29/04/2025
I used to think that hustling would always lead to something big, a thriving business, a booming name, a comfortable life.
But after years in the event industry, after countless sleepless nights, setups under the rain, smiling through exhaustion, I realized:
Some hustles aren’t for dreams. Some hustles are for survival.
Not everyone in this industry is chasing fame.
Some of us are just chasing the next rent payment, the next grocery run, the next tuition fee deadline.
Some of us show up to meetings, pretending we have it all together, when in truth, we’re one canceled event away from breaking down.
Yesterday, after another 15-hour event, with backaches, sore feet, and an aching soul — I found myself at a sari-sari store.
I didn’t celebrate with a feast. I didn’t book a spa day.
I bought a can of Coke
I asked for extra ice.
And for ten minutes, sitting on the sidewalk, sipping that cold Coke, I allowed myself to just breathe.
No fancy celebrations. No big wins to announce. Just a small, stolen moment of survival.
Because right now, that’s enough.
It has to be.
People on the outside might wonder -"Why are they still stuck? Why no investments? Why no 'level up'?"
But they don’t see the bills quietly paid.
The parents secretly helped.
The siblings silently supported.
The battles fought alone and with no witnesses.
Not every success can be posted. Not every sacrifice is Instagrammable.
So if you’re out there, hustling in silence, carrying the weight without applause,
I see you. God sees you.
One day, the seeds we’re planting with our tears, our aching bodies, and our stubborn hope,
they’ll grow into something bigger than we ever dreamed.
Something that no one can ever take away from us.
Until then, laban lang ta, mga ka-event industry.
Padayon bisan ginakapoy.
A cold Coke. A mountain of dreams.
And a heart that refuses to give up.
Integrity.Innovation.Imagination
