Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliette Cayao.
Hi Juliette, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Juliette Cayao (she/her), a 26-year-old Filipina transgender hospitality leader, model, and advocate based in Lansing, Michigan. Growing up, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where I belonged and how I could exist authentically in the spaces I entered. Embracing my identity as a transgender woman became one of the most defining experiences of my life and ultimately shaped the way I lead, advocate, and connect with others.
I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, but my career unexpectedly led me into hospitality through a part-time hotel job during my final year of college. What started as a job quickly became a passion because I realized hospitality is about so much more than running a hotel—it’s about creating meaningful experiences and making people feel genuinely welcomed. Today, I proudly serve as an Assistant General Manager for a Marriott hotel, where I have the privilege of creating an environment where both guests and team members feel supported, valued, and cared for.
Modeling found me in a similarly unexpected way. It all began in 2021 with a small modeling opportunity for Michigan State University’s fashion magazine, VIM, which led to a connection with the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Through that relationship, I was introduced to professional photographers, and one opportunity naturally led to another. As my passion for modeling grew, I traveled to New York City to train at Coco Rocha Model Bootcamp under the mentorship of supermodel Coco Rocha, where I refined my runway technique, posing, and confidence as a model. What started as a single photoshoot eventually grew into opportunities to walk fashion runways, collaborate with designers and brands, secure agency representation, and build a professional modeling career.
As a survivor of self-harm and being more than three years sober, I’m passionate about sharing my story to remind others that healing is possible. That passion ultimately led me to pageantry, where I competed in Miss International Queen USA 2026. It became the place where my hospitality background, modeling experience, and advocacy all came together, giving me a platform to champion visibility and representation on a national stage.
Looking back, every chapter of my life has shaped who I am today. Whether I’m leading a hotel, walking a runway, advocating in my community, or stepping onto a pageant stage, my goal is always the same: to help create spaces where people feel seen, welcomed, and empowered to be themselves.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but I also wouldn’t change it. Every challenge has shaped the person I am today.
Growing up as a transgender woman, there were definitely moments where I questioned whether I truly belonged. Learning to embrace who I am took time, and there were periods where I struggled with my mental health and experienced self-harm before ultimately finding healing and recovery. Those experiences weren’t easy, but they taught me resilience, compassion, and the importance of showing up authentically, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Professionally, I’ve also learned that leadership doesn’t happen overnight. Stepping into management at a young age meant learning how to navigate difficult conversations, earn the trust of my team, and become comfortable making decisions that aren’t always easy. But hospitality has taught me so much more than leadership. It’s taught me the importance of empathy, patience, and meeting people where they are. Whether someone is checking into a hotel after a long day of travel or a team member is going through a difficult season in life, I’ve learned that small acts of kindness and genuine human connection can have a lasting impact. Those experiences have shaped not only the kind of leader I strive to be, but also the kind of person I want to be. Every challenge has reminded me that people will always come before processes.
Modeling and pageantry have brought their own set of challenges as well. As a transgender woman, there are still spaces where you don’t often see people who look like me represented, and I’ve often found myself navigating an industry that didn’t always know where to place me. I’ve had commercial clients tell me I look too high fashion, while high-fashion opportunities have sometimes viewed me as too commercial. Navigating those expectations hasn’t always been easy, especially as my body has changed over time. After my breast augmentation, I no longer fit the traditional sample-size standards that much of the fashion industry is built around, and there have been moments when fashion amplified my gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia. Those experiences challenged me to redefine success on my own terms. Rather than trying to fit into someone else’s mold, I’ve learned to embrace what makes me unique.
While modeling taught me to embrace what made me unique, pageantry challenged me in an entirely different way. Entering Miss International Queen USA as a first-time contestant, I sometimes questioned whether I was experienced enough to stand alongside women who had been competing for years. That experience reminded me that growth doesn’t come from waiting until you feel ready—it comes from having the courage to begin. Every runway I walk and every stage I step onto is a chance to help others see that there’s room for all of us to belong.
When I look back, I don’t really see setbacks anymore. I see lessons. Each obstacle has given me a deeper sense of empathy and purpose, and that’s something I carry with me whether I’m leading a hotel team, advocating in my community, or representing myself on stage.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
No two days look exactly the same for me, and that’s one of the things I love most about what I do.
