S2, EP1: Beverly Johnson Effect, How Supermodels Influenced Personal Branding

Our Creators with Influence Podcast turned one on International Podcast Day, celebrated annually on September 30. Hosts Qianna Smith Bruneteau and Karston 'Skinny' Tannis welcome Supermodel, Author, and CEO Beverly Johnson to kick off season 2.

Known as the Face that changed it all in fashion, Beverly has graced over 500 magazine covers and was named one of the “20th Century’s 100 Most Influential People in the Fashion Industry” by The New York Times and listed as Oprah Winfrey’s “25 top legends.” She has been photographed by the most iconic names behind a lens, such as Francesco Scavullo, Arthur Elgort, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Patrick Demarchelier. A New York native, she secured a place in fashion history for being the first Black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974 and the first Black model to land on the cover of French Elle in 1975. But you don't need to be a fashion enthusiast to be captivated by Beverly's storied career. It's her entrepreneurial and abundance mindset that is equally noteworthy.

"You need this kind of connectedness to propel yourself further, faster...That’s what mentorship does. Of course, you’re going to fall down. We learn our biggest lessons from failure more than from our successes."— Beverly Johnson

Often, people associate career longevity with time. At the American Influencer Council, we believe a successful career is choosing the projects and people you want to work with—staying relevant means getting to a place where you are in control of how you share your talents and expertise. With a career spanning five decades, Beverly returned to the runways of New York Fashion Week in February 2022, on her terms, for Sergio Hudson and Bibhu Mohapatra. She closed the shows for both designers, who paid tribute to her incredible legacy. And she has done over 20 covers in the last two years. For the startup businesses listening, get inspired as Beverly shares how she continuously turns up her purpose, the impact of the supermodels on personal branding and why mentorship results in more remarkable career outcomes.