We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ilaria Rondinelli Huey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ilaria below.

Ilaria , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

I started my social media journey in 2019. I started making tiktoks about my Aupair experience in USA and after that my love story with my American husband. People started following me on instagram as well and that’s how I started growing my following. Social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Instagram, thrive on viral content. These trends—whether they involve catchy music, viral challenges, popular hashtags, or emerging memes—have the power to put creators in front of millions of people in a short span of time. By aligning my content with these trends, I’m able to capitalize on what’s already gaining traction, essentially riding the wave of viral attention. I try to use viral songs or viral videos scrolling through my fyp daily. I follow trend influencers and accounts dedicated to spotting emerging trends. Many content creators and trend-focused accounts provide early insights into upcoming trends, allowing me to plan my content ahead of time.
My favorite trends are:
“Spend The Day with me”: I share my life with my family.
“That Girl” Aesthetic: productive morning routines, Skincare, healthy habits, and curated lifestyle—essentially, the ultimate glow-up vibe.
Dance Trends: I’m a dancer and I love to dance. Dance challenges will never go out of style, and new ones keep popping up. Lately, people have been going viral with intricate choreography to popular songs, but with a twist—adding humor, or even mixing in acting or storytelling.
GRWM: I love to make videos putting makeup on or dressing up. Usually I show my makeup routine or my outfit of the day with viral songs.
Storytime & Confessions: TikTok has turned into a confessional space, where users share funny, shocking, or relatable stories—sometimes in a mini-podcast format. It’s very casual, with users opening up about anything from embarrassing moments to insane life stories.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Ilaria, 32 years old, Italian from Rome living in USA.
When I first arrived in the United States as an au pair, I wasn’t really thinking about building an online presence or growing a following. I was just focused on adjusting to a new culture, learning the ins and outs of being away from home, and of course, looking after the kids I was responsible for. Social media at that time was my way of staying connected with my family in Italy, showing them a glimpse of my life in the U.S., and sharing little moments of my daily adventures with family and friends. my profile was private.
Little did I know, that would become the foundation for something much bigger. Sharing my experience I immediately started getting followers, in less than a month I had already 30K followers on TikTok and they were following me on Instagram as well.
As my time in the U.S. went on, something unexpected happened—something that would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. I met my now-husband, an American military member, and our love story began to unfold in ways I couldn’t have predicted.
What started as a simple friendship soon turned into something much deeper, and before I knew it, I was documenting not only my travels but also the special moments between us. From the initial spark of our connection to the ups and downs of navigating a long-distance relationship (with him being stationed in different places), I started sharing the highs and lows of our journey together on social media.
I began posting more personal content, telling the story of how we met, how we overcame the challenges of being in different countries, and the sacrifices that came with being in a relationship with someone in the military. I shared the sweet moments—like surprise visits, heartfelt messages, and trips to visit each other—along with the tough times, like the long months apart and the uncertainty that often comes with military life.
This honesty and vulnerability in sharing our story attracted a lot of attention. People seemed to connect with our journey, and I started receiving messages from others who were going through similar experiences, especially military spouses, long-distance couples, or those navigating different cultures
The next chapter of my life brought another big shift—moving to America. The decision to leave Italy, my family, and everything familiar behind was a huge leap of faith, but it was one I made for love, for the chance to build a life with my husband. Moving across the world, learning to navigate the American way of life, and adjusting to a completely new culture was both thrilling and overwhelming.
Social media became my outlet once again, a place to share my experiences as an Italian adjusting to life in the U.S. I posted about the challenges of integrating into a new culture, the excitement of discovering new places, and the sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating moments of learning a new language and adapting to different customs. Whether it was trying new foods, finding my way around the grocery store, or navigating the American healthcare system (which, as any international knows, is a whole different world), I found comfort in sharing these moments with my followers.
Through this transition, I realized that social media was no longer just about connecting with family—it had become a way to connect with a larger community of people who were also going through big changes in their lives, whether it was moving to a new country, falling in love with someone from a different background, or embarking on a new adventure.
As I continued to share my journey of living in the U.S., getting married, becoming a mom and building a life as an Italian in America, I saw more following.
The more I shared, the more I realized that my journey wasn’t just mine. It was the story of so many others—people who were navigating life’s challenges, exploring different cultures, and forging their own paths in unfamiliar territory. My social media presence became a space not only for me to share my own experiences but for others to feel seen, heard, and connected.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started, my social media following grew out of nowhere—it wasn’t something I planned for, and it definitely wasn’t something I expected. I remember posting just for fun, sharing bits and pieces of my life, and engaging with whatever content I thought was interesting at the time.
What really gave my following a boost was the rise of TikTok. I started using TikTok back in 2019 when it was still fairly new—before it blew up into the massive platform it is now. Back then, not a lot of people were using it, and the content was still fresh and experimental. It was a much smaller community, and the algorithm was way more favorable to creators who were just starting out, which made it easier to get discovered. Also a lot of people were making fun of me because I was making tiktoks.
When you go viral on TikTok, it’s like hitting a snowball effect—your content gets shared, people follow you, and before you know it, you’re reaching an audience you never imagined. TikTok’s algorithm works in a way that can make growth feel almost instantaneous. All you need is one video to blow up, it depends on TikTok, I think they picked random videos and decide they are going viral.

If you’re looking to grow your audience on social media, my biggest piece of advice is to focus on quality and authenticity. The quality of your content is important—people want to see well-edited, engaging videos, but what truly sets you apart is being real. Don’t be afraid to show your true self. Share your everyday life, your routines, the highs and lows, and the little moments that make you, you. Whether it’s a Get Ready With Me (GRWM) video where you’re talking about updates in your life, or just a casual post about something you’re passionate about, staying authentic is key. People connect with real stories and real personalities, not perfection.
Also, keep it real—don’t feel like you have to portray an idealized version of yourself. It’s the moments where you’re being authentic, letting your personality shine through, and sharing your journey that will really resonate with your audience. The more they feel like they know you, the more they’ll connect with you.
Another tip is to follow the trends. TikTok, in particular, is all about jumping on the latest trends and making them your own. But remember, don’t just follow trends for the sake of it—put your unique twist on them, so they align with your personal style and message.
Lastly, find your niche. It’s so much easier to grow when you know exactly what you’re passionate about and stick to it. Whether it’s beauty, fitness, lifestyle, or something else, find that space where you can add value and be consistent. Once you know your niche, everything you post will start to feel more focused and aligned with the audience you’re trying to build.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

When I first started growing my following, most of my audience was from Italy—understandably, since I’m Italian. But as I started to go viral, I quickly realized that if I wanted to expand my reach and grow my audience beyond just my home country, I needed to shift my approach. In the beginning, I made the mistake of only speaking in Italian, assuming that it would resonate with my followers. While that helped me connect with my Italian community, it also limited my growth, especially in the U.S., where I was really hoping to build a larger following.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I wanted to reach an American audience and grow my influence, I had to start speaking in English. The transition wasn’t always easy, and there were definitely moments where I felt a bit self-conscious about my language skills. But the reality is, if you want to broaden your reach and connect with different cultures, language plays a huge role. Also Americans love people speaking English with an accent.
It’s also important to remember that authenticity still matters. Whether I’m speaking in Italian or English, I make sure that my personality and my story shine through. And over time, I’ve seen more and more Americans engage with my content, giving me that much-needed boost in the direction I wanted to go.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @iaiarondi
• Youtube: @Keeping up with iaiarondi
• Other: TikTok: @iaiarondi