Whether you’re 20, 40, 60, or 80, you won’t really get to know yourself until you’ve journeyed into unfamiliar territory on your own. More importantly, it’s never too late! Traveling solo changes your life in meaningful ways. It allows you to discover your inner strength and capabilities, and is a powerful catalyst for self-confidence, self-empowerment, and true independence. Helping us navigate this is writer and host Kate Alvarez, founder of the travel blog, YouTube channel, and Plus Network show Kate Was Here where she chronicles her adventures and stories as a solo female traveler of over 15 years. Kate has written for Smile, http://Spot.ph , Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, http://Femalenetwork.com , and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She is also a mental health and animal rights advocate, actress, and commercial model.

Our fathers raised us in the best way they knew, and we hold them in high regard with love, gratitude, and respect for their efforts. The way they formed bonds with us during our upbringing greatly influences our sense of security, stability, courage, confidence, and self-worth—even into adulthood. These deep-rooted influences often manifest in certain struggles we face in our relationships, and can be traced to "Father Wounds" or "Daddy's Issues" (a term preferable to "Daddy Issues" which unfairly places blame on women for the dysfunction). Thus, the first step towards healing and triumphing over these wounds is to explore our past experiences that were less than ideal.  Sharing her expertise in this episode is Aileen Santos, an internationally certified relationship coach, life skills and conflict resolution trainer and counselor who has a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner.

Whether you're dreaming of starting your own business or want to advance your career, building a strong personal brand is essential And these days, it’s no longer projecting perfection or hiding one’s “flaws” or “failures” that resonates, but being authentic and embracing your unique identity and experiences are what can actually set you apart and build a personal brand that's genuine, relatable, and credible. Cece Asuncion is an award-winning Filipino-American director, producer, and filmmaker and the founder, owner and director of Slay Models L.A., the first all-transgender agency in the world. His reality series Strut about his models at Slay, which he co-produced with Whoopi Goldberg, won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Reality Series in 2017. In 2023, he co-produced and mounted the first Slay Model Search Asia in the Philippines with ABS-CBN. He continues to break ground and barriers for himself and others, reframing people’s minds about what is beautiful and allyship with the transgender community.

For anyone who’s ever struggled with being different and being denied their goals and dreams for not conforming with the norm, Miss Mela Habijan’s message for you is: “No matter how the world sees us, being different is a gift, and even if the world keeps saying no to us, we need to keep saying yes to ourselves.” You, too, can use whatever makes you different to transform your life and make it flourish and shine—whatever your gender identity, sexual orientation, life choices, race, shape, size, or economic status.Get inspired by the positivity and uplifting spirit of the first-ever Miss Trans Global, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equal rights warrior, host, writer, actress, brand ambassador, content creator, and peanut butter maker who dreams of having her own family someday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For anyone who’s ever struggled with being different and being denied their goals and dreams for not conforming with the norm, Miss Mela Habijan’s message for you is: “No matter how the world sees us, being different is a gift, and even if the world keeps saying no to us, we need to keep saying yes to ourselves.” You, too, can use whatever makes you different to transform your life and make it flourish and shine—whatever your gender identity, sexual orientation, life choices, race, shape, size, or economic status. Get inspired by the positivity and uplifting spirit of the first-ever Miss Trans Global, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equal rights warrior, host, writer, actress, brand ambassador, content creator, and peanut butter maker who dreams of having her own family someday.

Do we really still need to uphold high standards of English language fluency when audio and video are replacing reading and writing and when the consensus seems to be “it doesn’t matter how you say it, as long as your message is understood”?Instagram’s @‌misschiefeditor addresses this issue and shares her five-step improvement plan to help you stand out and succeed in a competitive job and business market—just as she does for her followers with her practical tips and irreverent, tongue-in-cheek content.The English Studies graduate with a major in Language from the University of the Philippines Diliman is currently working towards a graduate certificate in business communication from Harvard University. She was an editor at BusinessWorld, writes for CNN Philippines and is a senior editor at Fortune 500 firm AECOM. She is also a member of ACES: The Society for Editing, an international professional alliance of editors dedicated to improving the quality of the written word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do we really still need to uphold high standards of English language fluency when audio and video are replacing reading and writing and when the consensus seems to be “it doesn’t matter how you say it, as long as your message is understood”? Instagram’s @‌misschiefeditor addresses this issue and shares her five-step improvement plan to help you stand out and succeed in a competitive job and business market—just as she does for her followers with her practical tips and irreverent, tongue-in-cheek content. The English Studies graduate with a major in Language from the University of the Philippines Diliman is currently working towards a graduate certificate in business communication from Harvard University. She was an editor at BusinessWorld, writes for CNN Philippines and is a senior editor at Fortune 500 firm AECOM. She is also a member of ACES: The Society for Editing, an international professional alliance of editors dedicated to improving the quality of the written word.

