After a period of quiet reflection and restructuring, we're ready to share our journey of rising from the ashes. It's been a challenging journey, both emotionally and mentally. As a progressive career coaching company, we found ourselves constantly learning and unlearning what it takes to be thought leaders in our field. It wasn't easy. We faced doubts and setbacks that could have easily derailed our progress. At times, it felt like the odds were stacked against us and that our efforts weren't making a significant difference. But we persisted. We kept pushing forward, determined to make a meaningful impact in the lives of our clients. The challenges we faced and the realizations we had throughout our journey have become a testament to the validity of our business model and corporate vision. It has shown us that our approach to career coaching is not just a trendy concept, but a necessary service that can truly make a difference in people's lives. We have emerged from this journey with renewed strength, an unwavering determination to enhance the value of our solutions, and a meaningful story while continuing to promote our purpose-driven vision.
Empowerment within the Company
At Metamorphosis Group (MG), we believe in the idea of empowerment, which means having the ability to shape our own future. But some people might not understand what we mean by "power". To clarify, the type of power we're talking about is called autonomy. Autonomy allows individuals to make decisions and undertake actions based on their values and interests, without an excessive external locus of control blocking access to the power. This type of power is often associated with freedom and self-determination, and can have a positive impact on one's sense of empowerment and satisfaction.
The Dark Side of Wanting Power
Unfortunately, power can also be misused and lead to serious offenses such as non-consensual dominance, oppression, tyranny, coercion, manipulation, and corruption. This kind of abuse of power deprives others of their autonomy and represents a serious violation of their rights. Such experiences can leave individuals feeling helpless, betrayed, and mistrustful, leading to a sense of powerlessness as their agency is taken away without consent.
The Challenges to Our Empowerment
For the last few months, our company’s members have been confronted with challenges through the following:
Entitlement and Aggression
We have encountered stakeholders who believe that they are entitled to free access and easy profits without making any substantial contribution. They become extremely aggressive when their unreasonable demands are not met, expecting us to do all the leg work with our sweat, blood, and tears while they sit back and relax. It is clear to us that they believe that they were that important to control our people to do things for them.
Intellectual Property Theft
Our early intellectual property was not fully protected, and as a result, some content and clients were stolen by individuals within our organization. We take this heinous crime seriously and strongly encourage anyone with information to come forward and help us seek justice. Fortunately, we have since evolved our intellectual property significantly, rendering the previous stolen property negligible and of little value.
Cybersecurity Attacks
Personally, the experience of having my home WiFi network breached was terrifying. I felt violated and vulnerable, knowing that valuable assets and sensitive information were almost stolen. The knowledge that our team’s personal and professional information was at risk was deeply unsettling, and it took a toll on my sense of security. Even after the attack was prevented, I found myself constantly worried about the possibility of future cyberattacks, which, prior to healing, affected my ability to work effectively and confidently from home.
Sabotage
I have personally become the victim of a malicious hate cult composed of estranged friends and haters who for some reason enjoy destroying us for their own gain. They have been spreading vicious rumors and lies about me and the company. Their sabotage tactics are extremely damaging, and they have even gone so far as to outrageously, and without any medical basis, diagnose me with personality disorders. Such unfounded accusations are unacceptable and I refuse to tolerate this kind of behavior that damages our company’s brand, because this isn’t about me anymore but everyone we are responsible for.
Importance of Mindful Use of Power
Given these challenges, it is crucial to be mindful of how power is used to promote the well-being and autonomy of individuals, rather than stripping them of their inherent power. We must recognize and address abuses of power to ensure that we can continue to empower ourselves and others.
The Price of Being a Purpose-Driven Coach and Entrepreneur
No one told us that this would be what it would cost to be a game changer. As a startup entrepreneur, it often feels like no one advocates for us.
Perception of Startup Entrepreneurs
Despite our efforts to protect our business and its stakeholders, we are vulnerable to accusations of being exploitative capitalists by the mainstream community. On the other hand, larger corporations view us as a small fry in the industry, which can result in them blocking access to wealth and opportunities that could help our business grow. It's frustrating to feel like we're constantly fighting an uphill battle, but as entrepreneurs, we must persevere and continue to work towards success despite the challenges we face.
