As Eternal Gardens continues to feature amazing women in the organization, we are delighted to put on spotlight today, our female branch manager in Dagupan, Ms. Victoria Cayabyab. Ma’am Vicky, as she is fondly called by her peers, believes that “today’s woman is a woman born with determination, ready to take risks in life, and is strong in her faith and beliefs.”
We asked her who she sees as her role model, and she shared that she has always admired Mother Teresa of Calcutta. “When you see her, she looks very frail, weak, yet she has the strongest heart to come near to the poorest of the poor to help. She is a selfless person and that sets an ultimate example of a true servant-leader,” she shared.
On leadership, Vicky shared her experiences as a branch manager who is in charge of overseeing and coordinating all operations of the branch, including managing resources and staff, developing and attaining sales goals, delivering customer service, and growing the branch’s revenues. She admitted that it is a challenging task but, “I’ve learned to embrace all the demands it takes to be a branch manager by accepting it as a challenge. At first, I was so scared to go out of my comfort zone since I am a person who loves simple life because I have simple needs. But I realized that God sends every person to this world with some talent or gift so that she can achieve greatness in life. God has given me the talent to lead, it is, therefore, my duty to utilize it in such a way that God likes it.” She also shared that most people think that women are weak leaders, but Vicky reminded that women are transformational leaders. “Women are creative problem solvers motivated by obstacles,” she added.
Vicky also managed to become a mom and a career woman at the same time. “First and foremost, I was so lucky to work with a company like Eternal Gardens which is considered as a family-oriented organization. I think I managed to be a mom and a career woman at the same time by applying the things I’ve learned here, such as time management and knowing my priorities in life. My top priority is to ensure that my family is beside me throughout the ups and downs, and at the same time to work with passion and integrity,” said Vicky.
Her experiences as a mom, a career woman, and a leader helped Vicky to be who she is today. Through the years, she has conquered obstacles and learned a lot of things, and these may serve as inspiration to many young girls out there: “Know your worth, have passion and compassion, embrace challenges and changes, and most of all, equip yourself for every goal you want to achieve in life. Lastly, maintain a relationship with God. With all of these, you are on the road to success,” she finished.
