she used for several years which suspiciously tasted “literally like ice cream.” According to Victoria’s lab results, her favorite protein powder advertised as having 20 grams of protein per scoop actually only had 3 grams per scoop, meaning the rest was either filler or sugar. The test results solidified Victoria’s distrust in the protein powder industry, leading her to found Vitalura Labs in September 2022 after two years of development.

Not only are Vitalura Labs protein powders delicious but they’re also packed with 25 grams of protein per serving and certified by the National Science Foundation. Vitalaura Labs debuted exclusively on the Fit Body App storefront with Vitalura Labs Plant Based Protein powder in sweet yet nutritious flavors including Chocolate Gelato and Vanilla Gelato. Victoria’s first protein powders were first only available for shipping in the United States then later expanded to Canada and Europe in early 2023. Vitalura Labs recently released its newest product, Tiramisú Grass-fed Whey Protein Isolate. Victoria showcased the latest flavor of protein powder to her Instagram account in a Reel where her team discussed the brand’s Italian-inspired roots. The Vitalura Labs team even traveled to Italy to have the new flavor taste-tested by their Italian relatives. The Tiramisú protein powder is now available for a limited time on the official Vitalaura Labs website.

Today, Victoria focuses on sharing postpartum workout tutorials, advice for new moms, and behind-the-scenes business content on Instagram. Victoria also periodically shares fitness and lifestyle content on her YouTube channel. To purchase Vitalura Labs protein powders, make sure to check out the brand’s official website.

7. Uplift You by Leana Deeb

Uplift You by Leana Deeb

Leana Deeb is one of TikTok’s biggest female fitness creators rooted in her faith and a passion for mindful movement. A friend of Deeb’s encouraged her to take her personal training expertise and share it with the world. Deeb kickstarted her social media in October 2021 on TikTok with vlogs showcasing her training days at the gym, recovery routines, and nutritious meal prep. “That brought awareness to my page,” Deeb told USA Today. “The work ethic that I had in the gym is that I was there to transform my body, but it was also like I was fighting my demons. I was going through a lot mentally, and the gym was my safe space.” Although she had built a massive following of more than 19 million followers, Deeb felt there was more she could do with her platform and that she should pursue a new lifestyle incorporating faith and wellness.

In the summer of 2023, Deeb embarked on a new confidence-building frontier in her fitness journey: modesty. The first step in Deeb’s modesty journey was redirecting her content style, meaning that she removed all her old content across her social channels including her renowned Lift with Leana app to start anew. Next, Deeb was determined to center her focus on empowering women on their fitness and modesty journeys with the proper training and equipment. Deeb identified a blatant gap in modest activewear available in the fitness industry, leading her to partner up with Gymshark and release her viral capsule collection of functional, fashionable, and modest workout clothing. The Life with Leana Tour in partnership Gymshark began in May 2023 and features special events and gifting from Bloom Nutrition, another major partner of Deeb’s, and Uplift You, the new and improved version of Lift with Leana.

Deeb’s love for journaling and passion for mental health advocacy resulted in the rebranding of Lift with Leana to Uplift You. The new health and wellness platform emphasizes the importance of accountability, consistency, and mindfulness for individuals looking to improve their fitness and mental health. Uplift You is equipped with a library of educational resources including meal-planning recipes, habit trackers, workout challenges, and more. Deeb released the first edition of the Uplift You Journal packed with goal-setting and self-care prompts that were essential tools for her journey. Due to high demand, Deeb released a second edition of the Uplift You Journal incorporating key user feedback. Both journal drops quickly sold out and fans interested in copping the next release are recommended to sign up for the Uplift You VIP email list for more updates.

From developing Uplift You to redefining the limits of modesty in fitness, Deeb is setting new standards for women in the fitness industry and beyond. The most rewarding part of her influencer career has been observing the positive lifestyle improvements of her followers and the overwhelming support online for embracing her Islamic faith. “Like getting closer to the faith, getting close to fitness, taking care of their health and feeling like they can do this,” Deeb shared with USA Today. “There’s so much you can do in this world by helping others.” Make sure to check out Deeb on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for all the latest on her inspiring fitness and entrepreneurial journey.