The Uphill Battle as a Startup Entrepreneur
It's disheartening to realize that some people have taken our silence as a sign of defeat and see it as an opportunity to eliminate us so they can shine in the industry, as if it's some kind of game to be won, rather than a sincere effort to help others achieve their goals. It's difficult to understand how anyone could enjoy the downfall of another, especially when the ultimate goal is to uplift and empower people.
During the early stages of the pandemic, when people were feeling helpless and powerless due to the limitations of quarantine life, I noticed that many individuals were drawn to me personally as a coach because they saw me as a source of empowerment and inspiration. I welcomed this attention and did my best to help and inspire those who reached out to me. However, as the pandemic slowly shifted towards a more normal way of life, I felt like these same individuals were no longer interested in supporting our corporate vision, and instead focused solely on their own selfish pursuits. It was as if they had drained us of our light and were now seeking new sources of inspiration, leaving us feeling violated and powerless.
Misguided Belief on One’s Success
It's unfortunate that some people have the audacity to believe that they were the reason for our success and achievements, when in reality it was our own hard work that brought us here. While I appreciate the support and encouragement from those who believed in us, I know deep down that our accomplishments were a result of our own dedication and perseverance. It's disheartening to see others attempt to take credit for our hard-earned success, but I refuse to let their misguided beliefs diminish the pride and satisfaction we have in our own accomplishments.
Bitter Truth of Success
It's a harsh reality that the more you prosper and achieve success, the more likely it is that others will try to take advantage of your accomplishments for their own gain. It's a sad truth that people tend to latch onto successful individuals and try to extract whatever benefits they can, whether it be knowledge, resources, or connections. This can be especially frustrating when you've put in countless hours of hard work and dedication to get where you are. It's a painful realization that you can't always trust others to have your best interests at heart, and that some will even go as far as to manipulate or deceive you in order to further their own agenda.
It was disheartening to encounter people who were only interested in what we can give away to them, rather than caring about our own corporate goals or well-being. These individuals would initially approach us, sometimes in a desperate and aggressive manner, with requests for earning opportunities or to assist in our corporate vision, but it would soon become clear that their primary concern is how it will benefit themselves.
Being Subjected to Surveillance and Exploitation
As an entrepreneur, it was a terrifying experience to constantly feel like a walking gold mine, as if our every move was being watched and monitored so they could strike the moment the iron is hot. It reached a point where being alone in public became a daunting task, as I was constantly fearful of being attacked or stalked, like what would sometimes happen. There were instances where I caught people recording me or taking pictures of me in a coffee shop, and it made me feel extremely violated and vulnerable. The thought of someone profiting off of my every move was unsettling, and it took a toll on my mental health and overall well-being.
It was frustrating when I started to feel like people around me were gaslighting me, unable to understand the struggles and challenges that I was facing. It felt like I was screaming for help, but nobody was listening. I often found myself feeling like Rose in the movie Titanic, standing in front of a room and yelling at the top of my lungs, yet nobody was paying attention. This feeling of being unheard and misunderstood only added to the stress and difficulty of the situation.
Defensive and Preventive Measures
There were individuals who took so much from us, including our time, energy, and resources, but when we needed their support to get through our struggles as they promised they would, they were nowhere to be found. It was a painful realization that some people only care about what they can gain from a relationship, and are indifferent otherwise.
Importance of Wisely Choosing Allies
This experience has taught us the importance of choosing our alliances wisely and being more diligent in who we let into our personal and professional lives. We now understand much better that true partnerships are built on trust, respect, and a mutual willingness to support each other through thick and thin.
As time passed, my personal feelings towards money shifted from intoxication to pure hatred. I despised how it dictated people's behavior towards us and how it made us feel trapped. Having wealth became a burden rather than a privilege, and I was personally torn between compromising my financial freedom and being consumed by the negative effects that money is attracting. The more I began to loathe it, the more I felt like it was too high a price to pay to stay in the same place.
