Easter

2017 started right for me. I got a new marketing stint in a different field.

I’ve been in the hotel industry since 2011, and I know it’s not as long as it sounds, but I always wanted to widen my skill set or just plain curious to try something new. Thanks to my headhunter, I got the said opportunity.

Before sharing with you this new chapter, I’d like to tell you that 2016, on the other hand, was hard for me. Similar to some of you, I thought booking freelance jobs would be easier this time because I’ve been doing it since I went to college. As millennial as it sounds, I decided to quit my stable hotel job to pursue something I wasn’t sure of. Was it really a well-thought-of decision? Maybe. I still think we should pursue our passions, but acting on them entails acceptance of hard truths: you don’t always get the job; there are bills that need to be paid; processes may be longer than expected, etc. Despite the experience, I wasn’t ready to hear those truths again. I was afraid of the setbacks.

Nonetheless, it is at your lowest, that you come to appreciate people and opportunities. With the help and encouragement of loved ones, I picked myself up and tried once more. It wasn’t easy. Waiting for outcomes still turned weeks into months. The difference is that I finally convinced myself that I would not give up on my dream of building brands.

Few weeks before 2016 ended, I got another call. I knew the company, I’ve worked with them before, but I also knew that the field was not my cup of tea. Luckily, I took the risk, and eventually got the job.
 
Wine Warehouse Corporation is one of the largest beverage importation and distribution company in the Philippines. Carrying more than 400 brands from all over the world, the biggest wine portfolio and wine club nationally, the company has expanded into offering craft spirits, coffee, tea, and water through retail and wholesale.
 
Just like my previous posts, I’ve been given the chance to create plans and execute them, train and be trained, spearhead the company’s creatives, the freedom to write, and the opportunity to meet amazing people from various events that we organize.

Although I cannot deny that I miss the comforts of working in a hotel, the thrill of the unknown is hard to beat. Learning the stories of hard work, and being able to share them to people is inspiring. There is romance in how a person found inspiration in nature, how time and dedication helped cultivate an idea, and how a bottle becomes relatable and transforms into various outputs.

Just like New Year, Easter is an invitation for us to hope. Life may not be exactly as we want it to be. However, it should not hinder us from seeing that there is beauty in every step of the process, that there is meaning behind every challenge, and growth from each setback.
 
Easter should be able to enflame our passions, encourage us to pursue them, and empower us to take risks in order to achieve our goals.
 
I’d like to hear your “Easter” story. Feel free to write me back. :)
 
Thanks again for reading, and may we all have a meaningful Easter.
 
Stay inspired.