#84 From Maid to Self-Made – Rebecca’s journey from Filipino helper to international entrepreneur and author

In the latest episode of Timeless Teachings, Yana Fry sits down with Rebecca Bustamante, a former domestic helper turned successful entrepreneur and author. Despite facing immense challenges and self-doubt, Rebecca’s unwavering determination and positive attitude propelled her from poverty to success, inspiring others to believe in themselves and achieve their dreams.

Discussion Topics: From Maid to Self-Made

• Intro: From Maid to Self-Made
• At What Age Did Rebecca Become a Domestic Helper?
• What is Different About Rebecca?
• Perseverance and Good Attitude are the Key to Success
• What was the Reaction of Other People?
• Has Rebecca Ever Faced Self-Doubts?
• The Book That Changed Rebecca
• What Is Rebecca Working on Right Now?
• The HSU Forum
• In What Kind of World Would Rebecca Want Her Children to Live?
• What Should a Person Do If They Feel Unsure Or Overwhelmed?
• Closing

Transcript: From Maid to Self-Made

Yana Fry: Rebecca, thank you for joining us today on Timeless Teachings. I’m so excited to see you here.

Rebecca Bustamante: Thank you for inviting me. It’s a pleasure to speak with you and do these things.

Yana Fry: And we have just recently met during my time traveling Greece together we can change the world and Scott Friedman. And so it was a great time, in the Philippines with speaking and I saw you on stage and your book, and I really love the title. So if I’m correct the title is from Maid to Self-Made. Is that correct?

Rebecca Bustamante: Yes, it’s correct.

Yana Fry: Which I guess in the way of self-explanatory. It’s a story of a woman as gorgeous looking as you are right now. When I look at you, who actually, once upon a time was a domestic helper. And then she didn’t like her life. She didn’t like her job and she wanted something more, so she went for it. And I just really would like to ask you at what age first did you become a domestic helper?

At What Age Did Rebecca Become a Domestic Helper?

Rebecca Bustamante: I’ve been a domestic helper since I was a kid. In fact, when I was still in elementary school and high school, and pursued being a domestic helper. When I went to Singapore our mother passed away and she left me with four siblings. The youngest brother was six years old only when she passed away.

So I don’t have any other option but to go to Singapore to be a domestic helper so that I can pay the debt because our house was very close to foreclosure because it was in this micro-financing at the time. And at the same time if I go abroad I will, be able to make more money to help my siblings and eventually, of course, help myself to pursue my education.

And at least changed my career, and the path of my life, and that’s what it is. I did not really complain about the difficulty or the hardship, but I took that as an opportunity in fact to really change something because I strongly believe in God I know we all have different faiths, but I believe that God Brought me into that world. It means poverty because he believed in me and that I could overcome that.

I really make that drive to really pursue where I want to go and the love that I have for my siblings. So my family was very strong. So that’s really the path. I overcame the difficulty because of my siblings to start with.

Yana Fry: It’s so interesting if we look statistically, there are so many women from the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and many other countries that become domestic helpers around the world. And there are not many stories like yours. In fact, you’re the first one that I really meet in that way.

Sometimes we hear stories when people say that their parents were helpers and then they achieved something like, they had a better education because of that. And then I heard, even in Singapore, I saw women like this and then they would become entrepreneurs. But it’s not them personally being a helper first and then moving to this space when you could become a businesswoman. So I’m curious, what do you think is different about you?

What is Different About Rebecca?

Rebecca Bustamante: Yeah, that’s actually a very good question because a lot of people ask me about that question, and also I’m asking myself, but the only thing that I can really look back at that really makes me different, it’s really the perseverance. Doing what needs to be done, whether I like it or not. Why? When I was in Singapore, for instance, I started from five o’clock in the morning until 11 o’clock at night.

So that is straight, nonstop working. But on top of that, I took that opportunity to read my books from 11 o’clock to one o’clock in the morning. And that’s really discipline, because the discipline, it will take you a lot of perseverance, the attitude to really pursue that.

Don’t give up. Even though you’re so tired sometimes you’re not feeling well. You still have a lot of responsibilities that day, but I’m looking at the long path because it’s like flying an aeroplane. Remember, if you’re a pilot, you have to really go strong at the beginning. When you go up and then you go on a plateau right?

