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"I was a creator on social media and I guess was able to collect customer data in a way that big businesses can’t.

"I knew those consumers so well and I, in part, was that consumer too… someone quite new to the fitness industry, who’s just trying to fit in.

"It was a case of right place, right time."

Grace Beverley started out using Instagram as a diary, posting fitness and lifestyle content, but her initial career goal was down a more traditional path.

"I thought that I was going to follow a very corporate-based career," she tells Radio 5 Live's Million by 30 podcast.

But a hitch with a student finance payment, prompting a suspension threat from Oxford University, would change that course.

"I got an unexpected call from the university... clearly I missed the first email," she says.

The matter was quickly dealt with, but Grace got to work writing a fitness guide to sell online in case her student fee payment wasn't transferred in time.

"I wrote all the content, put it on sale on Boxing Day, and in a few days I’d sold over a 1000 copies at £35 each."

"That was the going rate at the time, I was one of the cheaper ones," she adds.

That was the moment her life changed.

"I didn’t really know what to do, I wasn’t yet ready to be monetising it at that level."

But this experience led to her working with fitness brands and allowed her to set up two companies, activewear brand TALA and fitness app Shreddy.

The businesses now employ around 30 people.

"I’m learning to navigate this as I go," she says.

A significant challenge is balancing the role of business owner with being a social media influencer which, she says, means there's a "direct feedback loop" between her and the consumer.

"People know who the founder is," she explains, which creates a "huge amount of pressure."

"Jeff Bezos doesn’t get contacted when an Amazon parcel was left outside and was rained on… I am."

She adds: "There’s a lack of nuance online… I can’t explain every package that went wrong, or a social post you won’t like. It’s hard to balance that, but it’s the reality."

"People shouldn’t have to accept a huge torrent of abuse just because they’ve picked a certain career path.

"I can try and deal with it better, mitigate it, not read comments… but other than that, you can’t fight the system, you have to protect your own mental health."

With more than a million followers on Instagram, she is currently focusing on growing her businesses - but not to the size of a company like Amazon.

"I don’t agree with billionaires, I don’t think it’s a place I want to be," she explains.

But she adds: "The companies deserve to be bigger than they are. I'm going a hundred miles an hour."

There's clearly a growing interest among potential employees too, with "thousands of applications every week".

And Grace has some tips for aspiring influencers and those looking to make a career from social media platforms.

"Concentrate on you, your niche and your content… everything else will follow.

"I've really enjoyed what I've done."

Grace Beverley was talking to Sean Farrington as part of the Million by 30 podcast series.

Sean talks to young entrepreneurs who've hit a million mark before they hit the age of 30. It could be a million pounds in revenue, a million subscribers, a million downloads, even a million pieces of fruit.

The series is from the Wake Up to Money programme.

Wake Up to Money is on air 05:00-06:00 Monday to Friday on 麻豆约拍 Radio 5 Live and 麻豆约拍 Sounds and is available as a podcast.