Momspiration: How 3 Women Made a Change for the Better

From shop-a-holic to smart shopper
Gie Ramos
Brand manager; Mom to Adriana, 5, and Andre, 3

With a high-paying marketing job that allowed her to travel frequently, Gie Ramos found herself maxing out her credit cards at outlet stores in the U.S. “I had this idea that to travel is to shop. The trip wouldn’t be fulfilling for me if I did not buy anything,” she says.

Gie splurged on bags, shoes, and childcare products. “Before I'd even given birth, I had already spent about P150,000 on baby stuff,” she says. “I have only two kids, but I had four strollers. I was so excited to have a baby that I bought different kinds of strollers in one go.” Gie also bought car seats in different colors, all sorts of breast pumps, baby clothes, and so many more items that eventually, a separate storage area in her home had to be constructed.

Are you a shop-a-holic like Gie? Here are her tips for a better you:

1. Use technology to your advantage.
When her parents’ business went bankrupt, Gie needed to find a way to help them financially. “That’s when I realized I had so many strollers, so I decided to try selling one online,” she says. Selling it got the ball rolling for Gie to start her online business of selling pre-owned baby items. She also put up House of Sunnies, an online store selling brand-new signature sunglasses.

2. Sell something that you're passionate about.
As a mom, it came naturally for Gie to sell childcare items. She loved to research top brands and products that would be best for her kids. “When you start an online business, it should be something you’re passionate about and something you love. Otherwise, it will be hard to sell anything,” she advises. “If you’re not familiar with the items, you won’t know their prices and the benchmark. You also have to consult someone who has more experience.”

3. Know your market.
When Gie sold her first stroller, she learned that there was a market for pre-owned baby items. “Most of the stuff for babies are hardly used. If you want to be practical, you can explore buying pre-owned items from trusted sellers.” Many moms turned to Gie for baby products. “I sold all of my baby clothes—they amounted to P50,000!”

4. Shop smart.
Truth be told, Gie still shops, but she has learned to shop smart. “From almost 100 bags, I now keep only five bags on average,” she says. “I don’t buy anything I know I won’t be able to resell.” She also offers this piece of advice to fellow shop-a-holics: “A bargain is not really a bargain unless you actually need it. If you don’t need it, then don’t buy it.”

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From flab to fab
Liza Arguelles
Secretary; mom to Isabelle, 6

Liza Arguelles was athletic in her youth, but she found it difficult to stay fit once she started working. “I worked in a call center for two years, at sa ganoong trabaho, palagi ka lang nakaupo,” she says. It also didn’t help that she found herself eating whatever she wanted. She ate mounds of rice during lunch and snacked on doughnuts during breaks, leading her to pack on 20 pounds.

Are you working on being fit like Liza? Here are her tips for a better you:

5. Use old photos as motivation.
Liza noticed in photos taken by friends that her face was getting rounder. “Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Baka wala nang kumuha sa akin ulit para maging model nila sa shoot!’” she laughs. The photo on her driver’s license was taken at her heaviest, and every time she looks at it now, she vows, “Ayoko na talaga balikan ’yun.”

6. Do what you love.
Liza plays badminton with friends every week and runs twice a week after work at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. It becomes easier to stick to a fitness regimen when it is something you love to do. “’Pag gusto mo talaga, laging may paraan,” she stresses. “You should have the motivation and the interest to start before you even think of anything else, like what to wear or where to run.”

7. Just get started.
Liza tells friends who want to start exercising, “If you really want to do it, start soon. If you say, ‘I’ll start next month,’ you’ll never get started. Why do it next month when you can start now?” She also says that moms shouldn’t be pressured to buy new shoes or workout clothes right away. “Just be consistent with your workout, and eventually, you’ll invest in the right gear when your workout is already something you love to do,” she says. Even 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough, “as long as you reach your maximum heart rate, because that’s when you burn fat,” she adds.

8. Have a goal and set a target.
Most women start with the goal to lose weight, but you’ll know that you’ve reached your goal only if you set a target, such as an ideal weight or a specific time frame in which you must achieve your goal. “My goal now is to be able to run in a 21-kilometer race, and my target is to do that this year,” Liza says, as she is currently able to run up to 16 kilometers only. “Hindi ka talaga tatamarin if you have a target.”

9. Use sports to bond with family.
Liza likes to bring her daughter to her badminton games, and they also enjoy swimming together. “We get to bond, she gets to have fun, and I get to work out!” she says. Wanting her daughter to grow up fit and healthy, Liza adds, “I want my daughter to be proud of me when she grows up. I want to be an inspiration to her.”

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From high-stress to happiness
Susan Rivera
Human capital consultant and internationally-certified life coach; mom to Ramona, 35, Gabbi, 17, and Amico, 16

For Susan Rivera, working in a very fast-paced industry meant 16-hour workdays. “On my way to work, I'd be sending e-mails through my mobile. Instead of having face-to-face meetings, my team and I would align through calls before 7 a.m.,” she recounts. “When I get in, sunud-sunod na ’yung meetings—they almost overlap. People run after me in the hallways to consult me, then I get 200 e-mails a day with their concerns.”

Are you looking to attain work-life balance like Susan? Here are her tips for a better you:

10. Listen to your body
Experiencing tunnel vision during a late-night meeting prompted Susan to visit the emergency room the following day. She was diagnosed with Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and stayed in the hospital for 12 days. Doctors described TIA as a silent killer. “You don’t have any symptoms, you don’t feel anything, and before you know it, you’re already dead,” she says. “My brain waves were like those of someone having an epileptic seizure.” Doctors informed her that people with TIA were candidates for a major, potentially-fatal stroke. She was very lucky that they had caught it early.

11. Find a way to heal.
While reading, Susan encountered a statement she found very significant: “The most important jobs in the world are parenting, teaching, and healing.” Since she was already a parent and her work enabled her to teach, Susan decided to put up businesses that would focus on healing: a home-service spa; a coaching and consulting firm called Talent, Leadership and Change; and Work Well, which addresses the over-all wellness of companies and their employees. “We help people reinvent their lives,” she says, and this reinvention is something that even non-professionals can strive for. “Moms, in particular, have to look inside themselves for what they are passionate about because they are the ones who will change the future for us all and for children,” she says.

12. Follow the four Fs.
Susan shares her personal framework for wellness that others may follow: “First is faith. Discover what you believe in, because this is the root of everything. Second is fitness, as sickness comes in all forms: body, mind, spirit,” she says. “Third is family. [My mindset] is that you are all my family, and this helps me treat people in a way that’s very respectful, accepting, tolerant, kinder, and more patient. Last is fruitful stewardship, because lahat ng mayroon tayo, hindi atin. Lahat ng talino natin, may pinanggalingan. We can be grateful for this by using it in full to make the world a better place.”

13. Start with me-time.
If the road to wellness seems like an abstract idea, start by simply carving out some me-time in your day. Susan suggests, “Schedule some quiet time in your life. Have some form of exercise. Take time to really discover yourself and what’s important to you. Respect your me-time, and think of life as ‘Living Intentionally, Fully, Extraordinarily.’”