8. Vitality by Taylor Dilk, Stephen Dilk, and Chloe Chamberlain

Vitality by Taylor Dilk, Stephen Dilk, and Chloe Chamberlain

Taylor Dilk has pioneered the community of fitness gurus on social media since the early 2010s. In 2013, Dilk posted her first-ever fitness-related post on Instagram and slowly began growing her socials on top of her online fitness coaching business. Dilk was pursuing her undergraduate education while developing her career in personal training and successfully earned her degree in Dietetics from Purdue University in 2015. Shortly after earning her degree, Dilk kickstarted her bodybuilding journey and competed in her first bikini competitions. Dilk officially earned her IFBB Bikini Pro Card in 2017, signifying her amazing skillset in bodybuilding. Given her several years of professional experience in training and bodybuilding, Dilk identified several gaps in the athleticwear market that needed to be filled. In 2018, Dilk partnered up with her husband Stephen Dilk and sister Chloe Chamberlain to develop and launch Balance Athletica, an athleticwear brand with clothing designed for every body for men and women of all sizes and backgrounds to feel empowered.

With inclusivity top of mind, the fitness trio got to work developing leggings, sports bras, and more essential athleticwear. Balance Athletica’s debut collection included an expanded size range from XXS to 4XL to make flattering and functional workout gear accessible for everyone on their fitness journey. Dilk’s brand garnered more than $36 million in sales from fans and fitness fanatics around the world in its first three years. Balance Ahtletica’s founding team was invited to New York Fashion Week in 2021 and the trio was selected for the North American Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2022. “When we started in our garage, I don’t think any of us anticipated the growth we have seen the last 3 years,” Taylor Dilk shared to Instagram. “Still to this day when I hear someone tell me how empowered and confident they feel in Balance, it brings tears to my eyes because THIS is why we do what we do.”

The athleisure brand announced its official rebrand as Vitality in March 2022 following a trademarking case from New Balance. Vitality shared in a press release that its rebrand represents a new opportunity to elevate and evolve as a brand almost four years after its launch. Under the new name, Vitality pledged to further embrace the brand’s key pillars and ethos in addition to upgrading its fulfillment operations and customer service. “The change to Vitality embodies this evolution and elevation as a brand, and we are in a magnificent position to take everything to the next level,” Steve Dilk, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Vitality shared. Vitality’s rebrand also included a new eco-friendly initiative for sustainable product packaging and fulfillment. Vitality shared that it would continue its pursuit of social good and size inclusivity under its dedicated leadership. Since the brand’s inception, Vitality has donated more than $450k to social justice movements including those supporting civil rights, female empowerment, and COVID-19 relief in the United States. Vitality also donated $400k worth of clothing to Afghan refugees throughout the U.S., according to ColoradoBiz.

Vitality has been Taylor Dilk’s passion for more than 5 years now as she navigates her dynamic fitness journey and motherhood. With inclusivity and wellness at the forefront of everything she pursues, Dilk continues to make waves in the world of fitness influencing.

9. Tala by Grace Beverley

Tala by Grace Beverley

In a diverse pool of fitness gurus, Grace Beverley is an entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with. Beverley’s Instagram account today serves as a catalog of her entrepreneurial ventures in fitness and fashion. The viral Grace Fit Guide cemented Beverley’s position in the rapidly evolving world of fitness. The popularity of Beverley’s fitness guide propelled Beverley’s Instagram account to over 1 million followers and quickly evolved into a community of like-minded businesswomen and fitness lovers during her time studying at Oxford. “I worked university like a job – I’d be at the library all day and spend evenings on my socials,” Beverley told Mirror. “I’d batch create content and set aside one or two mornings a week for YouTube videos.” Beverley transitioned to a more sustainable lifestyle as she studied at Oxford and revamped her daily wardrobe, which had previously featured numerous fast fashion items. While looking for sustainable alternatives for activewear and athleisure, Beverley noticed a lack of brands that fulfilled her performance and style standards. Beverley’s creative passion and interest in sustainable fashion ultimately inspired her to develop Tala, a U.K.-based activewear brand driven to deliver high-quality styles with eco-conscious production.