So life is like that. And I’m so thankful and appreciative that I am able to read the books that really drive me and change my mind because when I was in the Philippines, nobody really mentored me. My parents were not professional. I never had good friends who were really successful that I could follow, right?

But by reading books, I am really highly encouraged to. Anybody who’s listening by reading books and following those books, you don’t have to go to university now. Everything is online. If you have that kind of attitude by reading and doing the work. So action. Because if you do the work that makes it different again because even though people made fun of me before, I don’t focus on that, but I focus on where I’m going by doing that, it’s so amazing the outcome.

I never realised that Yana was in this. Position right now. It’s really God. Like I don’t, it’s all blessings really. So I cannot find the right answer to give you too, but more on sharing with you the steps that I use, and what’s the outcome after. I hope that helps.

Yana Fry: Yes. Absolutely. And I also feel it is so relevant because there are so many other countries and cultures around the world where it’s coming. Like before it was maybe more European, US Australia like the central parts may be more developed. But now you talk about all other parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, I mean there are a lot of people who historically have been living in just either very poor conditions or much less fortunate conditions financially, and it has been for generations and generations as now people like you become this example where you can change it and it can change like in one generation. That’s what you said.

Perseverance and Good Attitude are the Key to Success

Rebecca Bustamante: Yes. Like it’s so amazing that it, like a lot of people may be saying, oh, because. She’s lucky, she’s smart. She’s, but no. I was not educated when I left the Philippines. I cannot speak proper English. I don’t even know he and she, believe it or not. Feminine, masculine. I didn’t even understand that before, even though I’m a high school graduate, because when I was young, I always missed school because I needed to help my siblings.

So it’s really not the. The degree that you have. Of course, I believe in education. They don’t get me wrong, right? But if we never had that opportunity, we could really educate ourselves, especially since these generations right now, they’re very impatient with this good attitude because they’re always fast.

But imagine if they use all those talents that they’re getting online. Imagine what will happen in the world, the next generation. For instance, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but my oldest son, for instance, worked in Canada, and then because he was challenged by another colleague, his boss, for example, that drove him to look around for other opportunities because he was, he used that challenge, right?

And now he’s received a job. Way better job-like. I mean that the income is so good and the opportunity is so good. So now he’s asking me and his father this morning, what do you think? Because I love my boss, but at the same time, this is a good opportunity. So I asked him, is he, you see the challenges that you experience currently, it’s like a diamond.

You see when you are scratching a raw diamond. It’s, you have to scratch that it’s sometimes it’s so painful and that is what life is all about. But because of that pain, look at this other opportunity that is coming to you and that is what life is all about. Isn’t that something? So again, why I’m saying this, is we go through a lot of challenges, Yana, but it’s all up to us how we handle that, how we look at that.

Do we look at that as a negative or positive? So my advice is, look at it as. Positive all the time, and you will be shocked with the outcome long term. Not right away, but long term.

Yana Fry: After a lot of hard work as we have found out. But yes, I love your story, Rebecca. And I can also, I can definitely, connect personally because it also, as I shared, I also come from a very humble, very difficult background and just like you, it has been a significant quantum leap. Even in my lifetime already given where I’m coming from.

And so for me, I also know what kind of challenges I had to go through because of that. So I’m just curious to hear your perspective. So here you are, like, a young girl or a young woman who is coming from. Not unlike a traditional, a recognized family background or education or even culture that is very well accepted worldwide.

And you are going into the developed world. What was the reaction of people when you started becoming more of who you are today,

What was the Reaction of Other People?

Rebecca Bustamante: You know what? It’s so funny because I don’t really focus on the reaction of others, more on the outcome And why I’m doing that book, why I’m sharing the story. I did not come from nowhere. But at the same time, look at the outcome because I have the hope of giving the opportunity to others that if I share my story, I know that anyone in the whole world, if they will just even use one thing believing in themselves.

Imagine the outcome. So that’s what I see. So in terms of others, I know I have, All my friends are so happy for me, and my family is very happy for me. So I see all positive things. The negative thing I don’t really know, maybe, I’m sure there’s always, but I don’t look at that.