Changing relationships with material wealth
These days, we’re focusing on detaching ourselves from the power of materialism and finding ways to anchor our autonomy to other resources and opportunities. By doing this, we hope to build a foundation that will make us even more powerful and resilient than an average person who has material wealth. I believe that this approach will help us achieve our goals and create a life that is truly fulfilling, without being bound by the limitations and drawbacks that come with wealth.
When we were going through the attacks, it was a tough time for us, and it took a toll on my own personal health. The constant stress and pressure led to the development of several organ problems, extreme fatigue, and chronic stress. I am grateful that I was able to work through these challenges and finally share our story. The sympathy or possibly admiration you may have for us right now is just a testament of our strength and perseverance to win.
For me, it was a turning point when I reflected on Jonathan Larson's life, as portrayed in the Netflix film “Tick Tick Boom.” I found his experiences deeply relatable and it was heartbreaking to learn of his death before his big financial break. That was when I said I was not going to let that happen to me. If I die, it would be because my body is ready to merge with the infinite universe, not because I want to prove a point to people who have no ounce of empathy left nor to give them more satisfaction of the sabotage they worked hard to implement.
Letting go of the past to keep moving forward
At a certain moment, I realized that no matter what happens moving forward, we must win at all costs. As the CEO, I had a responsibility for the company to succeed not only for myself, but also for potential clients and every stakeholder out there who share my background and identity. It would be a disservice to humanity if someone like me – a young, female, Filipino leader with a unique and compassionate approach to entrepreneurship would fail to defy gravity. I definitely think that it is not an option. I knew that if we were to fail, it would create a precedent for more attacks and discrimination against people like me. So I made a commitment to everyone I am responsible for that no matter what challenges came our way, the company would persevere and succeed, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of potential clients who would need our solutions.
As our team grappled with this overwhelming sense of uncertainty, I began to understand the true magnitude of the task ahead of us. It is said that the problems you solve within your expertise can make you particularly vulnerable to those issues since you absorb the negativity associated with the in-depth knowledge of those problems. With that I humbly admit that, yes, it was a career problem that we struggled with and experienced. Therefore, our survival from it is a true testimony to how we are thought leaders in career coaching in the Philippines.
It was as if we had been called to a sacred duty, one that required us to give up so much of ourselves in service to others. I felt a profound sense of fear at the thought of what I would have to sacrifice to fulfill this mission. I realized that we were being called to something greater than ourselves, and that our work had the potential to make a real difference in the world.
And so, with a heavy heart and a sense of deep determination, I set out to do what I knew we must, even though the road ahead was steep and treacherous. Throughout our challenging journey, we've come to realize the power of gratitude, forgiveness, and service to others. These values are now deeply ingrained in our company culture, and we strive to embody them every day as we work to provide the best possible products and services to our clients.
Moving forward, we commit to working on genuinely forgiving our attackers in the same way that we hope they sincerely forgive us if we may have caused any kind of pain during our journey. We also want to continue to be grateful for the painful but meaningful experiences that have advanced our intellectual and spiritual maturity. We are motivated to serve more clients, especially now with the new knowledge and wisdom gained that allows us to equip them with the right social, emotional, and intellectual capital to create the future they want and bring out the highest expression of themselves. Lastly, our journey has inspired us to invite more people to the purpose-driven vision of our CHECKPOINT™ program to help them build their life starting with their career. That wraps it all up! We are excited for what lies ahead of us, and we are ready for Q2 2023!
NOTICE: Please be advised that Metamorphosis Group (MG Coaching and Consulting Inc.) is fully committed to taking legal action against any acts of intellectual property theft or other offenses that may compromise our reputation, safety, and wealth, as well as that of the company. Responsible parties will be held fully accountable for their actions, and all necessary measures will be taken to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the company. Please be advised that these measures are of paramount importance to both personal and professional lives, as well as the well-being of our clients, and will be executed with the utmost care and diligence. All materials, whether shared publicly or privately, are subject to intellectual property laws and are considered the exclusive property of the company. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of such materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.