Most of my time is spent working in hospitality as an Assistant General Manager within the Marriott brand. My role involves overseeing operations across every department while creating exceptional guest experiences and helping my team succeed. One of my favorite parts of hospitality is turning challenging moments into meaningful ones. Whether I’m recovering a guest’s stay after something didn’t go as planned or empowering my team to deliver exceptional service during a sold-out night, I love finding ways to create experiences that people remember for the right reasons. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to help open the AC Hotel Lansing University Area with Concord Hospitality, serve as the property’s Brand Trainer, and eventually help lead teams across multiple Marriott properties. One experience that was especially meaningful to me was being invited back to Concord Hospitality as a guest speaker for their “Celebrate TRANSparency” Pride Month fireside chat back in June 2025, where I shared my experiences as a transgender leader and the importance of building more inclusive workplaces.
Modeling requires a completely different mindset. A lot of people only see the runway or final photos, but most of the work happens behind the scenes. I’m constantly checking agency casting calls, researching brands, updating my digitals and portfolio, collaborating with photographers, and maintaining a professional online social media presence—sometimes it feels like Instagram becomes my LinkedIn. Those efforts have opened doors to opportunities with WINK Talent Agency and allowed me to walk for designers, retailers, and events including Bernardino Gomez, RC Caylan Atelier, Pierre’s Bridal featuring Mori Lee New York, Michigan Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, and Indie Fashion Detroit.
Pageantry has become another creative outlet that constantly pushes me to grow. Much of my preparation happens long before I step on stage. I’m always evaluating how I can improve—from practicing interview questions and refining my runway walk to studying stage presence, perfecting my evening gown presentation, and brainstorming new ways to make a meaningful impact in my community. Competing in Miss International Queen USA, my very first pageant, and placing in the Top 6 showed me that success isn’t just about performing well on stage—it’s about using the platform to inspire, advocate, and continue growing.
Outside of my professional work, community service remains one of my biggest priorities. I founded the Empowerment Closet, a community initiative that provides gender-affirming clothing, business attire, and formalwear to LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender people in the Lansing area. I’m also actively involved with the Salus Center, supporting its work to uplift Lansing’s LGBTQ+ community. Whether I’m attending support group meetings, volunteering my time, or simply connecting with others, the Salus Center has become a place of belonging and community for me. Whenever possible, I donate excess hotel hygiene products to help ensure community members have access to essential everyday items that can sometimes be difficult to afford or obtain. As a brand ambassador and model for TuckThreads, I’ve helped strengthen its partnership with the Salus Center to expand access to gender-affirming garments for members of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community.
While these careers may seem very different, they’re all connected by the same purpose. Whether I’m leading a hotel team, walking a runway, preparing for a competition, or serving my community, I’m always striving to create spaces where people feel welcomed, valued, and empowered to be themselves.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
In hospitality, I’ve been fortunate to learn from exceptional leaders. Sommer Billeadeux, former Director of Operations at the AC Hotel Lansing University Area with Concord Hospitality, taught me the importance of excellence, attention to detail, and always going above and beyond for every guest. Saturn Wells, Head of Human Resources at the same property, believed in my potential from the very beginning and continually encouraged both my personal and professional growth. Noel Johnson, the first General Manager I worked under as an Assistant General Manager, showed me that great leadership is rooted in integrity, service, and investing in your team. I’m equally grateful to Marian Sako, Regional Manager for Xennial Enterprises, for trusting me to lead a hotel and continually challenging me to grow into the leader I aspire to be.
Jeff Rawk, one of the first professional photographers I worked with, helped me build confidence in front of the camera during my earliest days as a model, while training with supermodel Coco Rocha at her boot camp refined my runway technique and transformed the way I approached modeling as both an art and a profession. Jamie Ashby introduced me to Miss International Queen USA and helped me discover that pageantry could be so much more than a competition—it could be a platform for advocacy, representation, and meaningful impact.
I’m also deeply grateful to Camila and Kyle Winters, founders of TuckThreads, the Salus Center, and the Miss International Queen USA organization for believing in me and giving me opportunities to serve my community, share my story, and advocate for greater visibility and representation.
Most importantly, I’m thankful for my family and my chosen family. They have loved and supported me through every chapter of my journey, celebrating my successes, lifting me up during moments of doubt, and reminding me that I never have to navigate life’s challenges alone. Their unwavering encouragement has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams, embrace who I am unapologetically, and continue believing in myself even when the path ahead felt uncertain.
When I look back on everything I’ve accomplished, I don’t think about it as something I did alone. Every opportunity I’ve been given has been possible because someone believed in me, encouraged me, or took a chance on me. I’m incredibly grateful for each of those people, and I hope they know just how much they’ve shaped the person I’ve become.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliettecayao
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1LBBczqau9/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliette-cayao-cta-9262612bb
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juliettecayao
