Emily Carter never planned to be famous. In fact, before Instagram, she was just another 20-something working a 9-to-5 marketing job in Portland, Oregon. But one viral post changed everything.
It started with a simple mirror selfie. She had just cut her own bangs in her tiny apartment bathroom, botched them horribly, and posted a brutally honest caption: “Tried to cut my own bangs. 0/10, do not recommend.”
Her friends laughed. A few strangers commented. Then, overnight, her post exploded. Celebrities reposted it, brands started sliding into her DMs, and suddenly, Emily was gaining 10,000 followers a day.
At first, she brushed it off. “It’s just a one-time thing,” she told herself. But then, her followers wanted more—more honesty, more realness, more Emily. So, she leaned into it. She documented her daily life, from failed recipes to awkward first dates. Her raw humor and self-deprecating charm resonated with millions who were tired of the picture-perfect, curated influencer aesthetic.
Within a year, brands like Glossier, Levi’s, and even Netflix reached out for collaborations. She quit her job. Today, Emily Carter has over 2.5 million followers, a best-selling book, and a podcast where she interviews other accidental influencers.
What started as a joke became her full-time career. And the best part? She’s still the same unfiltered, bangs-mistake-making Emily her followers fell in love with.