Qatar- Our destination was Tbilisi, Georgia, where Kylie Verzosa and I had been invited as part of the Aptos World Influencer Campaign, joining creators from around the globe to witness the technology and the new innovations of Aptos Bio Threads.

The former Miss International 2016 and yours truly found ourselves in the elegant calm of the Qatar Airways Business Class Lounge in Doha, waiting for our connecting flight. Around us, travelers were glued to their phones, answering emails, doom-scrolling social media, or pretending to look terribly important while sipping cappuccinos. I was gorging on the buffet breakfast spread just like I always do. But Kylie was doing something refreshingly different from all of us. She was reading. Not absentmindedly flipping pages for an Instagram photo. Reading with intention.

Of course, before I noticed the book, something else caught my eye. A diamond. Not just any diamond, but the kind that sparkles with enough confidence to announce, “Yes, someone proposed."

”Congratulations!” I exclaimed.

Kylie smiled with the unmistakable glow of a woman whose life had just entered a beautiful new chapter.

Who is the lucky guy, we asked.

The CEO and owner of Sola shapewear smiled and shared, “His name is Emil Eriksen, a Danish businessman. He proposed during a hike in the South of France. When we reached the summit , I was greeted not only by breathtaking views but by the question every woman dreams of hearing. Of course, I said yes.”

Sometimes life’s greatest adventures really do begin uphill. As happy as I was for Kylie, another object soon competed for my attention.

Tucked beside that dazzling engagement ring was a hardcover book. Its title immediately intrigued me. "Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life." 

Naturally, the marites in me had to ask: ”Kylie, what’s so special about that book?”

Her face brightened instantly, “It's by serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and business mogul Emma Grede. I am a huge admirer. Her ideas on leadership, personal responsibility, and purposeful living have deeply influenced the way I approach both my career and my personal life."

She went on to add, "The book’s central message is surprisingly simple. If you want to change your work, your relationships, your business, or even the world around you, don’t begin by trying to change everyone else. Start with yourself.”

The beautiful brand director of “&you”, a tele health that markets weight loss medications like GLP-1 is obviously learning a lot from the tome.

Indeed, what a radical thought in a world where everyone seems to have become an expert on fixing other people.

The actress and entrepreneur adds, “The book explores self-awareness, emotional intelligence, leadership, and taking ownership of your choices. It reminds readers that real transformation begins internally before it ever becomes visible externally.”

Listening to Kylie explain why she treasures the book while looking absolutely stunning at 4am, I realized there are perfect beings in this world with perfect things happening in her life - an engagement, an international influencer campaign, a flourishing career.

But none of these happened by accident. They were built on years of investing in herself long before the applause arrived.

All that said, after having four plates of breakfast for myself, she had only two boiled eggs and was done. I finally found her limitation! Kylie cannot eat as much as I do. Hahaha!