A Dallas woman with an idea and the guts to go for it is revolutionizing the tech and fashion world.
And she's making a lot of fashion bloggers, magazines and celebrities rich in the process.
Amber Venz is a 28-year-old Southern Methodist University graduate who runs a $290 million fashion-tech business in the heart of Dallas.
The company, rewardStyle, was born four years ago out of an idea Venz had with her now-husband, Baxter Box.
Back then, Venz says she was just a fashion blogger – a cute girl with a knack for putting outfits together – but she says there was no money in it.
"There wasn't a way for me, as a girl who writes a blog, to connect with major department stores downtown," Venz said.
The pair put their heads together to create the first monetization solution for fashion bloggers, celebrities and magazines, turning a hobby into a multi-million dollar business.
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Here's part of how it works. A fashion blogger, such as Dallas native Krystal Schlegel, takes a picture of her outfit for her blog and posts it on Instagram as well. A consumer who wants to buy the items in the outfit then clicks on the image and is directed to the corresponding retailer. If that consumer purchases the item, the blogger gets a cut of the total sale.
Schlegel says she is making a six-figure income.
"It's amazing that I've been able to turn my hobby into a full-time career," Schlegel said.
Also getting a cut is rewardStyle, which is expected to drive $500 million in retail sales this year.
"We are enabling hundreds of bloggers around the world to be independent and to work for themselves and be their own bosses. And the audiences they serve are obsessed with them and their advice, and they're getting this advice for free, and it's just a win-win-win scenario," Venz said.
RewardStyle now has 126 employees with offices in Dallas, London and San Francisco. The secret to her success, Venz says, is hard work and her Texas roots.
"I'm proud when I travel to other areas of the world. I think Southern values are something that carry you a long way with all sorts of different people," Venz said.
