Welcome to the Humans of Weremote blog section, where we put a spotlight on the valuable members of our community. Let’s get to know them better to gain insight on their business philosophy that we could adopt as we move our own enterprise forward. Weremote, after all, is more than just spaces. For this issue, may we introduce these women of Weremote.
In celebration of the International Women’s Day and March being National Women’s Month, we are featuring not just one but four wonderful, witty, intelligent, and bubbly ladies that make working at Weremote Makati Central Square such a joy.
Kim Dorola is Weremote’s head of operations and Nix Abalos is its community manager. Together they make sure that Weremote MCS is the perfect coworking space for startups, solopreneurs, and even established local companies and foreign firms doing business in the Philippines.
Working at Weremote MCS as tenants are Honey Cantalejo and Mikey Orario. Honey is a team lead for GD Group. She handles a group of employees handling customer service and bank transactions. Mikey, on the other hand, is the sales coordinator and office admin of Ediphi, a training company in the hospitality industry that sends college students to internships abroad, specifically in the US, France, and Asia.
We caught up first with Nix for some serious discussion on being a working woman in an industry dominated by men.
Weremote (WR): As a woman in your industry, what significant obstacles have you encountered, and what strategies have you employed to navigate or overcome them?
Nix Abalos (NA): I was assigned to different office locations where I had to handle different kinds of clients. It was challenging to me since I was not used to handling lots of clients then. But it made me realize that I can do more than what I expected [of myself]. It was a great experience and I saw my full potential in providing great service to our clients, I did it by learning from my superiors and from my mistakes, which I believe have the power to turn you into something better than you were before.
WR: Reflecting on the evolution of work for women, what are your thoughts or hopes?
NA: We are used to seeing women do household chores, not realizing that their capability to multitask and look for the smartest way to make their life easier in organizing and keeping things in order is part of the evolution of women’s work. It’s very impressive how women can now do most of the things that that only men did previously including mechanical, industrial, and agricultural tasks, just to name a few.
WR: For young women aiming for leadership or success in their careers, what guidance would you offer based on your experiences?
NA: No matter what challenges you face, never forget to seek guidance from God to help you achieve a better outcome. Failing will always be part of your growth. By failing, you’ll conquer everything towards success.
WR: What advice do you have for young women out there to help them become future leaders?
NA: Maintain punctuality. Being on time for work and any event you need to attend will have a positive effect on your reputation as it shows your respect for others. It will also have a good impact on your performance and productivity.
We are soon joined by the other “women of Weremote” for a short but quite enjoyable Q&A with them.
Nix (2nd from left) and Kim (extreme right) with their colleagues at Weremote.
WR: What motivates you in your work?
NA: That would be the vibrant clients and my colleagues who are very helpful.
Kimberly Dorola (KD): It’s my family, especially my siblings.
Honey Cantarejo (HC): It’s the goal I set every day to help me become more productive.
Mikey Orario (MO): Of course, my family and my kids. At the same time the students. Every time nakakapag-visa approve sila, du’n ako mas namo-motivate kasi I feel I am also a part of their internship journey. So, kapag nakikita ko na nasa abroad na sila having their internship, I feel na nakatulong ako sa kanila.
WR: How do you start your day here at Weremote?
KD: With a cup of coffee, then catch up with Nicole (“Nix”).
NA: I start my day in prayer, asking guidance from God on how I can make my work go smoothly and resolve every challenge that I face within the day.
HC: My typical day is I get here at Weremote at 9 a.m. and then drink coffee. Pinaka-enjoyable is having lunch since sabay-sabay kami ng mga colleagues ko. Then mag-aasikaso ng mga files. I usually go home at 9 p.m., so 12-hour shift. I like working here so far naman. Three years na ako sa company.
MO: We are usually hybrid so minsan lang kami dito sa Weremote. Madalas we go to schools. But when we are here, coffee will always be the first order of business.
WR: What do you do when you feel overwhelmed at work?
KD: When I feel overwhelmed with work, I get the air freshener and spray it around. It refreshes my mind.
NA: Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I go to the hydroponic system setup we have here at Weremote MCS. I look at those live green vegetables and feel much better. It helps me unclutter my mind and free it from information overload. I also do breathing exercises.
HC: We play music in our private office and start singing.
MO: Siyempre ‘pag matagal kang nakaupo, minsan nakakaantok kaya I go to the pantry to get coffee. Since I am a coffee lover, I can drink three cups of coffee within the day.
Honey (extreme right) with her colleagues at GD Group.
WR: Can you give us some productivity tips that could be of help to others too?
KD: My productivity tip is simply to ask for help when we’re too overwhelmed and you can’t see the whole picture anymore. Sometimes, you can’t do everything all at once. Not all the time 100% productive ka, so it’s either kumuha ka ng energy from others or help each other.
NA: Same here. You need to ask for help. Ask, “What’s the best thing that I can do to help myself improve and achieve a better outcome?”
HC: For us, since naka-12-hour shift kami, we need to save our energy. So, we go on short breaks to listen to music or even sing songs.
MO: Make sure you work in a place with the least amount of distraction, which fortunately, Weremote provides.
Mikey (second from right) with her colleagues at Ediphi.
WR: What makes your day better in Weremote?
KD: In coworking kasi, you get more productive because the vibe is simply different. Frankly, I am not productive working at home because ‘pag nakita ko ‘yung bed ko, hihiga na lang talaga ako. But as soon I get here and see the door to Weremote, iba na ‘yung mood ko, iba na ‘yung energy ko—work [mode] na talaga ‘yun. That’s why I always try to finish work at the office and not bring any home. Also, for the team members of Weremote, we all agree that we are in a healthy environment—our small talks, our lunch together—’yung mga small things that help us appreciate each other.
NA: What makes my day better at Weremote, it’s how clients interact with us. Parang sobrang personal talaga kapag nag-a-approach sila ng concerns nila and then nagkukuwento na sila ng mga experiences nila dito. And then, of course, yung mga colleagues ko na kahit konti lang ang free time namin nakakapagkuwentuhan kami.
HC: I like the ambience, sobra, dito sa Weremote, also the staff and the managers—they’re so approachable. ‘Pag may nasira o nagkaroon ng network interruption, ‘andiyan agad sila.
MO: Since hybrid ang work namin, minsan lang kami magkita dito sa Weremote kaya masaya kami seeing each other here and it’s like our second home. Ang maganda pa rito sa Weremote, unli-coffee and we can use the coworking spaces to conduct interviews and seminars. I feel every nook and cranny here at Weremote is quite cozy.
If you want to be featured in the next edition of Humans of Weremote, reach out to any of Weremote’s management staff or send a short message to hello@weremote.com.
