Everything to Know About Social Media Star and Author Eli Rallo
We're here to celebrate the woman who does it all–Miss Congeniality podcast host, TikTok and Instagram personality and I Didn't Know I Needed This author, Eli Rallo.
At just 25 years old, she's showing her audience the importance of being real and true to oneself. As a now-New York City resident, Eli has been working through figuring it all out, from city life to personal goals, relationships and more.
Eli first went viral after accidentally setting public a private TikTok video meant just for friends. After her family dog passed back home, her parents gifted the dog's food jar to her, and she began creating videos featuring a mixture of her favorite gluten-free treats under an account named "The Jarr."
Even though she never thought she'd become a content creator, she's happy to share her creativity with the world. She started sharing her life, favorite things, memes, mood boards and "in"s and "out"s of the month on her platforms.
As a true theater lover, Eli also yearned to be a playwright, studying theater and creative writing, as well as political science. In 2020, she graduated from Columbia Journalism School with the intention of becoming an author and playwright.
Three years later, Eli is now a Harper Collins published author with the release of I Didn't Know I Needed This, inspiring her readers with deep and true stories about her life so far. Through this book, she shares a guide on different types of relationships, being single and living to honor your life. She owns up to her "mishaps" and time spent on loves that weren't going to last, sharing that it's okay when love doesn't last forever. We had the opportunity to learn all about Eli in the interview below.
(Photo credit: Beowulf Sheehan)
Name: Eli Rallo
Hometown: Fair Haven, New Jersey
Birthday: July 22
Fun Facts:
1. Eli's most rewarding experiences have been with the people in her life, both with the audience she's cultivated and within her family.
"When I think of the most rewarding experiences of my life I think of two experiences specifically. The first being getting to meet my community and audience out in the world, face to face. I am so privileged to say this happens usually at least once a day—and the ability to connect to real humans, to hear their stories, to see their smiles and listen to the sound of their voice is so important to me. It makes me feel like I'm not posting into a void or shouting into a blank space—that there are people with beating hearts and dreams and goals and fears of their own following along. I will never take that for granted. The second most rewarding experience of my life has been watching my brothers hunt down and chase their own dreams—be it professional or personal—watching the two little boys I grew up with turn into people with voice and ambition of their own has been inexplicably special to me."
-Eli Rallo
2. "Her biggest piece of advice is, "Don't look at the word no as a reason to back down, stop or quit."
"The word no means regroup, reroute, reestablish, repeat. The word no doesn't mean you are a failure, or not worthy. It means nothing if you assign it no meaning. If I let every no deter me, every no turn me around or cause me to lose faith in myself, I'd never be where I am today. All it takes is one yes."
-Eli Rallo
3. As a writer, Eli has had to learn to maintain self-belief.
"The hardest obstacle I've come across as a writer has been keeping faith in myself and my words when I don't have accolades or opportunities or people investing in me. But in order to make something of yourself in the creative fields you have to believe in yourself fiercely and with a hint of delusion. You have to believe it's going to happen. So keep writing. Keep going. Keep throwing words at the wall. One day some will stick. When my words stuck, it was the best time of my life. I can't wait for you to get there."
-Eli Rallo
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4. She doesn't believe in "feeling guilt from anything that derives pleasure."
5. Of all the rules she shared in I Didn't Know I Needed This, "no label, no gift" is her favorite.
6. She has three style inspirations.
"My (Libra) mother, my inner child and Sarah Jessica Parker."
-Eli Rallo
7. She can't live without her vitamin routine and can't leave the house without her favorite products.
"I love vitamins and when I don't take my vitamins at night—like I forget or something—the next day is a disaster even if I feel totally fine. I can't leave my house without a really good lip combo and a really good hand cream."
-Eli Rallo
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8. Kim Kardashian inspires her career ambitions.
"I think she's a bad*** and I grew up watching her. I just love her. The most positive influences in my life have come from my bookshelf and my female friendships."
-Eli Rallo
9. Ending the worldwide oppression of women and non-men is a wish she hopes to come true.
10. Bringing something to her friends' houses is a must.
"My dad always taught me it was incredibly rude to show up anywhere empty handed—so I always bring something. A bottle of good red wine (maybe a barbaresco) and flowers, usually. I also bring leftover PR to my friends every time I see them, too."
-Eli Rallo
11. A quote from I Didn't Know I Needed This:
"'Because that's life. And life would be good either way.'"
-Eli Rallo
12. She has the best advice for becoming your truest self.
"Remember that nobody really cares what you wear, or what you do, or what you like or who you date. People are selfish and concerned with themselves. I promise you it's true. As long as you are being kind to yourself and others, working hard and doing your best—you're doing everything you can to be likeable, to be a good person. If someone doesn't like you, that's none of your business. I became my truest self when I realized that if I kept hiding the parts of myself I was scared people didn't like, I'd never find the people who did like those — and all— the parts of me."
-Eli Rallo
For more on our favorite authors, click HERE to read our interview with That Boy writer Jillian Dodd.