About Christina

Curiosity

Ask questions about our world. Have an open mind about ideas and people. We can all learn one thing from one another. 

Simplicity

Live a clutter-free and minimalist lifestyle. Redefine your perceptions of success, one that isn't exclusively tied to material possessions. 

Helping Others

Pass your knowledge and experience to others. Don't view an interaction as a transaction. 

The Longer Story

Born in the Philippines, grew up in Indonesia, and immigrated to Canada in 2004. 

I come from a family that values perseverance and hard work. I grew up thinking I could accomplish anything I wanted to do. I have my father to thank, who made me repeat the following sentence every single day: "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can be achieved." 

Ten years in Jakarta, Indonesia sparked an insatiable desire to help others. Life in an expatriate community was easy. Luxury was everywhere. However, living in a city filled with extreme wealth and poverty gives an appreciation for what you own. Often, I also wondered how I could help people. 

One day, I hope to have the answer to this question. 

My family's motivation to move to Canada was education. I was a socially awkward kid who didn't know how to talk to people. Still, I was driven by a desire to help people somehow, regardless of being socially inept. Repeating that person motto, I took on opportunities to challenge and improve myself. 

Looking for opportunities to grow. 

In university, I got involved with AIESEC, a youth-run non-profit organization that operates an international internship program in over 100 countries. My roles were in corporate relations and business development. I still don't know how that happened. During my involvement, I met with business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs from the Vancouver business community to negotiate and secure work placements for students around the world. 

The highlight of my involvement was being elected to lead my university chapter. With a stellar team of 9 executive members, we led our chapter to become recognized as 'The Most Improved Chapter' out of a national entity of 28 other university chapters in Canada. 

During this time, I also had opportunities to attend over 20 leadership, personal and professional development conferences across Canada, in Mexico and Costa Rica. I've also organized or facilitated in conferences, including AIESEC Canada's Train the Trainers Summit, the inaugural OMG Social Media Conference, and TEDxSFU.

I started this blog to chronicle my commitment to build a life and business that aligns with my values. 

At the beginning of 2013, I was burnt out. I was in my fifth year of university, feeling like I was going nowhere. At that point, I had dabbled in accounting and public relations, but they didn't feel right. I was also spending my time in organizations and activities that drained me. 

On reflection, I also realized I was doing nothing to answer those questions I asked as a child: "How can I help people?" 

These days, I spend my time finishing up my final year of school, writing, doing freelance marketing and copywriting and working on a social enterprise aimed at supporting non-profit organizations while providing people opportunities to learn new skills and information. 

On my spare time, I do a lot of reading. I carry a book with me at all times. I usually go through an average of 2-3 books each month, consisting mostly of non-fiction in topics such as personal growth, culture, entrepreneurship, marketing, sales and personal finance. I have a list of relevant books in my resources page.

I also do a lot of volunteering with causes I believe in. Right now, I spend my time with Startup Canada, a national entrepreneur-led organization with the mission of supporting and celebrating entrepreneurship. I also volunteer with the Vancouver Board of Trade's Leaders of Tomorrow newsletter committee, provide career-related advice to students and recent graduates at my university, and am on the Board of Advisors of my local AIESEC chapter. 

Other things I love include travelling, fuzzy animals, technology and the scent of vanilla.