Tonia Ranco shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Tonia, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Absolutely. I recently became a part of the Ulta Beauty Collective, and that was a huge proud moment for me. As an over-50 African-American beauty creator, it felt incredibly meaningful to be recognized in a space that hasn’t always highlighted women who look like me or are my age. It reminded me why I show up: to represent, to inspire, and to prove that beauty has no expiration date.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Tonia, and I create content as Rancobeauty. I focus on mature beauty and celebrate the idea that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and represented—no matter their age. I share realistic beauty tips, product discoveries, and confidence-building moments for women who are often overlooked in the beauty space. My goal is to show that beauty doesn’t fade; it evolves. Right now, I’m continuing to build a community where women 50+ feel celebrated, inspired, and proud to show up exactly as they are.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband, without question. He saw something in me long before I ever saw it in myself. Honestly, I wouldn’t even be a content creator if it wasn’t for him. He started encouraging me at 47—when I thought the whole idea was ridiculous—and now here I am at 57 actually living my dream. He believed in my voice, my talent, and my ability to connect with women long before I ever believed it myself.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It honestly wasn’t until just a few years ago. I carried a lot of pain from childhood trauma that I kept quiet for most of my life. Recently, I made the decision to start speaking about it, and while it hasn’t been easy—and some family members aren’t comfortable with it—it’s been incredibly healing. Sharing my story has helped me turn that pain into power, and it’s given me a sense of freedom I didn’t know I needed. I’m even working on a book now to tell my story more fully, because I know how many people need to hear that they’re not alone.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies in the beauty industry is that beauty fades after 30 and that mature women don’t matter. It’s a harmful myth that sidelines women over 50, making us feel invisible when in reality, our beauty evolves and our voices matter just as much—if not more. I create content to push back against that narrative and show that confidence, style, and self-expression have no age limit.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Oh, absolutely! I went full-time as a content creator about a year ago, and some days I honestly feel like tap dancing to work. Getting to do what I love every single day—and seeing people actually appreciate and celebrate it—is beyond validating. I still can’t believe I get paid for this, and yes… there are definitely moments of happy, ridiculous, ‘pinch-me-I’m-living-my-dream’ joy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/Rancobeauty
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rancobeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rancobeauty
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rancobeauty
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rancobeauty
