My Story
As a human resources practitioner for almost 15 years now, I have supported the learning and development of hundreds of professionals across different industries, geographies, and organizations.
If there’s one thing that I’m taking away from over a decade’s worth of working with people from all walks of life and at all levels of the organization, it’s the power of human transformation. I’ve personally witnessed change at an individual, team, and organizational level and celebrated people’s capacity to transcend circumstances, overcome barriers, and achieve personal and professional growth.
This is what I bring to my practice as a transformational coach, supporting internationals on a range of personal and professional issues related to living and working abroad. I believe that people can thrive anywhere if they have clarity on who they are and what their values and priorities are — and if they have the courage to go after what they want.
My Journey
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, I have a distinct Asian background with strong Spanish and American influences. That said, I’ve been aware early on that there are a great number of cultures that exist, and I’ve always marveled at their differences as well as similarities. Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege of being able to travel abroad and the experience has left me fantasizing about living and working in vibrant, multi-cultural cities in other parts of the world.
That dream took a while to materialize. After graduating from college, I ended up working for multinational companies and while that opened my eyes up to what it’s like working with professionals all over the world, it wasn’t quite the international experience I had hoped it would be.
It took me years to muster the courage to leave everything behind and start anew. And when I finally did, I was unstoppable. I quit my job, gave up my condo, sold my car and most of my other belongings, and bought a one-way ticket out of the Philippines. Other than stopping by the US to visit my parents, I didn’t have a solid plan. I just knew I needed to leave and chase after my dream and that I’ll figure things out as I go.
Now, multiple countries across different continents later, I can say that I’m proud of what I have achieved. After briefly staying in Seattle, I lived in Abu Dhabi before moving to Berlin. Recently, I moved to the Netherlands with my Dutch partner — first to the city of Arnhem before moving close to the countryside in the town of Rheden.
Over the past few years, I’ve gone from living on a tropical island to living in cosmopolitan cities all over the world where I was able to practice my profession across different languages and cultures and interact with diverse groups of people I never would have met back home.
While living abroad has undoubtedly been an enriching experience for me, it was also a journey often fraught with fear, loneliness, and self-doubt. I had to learn how to adapt to all things unfamiliar and unusual to me as I went through a process of transformation to be able to create the life and career I’ve always wanted.
Back in what seems like a lifetime ago, before and right after I took the plunge, I remember wishing I had someone who can help me deal with the challenges of living abroad and figure out a path forward. I didn’t have anything back then other than pure guts and sheer determination to follow a road less traveled amongst my peers and while that helped me a lot, I knew I could’ve used some help.
Fast forward to today, I keep thinking, if I could be that person I needed back in the day and offer support to fellow dreamers who have the audacity to venture out of their comfort zones and a build a life and career of their own design abroad, that would absolutely be another dream come true for me.
If my story resonates with you, let’s chat. I might just be the right coach for you. Best guidance almost always comes from someone who has been where you are.
My Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with post-graduate studies in Industrial/Organizational Psychology as well as continuing professional education in Human Resources Management.
As a coach, I trained with Animas Centre for Coaching, one of the UK’s leading coach training schools.
I hold a Diploma in Transformational Coaching which is fully accredited by the world’s leading coaching bodies: the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the Association for Coaching (AC), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
My training is grounded in humanistic practice and takes a philosophical and psychological approach to coaching, enabling me to work with clients on a wide range of issues, both personal and professional.
