The Side Hustle That Became My Empire.

How I Built a ₱1M+ Business Without Quitting My IT Job

The 4AM Moment That Changed Everything: When I Realized My 9-5 Would Never Be Enough

I was 22, when life took a turn after my mother’s heart attack. Here’s how Mary Kay saved more than just my finances.

It was 4:00 AM on January 2, 2003, when I learned what real fear feels like. I woke up to my mother having a seizure. Lifeless. Not breathing.

At 22 years old, fresh out of college, working minimum wage—I became the person who had to save her life.

The doctor’s words still echo in my mind:

“She needs heart surgery. You have two months. You need ₱1 million pesos.”

₱1 million.

I’d never even held ₱100,000 in my hands. The most I’d ever made was ₱16,000—my entire 13th-month pay, already spent.

That’s when I thought, I need to do something and have other income sources…

I was a regular employee earning minimum wage from 9 AM to 6 PM. To make ends meet, I worked graveyard shift at a call center from 10 PM to 4 AM. In between, I sold ensaymada, brownies, and candles to classmates just to have extra money.

Two jobs. Zero sleep. One dying mother.

And still—it wasn’t enough.

The Struggle

At 23, I was exactly like you… Figuring out my way in the world but unsure…

The Reality Check:

Let me paint you a picture of my life back then:

Monday through Friday:

9 AM – 6 PM: Office job (₱16,000/month)
12 PM – 1 PM: Sell snacks to officemates
10 PM – 4 AM: Call center (₱8,000/month)
4:30 AM – 8 AM: Sleep (if I’m lucky)

Weekends:

Line up at Senate for financial assistance
Visit my mother at Philippine Heart Center
Beg relatives to lend money

Total monthly income: ₱24,000
My mother’s medication alone: ₱10,000/month
Money needed for surgery in 2 months: ₱1,000,000.

The Math Didn’t Math.

I borrowed from SSS. From Pag-IBIG. From my employer. I queued at PCSO for weeks. I even sold our family tricycle.

Still not enough.

I remember sitting outside the operating room, alone, crying—not from exhaustion, but from the terrifying thought:

“What if working hard isn’t enough?”

I believe that when you are at the very bottom, the only logical next step is to go up.

The Belief that Kept Me Going...

I can do this. Six years is much longer than two months.

After my mother’s surgery (thanks to a kind doctor who took pity on me), the doctor said the operation had a 6-year guarantee. After that, she’d need open-heart surgery—costing more than ₱1 million.

Most people would’ve despaired.

But I told myself: “I will find a way. Six years is enough time.”

That moment—that DECISION—changed everything.

Because I didn’t just accept my reality. I decided to CHANGE it.

The Turning Point

Few months later, still working two jobs, skin breaking out from stress and zero sleep, someone approached me about Mary Kay.

My first thought? “Pyramiding yan. Scam.”

I almost said no.

But then I remembered: I have six years to save ₱1 million. What if this is the answer?

So I took a leap of faith with the little money I had left.

First 15 days of Mary Kay:

Sold ₱16,000 in facials
Earned ₱3,000 commission

I stared at the money in disbelief.

₱19,000 in FIFTEEN DAYS.

It took me TWO MONTHS at the call center to make that. Even bigger than my salary at that time.

That’s when I knew: This is it. This is my way out.

The Decision That Changed Everything

I didn’t quit my day job immediately. I was smart about it.

I quit the call center (goodbye graveyard shifts!), kept my IT job, and built Mary Kay on the side.

Second month of Mary Kay:
I decided to go for the Sales Director position. Yes, this was the most challenging part of the journey because everything is so new to me. I never know skincare not even make up. I felt unsure at times but I diligently followed the process and believed on what Mary Kay prepared for us.

I attended all the trainings repeatedly to make sure I know the ins and outs of the business.

Six months later:
I debuted as a Sales Director with a ₱40,000 paycheck—more than DOUBLE what I made at the call center at at work combined.

Within the next 2 years:

I became a Mary Kay Millionaire’s Club member
Earned local and Asian trips for free
Earned my very first Mary Kay Pink Car

In the next 10 years…

4-time Pink Car Achiever
I’ve traveled to 20+ countries ( including 2 luxury cruises in Europe and Asia)
I own a condo in Bel-Air, Makati
I co-founded an international IT consulting firm

But here’s what matters most:

My family recovered and I was able to support them while living the life I want for myself.

And it all started with a ₱8,000 commission check and a decision to bet on myself.

It’s not where you start, it’s where you are heading….

The Question I want You To Ask Yourself...

If I could do this while:

What could YOU do with

In 2026, With Mary Kay's proven system PLUS my very own "Ambisyosa Framework", designed to help you build your Mary Kay empire in 6 months...

The only missing link is your willingness to learn.

Because here’s the truth:

You’re probably already more prepared than I was.

You have skills I didn’t have.
You have education I had to fight for.
You have stability I was desperately seeking.

If I could build a ₱1M+ business from that starting point—imagine what YOU can build from yours.

That’s what this series is about.

Not just my story—but YOUR possibility.

Next in this series: "The ₱8,000 That Changed My Life: What I Learned in My First 15 Days of Mary Kay

(That No One Tells You)"

Are you ready to explore what's possible?

I’m not here to convince you to quit your job. I’m here to show you there’s a BRIDGE between where you are and where you want to be.

And that bridge is built one small decision at a time.

Send me a message if this resonates with you, and I’ll send you the 3 questions that helped me decide if Mary Kay was right for me.

Because your 4 AM moment might not be a medical emergency—it might just be the quiet realization that your current path won’t get you to your dreams.

And that’s okay.

That’s actually the beginning.

The Blazing Butterflies

Someone told me, butterflies don’t blaze. Well, physically – sure they can’t. I named my Mary Kay Unit blazing butterflies because we represent the personality of a butterfly ignited by the fire burning with purpose, passion, enthusiasm, and determination. This is what the Blazing Butterflies unit members are all about.

An adult butterfly undergoes 4 stages before it can finally fly: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Each stage has a different goal – for example, caterpillars need to eat a lot while adult butterflies need to fly from one flower to another to reproduce. Just like the butterfly’s metamorphosis, I went through several stages in this business to become the unit’s leader. I started with a negative bank account, renting a small bed-space and having 2 jobs to make ends meet into a full pledged business woman.

I joined Mary Kay as a part-time beauty consultant in July 2006 and decided to build a unit of my own on September 12, 2006. The Blazing Butterflies Unit debuted in January 2007 with young and dynamic women ready to achieve goals. Our Unit has been recognized many times since then. Some of those achievements are as follows:

4x Mary Kay Pink Car Achiever
The Circle of Achievers 8 Million Production – 5 times
The Circle of Excellence over 12 Million Production – 3 times

Millionaire’s Club Member
Cruise Beyond Red Asian Cruise Trip
NISD-in-the-making Trip to Singapore
Top Sales Director’s Trip to Turkey and Greece

Many members of the unit were also awarded for their many achievements such as the Circle of Personal Selling Achievers, Trips and Cruises. This site is dedicated to all the men and women who are and have been part of my unit. Kudos to each one of you!

It was said that butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Butterflies’ personality includes optimism, leadership, persuasiveness and adaptability to the situation. The same represents all the women in this amazing Mary Kay Unit. We look forward to welcoming you too in our team soon. Leave me a message or talk to your beauty consultant to inquire about how you can start something beautiful today!

See what I looked like in the beginning of my journey
here

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