How Charli D’Amelio Is Building a TikTok Empire

I'm Emily Chang, and this is the circuit today. I'm taking you to La, home of Hollywood heavyweights, where there are some new kids in town. The TikTok stars. One of the biggest is Charlie Emilio, who became a sleeper social media sensation through the pandemic. She now has over one hundred and fifty million followers on TikTok, one of the platform's most popular creators. I sat down with Charlie and her parents, Heidi and Mark Dmilio to talk about life in the spotlight.

My first day walking into the TikTok office with my sister who We're in La for like a few days, and we just strolled by the office and everyone kind of looked like, who's this girl. Back in a few weeks later and they're like, oh my gosh, Charlie.

We also talk about how they're hoping to turn that meteoric rise into a long lasting business empire. They've got a reality show, a VC fund, a new shoe line, and more. Here's my conversation with the Damelio family, So.

Dancing with the Stars. Congratulations, by the way, who Nickelodeon brand deals endorsements, the VC fund ces south by Southwest, Like, how do you even keep track of it?

All?

Our calendar is pretty intense and we all have a shared calendar so we all know, Like before I call them, like, let me make sure they weren't able to sleep till noon today.

I don't want to wake anybody up.

And we have a team that helps us keep our calendar going pretty strong.

You know.

I see how much you're all doing, and it's still almost shocking how new you still are to this sort of being famous thing, Like it happened really fast. Are you used to it yet?

I think Heidi and I are probably more used to it because we don't get one one hundred of Charlie, Like we went out to dinner last day and they took a couple of pictures of us and that was it.

She gets mobbed in a lot of instance. Yeah.

Yeah, I kind of stay in a little bubble almost of you know, my very very close friends, and I think it helps, like having my hometown friends that I talk to that can you know, still be like a little rough today and like like there's it's just so normal to where I don't feel any type of way about how people see me. But then when I do, you know, go out and there's people there and or

You know, there's also no parenting guide for how to raise two people who are TikTok famous.

Right, yes, there's not.

I feel like for Charlie when she does go out, it's like a unicorn when she's out of her house. So people love, people get extra excited. Like Dixie loves, she loves driving, she loves going shopping, she loves going out, so people are I feel a little bit more used to seeing her out. But when she goes out, it's like, wait, she's out.

And then out in the wild. It's almost like you won this TikTok lottery. You were thrust into the spotlight so fast. And I've actually heard you say a few times you don't even know why you took off? Do you get it now? Like, do you think you understand why everyone was so obsessed with you?

No?

Like, imagine it happens to you and then all of a sudden, there's all of these people that are watching what you do and taking inspiration from the things you do, and everyone always asks like, how do you do it? I'm posting the same stuff that I posted before. I don't really know. It feels like nothing changed, but all of a sudden people took a liking to me and it all went a little bit crazy from there. It's very hard to pinpoint exactly what it could have been.

Yeah, so you've got this Damelia family business, and I know you all have your own roles, Like Mark, you have a business background?

Hi?

Do you or a model? Charlie is Charlie? What do you want people to know about the business and what you're trying to accomplish? And you know, what are your roles?

Yeah?

I mean we we came up with the concept of the Melia brands, not anything unique to our to what other people with notoriety or celebrities have done. We just there were times that we would partner with with certain certain companies and there was someone else's creative direction. And I think both Dixie and Charlie have their finger on the pulse of what's happening. And we were still doing endorsement deals. Charlie's still doing endorsement deals. But we've always

And that's what's that's what I.

Love and you you've got like the creative stuff going.

I've been really involved in the creative side of the shoe brand. I always check in with the girls because they're really smart with knowing like, oh, this isn't gonna work, this is going to work. That coupled with things that I know without a doubt when it comes to that. So between the four of us, like I feel like we'll have we all have like our input that's going to make it launch really well.

Yeah.

Mark, I heard you say on your podcast that people think you're calculated, that you have some sort of master plan, right. Is that a misperception?

Yeah?

Absolutely, Like we always just lie by the seat of our pants. The brand stuff is probably more the most calculated thing we've done and It's something that I feel most comfortable doing because I have a background, and I have my clothing brand. I've worked with the Didis Mitchell and Nas and other companies, So this is something that you have to calculate other things. It was just like sometimes we'd post, sometimes we wouldn't.

It was all over the place.

And I think that's just back to the thing you were saying before, like why, Charlie. I think it was a right place, right time, And I think that it just was past a time where everybody's trying to take the perfect picture and show this perfect self.

