Check out our interview with former actress turned viral TikTok hair coach and entrepreneur Barbara Dellemonache who started her business at 26 but almost 3 years later, has a following of over 858K on TikTok and on track to be a 7-figure business this year! She’s under 30 years old and started a monthly subscription mailer last year to help her followers try hair products before purchasing the full size bottles (this also helps with reducing waste too). Curls Monthly now has over 5,000 subscribers monthly alongside her CurlVitality name. Her followers love getting advice on products and curly/wavy hair tips from her while also watching her talk about celebrities and what she would recommend to each celeb if she was their hair stylist.
Follow Sonia on IG @curlvitality & TikTok @curlvitality
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Motivated, kind hearted, passionate
Who has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?
Surprisingly, my husband has made the biggest impact on my life so far. When I met my husband, he had just landed his life-long dream job at the age of 26 and was so motivated to work hard. Watching his work-ethic completely catapulted my life. I was waiting for life to happen to me, and decided to stand up and take true control of my life. I saw for the first time just how far hard work and passion can take you.
How and when did you start into acting?
I have been acting since I was six years old. Throughout my life I am guessing I’ve been in about 75+ productions. Since I got into it at such a young age, it was the only thing I knew how to do! After CurlVitality became successful, and I “quit” acting, it was a bit of a shock to my system. But because much of my day is spent in front of people through videos on the internet, I still feel like I am able to “flex” that muscle.
How do you prepare for a role?
Practice makes perfect! I am someone who needs to practice my lines TOO much so even if something happens where I forgot a line, it should be a part of my body by the time show-time happens!
What projects you have been part of?
I truly have done everything! From Squatty Potty commercials, to a tour of a musical through New Zealand, to creating my own mini-series! I would say my favorite project that I have been a part of would be a series of commercials I did for the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Team!
What kind of roles do you like or would like to play and why?
I always loved playing the comical relief roles! If I can make people laugh, I am happy! However, one of my favorite roles of all time is when I played the role of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. My co-lead was a blind, deaf, and mute 8-year-old and I had to memorize an entire book of dialogue! It was very challenging but very rewarding.
What is fun and rewarding about acting? And what is not?
I live for the applause! To me, the best and most fulfilling aspect of acting is the applause. I would say the least rewarding thing about it is that when the show ends, you’re back to looking for another job! Hence, why I love doing what I am doing now!
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
The best thing I learned from my biggest failure is definitely to advocate for myself faster. It is so easy to brush your own feelings to the side but it is important to speak up!
How did you get started into the social media business?
The crazy thing is that I never wanted to be an influencer! I started my social media accounts because I wanted to market my new Curl Coaching business. As a way to market it, I would give tips and tricks on my social accounts and before I knew it, I had videos going viral left and right. The cool thing is that as soon as I started CurlVitality and made the decision to put my acting career on the back burner, I was able to use social media as a creative outlet and fell in love with creating content!
What mindsets helped making you so successful and popular?
Honestly, this might sound weird, but Maddy Ziegler plays a huge role in my success. I watched her in the show Dance Moms be an extremely hard worker from such an early age and handle criticism so well. She is really good at what she does and is able to take hate with such grace! All skills that have made me become a successful creator!
Now tell us about “CurlVitality?”
CurlVitality started as a virtual curl coaching service! I would meet with women on Zoom from all around the globe and train them for six months at a time on how to do their curly hair! Eventually, I had such a long waitlist to work with that I wanted to create a way I could help people on a much larger scale! I created Curls Monthly which is a curly hair subscription service that sends 5+ hand selected products to subscriber’s doorsteps each month! Finding products for curly hair has always been such a pain point, but we have subscribers writing to us every month letting us know that this has not only changed their hair… but their entire life!
Can you tell us what is different from your company to other ones in the market? And what do you think is the secret to have a successful business in a competitive market like yours?
Thankfully, there is not too, too much competition in the curly hair subscription market. We definitely look up to companies like Ipsy and Birchbox for leading the way in the beauty subscription box space, but Curls Monthly is much different than subscriptions like that! We do not rely on an algorithm to assign random products to you… We hand pick each product and educate our subscribers via the included YouTube video on how each products work and who should and should not use them! I think the biggest secret to staying competitive in a market is to bring something new to the table! There are so many subscription boxes that have no heart and soul or trusted expert behind them sourcing the products, our subscription box includes what CurlVitality was built on… Curl coaching and education!
Who influenced you and why did you choose to start making your TikTok videos?
My husband influenced me to start making TikTok videos! He works in marketing and swore up and down that TikTok was going to be the next big thing. I was so hesitant to start posting there because it just seemed like an app where 15 year olds would perform silly dances and it certainly did not seem like a way to make money or promote my business. He was absolutely right and I went super viral almost immediately!
What do you think is the secret to having a successful TikTok account?