There’s no such thing as being too old to achieve anything, proves this former stay-at-home mom who made a name for herself in at age 49 as the first female and first Filipino-American executive chef at Hollywood’s iconic Yamashiro restaurant. There, she enjoyed fame and success cooking for celebrities such as Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Jojo Siwa, Paris Hilton, H.E.R., Jennifer Hudson, and JoKoy. In 2023, she moved back to the Philippines after over 30 years after she was named Philippine Airlines’ Assistant Vice President for Catering Operations. But she was no overnight success. Her journey started when she was born in her grandfather’s bakery in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. She was always passionate about food and loved to bake and cook, but she was preoccupied with motherhood. She was a medical biller, makeup artist, and real estate agent before she finally decided to get a culinary degree from the Academy of Culinary Education in California, but still “just for fun.” After graduation, she resumed housewifehood for two more years until a friend urged her to apply at Yamashiro for an opening for a pastry chef. She did so reluctantly, and was shocked to get the job—and to have to fight for survival in the toxic macho environment of an all-male kitchen. Listen to this episode to hear the rest of this inspiring story!

There’s no such thing as being too old to achieve anything, proves this former stay-at-home mom who made a name for herself in at age 49 as the first female and first Filipino-American executive chef at Hollywood’s iconic Yamashiro restaurant. There, she enjoyed fame and success cooking for celebrities such as Bruno Mars, Cardi B, Jojo Siwa, Paris Hilton, H.E.R., Jennifer Hudson, and JoKoy. In 2023, she moved back to the Philippines after over 30 years after she was named Philippine Airlines’ Assistant Vice President for Catering Operations.But she was no overnight success. Her journey started when she was born in her grandfather’s bakery in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. She was always passionate about food and loved to bake and cook, but she was preoccupied with motherhood. She was a medical biller, makeup artist, and real estate agent before she finally decided to get a culinary degree from the Academy of Culinary Education in California, but still “just for fun.” After graduation, she resumed housewifehood for two more years until a friend urged her to apply at Yamashiro for an opening for a pastry chef. She did so reluctantly, and was shocked to get the job—and to have to fight for survival in the toxic macho environment of an all-male kitchen. Listen to this episode to hear the rest of this inspiring story! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struggling with abandonment or trust issues? Anger management problems? Perfectionistic and obsessive tendencies? A lack of assertiveness or people-pleasing patterns? All these can be manifestations of childhood trauma, which, when left unhealed, can damage our self-esteem and well-being and debilitate us from living our best lives. Unpacking this for us is Harriet Hautea Hormillosa, PhD, RGC, who pioneered the long-running Reparenting the Child Within workshop which she has held over 500 times in the last 29 years, producing tens of thousands of graduates. The founder of the Reintegration for Care and Wholeness Foundation has also trained under world-renowned transformational coaches such as Anthony Robbins, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer.

Struggling with abandonment or trust issues? Anger management problems? Perfectionistic and obsessive tendencies? A lack of assertiveness or people-pleasing patterns? All these can be manifestations of childhood trauma, which, when left unhealed, can damage our self-esteem and well-being and debilitate us from living our best lives. Unpacking this for us is Harriet Hautea Hormillosa, PhD, RGC, who pioneered the long-running Reparenting the Child Within workshop which she has held over 500 times in the last 29 years, producing tens of thousands of graduates. The founder of the Reintegration for Care and Wholeness Foundation has also trained under world-renowned transformational coaches such as Anthony Robbins, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, and Wayne Dyer.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diplomats are masters at negotiation, conflict mediation and resolution, and communicating effectively with tact and grace—essential life skills that can help us get ahead in life and improve our personal relationships while still standing up for ourselves and our beliefs and values. Learn a thing or five from this journalist who has been covering foreign affairs and all things diplomatic for over a decade as well as chronicling her experiences as a diplomatic spouse in her website Almost Diplomatic, which is also the name of her column in the Manila Bulletin.

Diplomats are masters at negotiation, conflict mediation and resolution, and communicating effectively with tact and grace—essential life skills that can help us get ahead in life and improve our personal relationships while still standing up for ourselves and our beliefs and values. Learn a thing or five from this journalist who has been covering foreign affairs and all things diplomatic for over a decade as well as chronicling her experiences as a diplomatic spouse in her website Almost Diplomatic, which is also the name of her column in the Manila Bulletin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the doom and gloom about climate change can make us feel hopeless and helpless, so we tend to turn a blind eye out of guilt and apathy. But every little thing we do is magic, and our collective efforts really can amount to something that can make an impact, assures this episode’s guest. Lou Albano has always been passionate about the environment and has made getting people to actively care for Planet Earth her personal goal. She pioneers journalistic coverage on climate and the environment at GMA News Online where she is the lifestyle managing editor. Her stories on the environment led her to be chosen as a member of the second cohort of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, where, together with top science and environment journalists all over the world, she learned about how to more effectively convey the message in doable ways that can move every citizen into positive action. You won’t be the same after listening to her here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the doom and gloom about climate change can make us feel hopeless and helpless, so we tend to turn a blind eye out of guilt and apathy. But every little thing we do is magic, and our collective efforts really can amount to something that can make an impact, assures this episode’s guest. Lou Albano has always been passionate about the environment and has made getting people to actively care for Planet Earth her personal goal. She pioneers journalistic coverage on climate and the environment at GMA News Online where she is the lifestyle managing editor. Her stories on the environment led her to be chosen as a member of the second cohort of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, where, together with top science and environment journalists all over the world, she learned about how to more effectively convey the message in doable ways that can move every citizen into positive action. You won’t be the same after listening to her here!

