I am a novice in the world of blogging. This is the first time I’m officially joining the online community. After many months of contemplation, I have finally decided to share my thoughts with the world, in the hopes that I may be able impart some of what I know, and perhaps even inspire others along the way.

My perspective of the world is that of a woman in her forties. I am a Filipina, mother, entrepreneur, educator, leader, student and friend. I don many hats and to be able to do what I need to do, and my life experiences have shaped me into the person that I am today.

As a parent, I hope to tell you about my adventures as a mother. I have four kids, aged eight to fifteen, who at one time or another drive me just a little bit crazy. I want to share my struggles in trying to instill in my children values and the importance of religion and spiritual guidance in their lives. In my fifteen years as a parent, I have learned that there is no one proper way to raise children. I can only share what I know based on my own experience. Many of you will be able to relate to me since our children will likely have the same interests as your own kids such as computer games and television.

I was a student of the University of the Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila University and the Asian Institute of Management.  I am also the founder of Ahead Tutorial and Review and the many other businesses under its umbrella. This will allow me to share with you my inside view of and other premiere educational institutions in the country.

As an entrepreneur, I would like to encourage and help others become successful in their own endeavors. I can share with you my actual struggles in building my own business. Because there is no better teacher than experience, I hope someone may learn from the marketing tools, business strategies and actual experiences that I have utilized and gone through. In future entries, I will talk about strategic planning, budget control, how to meet targets, human resource management, marketing and corporate social responsibility. I can share what has worked for me in the hopes that it may help someone else succeed.

My work has allowed me to meet so many other successful, interesting and award-winning entrepreneurs. There are also educators such as school principals, teachers and tutors who make a difference in the lives of so many children. Then there are the brilliant women who can do it all, some of whom are the driving force behind so many powerful and successful men. This blog will allow me to talk about them so that you too may get a glimpse of their lives.

Surely I can also give you some tips on leadership as I have been given a privilege to lead. Ever since, I’ve always chosen to serve a group. I was always a voted class officer from elementary to college. In college, I was president of two campus organizations for a total of four years. I also became officer of all my campus organizations and national organizations such as the College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Sangkalikasan. Ten years ago, I joined national organizations such as the Philippine Marketing Association, International Association of Business Communicators, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quezon City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zonta International, and Junior Chamber International, where in some, I was also given a chance to serve as officer. Today I believe that our company is the leader in the industry. Many companies in our industry follow our lead in terms of innovations to improve our services.

As an educator, more than 20,000 Filipino students, teachers and school principals have been helped by my business since its inception. Personally, I believe that it is never too late to learn, so I constantly educate myself for self-improvement. I attend workshops on a monthly basis and I am an avid reader. I meet a lot of interesting people who share with me their stories. Here, I will share with you what I learned.

It won’t always be so serious since life should be a balance of work and pleasure. I love gadgets, watching movies and of course, going on a food trip with my kids! Also, now that I am not so poor, I am able to experience some good things in life and the simple pleasures it has to offer.

This blog is special to me because it will allow me to share myself with the world in a way that I have never done before. It is an intimate look at my life and for the first time, anyone can come and take a look and read about what I can share. This isn’t a forum to brag about things, although it can be a place for me to vent my frustrations and share my joy and excitement about life. It is an opportunity to share my world, thoughts and ideas with you.

I look forward to sharing my journey in life with you!