Yana Fry: I look more at where are we going. You are a very, centered, strong, quelled determined woman. It is very beautiful. And I’m just wondering, do you ever have self-doubts? Have you ever experienced it?

Has Rebecca Ever Faced Self-Doubts?

Rebecca Bustamante: Of course, you understand the hormones of a woman, right? Like sometimes we’re up and down, and we don’t understand ourselves. Why? Sometimes, I tell my husband, I wish I’m a man, so that at least I’m just playing to my emotions. But I’m telling him sometimes I don’t feel good.

I’ll tell him, Richard, I don’t feel good right now. But I’m aware of it and I’m trying. I know how to control it, but when I was younger it was worse. Now I’m better. So if you, if other women there who’s going through some. Sometimes I doubt the question. You don’t believe in yourself. That’s normal and I’m glad that you’re going through that because when you go through that, it means you’re thinking. You’re using something that you want to improve. You’re aware of the circumstances.

So once you are aware of that, try to figure out why, and then find the answer. Because that’s what I do. I found the answer. So now if I’m a little bit thin, then I just stop, find somewhere I go in fresh air and then deep breaths, and try to meditate. Try to exercise and then I feel better again. Then I will start feeling again that I’m the only Rebecca Bustamante in the whole world. I am the best Rebecca Bustamante in the whole world. Then I feel good.

Yana Fry: I like that. This is golden. I’m gonna repeat this now looking into the I’m the best Yana Fry this universe ever gonna have.

The Book That Changed Rebecca

Rebecca Bustamante: Correct, right? then we feel good after. Yeah, it’s really, yes. It’s really interesting. Yana, the book that really changed me so much the first book I read was, “Stop Worrying, Start Living.” Because of the responsibilities our family, our parents, and our, mother gave me, it was so heavy, but because of that book, it changed me so much.

Yeah, so I encourage a lot of people who have a lot of doubt to read that book. It’s online, you can get it for free. Stop worrying, start living. And that’s the book that made me think that I’m the best Rebecca Bustamante in the whole world.

Yana Fry: I love that. This is great, and since we are speaking about Books, of course, I would also encourage everyone to actually read Rebecca’s book. Today during the interview we’re looking at how she thinks about how you live your life, what actually makes you tick as a human being. But then I find your stories fascinating.

Rebecca Bustamante: And for those who would, I like to really dive deep and understand your story. I definitely would recommend reading your books so that people can learn.

What Is Rebecca Working on Right Now?

Yana Fry: I know you personally, right? Because we met and I see the impact you are having on people around you, on your community. You’re also incredibly kind-hearted and it’s quite amazing to see. A lot of love and humbleness behind a very strong world, and really is just a powerful woman.

She’s like a powerhouse, but with all of the laughs, and that’s beautiful to watch, Rebecca. And so I’m just curious, tell us what it is that you are focusing on right now in your life. So what is the work that you’re doing at the moment?

Rebecca Bustamante: Because of my experience working abroad as a Filipino, when I was in Singapore in 1986, I still remember the meaning of a Filipina in the Webster dictionary as a domestic helper, and that really changed me saying that there’s nothing wrong with being a domestic helper. It’s a job. It’s a credible job, right?

But Filipina is not a domestic helper, it’s only a stepping stone to where you want to go. So because of that, I have that drive in myself that someday I said I would like to do something to really market the Philippines and show the world that the Philippines is one of the best countries in the whole world.

And of course, Filipino Filipinas are kind and loving. Humble, fun, right? And so we want to do that. So we’re doing the events we do called HSU Forum, which you were one of the speakers at the Women for last January, and also the breakthrough, right? At the beginning of the year. That was so nice. 

Yana Fry: beautiful experience.

The HSU Forum

Rebecca Bustamante: Lots of people, right? Not only in Metro Manila, but also in Cebu, and it’s so amazing and we’re so thankful. That’s why we did the party after so thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent with the Filipinos. That’s why we’re doing the regular events to really market Filipinos and invite foreigners like you in our country to really see what we have here and to create jobs for Filipinos by doing that.

