Besides helping people forge relationships with individuals all across the world, social media is especially useful in this age of technology for its ability to assist individuals in making a career out of being themselves. Jayda Cheaves is perhaps one of the biggest examples of using various platforms for monetary gain, exposure and long-term influence.

Fans were first introduced to Cheaves as the girlfriend of rapper Lil Baby four years ago. The Savannah, Georgia, native quickly blossomed into a businesswoman after starting an online retail shop selling clothing and hair. Now, she has accumulated 6 million-plus followers on Instagram alone, and from the looks of things, she has no plans of slowing down.

Now appearing in campaigns for Savage x Fenty and Fashion Nova, as well as an upcoming film, read on to see how Cheaves successfully built an empire from the ground up.