26 - Marianna Hewitt, Summer Fridays

In Episode 26 of Earned, we chat with Marianna Hewitt, powerhouse influencer, podcaster, and co-founder of sustainable, fast-growing, and oh-so-Instagrammable skincare line Summer Fridays. We explore how being an influencer equipped Marianna to be a brand founder, and conversely, how being a brand founder has made her a more effective influencer. But first, we learn why Marianna, who now boasts over one million followers on Instagram, started her blog in 2014, and how she built her passionate fanbase before working as an influencer was an established career path. Marianna shares how the influencer landscape has since evolved, and we dive into Summer Fridays, which Marianna launched with fellow content creator Lauren Ireland in 2018. We hear how the pair’s lessons as influencers (and inadvertent consumer research) informed the brand’s development—including why Summer Fridays debuted with a single product, the hero Jet Lag Mask—and discuss the brand’s hypergrowth and continued success. Finally, we talk about Summer Fridays’ influencer marketing strategy, as Marianna emphasizes the importance of brand alignment and giving influencer partners creative freedom over their content.