At 17, Ami Charlize has established herself across social media, podcasting, and publishing by connecting genuinely with her audience. As an author, podcast host, and content creator, she creates content that resonates with teen experiences.

“I wanted to have a platform that young girls can relate to someone similar age,” Ami shares, describing her start in content creation. “I’m quite an oversharer online. I wanted people to see my life and share the cool, exciting stuff that I get to do, but also show that I’m a normal teenager that goes through the normal things like every other teenager.”

Starting on Musical.ly (now TikTok) at age 12, Ami began experimenting with content creation. “Back in the day, it was like a game,” she recalls. “You wanted to get on the featured page (now For You).” These initial experiences shaped her content strategy: “They acknowledged everyone a bit more than they do now… having a feature on Musical.ly was like a dream.”

The path wasn’t always straightforward. “I went through a phase where I dipped and stopped doing it for a while,” she admits. “When I got a little bit older, I was transitioning into secondary school… many people didn’t do [social media] back then.”

Rather than immediately chasing viral success, Ami took a measured approach to creating professional content. 

“When I first started, I had no idea about money,” she reveals. “I just thought people liked being recognized in public. I never saw it as ‘I want to do this as a job.’ I saw it as, ‘Oh my God, I can build a community online to share my life with.”

Two years ago, after completing her GCSEs, Ami made content creation her full-time focus. “I sat my parents down and said, ‘Look, I think I want to take this a little bit more serious now,'” she shares. “They said, ‘Okay, that’s a big responsibility and a big jump because we don’t want you to be bored, and we don’t want to see you fail.’ So, we looked into many backup options if it didn’t pan out. Courses, in case it was too foul. But luckily, at the moment, I can do what I love as a full-time job.” 

Strategic Platform Management

Ami tailors her content to each audience on different platforms. “Instagram is a little bit more serious… on TikTok, you can probably see quite a lot of personality,” she explains. “On YouTube, you see a lot more of me because it’s longer-form video content that you can film for over two hours and post the whole video.”

Her YouTube follows a specific schedule: “Every week, you get two videos on my channel and then once a week on my podcast channel. It’s good to put structures in place, but don’t pressure it. People always think you have to post every day. You don’t. That’s just a myth.”

“I think you should be on every platform, and you don’t have to post on every single one every day,” she advises. “But being multiplatform and being able to show your content in different forms and ways makes you so much more valuable as an influencer than any other way.”

On Snapchat, Ami maintains complete transparency. “You see everything on there,” she admits. “You see me wake up in the morning, unbrushed teeth, unbrushed hair, until the moment I go to sleep. People value being unfiltered on there.” 

This openness creates unexpected connections with her audience and family. “Whatever I’m doing that day, my mum can follow along and keep up with my whereabouts,” Ami shares. “My nan, she’ll be like, ‘It’s great watching you every single day from your Snapchat and keeping up to date with everything you do.'”

Throughout her growth, Ami faced significant obstacles. High school bullying experiences strengthened her resilience to online criticism. “Because I faced so much negativity online at a young age, I feel like I’m quite immune to it now,” she reflects.

Beyond Social Media

Ami expanded her influence with her book “My World: Challenges, Changes and Chasing My Dreams.” 

“It’s really rewarding to receive messages saying, ‘I love this chapter about bullying because it made me feel less alone,'” she shares. “The book was just about expressing my life in a way that is not just a video where I briefly touch on topics. It’s a place to document my experiences, beliefs, and advice for my audience to return to. I aim to help people feel seen and like they have a friend in whatever they are going through as we grow up.”

Her podcast, “Ami Charlize’s Private Story,” launched over a year ago to serve younger audiences. “Not many young people are jumping on the podcast train,” she explains. “When they’re talking about more adult things that I’ve never experienced yet, I couldn’t relate on another level with them. My idea was to create a podcast that younger girls and boys can listen to and relate to a little more.”

The podcast features guest interviews and audience questions. “We get a guest on every single week, and sometimes it could just be me by myself, and we go through questions together,” Ami details. “We play a little game where we get a bit more opinionated. It could be something we love about fashion, beauty, pop culture, etc..”

Future Plans and Work-Life Balance

With upcoming projects, including a brand collaboration and her own company launch in spring 2025, Ami maintains momentum while prioritizing self-care. 

“Sometimes, it can be a bit overwhelming, but I do a really good job taking time away,” she shares. “I have a self-care Sunday every week when I just sit in the bath for a good hour, watch my favorite shows, chill, get myself in a nice hair mask and face mask, make myself feel good, go to sleep, and then wake up ready for the new fresh week.”

“Being able to meet the people I’ve met – followers, friends, and my team – has been such a cool feeling,” she reflects. “When someone comes up to me and says they know who I am, it’s an amazing part of social media I love most.”