From First Creator to Thriving Agency: Giedre Vainauskiene on the Power of UGC

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Milan Kohut, we meet Giedre Vainauskiene, a pioneering UGC creator and founder of the creative agency Mercial. Giedre shares her journey from being one of the first UGC creators in Lithuania to identifying a critical market gap: brands craved authentic, converting videos but struggled to find and brief creators effectively. This insight led her to co-found a platform connecting European brands with creators before ultimately launching Mercial, a boutique agency that acts as a strategic creative partner rather than just a content supplier.Giedre delves into the current state of her business, explaining Mercial's hybrid model as both a UGC agency and creative studio that focuses on long-term retainers, primarily in the beauty, health, and fashion industries. She discusses the challenges of scaling while maintaining the high-quality, "family-like" service she's built, her goals for international expansion beyond Lithuania, and her passion for coaching new UGC creators. Giedre's key advice for aspiring creators is to "start messy, but start now," emphasizing that clarity comes from action, not overthinking.