If you follow Tiktok you probably know that Charli A'amelio has between 50 and 100 million followers at any given time; not shabby for a 16-year-old girl who got her start as a competitive dancer. In 2019, the teenager got the idea to post home videos on the social media app that's available to everyone. If you're not on TikTok, you might be thinking, who is Charli D'Amelio?!? 

D'Amelio comes from Norfolk, Connecticut, and was born in 2004 to parents who know the spotlight. Her father Marc D'Amelio is a business owner and former Republican candidate for the State Senate and her mother Heidi D'Amelio is a photographer and former model. D'Amelio's sister Dixie is 19. 

To get an idea of just how popular the teen is, she was rated number 1 for TikTok followers, overtaking the iconic Will Smith; number 9.

What intrigues me is that anyone today can become a star if they know how to market themselves. There's a great deal of talent around. If you watch The Voice, America's Got Talent, or similar reality talent shows, it's obvious that a lot of folks can sing, dance, or performs in other formats at high levels of skill. Even if you go on a show and lose, as the incredible Jennifer Hudson did on American Idol, you can still go on to international stardom if you find the right marketing vehicle, as Hudson did when she landed her role on Dream Girls.

But back to Charli D'Amelio and her family. How come she's getting a TV show? Well, she has something to sell and Hulu sees that. 

If you have an idea, even a small one, you can turn it into big bucks today if you have the right temperament and drive. Or you just might have a passion you want to share, as D'Amelio did. And charisma helps.

Opportunities are exploding for the young woman. Her sister and she are set to host a podcast on the Ramble Podcast Network. D'Amelio has appeared on the Brat TV series "Attaway General," released her first single "Be Happy" in the summer which received more than 55 million streams on Spotify, and has signed a new record deal for HitCo with the legendary L.A. Reid.

If that's not enough, the teen's book "Essentially Charli: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping It Real," was just released. It addresses cyberbullying; something she has experienced throughout her rise to success. The teen said one of her greatest thrills was getting advice from her idol Jennifer Lopez on how to deal with venomous online criticism.

For anyone who poo-poos the power of social media, the teenager already has a personal net worth of at least $4 million. See more of Charli D'Amelio on YouTube or listen to her second single "One Whole Day" (with Wiz Khalifa). Or you can buy her makeup, nail polish, or sweatshirt line. It looks like the Kardashian-Jenners have some competition from the young entrepreneur!