About

My story

Every Hero Needs Their Origin Story

Hi, I’d like to start this part off with a little icebreaker game I like to play called “Two Truths and a Lie.” In essence, I provide three statements about myself, and you determine which of them is a lie.

Ready?

Can you guess which statement is false?

It might come as a surprise, but the first two statements are actually true. (I won 3rd place at a Men’s Physique competition, and I do plan on fixing that soon 😉).

I was born in the Philippines on April 23, 1990, the youngest in a family with five older siblings. On June 15, 1991, our world changed when Mount Pinatubo erupted, sending high-speed avalanches of hot ash and gas, massive mudflows, and a cloud of volcanic ash hundreds of kilometers across the Philippines. Our family immigrated to the United States a year later, literally and metaphorically rising from the ashes to become phoenixes. What a lovely visual, right?

DISCOVERY

I didn’t go to business or marketing school. Just an electrical engineering graduate opened to the eyes of digital technology and serving others. I’ve learned throughout my life that you don’t know what you don’t know, and the only way to find out is to ask questions and be curious. That path led me to work on interesting projects that are far from the normal “typical” engineer.

In college, I created an app that was current with popular culture. I spotted an opportunity to make a twerk app when Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMAs became the most-watched video on YouTube. Yes, you heard that right, a twerk app. Here’s a picture to prove it.

THE PIVOT

I was offered a job at Qualcomm after graduating from SDSU as an electrical engineer, but after a couple of years there, I realized that working in a lab for 10+ hours a day was not for me. I yearned for human connections and the opportunity to express myself creatively.

When I left Qualcomm, I met Arman Assadi, a serial entrepreneur who’s helped dozens of venture-backed startups, thought leaders, and bestselling authors make tens of millions of dollars through his techniques. He took me under his wing and I started my own boot camp-style learning of content strategy, funnels, operations, product development, and product launches. I’ll be eternally grateful for Arman’s mentorship and friendship.

Since then...

I’ve helped build a successful seven-figure crowdfunded project

Started three local high schools’ entrepreneurship clubs

Launched a podcast interviewing company founders

Created an Amazon product that assists outdoor enthusiasts

These are only a few examples, but I am passionate about developing and launching products that customers enjoy.

"We all have a past, but that past does not define us. It’s just that. The past. You cannot change it. Those experiences, however, can be used to learn and pave the way for our future."

These are a few guiding concepts that have helped me make good judgments and keep my attention on the right things.

1

Be relentless in your pursuit of expansion

Coming from Robert Greene’s “Mastery,” to be relentless demands tolerance, given events will seldom play out as you hope. To be unique, you must strive for greatness and mastery of yourself. Those that attain remarkable success work to improve their performance and talents on a daily basis.

2

Take 100% responsibility for your life

You must accept the notion that where you are today is a result of previous decisions, and where you will be tomorrow is a result of current decisions. It’s not the fault of others. It is because of you that you are where you are now.

3

Best Day Ever

Try not to be too concerned with or focused on your “days.” Just concentrate on today and make it the best it can be. One day at a time. When you put that thought into practice, your days will seem less like a battle and more like living.

IT'S IN YOUR HANDS

You’ve undoubtedly figured out who I am by now. I like to refer to myself as The Pebble, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s younger brother, but without the tattoos or hulk-like build.

I’ve always been fond of role-playing games (RPGs) since they allow you to manage a character, develop their powers and skills, go on side missions, and fight monsters. In some ways, life is similar. Except you’re the one in charge of the character. So leverage the content you find valuable on this site and grow your knowledge.

Be the hero of your own story.

Stay positive, keep grindin.