Started in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Brownie do Rapha was born in the most unlikely of circumstances. While Raphael was finishing his physical education degree, he got injured. Not being able to finish his degree with the injury, Raphael watched the cooking channel while he recovered. One day while watching, Raphael saw a brownie recipe and decided to try it out. After the tenth try, Raphael says that the brownies turned out perfectly. And shortly after, people were paying him to bake them.

Fast-forward to 2016, and Raphael now has a physical shop with over 20 employees, as well as an online store that delivers throughout Brazil. More than the basic brownie recipe he started with, Brownie do Rapha is known for it's overly decadent desserts of brownies topped with chocolate bars, icing and, in some cases, even ice cream lollies. With such over-the-top and visually stunning treats, customers began sharing photos of them on Instagram.

But more than creating a product that's often shared by customers on Instagram, Raphael credits the platform for helping the continued growth of his tasty company. "It helps the company by bringing it closer to our customers, to transmit the essence of our company in a much more personal way," he says. And more specifically, Raphael credits the help of video adverts on Instagram in doubling the shop's revenue in a single year.