Notes & essays.
A Chapter Closed: Avi Siwa and Eric Allison Resolve the Gold Bar Dispute
A personal note on the resolution of the gold bar dispute, choosing peace, and moving forward with truth.
Where My Motivation Comes From
People often ask me where I find the strength to keep building. The truth is, my motivation comes from some of the hardest seasons of my life.
Fire Fast. Hire Slow.
Today, I made one of the hardest decisions I've had to make as a founder. I let someone go. And yes, it happened much earlier than I expected.
How I Manage Business While Being a Mom
People ask how I balance building companies with being a present mom. The truth? I don't believe in perfect balance. I believe in priorities.
The Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine in 2026
Growing older is a privilege. Here's the anti-aging routine I recommend in 2026 - simple, consistent, and backed by science.
11 Years Single: Why I Never Gave Up on Love
For the past 11 years, I've been single. Here's why I never gave up on love — and why being single is not a failure.
How to Build an App in 2026 (Even If You're Not a Developer)
With today's AI tools, building an app has never been more accessible. Here's exactly how I built HOOKED.
Organize Your Life Ruthlessly
A founder's greatest asset isn't time. It's clarity. Building a startup is hard enough. The last thing you need is unnecessary chaos competing for your attention.
Confidence Is Your Best Dating Strategy
The most attractive thing you can bring to a date isn't perfection—it's confidence. For a long time, people have believed that success in dating comes from looking a certain way, saying the right things, or trying to impress someone. I don't believe that's true.
The Beauty of Slowing Down
What happens when skincare becomes meditation instead of another task? In a world that celebrates productivity, beauty has quietly become another item on the to-do list. But what if getting ready wasn't another task? What if it became a ritual?
Being a Single Mom Isn't My Weakness. It's My Superpower.
I promised myself I would break the cycle. Then life had other plans. Here's how becoming a single mom became my greatest strength.
Looking Expensive Has Very Little to Do With Money
The habits that create timeless beauty. Looking polished isn't about wearing the latest designer label or following every beauty trend. More often, it's the little details that leave a lasting impression.
From Swipes to Dates: Discover HOOKED’s Vision
When I started building HOOKED, I wasn’t trying to create another dating app. I wanted to build something that helps people actually meet. For years, dating apps have optimized for engagement. Endless swiping. Endless chatting. Endless “may…
The Art of Co-Parenting
Some of the hardest battles are the ones your children should never have to witness. People often ask me what it's like to co-parent.
A Signature Scent Is Invisible Style
The most unforgettable thing you'll wear today isn't what people see. Long after someone forgets what you were wearing, they'll often remember how you made them feel. That's the quiet power of fragrance.
A Reintroduction: Same Fire. New Story. Still - Unapologetically AVI SIWA.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2208127 I became a model by accident. At 21, I walked into a casting just for fun. I didn’t care whether I got the job or not, and that carefree attitude was probably my secret weapon. The director loved my look,…
The Conversation That Creates Chemistry
Great conversations don't happen because you have the perfect lines. They happen because you're genuinely curious.
Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital: Which Path Is Right for You?
The best funding strategy isn't the one everyone talks about. It's the one that fits your vision. One of the first questions founders ask is whether they should raise money or bootstrap their startup.
The Marriage Proposal I Couldn't Say Yes To
Sometimes saying "no" isn't rejecting someone. It's being honest with yourself. In 2026, I was asked one of the biggest questions a person can ever hear.
How to Stay Motivated When Your Startup Feels Like It's Going Nowhere
The hardest part of building a startup isn't the work. It's believing in the vision before anyone else does. Every founder experiences it.
The Day I Tattooed HOOKED on My Skin
It was never just a logo. It was proof that my heart was still capable of loving again. For eleven years, I protected my heart.
That First Love Who Broke Me
Sometimes the people who hurt us the most end up teaching us the lessons we needed most. I used to think my first heartbreak was the end of my story.
