A Glasgow-based business is setting sights on worldwide expansion after launching from a flat living room less than three years ago.
Amy and Kirsten started Aquarius Creative after chatting through the idea while they sat bored waiting on a delayed flight. And since, the business has boomed, turning over £500,000 last year.
The agency now looks after some of Scotland's biggest social media influencers as well as running social media campaigns for huge brands and businesses. And to showcase the success, the team at Aquarius are now starring in their very own BBC show - The Agency: Unfiltered.
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The new six-part series will give viewers an idea of the day to day running of the firm - from what it's like signing big-name clients and collaborating with major brands, to dealing with the challenges of running a business and the drama that comes with working in the fast-paced industry.
Glasgow Live met Amy and Kirsten for a catch up to find out a little more about the business, the new show and what it takes to become a social media influencer.
The girls decided to launch Aquarius Creative after a chatting through the idea on a runway as they waiting to take off. Sitting on the flight bored, the pair, who worked for a fashion brand at the time, reflected on their career so far and agreed they were keen to go it alone.
Kirsten explained: "We were stuck on an airport runway and we were thinking about different things like how many people had approached us and asked for advice, and basically how much we had done on our own already.
"We had already won awards, we'd run the first ever influencer trip within the UK", she added.
Amy and Kirsten decided to take the leap and quit their jobs in February 2020 and set up the agency.
With Covid and lockdown hitting just weeks after, the girls were forced to adapt by running virtual events. But with most forced to stay at home, it meant more people were taking to social media.
Amy said: "We gained clients because the social media and beauty industry on Instagram just grew massively because everyone was sitting on their phones. And it has all kind of grown from there."
And now the sky is the limit for Aquarius Creative. With a TV show already ticked off the list less than three years from launch, Amy and Kirsten are looking to take things global as their business continues to boom.
"We want to move into global markets. We want to get into the big cities in the UK like London and Manchester as well." Kirsten explained.
"We want to be the place that any brand can come to for influencers, so we want to have lifestyle, mum bloggers, male influencers, everything really.
"We want to be the go-to influencer agency across all markets", Amy added.
We were also keen to find out what it takes to be successful in the industry. How can someone become an influencer?
Amy explained: "We look for someone who is really authentic. Gone are the days when you just want to be an influencer because you want something for free. There is a lot more work that goes into it.
"What people are looking for is someone who is really honest, really relatable."
Kirsten added: "Also, someone who has a passion and really knows what they are doing. You need to be really into style for example and really have your own niche. There are so many people who want to be influencers now, it is tough competition.
"Brands want to see authenticity. Everyone loves a wee filter but in terms of being real, that is what can really grow you in the industry and makes you stand out."
You can watch Aquarius Creative's new BBC Show 'The Agency: Unfiltered' on Monday, February 13 on BBC Scotland. The show will be broadcast at the same time on the same channel weekly.
All episode will also be available on BBC iPlayer on Monday, February 13.
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