Maalaala Mo Kaya July 22 features the story of self-made Flipino-Australian entrepreneur, Hershey Hilado. Ria Atayde brings Hershey’s story to life by taking the audience back to the time of her life with immense challenges difficulties before her success as an investor, inspirational speaker and Social Media and Branding guru. The episode is written by Mae Rose Balanay and directed by Dado Lumibao. The episode’s cast includes lyanna Angeles, Yesha Camille, Ryle Santiago, Maritez Samson, Aleck Bovick, Celine Lim, Denise Joaquin, Rhed Bustamante, Simon Ibarra, Jordan Hong and Ernie Garia.
At the age of nineteen, Hershey founded an e-commerce fashion website, Ohmagosh.com that sells its fashion merchandise to sixteen (and more) countries worldwide. Her empire has gotten thousands of followers in the social media that paved the way for her success, winning numerous awards like being in the 20th spot of “30 Under 30 Influencive Entrepreneurs of 2016″ and being in the Top 80 list of Women2Watch in 2017 by Remodista. Ohmagosh is also part of the Top 50 Most Innovative and exciting eCommerce stores in Australia (2016). Her success, though, was born out of a painful past. How she overcame and went beyond limits is most inspiring.
MMK Hershey Hilado: Keeping a Promise for Her Siblings, Rising From Pain to Fortune
Hershey Hilado’s childhood was marked with emotional and physical abuse from her own mother, Emy. She and her siblings would always get a beating. When her father found out about Emy’s affair with a man from Hongkong, he and her brother left them. Hershey and her other sister were left in Iloilo and they stayed with their grandfather, Dongdong. Whenever Emy comes home from Hongkong, Hershey and her sister will always experience the wrath of their mother. As to the reason why? They never knew nor did they ever come to understand.
That day came when Hershey found herself losing the only people who cared for her. Her father, Jimmy, was murdered in Batangas. After a few years, Dongdong fell severely ill. Before he passed away, he made Hershey promise him that she will take care of her siblings and make sure that all of them will live a comfortable life. At this time, Hershey was only 14 years old. To make ends meet, she resorts to shoplifting just to keep her promise to her grandfather. This was the only way she could feed her siblings. This difficulty fueled her drive to escape.
Hershey Hilado takes a great risk. At 16, Emy forces Hershey to marry a foreigner who is three times her age. This triggered her escape and left home for good with the help of Dongdong’s friend. When she arrived in Manila, she only had 1,000 pesos. She became homeless for about two years until that blessed day when she found her father’s relatives in Batangas. Her aunties took her in and for the first time, she felt cared for.
Hershey finds love via Social Media. The social media has always been significant to Hershey’s life especially when she found love with an Australian national, Scott, via an online dating site. At 18, Scott brings Hershey to Australia and the two got married. However, she never forgot the promise she made to her grandfather. She starts to work as a McDonald’s crew member and made her way up through various jobs like being a store-front guard. She got promoted as a Security Control Room Operator.
Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” changes Hershey’s perspective in life. If there is one thing that Hershey did differently that made her who she is now, it is that principle of being more than just “good” in everything she does. She always felt that there was more to her life than the simple 9-5. She then once again took a risk, quit her job and start her own business – a fashion label she called, “Ohmagosh.” Little by little, she was able to earn and send money back home for her younger siblings. Today, her online business is a sensational success. It has gotten so many likes and followers causing her to be one of the most successful women under the age of 30. She kept her promise to her beloved grandfather. She and her siblings now live better lives.
Hershey Hilado’s story inspires Pinoys to go beyond limits and live the life they dream of. Today, as the inspirational and motivational speaker she is, Hershey never refuses to share her success story. She continues to travel across countries inspiring to live a life of confidence and to embrace entrepreneurship as a means to success. Realizing the potential that the social media can bring, she regularly holds events and mentorship programs where she educates people who want to be successful in their profession, their business and in their personal lives. The movement she calls, the “Charged Movement,” sends this strong message out to everyone who needs a boost in life and to live out their full potential.
Hershey gives back to society. Her success has only made her give back to society even more. Since she experienced much, she also has much to say to help others be the best they can be for themselves and for those they care for. She says that life is not about her or “me.” “It’s about ‘we.’ If we feel like we are contributing to something then we just don’t get something, we become something.”