Know What You Want & Work Hard For It
Senior Vice President – Imelda Cuaycong
I knew what I wanted – to be successful here and give my family a better future.
Growing up in the Philippines was tough. My mom had passed away when I was eight years old. My dad had to raise me and my 3 siblings. He did some carpentry work and some fishing but had no permanent job. Anything he earned wasn’t enough to feed us. We were living in poverty. My dad also had no formal education – he was unable to read and write. He would always tell us to be better and study so that we wouldn’t have to experience the same thing with our families someday.
With the early challenges in life, it forced me to work harder. It taught me how to endure the difficulties life throws at me. I knew what I wanted. I had to finish college, get a good job, so we wouldn’t continue to live in poverty. I worked as a housemaid during the day and attended classes during the night. With God’s grace, I graduated with a degree in Accounting. I was blessed to get a job with the government where I worked for the next 11 years. During then, I was also able to settle down and start a family. Life was indeed better than my younger days, but we knew there was always room for improvement. In 2006, we decided to migrate to Canada so we can give our kids an even better future. (Related: You Shouldn’t Be Here)
I knew what I wanted – to be successful here and give my family a better future. Starting a new life in Canada with our two kids was not easy. At first, I had to work a janitorial job. I wanted to pursue the same career I had back in the Philippines, so I continued to upgrade my education in accounting. However, I soon found out most jobs required at least a 2-year experience working in that field. I couldn’t find myself an accounting job. I’ve tried enrolling in other courses too without much new opportunities rising.
Imelda Cuaycong
In 2011, A friend of mine introduced me to a side opportunity in financial services. I found myself liking the financial services industry because aside from earning extra income on the side, I was able to wear my formal clothing once again. It made me feel as if I’m an office woman again even while working a janitorial job.
Fast forward to 2014, a list of unfortunate events occurred. My dad was diagnosed with cancer. He was in and out of the hospital. Of course, the bills didn’t stop. I had to result to my four credit cards which were maxed out. I used up all our family savings as well. I was drowning in debt and felt helpless. One night after praying and crying to God for help, I recalled someone mentioning another company called Greatway Financial. I learned it had better compensation than my current MGA. Although I was grateful for the opportunity with this MGA, I knew I wanted to be part of Greatway to help my situation. (Related: We All Have The Power To Choose)
Not long after, I had contracted myself with Greatway. This company was God’s answer to my cry for help! I recall my first ever commission with Greatway Financial and I couldn’t believe it. I even thought there was a mistake. I called the head office to make sure. My very first commission was able to help extend the life of my dad. Not only that, it was also enough to help my sister pay for her remaining mortgage balance to avoid foreclosure.
It gives me great joy to see my team grow. I know if I can help them succeed, I too, will succeed.
The more time I’ve invested with Greatway, the more I realize how much of a blessing this opportunity is. Not only does Greatway pay well, but they support your growth. Greatway teaches us how to serve clients the right way. They provide so many personal development trainings, teach things about finance, opportunities to meet amazing people, and even to travel the world. I will be forever grateful to Greatway.
Recently, I’ve been promoted to Senior Vice President. It wasn’t an easy task. It takes a lot of determination and hard work. I knew what I wanted and was willing to work hard for it. And once again, I have proven it to be possible. At the moment, I work a full-time job with Hope Mission. Sometimes it’s a challenge to juggle between the two but I love that I get to fulfill my mission to share Christ with the homeless, at the same time help people build better financial futures. (Related: We Should be a Vessel of Change)
My next goal is to help my business partners become SVPs as well. It gives me great joy to see my team grow. I know if I can help them succeed, I too, will succeed. It’s inspiring to see one of my business partners, who is a stay at home mom with 3 kids, earning six-figures from the comfort of her own home. I believe in hard work. I have proven it in all my endeavors in life. There is no shortcut to success, only hard work. Stay focused, be patient. All your hard work will pay off.
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