Thinking of turning your passion into a career? It’s an exciting but challenging path. You’ll have to invest your time, energy, and money with no guarantee it’ll all succeed. Then again, doing what you love can feel rewarding in itself. If you’re unsure, start pursuing it on the side to gain experience and build a portfolio. Should you choose to pursue your passion from there, a truly fulfilling career journey awaits!

For those considering following their passions, read on to get motivated by Shopee collaborators Elize Mariano, Mary Grace Khu, Patty Marabut, and Angelo Casimiro, who all managed to turn their dreams into full-blown careers.

Elize Mariano

Content creator Elize Mariano may be young, but her ambitions were set in stone early on. Elize was exposed to the spotlight frequently as a performer, and growing up, she fell in love with the industry. “At an early age, I started thinking about how I could achieve my desired career. I fixed my social media accounts and became active with engaging with my followers.”

Her tip for those hesitant about pursuing their passions is, simply, to give it a try. “Never doubt yourself when it comes to pursuing something your heart and soul desires. You can always start small and build on that, little by little.”

For aspiring content creators, stable, higher-quality videos is key. Elize strongly advises creators to invest in a Tripod. “This purchase made me realize the importance of having high-quality technical equipment in this field, especially now that we are in a pandemic.”

Mary Grace Khu

Mary Grace Khu’s passion lies in creating meaningful connections, which is why she chose to pursue a career as an events host. MG started hosting professionally a decade ago, but her passion for being onstage dates back to her childhood. At a young age, she realized she loved bringing joy to her audience and that this was what she wanted to make a living out of.

She shares that it’s important to hold on to personal values when pursuing one’s passion in such a fast-paced industry. “Don’t forget to stay grounded. Stay humble and build a healthy working relationship with others. Learn from whatever mistakes that brought you to where you are. And most importantly, have a grateful heart.”

For MG, would-be hosts who want to pursue gigs from home should get a Boya Lapel Mic, which ensures quality audio output to satisfy potential clients.

Patty Marabut

Like most of us, Patty Marabut’s true passion had nothing to do with the course she took in college. An engineering graduate, Patty found herself starting a business due to her passion for food and her innate entrepreneurial drive. She is currently the co-owner and VP of marketing at The Lost Bread, and also the owner of Royal Harness and The Kind.

Patty and her partner initially found it difficult to entice customers, which is why she encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to think things through before taking the plunge. “It’s still important to run numbers and assess the risks before starting. Not every passion can be turned into a career, but with proper planning and the right people behind you, it’s possible.”

Patty also believes that for one’s business to succeed, aspiring entrepreneurs should invest in their employees’ well-being. “The number one driver in pursuing our passion individually and as a team is the people behind us. Initially we started with simple plastic chairs for our employees, but when Christmas 2019 came, we decided to gift them all with comfortable Swivel Chairs from Shopee.”

Angelo Casimiro

He’s still in school, but college student Angelo Casimiro has already built a thriving career in innovation. Angelo’s interest in the subject developed at just four years old, when his grandfather, a retired mechanical engineer, taught him to build homebrew wind turbines and remote control cars. Angelo went on to win robotics competitions and even became the first Filipino awardee at Google Science Fair competition. Now, he also shares DIY electronics projects and tutorials on social media.

Turning one’s passion into their career doesn’t happen overnight, but Angelo assures aspiring inventors that their drive will sustain them. “Just remember to stay curious everyday and never give up on your goals. And never forget to pass your knowledge to others who are also eager to learn.”

Get started on electronics projects with this Physics Electrical Package from e-Gizmo, Angelo’s go-to Shopee store.

Check out Shopee every akinse to enjoy exclusive deals on must-haves for pursuing your passion! At Shopee’s Aug 15 Payday Sale, get free shipping with no minimum spend, ₱150 off vouchers, and up to 50% Bills Cashback.

To discover more deals, visit https://shopee.ph/m/payday-sale.

Stay safe at home this akinse by going cashless with ShopeePay, your all-in-one e-wallet which you can use to Buy Load, Pay Bills, and Scan to Pay at multiple merchants nationwide. Top up your ShopeePay wallet through your debit card and online banking to enjoy exclusive ShopeePay promos such as up to 50% Bills Cashback when you pay for Meralco, Maynilad, and more; discounted load up to 50% off; ₱10 mobile data for only ₱1; and ShopeePay ₱1 Deals from Puregold, Seaoil, Potato Corner, and more.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.