Everyone has a time in his/her life story where everything seems to just go dark. Either the darkness and abyss will help you shine and stand out or they may be the total demise of your dreams, the cemetery of your life vision. I’ve personally experienced rock bottom, not only once but many times. But I’ve gotten up with my guns blazing and head held high. Self-reflection and understanding the reason behind each fall have helped me a lot to stand up again. My life experiences have been a huge buildup of frustrations, depressions and being financially down. Like a roller coaster, there have been ups and downs, but after the ride, I’ve still felt exhilarated with a smile on my face.
I am Karlo Angelo Alamares of MyDivisoria PH, a local social commerce company whose dream is to decentralize e-commerce and help our fellow Filipinos become micro-entrepreneurs by using social media. This blog is written not to promote our company or service but to promote life lessons I have learned as a human being – like you.
What’s my story?
Since my college days, I’ve had a promising future of becoming a high-priced lawyer. As a Political Science graduate from a well-known state university from Bicol, a student leader, and parliamentarian, my bright future has already been waiting for me. After graduation, I’ve married my college sweetheart and have become a daddy after a year. Instead of going to law school, I’ve worked in a Manila-based BPO company to meet the needs of my budding family. With diligence and hard work I’ve been promoted to a supervisory position. Life has been well – until four years later when my wife and I have separated! Not only have my marriage ended, my former wife has sent me to jail! To make matters worse, it has also been during that time that my father died. I’ve been devastated. When it rains it pours! Have I hit rock bottom? I surely have! My daughter has been taken away from me, my college sweetheart/former wife has sent me to prison, and the idol of my life has passed away. It has been like a sad old movie, only, it is reality – my reality.
Even if you are in the rock bottom – life goes on. Whether you like or not, it continues. An added burden in my hollow life during those times is the skyrocket-high child support. Almost 80% of my income (pre-tax) goes to child support, leaving me with dimes and nickels for food, rent and my daily needs.
I’ve carried on until I’ve met the new love of my life and now my wife, Jane. She is very supportive, patient and has even sacrificed her plans of going abroad as a nurse as I’ve started law school. The staggering expense of living in Manila and the child support has made us decide to relocate to Bicol. There, I’ve continued studying and tried looking for a job. Companies have either ignored me or told me I am over-qualified. Having rotten luck in the province has brought us back again to Manila and I’ve tried to go back to my old BPO Company. Sad to say, my position has already been filled up. Just imagine my frustration, restlessness, and anxiety during those times.
Without a job I’ve ran for help from my elder sister as she is doing online freelancing. The first requirement is a stable internet connection and, of course, a personal computer or a laptop. With little money left, I’ve bought a portable wifi (I can’t afford DSL) and borrowed an old model and near-junk laptop from my cousin.
After two weeks of applying online, I’ve landed two jobs! Congratulations to me! Jane has followed suit and since we’ve been doing well we’ve thought, why not create an agency out of it? Zerolinx Virtual Solutions has started, and with it, I have created an online portfolio and expanded my business network. Armed with new skills and online connections, we’ve gone home again to Bicol and I’ve started to build my own real company as my way of saying thank you to all the companies that have snubbed me. Equinox Virtual Solutions has been born. I’ve become a CEO at age 27, a local start-up rock star living the life! The company has started with only ten seats until it has reached 300+ seats after three years. By the third year, it has been acquired by a North American company. I’ve been retained as an over-all manager with a very high salary. Imagine the earnings I’ve had back then. Next, I’ve diversified and invested my money in other businesses, focusing on this and that.
On November 2014, the company has shut down. The US management team have had other plans and I haven’t been a part of it. Boom! Reality has set in, hundreds of employees have lost their jobs and worse, they’ve blamed me for it. Rock bottom? No. No. No! Rock bottom is an understatement. This time it has felt like the abyss is swallowing me alive! Like a bottomless pit with tentacles is trying to pull me down!
To start over again we’ve relocated back to Manila with a few bucks for survival. To cut on costs I’ve normally done shopping in Divisoria, even if it is a war zone. Then a light bulb has ignited in my head! How about an online Divisoria?
Upon getting home, I’ve created a page and started MyDivisoria PH. The following day, I’ve taken some pictures of items that can be sold online, posted them and gotten some orders. From that moment forward I’ve gone to Divisoria every day to learn, network with suppliers, look for new products, and know the system. After a year, MyDivisoria PH has grown to 9,000+ resellers with P3M+ gross sales. I’ve honestly started it with no financial capital. I’ve started it by having an idea, trying it out, polishing it further and continuing to learn. The tentacles of the abyss has began losing their hold and I’ve started to see the light once more.
Lessons learned from hitting rock bottom and the abyss
Everything is just a state of mind! If I’ve romanticized my rock bottom and chosen to get stuck in that reality, nothing good would have happened in my life still. If I’ve let the abyss suck me in due to negativity and despair, I would’ve still been a “has been” with no bright future. Have I thought of quitting? Oh, yes! Many, many, many, times! Have I been depressed? Absolutely. I have been the epitome of depression back then. But I’ve bounced back. I’ve refused to give up. Has it been easy? The answer is nope! But with the help of my family, with the never-say-die attitude of Jane, and for the future of my two daughters, I’ve been willing to face the hardship and stand again.
If 2016 have been your rock bottom, do not give up! The best thing in being down below is that there is no other way but up! Happy New Year! May we all reach our dreams this coming 2017!
Karlo Angelo Alamares with his family – his reason for striving hard, the WHO and WHY of his life
KARLO ANGELO ALAMARES
Co-Founder
MyDivisoria PH
On July 2014, he has successfully exited from his venture,
Equinox Virtual Solutions, a BPO company that has started with
10 seats and has expanded to 300 + employees in its first year of
operation. It has later beeen acquired by a North American
Company.
With his internet marketing, e-commerce, web- and app-
development experiences and his passion towards social
enterprises, he has created MyDivisoria PH on November 2015.
To know more about MyDivisoria PH visit https//mydivisoria.ph/
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