As early as when she was in grade seven, Kris was already handling sales and managing their family’s boutique. In college, she found herself selling all sorts of things – from scrapbooks to her sister’s baked macaroni. Though hesitant, she entered the corporate world after she graduated. She ended-up doing brand management in different industries such as banking and consumer packaged goods. Unknown to her then was that dipping her feet in the corporate world was what will inspire her new beginning as businesswoman.

Seven years ago Kris took on a project outside of her regular corporate job, to help out the late President Corazon Aquino.  It was an event that commemorated the death anniversary of former President Ninoy Aquino.  Her then boyfriend (now husband) had initiated the meetings with the late President and her team, but Kris took the reigns in putting the details together – all pro-bono.  She and a few other friends, including me, now her current business partner, worked on the project during the little spare time we had outside our corporate lives.  Kris realized that it was a challenge but oddly enough, she felt more energized working late on these projects rather than her real work. She realized it was time to move on and leave the corporate world.

A few months and a wedding later with faith on her side, she and I built the marketing firm, Your Brand Story Inc. Our vision was to make the lives of brand managers easier by taking on some of the work ourselves, and allowing the clients a little more quality time outside of work.   Every project was always different and now and then odd requests would be made, but it was, and still is all worth it   Kris and our team have had to work with people from all walks of life, and every experience is always every bit exciting as the next.

One great perk Kris says about running her own business is that she can create her own schedule on a day-to-day basis.  This definitely came in handy after Kris’ life went from pure entrepreneur to Momtrepreneur.

“After I had M (in 2007), I couldn’t imagine going back to my corporate life where I would leave the house at 9am, and come back at 7pm!”  She’d say.  “I’d miss everything about M’s day and I just don’t think I could live with that.  I love it that we spent so much time together on a regular basis, and I feel that it has benefitted her so much as well to have me around in these first few years.”

Kris is definitely a hands-on parent.  She read up and researched on the best methods, toys and shows for M.  She went through a lot of challenges but learned from them all the way; and they particularly came in handy when she had her second child N in 2011.  Kris’ main concern was how she was going to balance her time and energy between two children and her businesses, but has so far managed to do so with flying colors, and continues to learn from the experience.

“As they say, the second baby is so much easier and all of the challenges are fulfilling in the end.” She says, “I never realized that motherhood will take almost all of your emotional energy but at the same time, the experience of the kids will be where you will get the best emotional energies from too. The most fulfilling thing is to see your child think for herself and make decisions based on how you’ve guided her. She’s only five but I can see she already has a very strong mind.”  

Inspired to be the best Mom she can be to her two girls, Kris started a 2^nd business that promotes clean, purified water.  She currently distributes Aquasana filters in the Philippines, a discovery she made while on a vacation in Canada.  “The hardest part about being a mom is when your child is sick, and since I was so paranoid about that, I researched and found that a lot of the water that we bathe in and drink contain harmful chemicals that are ultimately harmful to children.  I’m so careful when it comes to my girls’ health, and so it was fate that we came across the Aquasana products.  Ever since we’ve put them in our home, the girls have only gotten minor bouts of the common cold.   I swear it’s true!”

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Are you pregnant?  Share your own Mum stories with Jackie and other New Beginnings Mums her on the Mum Blog or in the New Beginnings Facebook page facebook.com/newbeginnings.com.ph.

You can also find more about Kris

on her blog OcMominManila.com

Twitter: @OcMominManila

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