During Beverley’s second year of university, she began to conceptualize Tala as a brand and develop relationships with factories and investors. It wasn’t until two months before Tala’s official launch in 2019 that Beverley hired a team of employees to support her new business. Tala celebrated over £6 million in sales in its first year and Beverley was named one of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards Top 20 Most Exciting Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2019. In April 2021, Tala officially severed ties with its original manufacturing partner known for kickstarting influencer brands to embark on an independent business journey. “Having to rip it all down and start from scratch in order to build a brand with [longevity] was incredibly hard, it was incredibly expensive and incredibly tough emotionally,” Beverley shared with Vogue Business. Beverley established a new leadership team in May 2021 and appointed Morgan Fowles as Managing Director of Tala. Fowles’s role at Tala involved securing investments, supporting team-building, and establishing a new manufacturing network for the brand. Tala successfully announced a £4.2 million funding round led by Active Ventures and Venrex in February 2022. Beverley’s monumental funding round was secured with a must-see pitch deck detailing the brand’s rapid growth shared by Business Insider. With Tala’s abundance of support from investors, Beverley was determined to take her sustainable activewear brand to the next level at an affordable price.

Beyond Tala’s positioning as a “responsible” activewear brand, Tala differentiates itself from other labels by challenging the mass market with female-led marketing. “We know that our customers, with all the convenience in the world available to them, with all of their best intentions, are not going to stop consuming activewear,” Beverley told Vogue. “You have to create solutions at a mass market level that are better, not perfect, in order to be able to create change.” At the time of Beverley’s interview with Vogue Business, Tala was 71% women-owned, had 75% of board seats filled by women, and 75% of leadership roles filled by women. Tala continues to appeal to the mass market by introducing extended sizing up to 4XL, developing more recycled and upcycled fabrics, launching swimwear, and more. Beverley is actively working on new products for her brand in addition to a possible expansion to the United States. Social media remains a central part of growing Tala as a brand organically, but Beverley’s keenness to connect with confident investors will take Tala to greater success.

10. THRST by Mike Thurston

THRST by Mike Thurston

Mike Thurston is the king of fitness in the U.K., known for his luxurious Instagram feed and multi-million-view workout routines on YouTube. Thurston’s first step into the world of weightlifting began in 2008 when he left his hometown of Leeds to study Economics and Business Management in Newcastle, according to The Sun. It wasn’t until 2012 that Thurston decided to commit to his professional fitness career following years of working in nightlife during university. Thurston launched his YouTube channel in 2014 and began to share his daily workout routines and nutritional tips across social media. Thurston’s earliest YouTube videos to go viral included those in his iconic Common Gym Mistakes series. Unlike most fitness influencers, Thurston also has a passion for creating lifestyle content and sharing exciting travel vlogs. After living in London for three years, Thurston took a leap of faith and moved to Dubai to pursue his blossoming career as a creator, trainer, and nutrition specialist. GQ Middle East named Thurston their Top Fitness Influencer to Get Inspired by in 2023 as he continued to build his international audience. Today, Thurston has more than 4.5 million followers across all of his social channels with his core focus being the THRST App.

The THRST App encapsulates Thurston’s decade of fitness and nutrition experience with a mission to curate specialized training programs for dedicated users. Thurston’s app officially launched in Spring 2021 with more than 35 programs he developed independently, applying his knowledge as a body recomposition specialist. THRST App users had the opportunity to sign up for a discounted annual subscription for a limited time to celebrate the app’s debut. Thurston shared in a Facebook post how he intentionally designed various components of the app including goal trackers and personalization tools to create the most tailored fitness experience possible per user. The THRST App offers an extensive library of workout routines for at home or in the gym, pre-prepared grocery lists, personal progress charts, and more. Users can also document the progress of their physique using a camera and photo album feature in-app. To keep up with the latest app updates, users may join the official THRST App Facebook Group exclusive to subscribers.

The THRST empire continues with the THRST activewear brand and the First Things THRST Podcast. Thurston actively collaborates with top fitness creators around the world like @ulissesworld and @melindalindmark. Looking to level up your fitness and lifestyle? Follow Thurston on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for all the best fitness content and motivation!