I remember the conversation clearly. Camira was at my place, we were shooting product content for Deema & Co, and somewhere between takes she told me what she was planning. A peaceful walk to the Istana. Letters to the President. There might even be a dance performance. Did I want to join?
My first instinct was yes.
I’ve been vocal since I was a kid. I’m an ISFJ, which means I go along with things — especially when I know the cause is right. And this was about humanity. That’s not a complicated calculation for me.
But there’s a T in my personality that doesn’t officially exist, and it spoke up.
I’m 40. I have parents who are unwell. I run a people services business. My name is attached to three companies and the livelihoods connected to them. Whatever I do publicly doesn’t land only on me — it lands on my family, on my clients, on people who never signed up for my convictions.
So I texted her a week later. I told her I couldn’t join the walk/ dance, but I’d support her where I could, in the ways my situation allowed.
I also played devil’s advocate with her. I asked if this was really something she wanted to do. Because our rules on public assembly are strict, and I’ve watched enough over the years to form my own view about how consistently they get applied. Some things get treated as unforgivable. Others, arguably more serious, don’t seem to attract the same attention at all. And a peaceful walk to hand a letter to the President sits on the wrong side of that line.
She was certain. She’d thought about it. And once she’d decided, she had my well wishes and my support.
Months later, she was on the news everywhere.
That could have been me too. It wasn’t.
I still don’t know whether what I feel about that is relief. Part of me thinks my initial gut was right — that it would have been a serious problem for my family, and that not going was the correct decision for my circumstances. Part of me knows that “correct for my circumstances” is exactly the sentence everyone uses.
What I do know is that I’m proud of her.
She stood by what she believed. She persevered through it. She has only worked with non-complicit brands since, which cost her more than most people understand. And through all of it, she ran fundraising for families in Gaza.
A couple of years on, in May this year, we sat down together and recorded a podcast.
What we covered
The episode is in two parts, and they’re two different conversations.
The first is about what happened after she spoke up. What her income was before. What it became. The fact that no brand ever told her why — they simply stopped calling. What other creators said to her privately, and what they didn’t say publicly. And what it’s actually like to be charged, from the lockup to the passport to the eight thousand dollars in cash you need every time you want to travel.
The second is about how the creator economy actually works. The unspoken rules of engagement — the things that were never in a contract but that she was still expected to follow. The feedback she’d get after delivering content in exactly the style brands hired her for. The payment terms that stretch past 90 days with no recourse. And the one metric agencies keep selecting influencers on, which anyone can see is broken, and which they use anyway.
She has no regrets. She also has the numbers.
I don’t think everyone needs to do what Camira did. I didn’t. I made a different calculation and I’d make it again.
But I do think there’s a difference between choosing not to act and pretending there was never a choice. Most people in her industry did the second one. She named that in the episode, without naming anyone.
What I admire most is that she never asked anyone to follow her. She just went.
I hope more of us find that kind of courage. And in the meantime, I hope more of us are at least honest about why we don’t.
Both parts are out now. Uncut on Spotify. Abridged on YouTube.
This podcast is filmed at Vivid Media Studio.
Vivid Media is a Singapore-based media production company specialising in corporate photography, video production, podcast production, live streaming, and event coverage. Their services include professional LinkedIn and corporate headshots, executive portraits, brand storytelling videos, TV commercials (TVCs), social media content, multi-camera podcast production, and event videography.
With an in-house studio and production team, Vivid Media supports businesses, creators, and organisations in producing high-quality visual content that enhances brand presence, thought leadership, and audience engagement. From corporate campaigns and leadership profiles to podcast filming and hybrid events, they provide end-to-end production solutions from concept development to final delivery.