And I think what TikTok showed is.

A girl of fifteen year old girl in her room, just hanging out with her bed unmade and close on the floor and just doing dances and really shed a light to what.

A young girl's doing. And I think it resonated with everybody. But none of that was calculated.

The scrutiny is unrelenting. Fans like your fans are fickle at this point, now a few years into this, how do you deal with that?

Still? I think that that's something that I don't know if you can ever just completely ignore, because it's always going to be there. No matter what. But I think it definitely gets a little bit easier to not let it be, you know, so damaging to use a person. There's definitely days where I see something and I like can't what was it? What was it this time? And

Yeah, so it was twenty nineteen that things really took off. Like, if you could give advice to your twenty nineteen self, what would that be.

I think the only advice that I could really give would be a version of the figure it out, Like there's no there's no need to always be so worried about what's next, because it is going to work out. It's all going to be fine, And even if this all goes away, It's going to be fine, you know, because there's always yourself that you have to you know, be confident enoughing that you're going to have people around you that like you as a person, and you kind of just have to take it one step at a time.

How about advice to the parents. I mean, you've got like new teenagers, kids going on social media every day, I mean in general in the world right and all parents trying to figure out how to deal with that.

Heidi and I always talked about early on, like both Tixi and Charlie have their own personal brand before all of this, and that.

They need to protect that.

And with that we gained a lot of trust in them because they proved to us that they were so we never checked text we never checked posts.

And I would tell parents out.

There to keep your eye on them, but give them the freedom to instill in them what you think is right and wrong and the kids will follow that and don't be too overbearing.

And I think that was what we did.

All right, Well, mine are ten and under, so I'm going to try to ingest that. I'm sure you've been following a little bit, you know, the TikTok controversy in China and are there security concerns and should it be banned? What do you think about all that.

I don't think it should be banned. I think that if you're worried about the information that social media apps are taking, you should worry about them all, and if you're not going to worry about them all, you shouldn't worry about any of them.

Charlie, what do you think?

I think that's a question that people ask me a lot, and I, you know, as a eighteen year old girl who makes videos on the Internet, I don't think that that's a decision that I'm educated enough to be understand or have a real opinion on.

Yeah, I didn't have TikTok Stars launching a venture capital fund in my crystal ball a few years ago, but here you are four four four capital. Talk to us about the mission and what you're trying.

To do here.

Yeah.

So we partnered with a group of really smart investors and they're going out there basically partnering with mid to late stage companies that take an investment, and they're putting money into really cool companies that all have a great story, companies that are minority driven or female CEOs and and stuff that relates back to what we think. I think

The opportunity to a number of female founders, Right, why is that important.

Just in our family alone to have I think there's three of us that as females feel like we can do anything. And then in our company here, there's a lot of women that work here, and it's just they were the best for their position they were applying for. It's just the way it was.

And I think.

Sometimes with that we forget how hard it is out there for women to take it to the next step. And so to be able to be a part of that and to give them that opportunity to bring their passion to the next level is something that was It was just a no brainer.

The economy is changing, Like we're in a different environment now than maybe when even you launch this, Like how do you think about that when you're thinking about where to deploy capital into who?

I think the good thing about what we did is we actually are creating tangible products.

Where a lot of people invested in.

In apps or software or things that had an immense amount of capital that.

They needed to deploy.

We make a shoe and we sell it and investors can hold it, and with our name behind it, we've been able to create a lot of excitement, Like we raise money during a time that no one was raising money, and I owe it to my partner, rich Rosenblatt, who navigated.

Me through all of this.

Now there's a lot of creators out there that are trying to launch their own brands. Not everyone has his money followers as Charlie, I'll give you that, But what's going to make your stand out? What's going to be the cut above the rest.

A couple of things.

One is the fact that we have Dixie and Charlie on the pulse of what's happening with their generation, and I think Heidi with her experience, And we have hired really talented people. I mean, our head of design, Lauren came from Comudo Group worked was that one of the top designers of Jessica Simson Footwear. We've hired one of the top directors of production to actually help us manufacture the shoes. So part knowledge and I think part quality of the people we've hired is going to separate us.

There's so many creators that are looking at you all for inspiration, and I'm just so curious, Like, you know, it's like, well, can you tell us about the secret sauce? Like in those early days, how much did TikTok support you? Did they work with you, did they help you? Or was it really all you?

