Founder Story: Bianca Magbujos
Bold and Brilliant co-founder Bianca M. made the leap from one career to another in her quest for finding her true passions. In this interview, she shares the motivations, challenges, and lessons she gained along the way.
Q: Tell us about your current work roles.
I work in Organizational Learning and Development as a Training Coordinator but I am also a freelance writer, learning designer, and communications coach. My other roles also include being the current VP of Public Relations of New York Toastmasters, an international organization dedicated to honing Public speaking and leadership skills. I also do project-based volunteering with non-profit organizations through a platform called Catchafire. My work and roles are diverse but I believe it revolves around one theme: using my passion for learning to connect with and help people.
Q: what led you to your career/s?
My career journey has been anything but linear. I was a registered nurse, but only after a few months working at my chosen profession, I got an opportunity to apply at a Lawfirm for a Project Coordinator role. I remember the first question at my interview being, “Why are you here?”. Two months later, I got a job offer, but I turned it down because I was afraid to put to waste all the hard work, time, and money that my parents and I put in for my education. But after a while, I was miserable and kept thinking about the job offer because not only was it an opportunity to do a different career, but an opportunity to live an independent life as well since the offer was in the big city and I lived in the province. I asked if the offer still stands, and luckily it was. That role built the foundations of my professional identity, but after two years, I wanted to learn and grow more. I decided to take up a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. I studied part-time for three years while keeping my day job. But despite all the effort, I felt something was off. I didn’t really see myself being a clinical practitioner after all, so I quit. I took the time to really think about what I like and see myself doing and at that time I thought it was being a teacher. I got an opportunity to teach part-time a college freshmen class. But it turned out to be one of the most stressful things I have done. Being an academia wasn’t what I wanted after all.
The list of careers I’ve tried and quit was getting long and after four years, I found myself lost again. Luckily, I kept following my curiosity and I began volunteering at an animal welfare group. I got assignments to write articles and speak at events and it sparked something in me. I knew before then that I loved to teach and speak and writing was something I had been doing since I was a kid but only considered a hobby. At my job at the Lawfirm, I became a Learning and Development Trainer and it began a string of learning opportunities and discoveries about my skills. I also continued to write for online publications on my personal time.
Q: Did you have any life-changing experiences that led you to what you’re doing today?
Back when I was working as a nurse, I made a grave mistake which thankfully was a non-fatal error, but still, it scared the crap out of me. But it also made me realize the amount of stress I was in. I was dragging my feet every time I come to work and I lost my focus. That was the signal for me to take my chance and work at the Lawfirm. Years later, when I was a Project Coordinator, the Trainer position opened up. Nobody thought I would apply, because I was an introvert and it was a very extroverted role, but I felt in my gut that I would really love the role. At the same time, I was being offered a new position that would be an automatic promotion - the same job level as the Trainer role. All I have to do is say yes. If I applied for the Trainer role, there is no guarantee I would get it and the promotion offer would not be waiting for me as they need to fill the role immediately. However, my gut was telling me that I have to go for what I really want and not just what is easy. Luckily I got the role and it was one of best career experience I’ve ever had. It was also where I discovered my passion for adult learning.
Q: What is your educational background?
My formal education was in mostly in the medical field - Nursing and Clinical Psychology. But after the zig-zag path I’ve been to in all the roles I’ve been in, I discovered my passion for short-form and experiential learning. Before, I used to think the only purpose of taking further education is to earn a degree and credentials, but now I do it so that I would expand my skills, learn from other people, and use my newly-acquired knowledge to give back to others. I now constantly take classes on whatever sparks my curiosity. I recently took up Learning Design certificate course at NYU. I also love going to conferences and workshops.
Q: How has your family and upbringing influenced your career choices?
I grew up in a small town in the Philippines and it was the place and time where you are expected to choose a career that has a sole purpose of helping your family live a better life. We didn’t have much, we don’t own a car, a telephone, or cable tv. We didn’t even live in the town proper, and at eight o’clock every evening, you won’t see a person roaming outside. I knew then that I wanted to live a different life when I grow up, thus began my obsession with living in a big city. It was the power of vision, but back then it was only called daydreaming. My mom was the biggest driver for my academic choices. I wasn’t even ten years old, and she was already instilling in my mind that I should be a nurse so that our family would have a better life. I can’t blame her for that because she had a much harder life and only wants the best for me. And so years later, I did become a nurse, but not for long. wink*
Straying away from what my family expected me to be was not easy; it took time and made me feel that I have to prove myself over and over again. But looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I would rather go through all the struggle than do what I think they wanted and end up being resentful towards them because I didn’t get to follow my dreams.
Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing?
The thing that I most proud of accomplishing was the fact that I created my own path, instead of following the yellow brick road in front of me. The literal and mental space I used to be in was limiting. I wanted to be in a place (again, literally and metaphorically) where I can be whoever I want to be with vast opportunities that I can explore. There is a certain empowerment brought about by taking risks and leaving your comfort zone.
My career so far has been the result of chasing my curiosities and it led me in exciting directions that following a straight path would not.
Q: What would you say motivates you most to do what you do?
I will admit that my initial motivator was fear - fear that I would stay in the same place, doing the same thing just because it was the safe thing to do, fear that I would forever wonder what life would be like had I followed my dreams. As I grew, I became motivated by learning new things, doing something challenging, and being around inspiring people.
Now, the greatest motivator for me is to create something that would become my legacy and have lasting impact with people.
After a talk, training, or publishing an article, I would sometimes receive messages from random people telling me how much what I told or wrote resonated with them. That is really inspiring for me because it makes me feel that everything I went through were worth it. If I can make even just one person feel that they are not alone, then I have fulfilled a certain purpose.
On Finding Your Passions
Q: How did you find the courage to leap from one field to another?
I always look for inspiration from people who have done what I want to do, which is part of the reason we built this platform - to tell stories of people who have taken a leap of faith in their careers and inspire others who are looking for proof that it is possible. I wish I had something like this when I was starting, someone to tell me that it was okay to let go of previous beliefs and expectations. But thankfully, the day I decided to leave my nursing career began a string of opportunities and decisions that led me to where I am today. I believe with every courageous step, your skills and confidence also grows exponentially. I got the courage to apply for my dream role because of one thought - “If someone else got the part, I would be disappointed and not because someone was better than me; but because I didn’t even try.”
Q: What has been the greatest challenge for you when it comes to switching careers?
The greatest challenge was living with other people’s opinions of what I should have been. To this day, people close to me still can’t understand why I didn’t just go with my original profession. Before, I used to be really affected and explain myself, but now I learned that a smile and nod is enough. That I don’t owe them an explanation. What’s true for you is not what’s true for others and we need to learn to respect each other’s beliefs and decisions. That goes not just in career choices, but also in life.
Another challenge is Impostor syndrome. I used to feel like a fraud in my previous jobs because of my lack of educational background in those fields. Many times, people told me I don’t seem to have a path or a clear direction. But I learned that every path I took has molded me to be the person I am today. I weaved together what seemed like a tangled mess into a patchwork of amazing moments.
Once you let go of who you think you should be, a whole new world of possibilities would open up.
Q: What advice do you have for others who are still trying to find their passions?
My top three advice on those who are in the process of finding their passions and purpose are:
The first step is accepting that you are not in place you think you wanted to be. The most difficult thing to let go of is your own expectations. It’s okay to redefine your dreams and reinvent who you are. You may find yourself not wanting the same goal you had 5 years ago, and that’s okay! Just because you stopped pursuing a goal doesn’t mean you are a failure, it may be a redirection. If it’s no longer fulfilling; not aligned with your passions; and if it’s not who you are anymore, It’s not failing, it’s “Strategic Quitting”.
Trust your gut feeling. It is always right. You may learn to silence it with rational thinking, but it will surface again and again. Ignore the odds; if you don’t take risks, the odds will never be in your favor. As one of my greatest poetic influences said, “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”. His name? Eminem.
You find your passions by going out, trying, and experiencing things, not just by thinking about it. In designing your future there is no final draft. Keep on revising your life to match who and where you are. That way, you create your reality.
Q: What’s next for you, what are you looking forward to?
I am a lifelong learner and currently, I am taking my NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) certification at the NLP Center of New York. It awakened so many things within me - my personal beliefs, understanding others from a different perspective and a newfound passion for interpersonal communication, which may potentially lead to another career switch ;)
I am also constantly working on new freelance branding and writing projects as well as mentorships on communications, and of course, I am excited to grow Bold and Brilliant in order to inspire and enable others to find work that is meaningful and build a community with like-minded, driven individuals.
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Learn more about and connect with Bianca at:
Website: www.biancamagbujos.com
Instagram: @brilliantly_bianca