Rising Stars: Meet Zylia Montes of New York

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zylia Montes.

Hi Zylia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started as a young girl who grew up in an extremely sheltered environment. I wasn’t allowed to do much, and I did experience a bit of a toxic childhood, so my nervous system and mental health were always rocky.

At school, I was an honors kid and ended up winning an iPad during a raffle for good grades. This is really where my love for content started because, prior to this, I’d always get my phone taken away and barely had access to anything else. So once I won this iPad, I got into watching YouTube, and I always joke and say this is where I met the girls because I saw a different world that I just fell in love with.

This was YouTube during my middle school years.. back-to-school hauls, makeup hauls, challenges. I was more of a shy kid growing up, but I absolutely knew this was something I wanted to do. Since I grew up in an overprotective house, I knew that wouldn’t happen, but I held on to it.

You can say I became a bit obsessed, as others may describe it, but to me, I just found a new love I never knew about: content creation.

Fast forward to 2018, that’s when I started my YouTube channel while I was a hairstylist as a teenager. A few years later, it transformed into a lifestyle/girly channel, and that’s where I am now.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would love to say that this road has been smooth, but that would be a lie! I’ve had times where I completely stopped, and times when I didn’t know if I should ever show my face online. My mental health is rocky, so there were times, especially when I was younger, that I would doubt myself and compare myself to others. Because of that, I would stop posting and stop trying.

But as I’ve become more grounded in my faith and have been in therapy for a few years, I don’t deal with these thoughts as often. Sometimes I still feel burnt out, but I try to balance things as best as possible because that’s a part of life, learning to take some chapters easier than others.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When it comes to my life outside of content, truth be told, I’m all over the place, lol! I was a hairstylist as a teenager, and my brand name was “Hair By Zy.” But due to a multitude of factors, I stopped doing that.

I can say I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset because there are so many things I’ve done in between that I lose count, from having an online clothing boutique to trying to help manage other small businesses as well.

Besides that, I’ve worked typical part-time jobs just to stay afloat at a variety of stores. As of today, I’m looking for higher paying jobs with a bit more purpose so that during this season of my life, I can feel more fulfilled than I have in some of my past jobs.

But out of everything I do, content is where I have the deepest passion, and it’s the one thing I truly hope becomes my lifetime dream job.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was shy and quiet around most people, but deep down, and once I felt comfortable with you, I was a jokester. I am, and truly have always been, an introvert. I love being alone and love spending time by myself because that’s where I feel the most comfortable and safe.

But I’m truly a chill person who has spurts of energy to joke and laugh. I’m also someone who thinks deeply and loves learning about new things all the time. I love going down rabbit holes, whether that’s through a book I’m reading, a random interest I have, or even learning how to do my makeup.

I feel like that’s why I know a little bit about everything because I’m always trying to figure out every single detail of whatever I’m interested in. I was often in my head as a kid because of how I grew up, so I didn’t show the “real me” as much as I wish I could have.

But I’m making up for that now! through my content creation as “Zylia Armoni” on all platforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beacons.ai/zyliaarmoni
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zyliaarmoni
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zyliaarmoni
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ZyliaArmoni
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@ZyliaArmoni