I just hopped on it one day and started posting I do give sixteen year old knee a pat on the back. And I think there was lots of decisions that we made as a family that helped us get to where we are now. It was so out of nowhere. How could I ask TikTok for support when I didn't even know that there was, Like people like, I don't

They were so new that they really didn't know what they were doing.

They would just call to say, hey, do you guys, everybody's home, you want to do taco Tuesdays and put up a camera and they would run it live on TikTok like there was and we were just like, sure, yeah, that sounds fun.

We're sitting home. Everyone else is sitting home.

As much as we didn't have a master plan or a roadmap, they didn't have a plan or a roadmap either.

They didn't know what was going on either, and it kind of took everyone by surprise. And I think that's also kind of a fun part was we all got to you know, they grew as an app. I grew as a creator and as a person, and we grew as a family kind of all at the same time.

Yeah, how much do you think it was the algorithm?

I think that that is probably one of the questions I could ask the most. And genuinely, I have no idea, because truly, I don't even think the people at TikTok understand the algorithm. So I mean, I know what works for me and what doesn't, and I can make those decisions either based on what works for the algorithm or what I want to put, and I normally pick what I want to.

Guess there's some controversy around how much creators should get paid. And you know, there's a lot of creators out there who think they don't get enough love from the platforms that they're on and helping generate all these using content.

What's your reaction to that.

I learned early on that I think different than movie studios and television studios, where the talent is the most important, with companies like TikTok and Instagram, the software that's the driving force. So they look at it as you're interchangeable, and we never looked at it like you owe us something. But I do think they could do more based on the valuation of TikTok being potentially a forty billion dollar company.

I think the creators should share in that more than they do.

What was the jump from TikTok to TV?

Like, the biggest thing for me has always been the talking part on TikTok. I don't talk. Most people don't know what my voice sounds like. They've never really heard me say much. Yeah, and I'm fine with that. But you know, when you have a show that's documenting your life, you want to tell your story because you have a chance to really explain all sides rather than you have

Yeah, do you feel a sense of urgency in this moment? Like this fame could be fleeting, we should capitalize on it now, Like how do we make the most of this opportunity or no, hy do?

Yes, We've always talked about that, We've seen platforms coming go we know this, and so we always try to do content on all the platforms, but also fine for especially for the girls, but even for market on like our passion projects, things that we enjoy doing but could make a living at if all of this goes away, and you know, yeah, the girls are very aware of this could all end, and so that's why it's important to take these opportunities and make the most of them,

Say, like, you have to enjoy it. You're going to look back at this time and think what was I worrying about so much? Like I should have just enjoyed it.

So, yeah, do you worry it could all the poof or you just don't don't think that far ahead.

I think everyone else probably wishes that I worry more about it, because when the time comes to make a video or or speak or whatever it is, you know, I always look at it as what do I feel like saying? What do I feel like making? Rather than well, i've heard that this performs best, Let me do exactly that. There's way there's ways to definitely further grow your audience. But at the same time, those core people that watch you, they're going to follow you to whatever makes you happy.

Also, I think if you ever have to do social media marketing, you can probably make a pretty.

She'll be okay.

As the empire gets bigger and you're on all of these different platforms, how are you thinking about.

Like how much you want to put yourselves out there?

Like keep putting yourselves out there? Will that always be part of your brand?

I think one of the reasons why we started Damelio Brands is that kind of will help us whether we want to. If we have a thriving footwear company that's doing extremely well, then Charlie has the opportunity and I have the opportunity, and Heidi has the opportunity to be as.

Involved or is not as involved as we'd like to be. But right now this is fun for me.

I think Heidi had a blast with Dancing with the Stars, but I would love Charlie and Dick' to have the ability that if they want to take ten steps back and just kind of relax a little bit, they had that opportunity.

Do you ever think about how much your daughters are putting themselves out there and should they be doing that, and you know, wondering if.

This is the right thing.

I kind of let them take the lead, but we

So I said, you have to just.

You have to because they're not going to see it unless you show it. And so I think for as far as showing themselves online like that was my advice to them is like show yourself growing up. And I think it's I think they felt like it worked and they were happy to feel like they could have growth. And with that, you're doing things that eighteen year olds or dixis now twenty one, twenty one year olds are doing and they're adults. They live in their own house, they play their own Brant.

I believe it's the last episode of the second season where you say you have some growing up to Jerry. You're excited to show this chapter growing up and you have shown so many sides of yourself, which I think probably really helpful to a lot of people out there, kids who are struggling Right as you grow up, are you thinking about how your audience changes and how you reach them in new and different ways?

