When the Industrial Revolution arrived, the people who got rich learned how to run factories and the operation of machines.

Likewise, when mass media took over, the corporate giants who understood the power of television advertising made more than those solely relying on billboards.

And when the smartphone took over the world, a different kind of entrepreneur emerged through the cracks.

The ‘Instagram Baddie’ or ‘IG model’.

Now, the IG model has long been dismissed for being superficial and lacking in substance. But what the majority miss is that they gave us a CLEAR playbook on how to handle and pivot at the brink of a technological shift almost 20 years ago.

Before ‘content creator’ was a legitimate career path, they had figured out that Instagram wasn’t just a place to post pictures. They saw that it was a free distribution network and free marketing tool. And what do we call someone who possesses this type of foresight and acts on it? A visionary. A pioneer.

Fast forward to 2026 and 2027 is just around the corner.

You’ve heard about job cuts due to AI integrating into society, you’ve seen the wave of new inventions introduced to us week after week.

Are you anxious? Don’t be.

There is nothing new under the sun. History is only repeating itself right now and if you strike BEFORE the iron is hot like the early internet pioneers did, you’ll control the new wave.

Case Study 1: Keyshia Ka’oir

To understand exactly how this playbook works in reality, look at one of its earliest authors: Keyshia Ka’oir.

Before she was a cosmetics mogul, she entered the entertainment industry as a video vixen named Keyshia Dior. People, at the time, probably saw her as the ‘usual’, a video vixen here today and gone tomorrow, but Keyshia was plotting.

She had built up a name in the scene and noticed that the public was obsessed with her eccentric style (specifically her mohawk and custom coloured lipstick she created by mixing blue eyeshadow with lip gloss in 2009).

This was proprietary data.

Keyshia took the funds she made through her modelling career and invested wisely. She launched Ka’oir Cosmetics and instead of trying to pitch department store buyers, she saw a golden opportunity in a brand-new app called Instagram.

Interestingly, both Ka’oir Cosmetics and Instagram launched in 2010.

Ka’oir recognized the opportunity; Instagram wasn’t a digital photo album, it could also be used as a free, direct-to-consumer pipeline that cut out the middleman entirely. She self-funded her manufacturing, posted the lipsticks to her feed and used her organic audience to capture the cash flow.

The result? She hit $1 million in revenue in just six months.

But she didn’t stop there, she kept going.

In 2011, right as the fitness influencer era was waking up, she launched Ka’oir Fitness. Long before the Kardashians popularized waist trainers on social media, Ka’oir recognized the cultural desire for the hourglass aesthetic and commercialized it by introducing the Ka’oir Waist Eraser™.

Keyshia didn’t ask permission from or wait for anyone. She used product differentiation and a repurposed, free distribution tool to build a self-funded, multi-million-dollar empire on her own terms.

She proved that when a technological shift occurs: DON’T PANIC, PIVOT.

Case Study 2: Blac Chyna

Like Keyshia Ka’oir, Blac Chyna rose to fame through the hip-hop music video scene and converted her viral internet fame into a direct-to-consumer empire using Instagram.

She cemented herself as an “it-girl” of the 2010s with her doll-like aesthetic and built a massive following. But Chyna possessed an important piece of insight: relying on vanity alone is a terrible long-term business strategy.

In late 2013, she struck before the iron was hot. She launched her online fashion boutique ‘88fin’ and her cosmetics line ‘Lashed by Blac Chyna’ and marketed her brands via Instagram.

Chyna stepped outside of the ‘IG baddie’ expectation and enrolled into formal education.

Later that year, she enrolled in the JLS Professional Make-up Artist School in Los Angeles to become a certified makeup artist, in a calculated move to build professional credibility.

While studying formulas, Chyna gathered intel and recognized that social media was rapidly shifting consumer desires toward a hyper-glam aesthetic.

She expanded her brand accordingly and capitalized on the evolution of the beauty economy.

Chyna opened a brick-and-mortar Lashed Beauty Bar salon in Los Angeles, using Instagram to advertise and pack the shop with clients. Then, she entered the lucrative knowledge economy, packaging her certified expertise into high-ticket beauty courses and again, used her IG feed to fill seats.

