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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Former LSU gymnast and internet megastar Livvy Dunne took the social media world by storm during the pandemic, garnering millions of followers and paving the way for college athletes in the NIL era.<\/p>\n
Since graduating, she hasn\u2019t missed a step, turning her massive following into major brand partnerships with companies like Vuori, Grubhub and Fanatics, and recently securing a role in the Baywatch reboot. Now, the 23-year-old is entering the next phase of her career \u2014 one defined as much by ownership as it is by exposure.<\/p>\n
Dunne has been the face of countless brands, but at this stage in her career, her mindset has shifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really value those longer partnerships,\u201d she tells Entrepreneur<\/i>. \u201cOne-off deals can be great, especially if it\u2019s a product you genuinely love, but long-term relationships show loyalty to the team, the partnership, and the product.\u201d<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean she\u2019s chasing equity in just any brand that comes her way. She\u2019s intentional about aligning with companies she genuinely believes in, a philosophy that is evident in her partnership<\/a> with the energy drink brand Accelerator Active Energy.<\/p>\n \u201cAccelerator was the first brand I had equity in,\u201d Dunne says. \u201cIn a sense, it\u2019s like my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Image credit: Accelerator Active Energy<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Dunne has worked with Accelerator for the past three years, helping develop her signature Cotton Candy flavor, which has quickly become the brand\u2019s No. 1 SKU across both retail and e-commerce and is on track to surpass one million cans sold by April, some of which her teammates at LSU used to stock the locker room fridge.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole squad loved it,\u201d she says, noting several of them did deals with accelerator as well.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, that level of success hasn\u2019t been the reality for most student-athletes \u2014 especially women. Dunne is working to change that through the Livvy Fund, an initiative<\/a> designed to help LSU\u2019s female student-athletes secure NIL deals and close the gap. Accelerator became the first brand to contribute.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important for female athletes to capitalize during college, because there aren\u2019t many professional opportunities afterward,\u201d Dunne says. \u201cThat\u2019s why it means so much to have a brand like Accelerator supporting the Livvy Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n Dunne began posting on social media around age 10, documenting her gymnastics journey. During the pandemic, her already growing platform exploded from hundreds of thousands to millions of followers, and her bank account ballooned to seven figures by age 19, thanks to NIL rule changes.<\/p>\n While platforms like Instagram and TikTok have opened doors once unimaginable, they haven\u2019t come without drawbacks. But as a gymnast, Dunne has been conditioned to handle criticism her entire life.<\/p>\n \u201cGymnastics is a judgmental sport,\u201d she says. \u201cSocial media is judgmental, too. Sometimes it\u2019s out of your control.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than going back and forth arguing with strangers in the comments, Dunne prefers to make light of viral situations and even embrace the jokes.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s \u2018Geaux Time\u2019 for Accelerator<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t sweat the haters<\/h2>\n