If there’s one thing to know about Gianna Abao, it’s this: She’s a 4’11’’ goddess whom you don't mess with, else... she’ll make it a point to show you that it’s your loss, not hers. In all caps. Exclamation point.

When we recently caught up with the 24-year-old to talk about how she built her 418k-strong empire on TikTok, she shares how various instances almost crushed her, how she fought back, and how that hell of a journey brought her to where she is today.

When she was rejected by modeling agencies simply because of her height, she created her own line of clothes and modeled her own pieces. When her plan to study abroad and travel the world for Masters was canceled due to the pandemic, she started her own business and delved into the world of TikTok. Today, with over 6.3M likes on the booming platform for creators, she’s helping others become kings and queens in their own way through her self-help content ranging from public speaking tips, mental health awareness campaigns, and many others.

Most well-known for her excellent public speaking tips, she shares how important it is to pursue your passion and explore your interests without caring about what others think because, as she says, everyone is so busy dealing with their own lives, that no one really cares about yours. She also emphasizes the importance of practice, discipline, and drive. Want to perfect your pitch? Practice alone for hundreds or thousands of times. Want to look good in anything? Find a role model and make your own style.

Her Q&A and impromptu videos on TikTok highlight her confidence and her true queen energy, wherein she speaks with clarity, poise, and purpose. I won't be surprised if she’d join Miss Universe Philippines. After all, there is no height requirement and Gianna has the combined confidence of all beauty queens, anyway.

But, like any great story, it wasn’t always rainbow and sunshine. It wasn’t an easy trek to the summit, either, according to the bubbly ray of energy that is Gianna. When she was in high school, she admits not always being confident and always waiting for the ‘right time’. She wasn’t as outspoken or as bold or as badass as present-day Gianna. She’d never wear the clothes she actually wanted to wear or speak her heart out for fear of being put down by others.

Fast forward to her mid-twenties today, she’s all that her high school self would have hoped to become. She’s definitely her young self’s inspiration. She’s bold, brave and empowered. She wears whatever she wants, she speaks her mind out and she inspires others to do the same. In fact, she said it best herself, “I think that if she could meet me now, she’d be so proud of me.”