Absolutely. I think the years of fifteen years old to eighteen years old, you probably have some of the most change within yourself. You know, kids are going off to college, they're being more independent, and if I still had to be, you know, fifteen, I would be making things that everyone else wanted. But also the people that were there from

The circuit continues after this quick break.

Okay, so come on in. This is the glamor room, Okay, where you know we get ready throughout the day or if we are here doing meetings or whatever it could be.

Love a hip glamorom.

You know, we've got all of the makeup products that are kind of essential to us, all of the things that we need every day for hair and you know, some extra wardrobe. All that importance is that your perfume it is This is Born Dreamer. It's been out about eight months now, so this is very exciting. If you saw the amount of renderings of just what Bourn Dreamer can look like on this it is wild. Yeah, all

Given everything you've learned, you must have a good sense of what gen Z.

Wants, like what you think Jennysen wants. I think that that's something that is ever changing. You know. The next kind of version of this, which I'm super excited about. I have here that no one's really seen yet. It's travel version.

Oh. You know, people think influencers don't have real job. Yes, what would you say to those people?

I think it depends on what you do with what you have. You know, this could definitely be something where I don't have to be involved in this, but for me to want to wear the same scent every day, I have to love it.

Social Media burnout is real. Do you still feel the burn sometimes?

And what do you do when you feel that? Absolutely? I mean it's inevitable doing posting all the time. You know, you're not always in a creative space, and those are the moments where you really have to stop and take a step back and sometimes pivot. You know, sometimes things you thought you liked it, but it's just not something that you're feeling passionate about anymore. And there's ways to

You've been open about body shaming and bullying. What do you think about beauty filters and people using those to show a certain side of themselves.

I think it's unique to each and every person. Everyone is insecurities. I post bad photos of myself, and I still post the best of the worst. There's never going to be a time where every single person is happy with every single part about them and that's just human nature. You can't control that, And I think it's what you choose to interact with that really makes the difference in

Get scarier out there, like deep fake technology and you're a celebrity, right, Yeah, they're coming for you.

Yeah. There's definitely been lots of instances that we've had to, you know, deal with in the proper ways. And now there's voice changing can make it sound like you say anything, and that is scary. That's really scary because people believe things so easily. I've even heard some made by my own fan pages. It's definitely something that needs to be figured out because that's something that can ruin someone's life

What's your favorite TikTok trend, Mike, right now.

You'vete TikTok trend right now would probably be all of the makeup trends that are going on, like the one dip Chalice doing your makeup in alphabetical order. I love watching people do makeup, so that's that's kind of where I gravitate towards watching right now.

Least favorite TikTok trend.

Ooh, least favorite TikTok trend would probably be the ones where people kind of talk about anything that happens they like rate either what people are wearing or their hair and their makeup. I don't always love that because when it happens to me sometimes I'm like, I love that dress, but everyone else hates it.

Is there somewhere on the Internet that you love that's like your happy place.

I feel like I am always on my phone, but that's kind of it's not really because it's my job. It's because I'm a teenager. Yeah, we're kind of, for the most part majority a little bit addicted to our phones.

You show so much of yourself on camera on social media. Is there anything that we don't see? Like who's the Charlie we don't see? Or what are there? Is there anything you keep for yourself?

Definitely? I think I've come to a point in my life where I keep the really bad days to myself, and I also keep the you know, nights hanging out with my friends to myself. For the most part, you would actually be surprised. I don't take a lot of pictures and photos when I'm just in the moment, and that's something that you know, it's great because I'm in the moment and my phone is gone and I'm just happy to be here. But then it is also nice to have those memories.

Is that What advice would you have for teens out there who are trying to figure out their relationship with social media.

I think people are always going to evolve and change and be on to the next thing, and you can't just keep chasing this unattainable perfectness or happiness or this life that you're never going to have a bad day. It's not reality. And I think that that's something that can be really hard to come to terms with. But once you kind of take the weight off of your shoulders that you need to be a certain perfect version of you, it's nice to be easy on yourself. Sometimes liberating.

Yeah, well probably liberating for kids out there to hear you say that, So thank.

You, thank you for having that with us.

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Circuit. I'm Emily Chang. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Emily Chang TV. You can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg Television or on demand by downloading the Bloomberg app to your smart TV. And check out our other Bloomberg podcasts on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartMedia app, or wherever you listen to shows and let us know what you think by leaving us a review. I'm your

Thanks so much for listening.