Tammy Hembrow built a $50 million empire, but people only want to talk about her relationships.

Tammy Hembrow is setting the record straight.

Considered one of the most successful influencers in Australia, the 29-year-old's life has been in the public fold for close to a decade, since she first went viral during her pregnancy with her son Wolf, who is about to turn nine.

She shares him with ex-fiancé Reece Hawkins, along with their daughter, seven-year-old Saskia. Almost two years ago, Hembrow also welcomed her daughter Posy, with ex-fiancé and former Ironman champion Matt Poole.

In a new interview, the businesswoman — who has amassed a net worth of more than $50 million — has shared the reality of having a public profile where her parenting decisions, lifestyle and relationships are constantly up for public debate.

It's her latest relationship with podcaster and reality star Matt Zukowski, to whom she became engaged in December 2023 (just three months after publicly confirming their relationship), that has sparked considerable conversation.

Specifically, Hembrow has addressed the comments people have made about her being a mother with three kids to two different men, saying that it is in the kids' and her best interests that she did not stay in relationships with her former partners.

"People say you should work things out for the kids but that is just, literally, not the best option. Blended families can be amazing, and my goal is to always get along with my exes," she told Stellar.

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"When people say, 'Oh, you're introducing your kids to another man,' I get where they're coming from, but I'm not doing this lightly," she said in reference to her partner. "I always do what's in the best interests of my kids."

While Hembrow hasn't discussed her former relationships with Poole or Hawkins individually, she has shed light on her new relationship, confessing this is the first engagement where she's felt comfortable enough to shop for wedding dresses. Hembrow also explained why their relationship is successful, pointing to the fact that Zukowski having a profile means he understands the demands of her career.

"It was always sort of like my partner on the sideline and it doesn't feel like that with [Zukowski]," she said. "I haven't really had someone who understands completely or doesn't see it as a negative."

Hembrow and Zukowski got engaged in December 2023. Image: Instagram @tammyhembrow.

With more than 17.5 million followers on Instagram, Hembrow has built a strong legion of fans who are keen to follow her every move — particularly her workout content, her fashion and her three kids. But she's also a business owner, having founded the online fitness app Tammy Fit and a clothing brand Saski Collection.

However, according to Hembrow herself, she wasn't always this financially successful. 

She came from "humble beginnings" in rural Queensland — and it was $400 in her pocket that gave her the push to start something new.

Hembrow grew up in Currumbin Valley near the Gold Coast and went to primary school with no more than 80 students. "We did not have a lot of money. We didn't live in a house, we lived in an old wedding reception facility. We made the walls out of tables and blankets. The bath was outside too. My dad called it 'an adventure'," she shared on the How I Made It podcast.

In high school, Hembrow decided to live with her mum — Hembrow's parents separated during her childhood — who was living in Singapore.

"It was the complete opposite to how I had been living. My mum's partner, my stepdad, was extremely successful and was living a big life of luxury. I had never seen it up close, only ever in movies. It was the first thing that inspired me to be successful in whatever I was going to do."

Hembrow later returned to Australia where she did a Bachelor of Business on the Gold Coast. But from the very start of her first lecture, Hembrow hated it. She knew it wasn't right for her. 

"I was good at doing the work, but I didn't feel like I was actually learning anything. It wasn't until the end of the degree and I had a unit on entrepreneurship that I knew that was what I wanted to do. It was the only class that made sense to me," she said. "I decided I would be my own boss, do it myself, and I left uni."

Then Hembrow unexpectedly fell pregnant.

At this point, Hembrow was already slowly starting to build a following on social media.

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But when she started to document her pregnancy and motherhood journey at 20 years old on Instagram, her following increased dramatically — a far cry away from those who'd once told her that falling pregnant was the worst thing she could do for her career.

"People said to me, 'Oh, your life is ruined now'. All these negative things were being said. But I wanted to make people see the opposite of that and prove them all wrong. I wanted to show that I could still do everything I wanted to do while being a young mum," she said.

Now a mum to three kids — son Wolf, eight, daughter Saskia, seven, and baby Posy, who will be two in June — the 29-year-old says she knew that marketing was an incredibly important tool when building a business. And what better way to self-promote a business and profile than by creating an engaged audience on Instagram?

"I had so many different ideas. I was in the gym training all the time and I wanted to share that with people and make this into a profitable business," she shared on How I Made It.

She started out by offering fitness programs that she designed herself to her Instagram and YouTube followers. 

"My initial investment was about $400, which I spent with someone to illustrate the exercises on the programs I was making. So the illustrator drew up the professional shots, and it eventually evolved into Tammy Fit the app."

She then used all the money she had accrued from selling the programs as well as her influencer promotional posts to design the app, which was a large initial investment. But Hembrow knew it would pay off.

The Tammy Fit app charges users from around $100 a year for a subscription — and given the fanbase it has, it's had a great uptake with millions of users around the world.

When her daughter Saskia was born, Hembrow and her sister Amy decided to create their own activewear label — Saski Collection.

"I was promoting and wearing other people's activewear on Instagram and I thought I should be wearing my own activewear brand — I thought it could marry my two passions, fitness and fashion."

Of course, there have been some bumps along the way. And as Hembrow said, every mistake has been a great learning curve.

When she and her sister accidentally over-sold their first activewear collection drop for Saski Collection, Hembrow jumped on the phone and called as many people as she could on the hundreds-strong purchaser list. It wasn't a great start, but she knew that if she directly spoke to the customers, and offered them a choice of a refund or to wait for an order, it would build a level of trust. 

"I didn't want people to be upset. This is the first impression people get of my business, and I wanted it to go well. Everyone was so nice about it, fortunately."

With the businesses growing consistently, Hembrow has said it's all about having a great team around her to lift everyone up. As she noted in a profile interview with Afterpay, being able to let go of the reins and delegate has been a lifesaver. 

"I have a great team at Saski Collection and Tammy Fit. I couldn't keep track of what was happening with the businesses without having good people in place. And I love to see what people can achieve when they're given the chance," she said.

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Reflecting on all that she has built for herself and her family, Hembrow said that she has always dreamt of being 'successful'. It was just about putting it into action. 

"With my brand and career I focus on so many different aspects, whether it's fitness, fashion or family," she said. 

"These passions are something I've always wanted to drive my career early with, and I think making that decision early on has allowed me to pursue different avenues in my professional career, which is so fulfilling."

This article was originally published on August 5, 2020 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram @tammyhembrow.