Honestly, some people have “it” and others just don’t. By “it” I mean, they are able to communicate on camera, they understand trend cycles, they have good timing, and good information to share. If you have “it”, and post consistently, it is only a matter of time before your account picks up momentum. You WILL be successful. The people who aren’t successful, in my opinion, lack the “it” factor. They aren’t able to articulate clearly and don’t have the energy required to be successful on TikTok.
When you started your account, did you expect such a success?
When I started posting on TikTok, I had absolutely no idea that it would be a success. That was never even my intention! All I wanted to do was promote my Curl Coaching business.
TikTok or Instagram. Pick one and why?
Absolutely TikTok! TikTok is very “come as you are” and your videos thrive on your authenticity and creativity. Instagram, even still, relies on having this perfectly buttoned up feed and promotes these perfect looking lifestyles. I’m kind of a messy, type B person so that just doesn’t work for me!
As a popular actress and influencer you are followed by so many people. How do you feel about that pressure of doing always the right thing, and encourage people to follow their dreams?
I definitely feel a pressure to never upset anyone. I constantly play my videos over in my head to make sure that I did not offend anyone accidentally. I’ve seen people be torn apart online for large and small things, so it can be a little scary. More recently, I am learning that not everyone will agree with my views or what I have to say about things… and that’s ok!
What book should every entrepreneur read?
The book that changed my life and sparked my entrepreneurial journey is The Audacity to be Queen by Gina DeVee. It is basically a very thought-out book, letting you know that you can do, be, or have anything in life!
What advice would you give to your younger self and why?
I would definitely tell my younger self to have higher standards! I settled so much in my late teens and early twenties. I settled for boys, my salary, my job, my family, anything!
What would say are the greatest lessons you learned so far?
One of my greatest life lessons came to me in my early 20s when I was hanging around people who were not bringing out the best in me. This taught me a valuable lesson in having higher standards for myself and truly showed me that “you are what you eat”. Meaning, if you surround yourself with people who are not the best for you, you might not be the best you.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
I have a dream to open Dry-Bar-like salons tailored specifically for curly hair. I would love to create a way for curly girls to feel pampered that does not involve blowing your hair straight.
What’s next for Barbara Dellemonache in 2023?
I got married on New Year’s Eve of 2022, so I entered this year with a new last name! This year is all about steady growth within curls monthly while simultaneously getting the business to a place that is not totally reliant on me. I think getting married really puts things into perspective about the type of business I want to lead, while still maintaining an even work life balance.
Please describe a typical day for you. What is your daily routine like?
Typically I wake up, feed my animals, then workout! After a good sweat, I will sit down with some tea and read the Bible and spend time in prayer. I find myself to be a lot less productive unless I do this exact routine every morning. From there I will get ready for the day, while filming my first TikTok of the day which is typically a “Get Ready with Me” video! I’ll post that, then answer emails from hair care brands I am collaborating with. After that, I’ll film one or two more TikToks for the day and then meet with my team over Zoom! On Zoom we will discuss new projects, subscriber counts, opportunities, and just about everything Curls Monthly. From there, I will usually work on projects I have such as organizing a sales funnel or moderating an email sequence.
I really feel like I live a double life most days! Part of me is this “on camera personality” and the other part is this cool girl boss.
What is your own definition of happiness?
My own definition of happiness changes frequently, sometimes happiness means drinking margaritas with my best friends! Other times it means cooking dinner on a week night for my husband. Overall, I believe it is being surrounded by people who love me and doing life with them by side!
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
“This is what dreams are made of” from the Lizzie Mcguire movie! I love a Y2K throwback!
Name one your strengths?
One of my greatest strengths is one of my greatest weaknesses, which is my empathy. I am able to relate to people and put myself in their shoes very easily which is great for marketing and creating engaging content, but sometimes that makes me too much of a people pleaser.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Kris Jenner! She is the queen of marketing and I would love to pick her brain!
Do you support any charity?
I always give and serve at my church because I love being able to support and give back to my local community!
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
My idea of a perfect Sunday is not setting an alarm the night before and allowing my body to wake me up naturally. Then I would take my dog on a walk and pick up a fun coffee drink at a local coffee shop! I would have my husband cook me breakfast while I get ready for the day, then go to church. Then I would grocery shop and meal prep for the week before relaxing for the evening. I like to use my Sundays as a day to reset and prepare me for the week ahead.
What do you think of Social Media?
I love social media! I know it can get a bad reputation for many valid reasons, but you are truly able to adjust your newsfeed to things you truly want to see. Just as much as social media can spread hate, it can also spread positivity and love!
Where we can follow you?
Instagram & TikTok: @curlvitality and @curlsmonthly
Song: Depends on my mood, but probably something from Hamilton!
Movie: Titanic
Travel Destination: Costa Rica
Food: Authentic Japanese Ramen
Sports Team: The Philadelphia Flyers!
Photo credit: @luminous5photography
