CAST YOUR VOTE

Betting on Yourself: Why I’m Finally Walking Toward the Dream

If there is one thing the journey of building Hillight has taught me, it is this: sometimes you have to bet on yourself before anyone else understands the vision.

The story behind Hillight has always been bigger than candles, home fragrance, or creating beautiful spaces. At its heart, Hillight was born from my decision to live more intentionally, to create a life that felt authentic to who I was becoming rather than simply continuing along the path that was expected of me.

And lately, I have been thinking about how easily those expectations can shape our lives.

Growing up in Cameroon, success had a certain look. You went to school. You earned a respectable degree. You built a stable career. You made your family proud.

So I did.

I pursued the traditional path and built a successful career as a Program Manager in the space industry. I am proud of that part of my story. It required discipline, resilience, education, and years of hard work.

But I have also learned that you can be grateful for the life you built and still acknowledge the dreams you left behind.

For me, one of those dreams was modeling.

The Dreams We Put Away

I have always dreamed of walking a runway.

But somewhere between cultural expectations, societal definitions of success, responsibilities, and building a career, that dream became something I quietly placed on a shelf.

Maybe you have a dream like that too.

Something you wanted before life taught you to be practical.

Something you convinced yourself you had outgrown.

Something that still whispers to you every once in a while: What if?

As I have grown older, I have become less interested in living according to what my life is supposed to look like and more committed to living authentically.

That shift is part of what gave me the courage to become an entrepreneur.

Starting Hillight required me to bet on myself. There was no guarantee that people would understand my vision or buy the products I created. I simply knew there was something inside me that deserved the opportunity to exist.

And once you learn to bet on yourself in one area of your life, it becomes harder to keep shrinking in others.

So, in My 40s, I Applied

In my 40s, I applied for the Next Runway Star competition connected to the RISE Fashion Show founded by Amanda Nguyen.

Yes. Me.

The entrepreneur.

The Program Manager.

The woman who spent years building a professional career.

The Cameroonian girl who once believed certain dreams might have to be sacrificed for the sake of a more traditional definition of success.

I applied.

And that act alone meant something to me.

Because there was a time when I might have talked myself out of it before I ever tried.

Am I too old?

Shouldn't I be focused on something more practical?

What will people think?

But I have spent too much of my journey learning who I am to start shrinking myself now.

Being in my 40s doesn't mean my dreams should become smaller. If anything, I know myself better. I understand what matters to me. I have lived enough life to know that time is far too precious to spend it asking permission to become more of yourself.

I can be a Program Manager in the space industry.

I can be an entrepreneur.

I can be the founder of Hillight.

I can be a woman of faith.

I can be a storyteller.

And I can still want to walk a runway.

One identity does not have to cancel out another.

Hillight Has Always Been About This

The name Hillight was inspired by Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

I chose that foundation intentionally because I believe we are called to shine, not to shrink ourselves to fit into the expectations of other people.

That philosophy has shaped the company I am building, but I realize more and more that it is also shaping the woman I am becoming.

Hillight is about intentional living. And intentional living requires making choices that reflect who you truly are, even when those choices take you somewhere unexpected.

Sometimes betting on yourself looks like starting a business.

Sometimes it looks like leaving something behind.

Sometimes it looks like beginning again.

And sometimes it looks like submitting an application in your 40s for the runway you dreamed about years ago.

Now, I Need Your Vote

This time, betting on myself also means allowing my community to bet on me.

I am competing for the opportunity to become the Next Runway Star, and I would be incredibly grateful for your vote.

Yes, I want the opportunity to walk that runway. I want to experience a dream I carried for years.

But I also want my presence there to say something.

To the woman who thinks she missed her moment.

To the woman who has checked every box and still feels there is more inside her.

To the immigrant girl navigating the expectations of two worlds.

To the woman who built the career, took care of the responsibilities, did what was expected, and is finally asking herself, What do I want?

Your dreams do not have an expiration date.

You are allowed to evolve.

You are allowed to reinvent yourself.

You are allowed to be multidimensional.

And you are allowed to bet on yourself.

I did when I started Hillight.

I am doing it again now.

If my story resonates with you, I would love for you to vote for me and share my story with someone who needs the reminder that it is never too late to make room for a dream.