In March 2016, former fashion model Candice Galek decided to promote Bikini Luxe, her three-year-old online swimsuit retailer, on an unconventional platform, professional networking site LinkedIn. The series of sexy photos of models wearing her flesh-baring products stirred a backlash from users who blasted her for treating the buttoned-up site like an Instagram feed. "It was very suit and tie, and here I was posting these beautiful women, sprawled out on a beach in Tahiti," says Galek. Instead of backing down, she upped the ante with an ultra-sexy shot of a neon green and lavender Montce bikini that exposed the mostly bare derriere of Miss Universe contestant Natalie Roser. In her caption, Galek wrote, "Is this appropriate for LinkedIn?" The post soon had 50,000 views and 500 comments. The controversy boosted Bikini Luxe's sales by 20%. In 2017, Galek is aiming to hit $5 million in revenue and to produce her own house brand. The University of Miami grad says that her 18-hour workdays are worth the gratification she gets from running her own business, which she far prefers to life in front of the camera: "I've never been that great at having someone else tell me what to do."

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