The Method

By now, I assume you get where I’m coming from.

So, let’s run down the playbook clearly so you can program your mind for success and GET RID of that anxiety.

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“if you knew your time to go, how would you live? the reality is just that… we are all on a timer and it’s time to live.”

often times we are trapped by our minds. we act like we don’t have free will. we act like we don’t hold the power to design our own lives. we act like victims to our fears. we each have the power to create or destroy, by omitting taking action in your life out of fear, you are agreeing to destroy your life.

by taking action, you are actively creating.

a mantra i live by is ‘fear does not prevent death, it prevents life’ (a quote by Naguib Mahfouz). i want you to embed that in your mind. there’s so much life to experience and see and feel, why let fear talk you out of it? are you lesser than your fear? are you not more important? are you not more powerful than your fear?

go and get what you want.

none of us know what comes after this journey (for certain). don’t waste your opportunity to live because some of our friends and loved ones don’t have that opportunity.

go and get what you want.

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I feel like this is a season of vulnerability.

heartbreak is heavy and wildly consuming. but one thing I learnt time and time again is that beneath the ache sits a very potent energy that is for the taking.

now this pain is the kind that, when left unattended, can spiral… but when directed, it can transform. this is the ultimate transmutation.

here’s how to use heartbreak as leverage.

1. romanticize your rebuild, not your ruin

It’s tempting to replay memories and sit inside the nostalgia and dissect every detail but that is what will keep you stuck. Instead, shift the narrative. Your life is no longer about what ended, it’s now about what’s being constructed [new beginnings].

Create a vision that feels cinematic:

• The upgraded version of you

• The spaces you’ll inhabit

• The energy you’ll embody

Make your future more seductive than your past. Direct your life like it’s a Rom Com.

2. redirect emotional intensity into creation

Heartbreak will flood you with emotion and that intensity doesn’t simply disappear. Don’t suppress it. The art of alchemy is about transformation. Energy must move, not stagnate, so give it somewhere to go.. create an outlet.

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I’ve put together everything I personally come back to when I want to feel pulled together and physically at my best.

I created this guide for you to work with what you already have and refine it.

Adapt it to your lifestyle + your circumstances.

Disclaimer: This is my personal plan, I am not a medical professional. Please consult with a health practitioner before implementing anything written within this article.

FOUNDATIONS (Start Here)

Hydration
I aim for at least 2 litres of water daily, more if I’m training or outside in the sun a lot. Hydration shows up quickly, it makes your skin look less dull and more even.

Food quality
Not perfect eating down to a science but much less processed foods. Less refined sugar + more whole foods.

When I keep this consistent, inflammation drops in the body and it reflects within less than a week in my skin and energy.

Morning light
I go outside within the 30 minutes of waking up to take a walk. Even 15–20 minutes. This is great for your hormones. It helps to regulate sleep, which ultimately ends up affecting everything (mood, skin, hormones).

BODY (Shape + Structure)

I’m currently in a season of building shape over losing or gaining weight. In other words, body recomposition.

Protein-first meals
Everything I eat is built around a protein source (eggs, yogurt, fish, chicken, turkey). It helps to keeps me full (which in turn helps my body to stop craving snacks) and supports building muscle.

Resistance training
Weights, Pilates, or bodyweight… it doesn’t matter but consistency does. This is what actually changes how your body looks in clothes. I work out 3-5 times a week.

Walking
Nothing extreme. Preferably 7k to 10k steps everyday. It adds up more than people think.

FOOD FOR AESTHETICS

I think of food less as “healthy vs unhealthy” and more as what shows up on my skin and body later.

What I prioritise:

• Berries, greens, citrus (for brightness + skin tone)

• Omega-3s (salmon, walnuts, chia for hydration)

• Protein (eggs, chicken, turkey)

• Fibre (vegetables, oats, legumes for digestion + skin clarity)

• Collagen rich foods (bone broth, baked chicken wings with skin - ensure you have a lot of vitamin C in your diet for maximum benefits)

What I keep in check:

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