Grace Margaret Beverley is an entrepreneur, influencer, and podcaster.[1] She is the founder of TALA, Shreddy and The Productivity Method. Formerly known online by her moniker GraceFitUK, Beverley founded TALA and Shreddy whilst studying music at St Peter's College, Oxford.[2]

Grace Beverley
Born
Grace Margaret Beverley

(1997-02-16) 16 February 1997 (age 27)
London, England
Occupations
  • Influencer
  • Entrepreneur
  • Podcaster
Known for
  • TALA
  • Shreddy

Early life and education edit

Grace Margaret Beverley was born in London, England, on 16 February 1997 to Victoria Broackes, a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum (daughter of multimillionaire businessman Sir Nigel Broackes),[3][4] and Peter Beverley, the head of a business consultancy firm. She is the third of four daughters.[5][6]

Beverley attended Francis Holland School[7] and St Paul's Girls' School.[8] As a teenager, she was head chorister at Salisbury Cathedral.[6] She received a choral scholarship at St Peter's College, Oxford, where she studied music as an undergraduate,[9] graduating in 2019,[10] and receiving her Master of Arts in 2023.[11][failed verification]

Career edit

Social media influencer edit

At the age of 18, Beverley began to grow her social media accounts - primarily YouTube and Instagram under the name GraceFitUK.[12] She marketed herself as a lifestyle vlogger with a focus on fitness, studying at Oxford, and veganism. She now has an audience of over 1 million followers on these platforms.[11][2] She also sold resistance bands and workout plans[11] and worked with international brands such as fitness company Gymshark.[13]

Businesses edit

Beverley has established three companies: TALA, Shreddy, and The Productivity Method.

TALA edit

TALA is a sportswear and fashion brand that markets itself as providing ethically made quality clothing.[14] According to the company, most garments are made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles upcycled into yarn, or factory offcuts.[14] TALA was launched in 2019 with the support of an influencer brand-building company and turned over £6.2 million in its first year.[15][better source needed] In April 2021, Beverley re-acquired the business. She appointed Morgan Fowles as managing director of TALA in 2021 to help her find investments.[16][17] Tala raised £4.2 million in December 2021, in funding led by Active Ventures and Venrex, and the team grew to over 40 people.[18] In 2022, it raised $5.7m in an investment round with venture capital firms.[18] TALA’s sales were in eight figures for 2023, up 100 per cent from 2022. In 2023, Fowles was named TALA’s CEO.[16]

Shreddy edit

Shreddy is a fitness product and technology brand. Users pay a monthly fee to access exercise classes and meal plans on the mobile app and can buy the equipment required to complete the classes.[19] Shreddy also sells a range of dietary supplements and protein bars which are stocked in supermarkets and pharmacies.[20] Beverley is the founder and current CEO of Shreddy.[21]

Some equipment now sold by Shreddy was originally designed for one of Beverley's previous businesses, B_ND, which focused on resistance bands for home and gym use. The B_ND concept was assimilated into the Shreddy brand in 2020.[22][23]

The Productivity Method edit

In 2022, Beverley founded The Productivity Method, which sells planners and diaries.[24] The planners follow the productivity model set out in Beverley’s book Working Hard, Hardly Working: How to achieve more, stress less and feel fulfilled.[25]

Podcast edit

Beverley hosts a weekly podcast titled Working Hard, Hardly Working where she interviews guests about their careers and the habits that led them to success.[26]

Recognition edit

Beverley was on the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Retail & Ecommerce list.[27] In 2020, Beverley was awarded the James Joyce Award by University College Dublin.[28]

Publications edit

Beverley, Grace (2021). Working Hard, Hardly Working. Penguin. ISBN 9781529159004.

References edit

  1. ^ Williams, Libby (1 March 2020). "Founder Focus: Grace Beverley of Shreddy, TALA and B_ND". BALANCE. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b Manavis, Sarah (16 June 2020). "The queen of quarantine: How Grace Beverley built an at-home fitness empire". New Statesman. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  3. ^ The New York Times Biographical Service, Volume 30. New York Times & Arno Press. 1999. p. 1595.
  4. ^ Moss, Michael S. (2004). "Broackes, Sir Nigel (1934–1999), financier and industrialist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/72953. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ^ Rice, Lilyanne (28 January 2021). "Inside Grace Beverley's life, her parents, her struggle against sexism, and her boyfriend". TheNetline.
  6. ^ a b Duggan, Margaret (9 November 2010). "SALISBURY: The Beverley sisters". The Church Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Women of Influence Series 2020 - Grace Beverley". Francis Holland School - Regents Park. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. ^ Chandler-Wilde, Helen (30 January 2020). "This is the workplace of the future, according to Grace Beverley - a 22-year-old CEO worth millions". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  9. ^ Chandler-Wilde, Helen (30 January 2020). "This is the workplace of the future, according to Grace Beverley - a 22-year-old CEO worth millions". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10. ^ West, Amelia (4 March 2020). "Grace Beverley: 13 Questions with the Founder of We Are Tala". Remake. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Rackham, Annabel (28 December 2019). "Grace Beverley: The 22-year-old taking on the gym wear world". BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Meet the 30 most famous YouTube and Instagram stars you've never heard of". The Telegraph. 22 September 2018.
  13. ^ "GraceFitUk | Grace Beverley Gymshark Athlete | Shop Now". Gymshark ROW. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b Campbell, Maeve (8 July 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: Grace Beverley on her game-changing sustainable activewear". Euronews. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  15. ^ Pavlova, Victoria (31 March 2020). "Grace Beverley: Ethical Fitness Influencer On The Path From Founder To CEO". Forbes. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  16. ^ a b Maguire, Lucy (1 November 2023). "Grace Beverley's Tala is growing up. Just don't call it an influencer brand". Vogue Business. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  17. ^ "WE ARE TALA LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  18. ^ a b Theodosi, Natalie (2 February 2022). "Grace Beverley Raises $5.7M to Expand Sustainable Activewear Label Tala". WWD. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  19. ^ Rigby, Sara (6 November 2020). "5 home workout apps for your socially-distanced exercise". BBC Science Focus Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  20. ^ Astill, Rebecca; Buchanan, Abigail (5 May 2023). "The best protein bars in 2023 (that actually taste good) for a nutritious snack". The Telegraph.
  21. ^ Hristova, Katina (30 September 2020). "Grace Beverley: Young, Female and Super Successful". CEO Today. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  22. ^ Mills, Sasha (17 November 2020). "In Conversation with Grace Beverley". Cherwell. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  23. ^ "@gracebeverley". Instagram. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  24. ^ "@gracebeverley". Instagram. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  25. ^ Turan, Cyan (12 April 2021). "Productivity tips for nailing a decent work/life balance, according to Grace Beverley". Cosmopolitan UK. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Working Hard, Hardly Working". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Grace Beverley". Forbes. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  28. ^ "@gracebeverley". Instagram. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2023.