Keep It Real, Keep It Connected

In a world ruled by algorithms, filters, and vibes so curated they need a museum, I’ve come to realize this: the real flex? Genuine connections.

Not your follower count. Not your perfectly timed posts.

It’s who checks on you when you’re off the grid.
It’s who remembers your worth even after you’ve left the job, graduated, paused the hustle, or ghosted social media for months because, well… life was lifing.

Let me take you back to where it all started.

I graduated in 2005 with a degree in Journalism. (Yes, just casually exposing my age here!)
Back then, SEO and digital marketing weren’t hot topics. They barely existed. I knew absolutely nothing about them.

But my cousin Therre was already in the game, working as an SEO copywriter. We were sharing a tiny apartment in Sampaloc, swapping stories after work over instant noodles and background TV noise. I didn’t fully get what she was saying most of the time but the seed of curiosity was planted.

Fast forward to 2008, I landed a job at the same company. Let’s call it QX.

My role wasn’t related to SEO, but I was surrounded by people like Therre and another teammate, Chai, who were constantly talking about keywords, rankings, community engagements and content strategy. I soaked up everything I could, even when it went over my head.

After some good old-fashioned job-hopping, I circled back to QX in 2014. By then, Chai had moved on, and Therre was in another department. I joined the editorial team just as SEO was becoming a big deal.

And I was ready.

I attended trainings, devoured every workshop my boss signed me up for, and learned by doing. I also had help from a few brilliant minds. Programmers and website designers like Rico and A. They walked me through the tech side of SEO I had always avoided.

Then came 2016. Management changed. New systems, new leadership, new energy.

That’s when Nikko came in.

He was just starting out in digital marketing, and I passed on what I knew. The guy had serious talent. No surprise he’s built a solid name for himself in the advertising industry. He still introduces me as his “mentor,” and even though I always say, “You did the work,” I won’t lie, it’s flattering.

In 2017, I took the leap into full-time freelancing.

My first client? A referral from an old QX colleague, Carl. I became the marketing consultant for a training and recruitment firm in Pasay. Let’s call it “NextFront“. A sister company in Makati came next. Yep, also from Carl.

Then life shifted again. I gave birth to my second child and embraced full-time motherhood—nursing, cleaning, raising tiny humans, figuring things out as I went. My LinkedIn got real quiet. But my connections? They stayed loud.

By 2019, Nikko and A were starting to build their own digital agency. They invited me to co-lead. We landed a client through Nikko’s network.

Eventually, both got incredible full-time offers. We all agreed to pause and grow individually—learn more, meet new people, build our skills.

But we never lost the thread.

Nikko introduced me to Ad Agency F, where I took freelance gigs as a Paid Social Media Planner. That led to Agency E, a new company founded by some of the sharpest creatives in the local ad industry. I got to collaborate across multiple teams, work on exciting campaigns, and landed Client P—who I still work with today.

Meanwhile, one of my closest college friends—let’s call her Mic—offered me a full-time role at her spouse’s company. I joined as a Digital Marketing Strategist.

And the connections? They kept circling back.

During my full-time role, Chai brought me in on a side gig. The pay was great, and the work was even better.

I pulled in web designers like Bry and A to work with me on Client P’s projects. Nikko needed a web designer, I referred Rico.

Now Rico has a client needing a media buyer, but I’m fully booked. So I passed it to Chai.

My current company needed a sales rep, I referred a college classmate. She just had her first interview this week, with a second one lined up soon.

It’s a full-circle kind of magic.

So what’s the point?

Connections matter. But real ones? They’re priceless.

Helping someone grow doesn’t shrink you.

Sharing your knowledge doesn’t make someone your competition.

Referring someone for a role doesn’t mean losing your spot. It builds trust, community, and mutual respect.

In a world that’s fast-paced, transactional, and obsessed with numbers, sincere relationships—ones rooted in respect, gratitude, and a genuine desire to see others thrive—are what truly last.

They open doors. They create new ones. And sometimes? They bring you back to where you started but stronger, wiser, and surrounded by people who’ve been part of the ride.

My journey isn’t made of just job titles or brand names.
It’s built on people. Stories. Shared wins and lessons.

And that, my friends, is worth more than any algorithm can ever measure.