Entrepreneur to compete in reality television series

Jessica Villegas, owner of Horizon West-based Hi-Lite Coaching and Consulting, will be participating in season 10 of “The Blox,” a reality competition show about entrepreneurship in startup companies.

In “The Blox,” created by reality TV star Weston Bergmann, businesses from across the country are chosen to compete in an intensive boot camp designed to take their companies to the next level. The entrepreneurs are ranked from first to last in real time, with the top three wearing red jerseys. The entrepreneur’s scores from each game accumulate daily, culminating in “The Best Startup On The Blox.”

Villegas is one out of 100 entrepreneurs coming from incredibly diverse backgrounds in different markets and different phases of their startup.

The individuals will live together while also going through a formal startup accelerator, competing in a series of workshops, pitches and one-on-one consults.

Villegas will be heading in May to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to film for five days straight.

“The ultimate goal would be to develop my skills, help expose Hi-Lite to potential investors or find some sort of investor opportunity to help us scale, and to connect and collaborate with other business owners to find ways to help other business owners grow and to help Hi-Lite grow,” Villegas said. “Being in line with that vision of becoming a nationwide household name for teen and young adult development. It’s imperative that people know that we exist and for us to find a way to offer services to as many different types of families and people as possible. It’s imperative that we get that visibility, and even if that means just 99 other entrepreneurs knowing that we exist, there’s that opportunity to share.”

CALL TO ACTION

Villegas said representatives from the show sent her a direct message on Instagram in October and invited her to apply.

Although she had never heard about the show, she has begun to watch the seasons to gain a better understanding.

“I very casually applied,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of thought put into it initially.”

In November, the representatives sent Villegas an invitation to submit a video interview. 

A week later, representatives contacted her again asking her to complete a phone interview with a producer. 

Three days later, she was asked to join the show.

“First, it just seems like a really fun opportunity,” Villegas said. “I’ll be there with 99 other startups and entrepreneurs. Some of us may be somewhere in the seven figures in terms of business growth, but most of us are in the start-up phase. It’s going to be really cool to see how other people are approaching things and to learn different ways of thinking about entrepreneurship, as well as getting to connect with many successful entrepreneurs who are the judges on the show.”

To be selected as a judge for the show, individuals are required to have earned more than $5 million in revenue with their businesses to show sustainability, scalability, growth and promise. 

Typically, judges change each season. Because Season 10 is one of the largest casts of entrepreneurs the show has done, the number of judges has not been determined.

“You’re not just showing up and sharing random things,” Villegas said. “You do a class with these coaches, and then you do some sort of pitch or performance or problem solving-type thing in front of the classroom, and the judges choose people who win each day or in each category. At the end, those winners are pitted against each other to then become the champion of the show.”

The show is estimated to air in late summer or early fall 2024. It will be available on YouTube, Prime Video and “The Blox” app.

Villegas has had to overcome a lot of fears in building her business.

“Overcoming those fears has really primed me for this opportunity,” she said. “To go in and be in somewhat of a fearless state. I have gained my public-speaking skills, and I’ve become more confident in my decision-making as a business owner. My biggest fear in taking on this opportunity itself would be that I would be challenged in a way that might leave me vulnerable for everyone to see. They really are filming you on camera all day for 12-hour days in some very high-pressure, on-the-spot situations.”

Throughout her life, Villegas believes she has done a good job of hiding her vulnerabilities and adversity.

“Over the last couple of years, I’ve challenged myself to share my story a little bit more,” she said. “It’s hard to share. Sometimes, I feel like pieces of my life that I’ve experienced are surreal. Those moments when I’m sharing those in this opportunity for the show could be highlighted for everyone to see, and I have to be comfortable with that. It’s hard. When I hear other people’s stories it inspires me, but it’s very different when it’s your own and when you’ve been challenged your entire life with your truth.”

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MAKING AN IMPACT

Hi-Lite was born out of a passion to serve youth in a way that removes internal barriers, ignites confidence and generates excitement about the future.

The business challenges teens and young adults to know themselves in a way that empowers them to effectively navigate change, leverage their strengths and hold themselves accountable in areas that require improvement.

The company’s mission is “to equip youth with an undeniable sense of clarity and direction that inspires a lifetime of confidence, resilience and continuous improvement.”

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What started with just Villegas has now grown to encompass 11 coaches with stakes in multiple states.

Villegas is no longer taking private clients to transition to a role where she can focus on overseeing and managing the company and its coaches. 

Currently, Villegas is working on developing a training and onboarding program so new coaches can learn the Hi-Lite curriculum and how to be a representative for the company. She also is working on developing strategic partnerships with a youth coaching company.

At the same time, she is having other strategic partnership conversations with organizations such as the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections.

“Being someone who comes from a very difficult background — I have experienced a lot of adversity — the program that I’ve developed could be incredibly useful to those seeking recovery,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be substance abuse recovery, it could be mental health recovery, recovering from adverse childhood experiences, it could be those in the system that really want to do the work to take control of their future. We see a really great opportunity there.”

SeaWaves — a local nonprofit dedicated to advocacy, support, education and awareness about eating disorders for those who have served in the armed forces — is yet another organization with which Villegas would like to partner.

Villegas met recently with SeaWaves founder Leah Stiles and other organizations to see how they can collaborate to access funding to provide robust services to veterans and their families.

“If you’re an entrepreneur, this is a really great resource to tap into to learn different ways to get started, scale your business, learn different skills and ways of thinking, and push yourself to think outside the box,” she said. “If there was one piece of advice I could offer for any business owner, it would be to be very open to the way that your business is going to develop. If you maintain a very close-minded perspective, you will miss a lot of opportunities to collaborate and grow in ways you never thought possible.”