Back in 2020, life for Eli Rallo was solely about the aesthetic of Chex Mix.

Even though she was a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and about to begin a master’s program in journalism at Columbia University, the peace in her life was putting together a jar of snacks with her brother during quarantine. 

Despite the chaos of a worldwide pandemic, Rallo grabbed a large jar — which she would fill with a variety of gluten-free snacks to help with her celiac disease — and propped her phone up in the kitchen of her New Jersey family home to film her first few videos on TikTok. 

Shortly after, her videos gained over 1.8 million views, and she continued to put together visually drool-worthy and eye-catching snack combinations. Thus, @thejarr was born.

"I do love the beginnings of my career, but it was random," Rallo said. "I just haven't changed (the name), because I think it's very synonymous with who I am now, and people really like to resonate with it and remember in a nostalgic way about the beginning."

Now, two years later and many jars of munchies created, Rallo has accumulated over 461,000 followers on TikTok and over 48,200 followers on Instagram. Her content has ranged from charcuterie board inspiration to astrology humor, but elements of consistency in Rallo’s videos are her radiant positive energy and New York City lifestyle. 

Whether it's having an adult brunch at the American Girl Doll store or conducting her weekly Sunday night Chipotle meal, Rallo told The Panther that her goals with producing content are to help people get a boost of serotonin and self-esteem. 

"I always say that my goal when I'm creating content is that other people feel happy; they feel influenced to feel good about themselves (and) they feel influenced to just be free or to feel lighter," Rallo said. "My goal is that people feel heard and seen and (that) they don't feel like they're just another number, because I think it can be really easy to feel that way."

Another popular series Rallo released on TikTok featured several videos of the influencer creating lists on her notes app, giving step-by-step rules for how people should spend specific days or complete specific activities. These guides encompassed anything from how to take the proper shower to how to celebrate International Women's Day or New Year's Eve, all of which resulted in hundreds of thousands of views. 

But Rallo said her favorite thus far has been categorizing zodiac signs as inanimate objects like bagels and coffee creamers in her astrology series.

"That (astrology series) was really fun; a really good era,” Rallo said. “(Making those videos) brought me joy, which I think is like the crux of why I create content.”

Simultaneous to posting on Tiktok, Rallo began hosting her own podcast, called "Miss Congeniality," and became an avid Instagram user. Currently, the viral sensation is in the process of writing a book — slated to debut in the next year and a half — which will feature a collection of personal essays about dating and friendships. 

Even though an itch to write has coursed through Rallo’s veins ever since she could remember, she conceded to The Panther she would have never been able to pursue this passion without Tiktok launching her to success. 

It wasn’t until June 2021 — about a year after starting to post on Tiktok — that Rallo began writing down her thoughts on self-love and her journey to content creation full-time in her newsletter, "Salt and the City." The publication connects Rallo’s love for spicy skinny margaritas and dreams of being the next Miss Bradshaw. 

"(Salt and the City) was kind of like an S.O.S moment where I was like, 'I don't know what to do.'” Rallo said. “I didn't know how I was ever going to make my dreams a reality. And then I realized, you have to just begin, or else you're never going to be able to get where you want to go. And so I just decided, like, 'Okay, I'm going to try this, and we're going to see what happens.'"

Rallo told The Panther that journalism was initially the path where she thought she would find a career in writing. But with her strong, vocal opinions on social media about taboo subjects like sex, IUDs and drinking games, she said she recognizes objectivity would be challenging. 

"I actually am a terrible reporter, and I think I'm a very self aware person,” Rallo said. “When I was in high school, I wanted to be on Broadway, but I woke up one day and was like, 'Dude, you can’t really sing and you can't dance. You're never gonna be on Broadway.’ I think I realized that too with journalism.”

Although the heartbreaking news that her master’s degree may not lead to the career most suitable for her was devastating, Rallo found essay writing to be her personal niche. She said looking at her favorite writers, including Cheryl Strayed and Megan Stielstra, helped her reaffirm that showing personality and flare in writing is still possible.  

"Cheryl has really shown that you can be taboo and talk about your past: she was a drug addict, she had an abortion (and) I'm pretty sure she had a really bad breakup or maybe even a divorce," Rallo said. "(Strayed) showed me that journalism doesn't have to (just) be reporting."

These days, Rallo's routine can change on a dime. If she is not speaking at an event panel or at a content creator event, she is most likely compiling edits for her book, taking spin classes, planning for the latest podcast recording or engaging with her followers by answering direct messages and replying to comments. 

"It's an immense privilege, and I have to remind myself of that often,” Rallo said. “I'm picky about who I follow, and I think a lot of people are the same way. If somebody is going to put themselves in a place to follow me, I want to make sure that they feel like they made the right decision. (But) I think it's really important to also treat your followers like people, because I think some people don't do that, and it shows."

Back in February, Rallo participated in a TEDx talk series hosted by her alma mater, the University of Michigan, where she spoke about her once toxic relationship with social media. Rallo said that by taking time off from Instagram, she realized what content she truly wanted to post versus what content society made her feel like she should post. 

"After years of whitening, tightening and brightening, I was exhausted," Rallo said in her TEDx talk. "By the way, it takes a lot of goddamn effort to be a liar. I don't want to post photos of myself looking happy when I feel like shit. I was done. I wanted to post photos of things that made me feel like Eli."

As for what the future holds, Rallo said a YouTube channel or pursuing television might be the next stepping stone. 

"I want to have a talk show one day, so that's like the big goal that (my manager and I) decided on," Rallo said. "I want to have a Drew Barrymore style talk show, but for it to be funny. If there was a combo between Oprah and Dr. Phil and (Saturday Night Live), but it was only women, that would be the goal."

With Rallo's main audience being young adult women, Rallo gives one piece of advice: "use your voice." 

Rallo told The Panther that, in her early post-grad jobs, she wished she had spoken up more. Whether it's through posting a video or standing on a stage sharing her own story, she hopes other women will begin to also take initiative in sharing their stories and ideas.  

"You're allowed to speak up, you're allowed to take up space, you're allowed to make trouble (and) you're allowed to use your voice," Rallo said, expanding on her message to her female viewership. "That's a crazy privilege that I have every day. So not only (am I able to) use my voice (on my platform), which is so special, but (I can) also teach other women how to use theirs."