An entrepreneur’s story of business, motherhood, combating domestic violence and overcoming trauma and her demons, both mentally and physically…
I first came to Australia in January 2011 on a student visa that was only valid for six months. I never thought that after taking that fateful flight from the Philippines, Australia would become my second home. Through study I was able to gain my Australian registration to practise as a nurse and soon received my permanent residency under the sponsorship of Wollongong Hospital. I worked in various areas, such as nursing homes and medical wards, but the area I worked the longest was in the emergency department of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
In 2016, I gave birth to a beautiful boy and also got married. However, the realities of paying for our house and supporting our family loomed, and I soon worked out that if I kept working as a nurse it would be very challenging for us to sustain our lifestyle.
Hungry for a career change, I took a risk and transitioned into a whole new occupation as a registered migration consultant in 2018. After completing all my studies and acquiring my registration, I made the decision to start my own business and christened it ImmiCo Consultancy. I was still working full-time as a registered nurse whilst working on my migration business in my spare time. Always a believer in thinking big, I took the plunge and rented an office suite in the city immediately, juggling morning shifts as a nurse with afternoons in the office.
Through long hours and dedication, I managed to make it work and ran the business at a minimum cost until I steadily received a large enough income from the business to quit my day job. When that day finally came, I immediately resigned as a nurse and dove head-first into ImmiCo. Like nearly anything worth doing, I always knew that I would only be able to successfully grow the business if I gave it my full time and effort.
Early in my career as a migration consultant, I started travelling extensively to deliver free Australian migration seminars in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and the Philippines. Putting myself in front of hundreds of people at a time, I became a pro at fielding different questions about migration to Australia – a dream for many and a promised land of opportunity. Crucially, I used these seminars to learn more about the unique needs and considerations of my clients.
Like everyone else in the world, the onset of the pandemic put the breaks on global domination and I found myself back in Sydney. Thankfully, my main clients are already here in Australia. They’re usually either on a temporary visa or are planning to bring family members from overseas. Some clients may also be applying for an appeal for a visa application that has been refused by the Department of Home Affairs.
Although outwardly things were doing well in my professional and personal life, I was in denial. The truth was I was a victim of domestic violence. It took me three years to have the courage to finally leave the marriage. I tried everything I could and remained silent about the violence to protect my family. Eventually, I woke up one day and realised I was doing it wrong. I had a young child who needed me and I did not want him to grow up witnessing that violence and thinking that it is okay. In my darkest moments, I would worry he may grow up without me. Who would be there to guide and teach him to be a valuable member of society one day, treating everyone with the kindness and respect they deserve?
In 2019, I started my life again with just a piece of luggage I had brought back from an overseas trip to the Philippines. I came back to Australia and just never felt at home. That was the lowest period of my life. My outlet at that time was keeping myself busy at work. But whenever I finished the day at work, I knew that my mental health was rapidly declining. I was very depressed and suffered from anxiety.
There were so many times I wanted to give up, but I kept looking at my son, who had also been diagnosed with Autism. There was so much on my plate, and I was by myself, homeless and staying temporarily on my brother’s corner lounge. I spent so much time crying and feeling sorry for myself and how my life had turned out. I blamed myself for making the wrong choices and decisions in life.However, I realised that you can only wallow in your own self-pity for so long. I knew deep down that feeling sorry for myself was not helping me at all. I looked in the mirror and started seeing the real me. I saw a beautiful, strong woman who did not love herself.
From then on, I started learning how to love myself. I began reading self-help books and listening to podcasts. I invested in a gym membership and joined many different classes from pole dancing to Muay Thai, and even Latin dancing. I taught myself new ways of survival. I needed to see the beauty of this life. I started living with a purpose and that is to be not just a mother to my son but also to enjoy this journey we are all on.
It was in 2021 when I started to see progress in my life. I moved into an apartment in Sydney with my 5-year-old son. It was just me and him. I isolated us from the noise of the world and took on the full parental responsibility by putting him at the core of my life. Everything I do is always for him. I continued working and carried on with my workouts. Funnily enough, it was actually Muay Thai where I focused the most out of all the classes. Muay Thai, at first, was just a way for me to be physically fit, but then I realised that although I was physically struggling, my mental health was getting better. I felt the strength not only physically but also mentally. I started regaining my confidence back and became much happier and enjoying work and at the same time, our new life.
In 2022, I began to feel more spiritually awakened. I spent time understanding life and realising the true meaning of it all. I began to appreciate the things I have and have contentment in life. I saw a different woman in the mirror, it was like a flower that had suddenly bloomed. It took me some time to finally be comfortable with the new me, and although I look different and fitter, in my mind I am still my old self. I also started trying things I previously thought I couldn’t do. Last year I entered the 14-kilometre City2Surf and even completed a half marathon.
I guess you could say last year I went from celebrating the small wins to the big wins. This includes my son heading off to big school and showing a lot of improvement, including conquering his fear of water, learning to swim and winning academic awards. My business has also flourished. We have expanded to become a bigger and stronger team of seven, moved to a beautiful new office with a view of Darling Harbour and upgraded our systems with the use of new technology. I’m also proud of our stellar reputation and strong involvement in the Filipino community in Sydney, becoming the go-to migration consultant among not only Filipinos but also other nationalities. With the gift that was given to me, I was able to give opportunities to people who wanted to start a new life in Australia. It’s inspiring to see ImmiCo help bring families together who have been separated for the longest time and support vulnerable migrants who’ve been taken advantage of by other people in the past.
My 2023 will be focused on empowerment and celebration. With ImmiCo, I plan to be part of addressing Australia’s labour shortage issues by helping employers run their businesses more smoothly and in turn help boost our economy. I aim to bring awareness and understanding on how Australian migration law works to everyone who intends to come and live in Australia. I plan to be more involved with the community, especially women and help them as much as I can.
I will continue to serve my purpose as long as it is still adding value to someone else’s life. My fitness and wellbeing is improving, and I plan to run the full marathon in May and prep for my first Muay Thai fight. I’ll also be going back on the road and resuming my Australian migration seminars overseas, helping provide the most current and honest advice to the future migrants of Australia. ■
To learn more about ImmiCo Consultancy, head to www.immicoconsultancy.com
At SRG Thai Boxing Gym we teach everybody from beginners through to professional fighters. We’re located in Alexandria, Sydney. Sign up for your free trial online www.thaiboxingsydney.com @srgthaiboxing
By Kaila Cruz
Photography by OSCAR COLMAN
Creative direction by WILLY BAGATCHOLON
Hair and make-up by ALEXIA CARANTO
For the full article grab the March 2023 issue of MAXIM Australia from newsagents and convenience locations. Subscribe here.
