When internet celebrity Charli D’Amelio posted her first TikTok in 2019, she was just a 15-year-old navigating high school drama and thinking about college applications. Neither she nor her family had any idea it would lead to million-dollar brand deals, a Hulu reality series and a family-run snack company on Walmart shelves.
But just a few years — and a few billion views — later, the D’Amelio name has become nearly as ubiquitous to Gen Z as the Kardashians.
Now, the family is leveraging that fame to promote their latest venture: Be Happy Snacks — a business built on positivity, purpose and, of course, popcorn.
Related: 5 Business Lessons From Sisters Dixie and Charli D’Amelio
From the bedroom to the boardroom
The D’Amelio family first burst onto the scene in 2019, when the youngest daughter, Charli, began posting dance videos from her bedroom on TikTok. By March 2020, she had become the platform’s most followed creator, and she brought her family along for the ride.
Her older sister, Dixie, wasn’t immediately on board.
“For me personally, I found it embarrassing and couldn’t see myself doing that,” Dixie says.
But when Charli hit a million followers, Dixie joined in, eventually building a following of her own. As their popularity grew, Charli landed a deal with Dunkin’ Donuts, and both sisters partnered with Abercrombie.
“We realized early on that there were a lot of brands coming to us for endorsement deals,” says Marc D’Amelio, father to Charli and Dixie. “So we started D’Amelio Brands with the understanding that we wanted to create something that we owned and promoted together as a family.”
While family offices — privately held companies set up to manage generational wealth — have long been associated with names like Walton Enterprises or the Ballmer Group, the D’Amelios are creating their own version, rooted in modern media and digital influence.
“I never had the chance to help my parents start a family business,” Marc says. “But now, we’ve got an office — Charli’s in New York for a while, we’re on Broadway and Dixie’s out here in LA. That’s what I always envisioned. Not having an end game, just doing it together, taking it one step at a time and building something meaningful as a family.”
The first step was assembling the right support system.
“We hired a business manager, an agent and a lawyer,” Marc explains.
But when it came to the brand side, he took the lead himself. Before becoming the patriarch of what some call the “first family of TikTok,” Marc D’Amelio spent decades in the apparel industry, working on high-profile deals like Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers collaboration with K-Swiss. The fame was new, but the business wasn’t.
The biggest adjustment wasn’t managing the brand — it was learning how to stay grounded as a family amid the whirlwind.
“We’re still learning and figuring it out,” says Marc’s wife and Charli and Dixie’s mother, Heidi. “We try to keep family and business time separate, and only talk business when we have a scheduled meeting.”
Related: The D’Amelios, TikTok’s ‘First Family,’ Reveal How They Create Multi-Million Dollar Brands — And Their 5 Secrets to Success.
When life gives you hate, make popcorn
Managing a business with your family is challenging enough. Doing it under the scrutiny of millions adds another layer of pressure. Marc pointed to a viral moment from the family’s Hulu show, where Dixie gave an emotional speech about how deeply hate comments affect her.
“One of the lessons I try to teach my girls is not just to be happy, but to live in the moment,” Marc says. “I’ve been extremely proud of both of them for speaking openly about mental health.”
Building on that sentiment, the family is putting mental health awareness at the forefront of their latest venture, Be Happy Snacks. Inspired by Dixie’s 2020 debut song “Be Happy”, where she vents about her struggles with mental health, Be Happy Snacks were born out of the family’s desire to help bring people together.
“Some of our favorite times as a family have happened in the kitchen,” Marc says. “Like most families, we’re big on snacking—and it all came together from there.”
Be Happy Snacks can be found at Walmart in-store or online. They come in flavors like Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, Sweet & Salty and White Cheddar.
Despite becoming household names seemingly overnight, the D’Amelio sisters are still in their early 20s, with plenty of life and business ahead.
“Right now, I’m enjoying working on the business, especially the snacks,” Dixie says. “I’ve been letting things settle a bit — there’s no need to be doing a million different things every year. It’s been fun just focusing and working closely with my parents on the popcorn.”
What the future holds for TikTok’s First Family is anyone’s guess. But for now, Dixie is taking her own advice. Be happy.
When internet celebrity Charli D’Amelio posted her first TikTok in 2019, she was just a 15-year-old navigating high school drama and thinking about college applications. Neither she nor her family had any idea it would lead to million-dollar brand deals, a Hulu reality series and a family-run snack company on Walmart shelves.
But just a few years — and a few billion views — later, the D’Amelio name has become nearly as ubiquitous to Gen Z as the Kardashians.
Now, the family is leveraging that fame to promote their latest venture: Be Happy Snacks — a business built on positivity, purpose and, of course, popcorn.
Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.
Read the full article here
