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Women Empowering Women

Aside from the obvious economic impact on each one of the team members, there seems to be something extra that this engagement with Connected Women gives to them. Here is what Nadine Carno, who is an Account Manager, has to say about this: “It is easy to say that we want to impact lives, empower women, be of positive influence and love everything that we do for ourselves and others.” This however is not easy to put into action. She adds, “Humans are naturally selfish. We focus and prioritize ourselves, and other people come last on our list. I am one of those selfish ones who may have been altruistic, but only for the sake of altruism and not totally because of the beneficiaries.”

Joining Connected Women made her change her perspective on servanthood and being an influence on others. “I came in at a time when negativity and chaos are rampant, uncertainty is evident. It’s a blessing to be part of a group that radiates positivity, embodies the goal of inspiring the community to focus on achieving success, happiness, and balance that we all want in our lives. Truly, empowered women empower women.”

Joan Balista, who is a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Connected Women, shares the same sentiments. She says, “I was hoping for something more, to explore some other facets of Human Resource and I also had this feeling of wanting to help other Filipino women out there to have an opportunity to work while still being able to take care of their families at home. I feel really blessed being a part of Connected Women with the advocacy of helping, equipping and empowering more Filipino Women.”

Blessings of Remote Work

For women, family is always a priority. So it is not surprising to see women opting to leave their careers in order to take care of their families. Remote work changes all this. Now, women can have it both ways – work from home  and earn a living, while at the same time, being able to take care of their families.

Shine de Castro, who is part of Connected Women’s Business Development team, shows us exactly how it goes: “It doesn’t take much for parents to be happy. To be able to do things for one’s child is a privilege a lot of parents do not have.  I don’t have to worry about being late for work, leave at 5am while my daughter is still asleep. I can prepare breakfast, get her ready, personally go with her to school and drop her off.  When my daughter reaches home at 6pm, I am not stuck in EDSA. I am home waiting while preparing dinner and we’ll still have time to go through her home

work. I could give a million and one reasons about the benefits of remote work but I’d rather focus on how it helped my family.” 

“And now that we are facing a financial crisis due to a global pandemic, I am ever grateful that in Connected Women, we are also valued as family members and staying true to its promise, no one is left behind,” she adds. 

Joan echoes this, citing that working from home has given her “a sense of freedom.” She feels lucky to have a job in the comfort of her own home, being able to spend time with her family and being there for her husband and kids.

Being Valued, Giving Value

At Connected Women, every team member plays an important role in the company’s growth. Everyone is given the opportunity to contribute especially in their areas of expertise. This culture of collaboration nurtures a value mindset among team members, always thinking about what value they can bring to the table. 

Sharm Nepomuceno, a Business Development Manager, sums it up well: “Connected Women gave me the opportunity to work with extremely talented women and men. They allowed me to give out my full potential, share the knowledge that I have but also made me realise that I have more room to grow and learn. This has strengthened my mindset of BEATING YOUR OWN BEST because I have a team to guide and help grow alongside me. For I truly believe that my success is also their success.”

For Liezl Dunuan, who was entirely new to remote work when she joined Connected Women in 2018, it offered her a chance to make use of the skills she picked up as a Program Manager throughout the years, while at the same time contributing to the company’s social impact goals. “I am grateful for this opportunity, not only for the work but also the unending learning. I can honestly say that here at Connected Women, you learn something new every day.”

Do you have a remote work experience or story to share? We encourage you to contribute to this new series of articles called #RemoteTeamDiaries. Send us your story.