Why Claire Holt Left Hollywood For A Community Of 13 Million

How does a star of global hits like The Vampire Diaries and H2O: Just Add Water transition from playing iconic supernatural characters to becoming a full-time creator with a social media following built on vulnerability and authenticity? On this episode of the Forbes Top Creator Show, host Steven Bertoni sits down with actress turned entrepreneur Claire Holt to deconstruct her "reverse trajectory": moving from the rigid schedules of traditional Hollywood to reclaiming autonomy as a powerhouse digital creator. Claire opens up about the terrifying but life-changing decision to stop hiding behind the characters she played and share her personal experiences online, and how a post with 40,000+ comments fundamentally shifted her relationship with her audience, transforming 13 million casual fans into a deeply connected community that acts as the primary engine for her business. Beyond content creation, Claire reveals the mechanics behind her new fashion brand, Saint Sirène, co-founded with Madeline Simmer. She explains why she refused outside capital to solve the elusive "perfect white tee" problem, and how she manages a high-velocity schedule that often starts with a 3:30 AM run. Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?s... Check out the Forbes Top Creator List: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbe... 0:19 From Australian Mermaid to Hollywood 3:19 The Power of Supernatural Fandoms 6:19 Using Twitter to Book Acting Gigs 11:43 Quitting Hollywood for Motherhood & Freedom 13:28 The Reality of Being Completely Exposed Online 22:49 The Post That Changed Everything 25:19 The 3:30 AM Routine & AI Scheduling 31:47 Crowdsourcing the Perfect White T-Shirt 38:38 Bootstrapping Saint Sirène 40:47 Why Creators Are the New Hollywood Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more: https://account.forbes.com/membership... Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter:   / forbes   Forbes Video on Instagram:   / forbes   More From Forbes: http://forbes.com Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.