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Entrepreneurship V/S Family: Finding the Balance
Friends, colleagues, and associates have always seen me as a career woman, a goal-getter who is always chasing her dreams. But behind this strong facade lies tons of stories and experiences. Coming from a family of educators, I wanted to take a different path. Academics was never tough for me, but compared to my siblings I wasn’t the typical bookworm with her nose buried in her books. I would rather listen to my teachers than read books, and this learning technique got me to graduate as a valedictorian and a presidential leadership awardee, governor’s leadership awardee, and the mayor’s leadership awardee.
University Life and Beyond
Studying abroad was never a part of the plan since none of my older siblings had done so. We were all expected to go to the University of the Philippines. I, as my familial predecessors did, passed the UPCAT and that was the route most in our family took. But, the most unexpected thing happened. We received a call offering me a full academic scholarship overseas! I knew that my parents would have different thoughts on this as I am their youngest and only daughter. But as any loving parent would do, they let me go to soar high on my own.
Studying overseas was not a walk in the park, adapting to a different culture and living on my own was scary and exciting at the same time. But given how adventurous and inquisitive I am,
I put my best effort into everything I do; I made really good friends, learned new languages, and did my best to maintain my scholarship. I worked hard for this – the best choice my parents and I made together. Yet again, another piece of good news came when I graduated and received a call from one of our university contacts — they were offering me a job in the Philippines! As a fresh graduate, securing a job post-graduation was definitely a blessing and since it was always in my plan to head back to the Philippines after graduation… I said yes.
The Big Dilemma Fast forward to settling back home, eventually getting married, and having a kid. I had desired to start a business, thinking that being an entrepreneur would allow me to have more control over my own time schedule. Initially, I enjoyed juggling the responsibilities but, as my business rapidly grew, I had little to no time for my son who was also growing up fast. While he was learning a lot of his first words and developing newfound skills, I had been traveling to different countries for business trips. I realized that things cannot be the same as when I was younger and had a more carefree life. After taking a step back and evaluating my decisions and priorities, my son came first and as his mother, I have a duty to be present for him and raise him well. I took a step back as an entrepreneur and decided to be a mom first.
Finding the Balance
As fate would have it, another blessing of great news arrived! AddedEducation appeared, presenting me with the opportunity to have a work-family balance as mother and counselor with the company. AddedEducation prides itself in providing children the best future they can have, while understanding the importance of maintaining the parent-children relationship. Given my years of experience in business development, operations, sales, and marketing — mixed with the endless passion of working and interacting with people from different backgrounds and walks of life, I am able to identify the right path without neglecting what’s important to me.
At AddedEducation, I am looking forward to successfully growing and expanding the business, providing top-notch services to families in their journey to reach their dreams in the best universities around the globe!
Elena Castelltort, Deputy General Manager- Philippines
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