[My Story] Who the heck is Zach Marañon?

May 3, 2023

Maybe just like me, you’re going through life with little to no idea what you’re doing.

If you’ve ever found yourself:

• Feeling unsure which path to take in life

• Wondering why your current dreams haven’t been realized yet

• Praying things will change for the better

Then, you’re not alone (These are things I’ve also gone through a lot in the past, and that’s why I started this newsletter series — to share my journey with you and the lessons I learn along the way).

I’m a guy who wears many hats in his professional life. In this issue, I wanted to share a little bit about myself with you.

First Hat

Financial Advisor

I started my career fresh out of college working with a company called AIA Philippines. I assisted clients with organizing their finances, educated them about insurance plan options available on the market, and then helped them make decisions on which option was right for them.

I chose this path without much foresight in mind. It was a “Let’s dive in and hope for the best!” kind of decision.

It turned out well for me in spite of the many many challenges over the years. I earned a good living, received a few yearly awards, and I felt that I was helping others in the process.

I acquired some sales skills and I learned that as long as I give it my all, I can thrive.

Second Hat

Personal Development Coach

The life insurance industry is big on training programs. I eventually came across a series of paid training programs that specialized in personal development, emotional mastery, and leadership development.

As I completed those courses I was inspired with how the facilitators and coaches were helping a lot of their students become better versions of themselves. So much so that I decided to take their life coach skills training program.

With the process I learned, I was able to support some of my existing clients in AIA through coaching conversations. I helped them find clarity on what they truly want in different aspects of their lives: finances, health, career, even relationships.

(I’ve always had trouble calling myself a “life coach” since I was never certified by any of the international life coaching organizations — but what I find truly holds me back is a certain limiting belief: the belief that “I’m not good enough” which I’m still working on until now). 

Through many coaching sessions — both as the one facilitating the coaching and the one being coached — I learned how to break through limiting beliefs and I learned more and more tools on how to be of help to others.

I learned how to genuinely listen, I learned how to deeply care about the person I’m in front of, and I learned how to ask the right questions to help the other person become more aware of his or her behavior and choices.

I wanted to see where this path would take me, and so I continued to volunteer to staff in seminars and workshops.

Doing this exposed me to how the head facilitators led their learning sessions with big groups.

Third and Fourth Hat

Facilitator and Third Generation Entrepreneur

I mentioned briefly in my first newsletter that my family has a few businesses here and there. A few were started by my grandfather on my dad's side, which are now run by the second generation (his sons and daughter), and one was started by my mom.

In my early career, I never really wanted to be in the family business right after my studies (sorry, family, if you’re reading this).

It didn’t sit right with me that I would be in the family business with very little to no knowledge, experience, or skill to give.

I didn’t want to be a burden or a taker, and I felt that’s who I would be if I went into it that early.

As the years went by and I learned from the experiences I’ve mentioned in this newsletter, I felt that I could now be an asset and help those businesses grow. My desire to be of help increased as my skills increased.

Facilitating and coaching were the perfect tools that I felt I could use to support our family businesses. I thought that the companies would be great dojos to sharpen those tools while I was also being of help. Win-win.

After nearly two years of helping out with the family businesses, I’m now taking on personal and leadership development facilitating projects from other companies as well. These are somewhat of a side hustle for now.

Fifth Hat

Content Creator

This is the newest one I’m wearing.

I’m still not sure where this one will take me.

My purpose for wearing this hat is to share my knowledge and experience with the hope that I can be of even more help to people. This time with a different medium.

I want to continue my mission of inspiring people to build confidence in all areas of life and live abundantly.

I also want to grow an audience that can hopefully be the foundation of the online businesses I want to start. Let’s see.

To Sum Up

I’m a different person now compared to when I started my career. I still find myself however:

• Feeling unsure with where my life is going

• Wondering why my current dreams haven’t been realized yet

• Praying that things will change for the better

If you find yourself in this exact headspace, you are not alone.

This is a normal human experience.

The lows are a temporary part of life, and they make the highs feel even better. We just have to ride it out and remember to enjoy it while we’re here.

I know I still have a long way to go. There’s so much that I still want to be, do, and have. In spite of this distance, I’m choosing to enjoy this journey as life progresses.

I’m excited to continue sharing my experiences with you and the lessons I pick up along the way.

All the love,
All the power,

— Zach Marañon

P.S. Whenever you are ready, there are 3 ways that I can be of help to you:

1. Follow me on Instagram here if you want a source of bite-sized ideas and content that can help you reach your next level in life.

2. Book a free kick-off conversation for one-on-one coaching here if you are an entrepreneur or sales professional currently looking to create solutions to a problem or challenge in your life but you seem to be stuck.

3. Download my goal setting guide here if you are wanting to create clarity on your desired outcomes (Free until 100 downloads — and then I convert it to a paid resource).

P.P.S. If you are from the Philippines and are looking for a personal mastery workshop to help you experience growth and transformation, check out Discovery by I Am Plus Coaching and Training Systems. It’s where my journey of self evolution personally got fast-tracked.