HOOKED Soft Launch: Where Modern Dating Meets Real-Life Chemistry
There’s something about love in the modern world that feels… complicated. We have dating apps everywhere. We have endless options. We have swiping, liking, ghosting, situationships, and “what are we?” conversations that could honestly quali…
My Next Moves: February Is All About FOCUS
February is not about dreaming. It’s not about planning endlessly. And it’s definitely not about explaining myself. February is about FOCUS . I just finished designing the cover of my book Empress Mindset and with that came a promise to mys…
Moving Into 2026 Like the Empress
New Year’s Eve 2025, Edsa Shangrila Hotel, Philippines 2025 was not a year - it was a test. A test of patience. A test of faith. A test of how deeply I trusted myself when the world tried to shake my crown. And here’s the truth: I didn’t ju…
The Cost of Labels - and Why You Might Be Better Off without Them
In today’s world, everything needs a box. A definition. A title. A label. We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that labels make life clearer, more meaningful, more valid. As if putting a name on something magically stabilizes it. B…
What It Takes
People talk about chasing dreams like it’s a pretty journey…vision boards, motivation quotes, and “you got this” energy. But the truth? What it takes is much harder, messier, and far more demanding than most will ever admit. It’…
Gorgeous at the End - As A Single Mom
Robin Sharma - the mind behind The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - once said, “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” If there’s one quote that feels like it was written for my life story, it’s this one. When I …
Choosing The Crown Over Love
I’m sprinting again. From one meeting to the next, negotiating deals as if everything depends on it- an empire, my empire. As I move through boardrooms, calls, deadlines and decisions, my mind flickers to the only two souls who …
Running My Own Race: Escaping the Rat Race - Or So I Thought
I remember dropping out of college - University of Santo Tomas - after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. That book changed everything for me. It made me see the world differently. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be part of the system anymo…
How to Build An Empire - From Scratch.
They say empires aren’t built overnight… but they are built from a decision. A decision to start, even when you have nothing. No capital. No support. No permission. Just a vision burning so fiercely that even failure becomes fue…
Single Mom And Owning It
It happened one ordinary night. The girls were in their pajamas, hair still wet from the shower, giggling about something on TV. Then, in between laughter, one of them said it- “Mommy, we want to have a daddy.” I smiled. I tried…
When You’ve Been Strong Too Long - Learning to Be Loved Again
There comes a time when strength stops feeling like empowerment and starts feeling like exhaustion. You wake up one day and realize - you’ve been in survival mode for so long that peace feels suspicious, kindness feels temporary…
Becoming the Storm: Owning Your Power, Owning the Room, Owning the World
What was meant to destroy me became the fire that built me. I was called a scammer. Splashed on headlines, whispered in gossip circles, and judged by people who never even knew my name - only the story someone else told. If you …
I Refuse to Blend In
From what I can remember, I was always the center of attention - in school, at parties, everywhere I went. I loved standing out. I loved the spotlight. And I’ve never, not once, wanted to blend in or hide myself. Even as a kid, …
The Season of Becoming
“This isn’t the season of success. This is the season of becoming.” The sprint of being an entrepreneur since I was 17 years old was never a straight line up. It was wild, unpredictable, and painfully beautiful. I started with n…
A Decade of Love, Lessons, and Little Miracles
A love letter to my daughter and the woman I became because of her We just celebrated Victoria’s 10th birthday - and as I watched her blow out her candles, I felt something shift inside me. I realized I wasn’t just celebrating h…
Never Again: Floods Shouldn’t Be Our Normal
Every year, the floods return - uninvited, unrelenting, and unforgiving. And yet, what’s even more heartbreaking than the floodwaters are the stories that repeat with them: homes lost, children carried through waist-deep waters,…
Coming Soon: The Empress Mindset - A Book Written in Real Time, From the Rise
There’s a kind of silence no one talks about… The silence of building something huge, while no one’s clapping. The silence between “Are you sure about this?” and “I knew you could do it.” For years, I lived in that silence. And I wrote. I w…
The Business of Beauty: How Sustainability is Reshaping the Skincare Industry
“True beauty isn’t just what you see in the mirror-it’s what you choose to stand for.” - Avi Siwa The pursuit of beauty is as old as humanity itself. From Cleopatra’s milk baths to the intricate skincare rituals of ancient Asia, beauty has …
The Shift: From Distraction to Domination
Empress in Action At the start of the year, I had two things on my mind: launch a beauty brand and build a world-class ad agency. No grand strategy, no drawn-out roadmaps-just action. I move fast, and I build as I go. And while that energy …
When It All Burns Down: Starting Over Fearlessly
Watching the news about the devastating fires in Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to the stories of loss and rebuilding. As an outsider, seeing homes and lives go up in flames reminded me of my own moments when my wor…
From Setbacks to Starting Over: My Journey to Creating Avi Siwa Beauty
When I started this journey, I never imagined how many twists and turns it would take. As a former model, actress, and TV host, I was no stranger to the spotlight, but transitioning into the business world was a whole new challenge. After y…