Who is Grace Beverley? At the age of 28 and with a reported net worth of over £8 million, Grace is the founder of four businesses – as well as podcast host, author, and social media influencer.
There may not be an obvious correlation between workout gear and AI. But, if you look closely, there’s a natural career path linking the two in Grace’s business empire. All her ventures are a seamless part of her personal brand.
But how did she grow such an authentic brand that inspires trust from her customer base? Here, we’ll explore the growth of her brand, from her early days as an Instagram-savvy intern to becoming a seasoned CEO.
Grace Beverley: before the business
Grace Beverley got her start in business at 18 when she took a gap year to work as a New Client Acquisition Analyst at IBM, a large multinational technology company.
Outside of her working hours, she was posting on social media under the username GraceFitUK about lifestyle, fitness, and veganism. Her first foray into monetisation was curating her Instagram recipes into PDFs, which she sold on Shopify for £5.
She then left IBM to attend university – studying music at Oxford on a choral scholarship. While studying, she launched gym equipment brand B_ND (now known as Shreddy) of which she is still CEO.
Talking about what inspired her, Grace says: “I’ve always been interested in finding gaps in the market and opportunities in items that don’t exist.
“I had been using resistance bands and there were either really expensive good ones or really cheap, rubbery and plastic ones. So I looked into manufacturing to see how we could produce an affordable product, while still being ethical.”
The beginnings of TALA
After graduating university in 2019, Grace founded TALA – the brand most synonymous with her name.
A sportswear and lifestyle fashion brand, TALA was originally launched as a licensed brand with a manufacturing partner off the back of Grace’s social media success. According to Vogue, it made £6 million in sales in its first year.
The original idea for TALA was to act as merchandise for Grace. But Grace was already looking to make her social media brand a business. In 2021, she cut ties with the manufacturer and set out to make TALA a business in its own right.
After striking out on her own, TALA raised £4.2 million in fundraising in 2022, allowing them to expand their product line and team.
Now it was no longer marketed as influencer merchandise, TALA became known as an alternative to fast fashion sportswear. It built its brand on using recycled and naturally sourced materials in its products.
The Sustainable Review ranks TALA 3 out of 5 for sustainability – saying the brand does a ‘good job’. Going on to say: “While there are areas that require attention and improvement, it is essential to acknowledge TALA’s efforts to incorporate sustainable practices into its business model.”
TALA have since moved away from sustainable messaging. They instead use the term ‘responsible’ to describe their manufacturing process.
“I know sharing pitch decks publicly isn’t the done thing but if we don’t remain transparent, how on earth can we break down barriers to entry in entrepreneurship? Particularly for women, whose funding stats are dire.”
Grace Beverley
Business owner
The Pitch Deck: how Grace finds her funding
Despite starting out as influencer merchandise, TALA is grounded in a successful business model. The brand secured a £5 million investment in 2024 to support a US launch, and Grace has spoken transparently about how TALA obtained its funding. She recently shared TALA’s own investment pitch deck, talking through each slide in an hour-long YouTube video.
One of Grace’s top tips is called ‘the unique opportunity’. Identifying three things her business does well (activewear, digital marketing, and customer values), Grace created a venn diagram showing competing brands who all excel in one or two of these areas.
The only brand that succeeds in all three? TALA – which is proudly displayed in the centre of the diagram.
Explaining her method, Grace says: “What you want to do in your pitch deck is essentially show [businesses] that are doing amazingly and not be like ‘this is why we’re better’ but actually [showing] the market proof or [show that] this is a business that I’m sure you wish you had invested in…and show where you fit within those and where your opportunity is.”
Read more: How to create a sustainable fashion brand for your small business
After TALA
After achieving success in fashion, Grace has tried her hand at many other industries:
- Working Hard, Hardly Working: the Grace Beverley podcast launched in 2021 and sees Grace interviewing successful people in business. The reason this podcast does well? Grace herself is a successful entrepreneur.
- The Productivity Method: the Grace Beverley planner helps customers who hope to learn from Grace’s business experience – selling over 100,000 since 2022.
- Retrograde AI: as a successful influencer herself, Grace is now utilising AI to help content creators who may not be familiar with running a business with inbox management, deal negotiation, and administrative tasks
Grace Beverley controversy
There’s no denying Grace’s business success. She’s built a hugely successful brand that only seems to be growing. But the business owner isn’t without controversy. In 2024, the Advertising Standards Authoring (ASA) ruled she broke advertising rules when promoting TALA.
Grace didn’t declare videos promoting a coat as ads. She argued that her viewers would already know she owned the brand. But the ASA still claimed this was a rule breach, as advertisements need to be easily identifiable with the use of #ad.
Read more: What is influencer marketing? Working with the Advertising Standards Authority
The power of authenticity
Grace Beverley has achieved a remarkable degree of success in each of her business ventures. She’s demonstrated a strong ability to identify and capitalise on trends, all while staying true to her core brand. Her journey from a student with a side hustle to a successful entrepreneur is a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit and determination.
While Grace has faced criticism, she’s also shown a willingness to learn and adapt.
Grace’s success is evidence of the power of authenticity, hard work, and adaptability in the business world. Her journey offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those looking to leverage their online presence and build successful brands.
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- How to find a gap in the market – a small businesses guide
- Is business insurance a legal requirement?
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