“It's okay to be ugly. What's not okay is to give up on yourself. It’s absolutely fine that you don’t fit in the mold of what everyone else thinks is beautiful. The real challenge is improving the rest of yourself. This involves unraveling years of trauma, self-flagellation, and failure by truly looking the monuments to pain that you’ve built into the blueprint of who you are. From there you can work towards forgiving yourself for the things you are not and the life you don’t have. This is the work that will improve your life, but it’s not instant or easy.”   This episode could very well have been inspired by these beautiful words from a piece in Projectvanity.com by its founder and editor Liz Lanuzo, the OG Pinay beauty blogger who has harnessed the power of embracing her true beauty towards fulfillment and success. A 15-year veteran in the beauty industry, she is also the founder of In Her Element Skincare, designed for busy women who, like herself, are lazy when it comes to applying skincare.   Listen and learn from our intriguing conversation about beauty standards and stereotypes, beauty vs. attractiveness, beauty politics, beauty empowerment and disempowerment, youth worship and ageism in beauty, and the three steps you can take to find and embrace your true beauty.  

“It's okay to be ugly.What's not okay is to give up on yourself. It’s absolutely fine that you don’t fit in the mold of what everyone else thinks is beautiful. The real challenge is improving the rest of yourself. This involves unraveling years of trauma, self-flagellation, and failure by truly looking the monuments to pain that you’ve built into the blueprint of who you are. From there you can work towards forgiving yourself for the things you are not and the life you don’t have. This is the work that will improve your life, but it’s not instant or easy.” This episode could very well have been inspired by these beautiful words from a piece in Projectvanity.com by its founder and editor Liz Lanuzo, the OG Pinay beauty blogger who has harnessed the power of embracing her true beauty towards fulfillment and success. A 15-year veteran in the beauty industry, she is also the founder of In Her Element Skincare, designed for busy women who, like herself, are lazy when it comes to applying skincare. Listen and learn from our intriguing conversation about beauty standards and stereotypes, beauty vs. attractiveness, beauty politics, beauty empowerment and disempowerment, youth worship and ageism in beauty, and the three steps you can take to find and embrace your true beauty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two-time Palanca Award winner, Rappler columnist, essayist, and author Shakira Sison wants you to be brave. She doesn’t mean “raging in anger and waving your fists in the air to fight, but the kind of bravery you feel in your chests when you’re reading something that empowers you or makes you feel like you don’t have to stay where you are or wait to be rescued or for what is handed to you. The kind that makes you want to better yourself and find your own way and be independent.” In this episode inspired by a hit Rappler piece she wrote ten years ago, Myrza’s youngest sister finally guests in this podcast and shares the five action steps that have helped her summon up the courage that “makes you get up and decide that today you will do better.” Shakira was listed first in Buzzfeed's 17 Incredible Lesbian Pinays and co-authored Don't Tell Anyone: Literary Smut, a collection of gay and lesbian fiction in 2018. She is currently working on her first book of essays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two-time Palanca Award winner, Rappler columnist, essayist, and author Shakira Sison wants you to be brave. She doesn’t mean “raging in anger and waving your fists in the air to fight, but the kind of bravery you feel in your chests when you’re reading something that empowers you or makes you feel like you don’t have to stay where you are or wait to be rescued or for what is handed to you. The kind that makes you want to better yourself and find your own way and be independent.”

It’s 2023. Are you still debilitated by fears and thoughts of what other people will say about you or judge you for— instead of doing what you want and going after your wildest dreams? Living unapologetically and authentically means being true to yourself, taking charge of your life and owning your power, and being brave enough to speak up about what you believe in and to do what you want without shame, guilt, or fear. Podcaster, vlogger, and influencer Say Tioco uses her voice and the power of her many platforms to advocate for sex education and sex-positivity, mental health, body positivity and women’s empowerment—unafraid of societal scorn and pressure as she shamelessly celebrates women’s sexuality. Here, she teaches us how we too, can live as fearlessly and as authentically as she does. Bring out your notebooks—and stilettos!