We also do the HSU awards to recognize not only the leaders, successful people, and foreigners who’ve been here working. So it’s so nice to show that around the world, and because of that, the future leaders can learn and also sell the Philippines around the world and encourage them to come more and invest to create jobs. That’s what we’re doing, and it’s so amazing now.

This is our 14th year, believe it or not, and the impact is so good. The impact was so good seeing the outcome so unbelievable. So my words around whoever your viewers who are suffering, it’s okay because all the challenges make you really strong. Look at the outcome, what we’re doing right now because I also got bankrupt.

I was cheated many times. When my kids were young, I had to find ways without them knowing how to give them good food. When we came to the Philippines, we still had a mortgage in Canada, that we were using our credit cards, that somebody stole our credit cards, things like that. So we went through so much.

But look, as long as you look at those challenges and use that to go to the next level it’s amazing. So that’s what we’re doing and that’s what we’re focusing on right now. Especially since our two boys have already finished. Thank God. They have their job already. So focusing more on the legacy. While we’re alive we don’t know how long we are in this world, right?

Yana Fry: Thank you for sharing that. And also, like any speaker, an expert author who might be listening or watching right now. I can tell you from my personal experience, that I know Rebecca in real life, which is not just online, and she’s as amazing in real life as she is online. And for those who see the video, your house looks exactly how it looks.

And I’ve had an honour and a pleasure to visit together with other speakers. And I’m just saying that Rebecca is an amazing contact for the Philippines and Southeast Asia in general. If you wanna come and if you wanna speak if you wanna contribute because also it’s helping the community.

So like I know a lot of work that you do and even money that you share, it’s a lot going back in the community to empower people, to empower children, women, families, and this is just a very beautiful contribution. I’m very grateful that you are doing this work.

So thank you for that, Rebecca. And speaking about children, As you mentioned, you have a few, and I’m always curious, especially people like yourself who went on this journey and really dived deep into the soul events, through all those challenges and overcame, and now you created the life that you have, in what kind of world would you like your children to live?

In What Kind of World Would Rebecca Want Her Children to Live?

Rebecca Bustamante: Oh, okay. Actually, we’re asking them about that. You know what’s so nice that we talked like last year, when we were together, right? We said that I know we are Canadian, we’re Filipinos also, so 50- 50. And they said, 50%? I’m Canadian. 50% we’re Filipinos, but 90% we feel that we’re Filipinos.

So right now we want to continue staying in Canada, they said, to really learn as much as we can and also contribute as much as we can. But when we get married, I would love to go back to the Philippines and raise our kids in the Philippines. So I don’t really know what they really want, because they changed.

But right now that’s what they’re thinking to continue their career in Canada as much as they can. And then when they settle down, they come back and then maybe start a business or, I don’t really know, but wherever they will be, we’ll support them and I think we’ll follow them and stay close to them. 

What Should a Person Do If They Feel Unsure Or Overwhelmed?

Yana Fry: And maybe just you know if like a final question for today for women that they’re listening right now and maybe are at the moment in a difficult situation and it feels overwhelming and maybe there’s not enough money and there are maybe other family members that have to take care of and they’re not really sure what to do next. What would you say they could possibly do?

Rebecca Bustamante: Yeah. Yeah, that’s a very tough question because all of us have a different situation, all of us have unique experiences. Unique background. But what I could say is how I handled the situation. Because when my parents imagine that, they leave me with four siblings that I have. I’m responsible for looking after them, putting them to school, and feeding them like my gosh, right?

And on top of that, my father also, I have my older brothers, we’re 11 in the family. Then my father is not a responsible father. He kept drinking. If you send him money, he’s still complaining. Then we still have debt in the bank. The house is very close to foreclosure. Imagine the responsibilities that I have.

Plus myself. So it was very tough, but more importantly, I focused on how I could help and also solve the problem. That’s what I did. So when I went to Singapore, I really focused on my responsibilities with my employer. Okay. That’s one thing, because if we focus on our responsibilities, our problems, and we are working, then our employer won’t be happy.

So what I did is I focused, I kept my problem to myself and I made sure that my employers were happy around me. I’m a happy person. I make them when they see me. Everyone’s fun looking after the kids, things like that. And then, but I know how much I’m making and how I divide that. So in short, in two years the salary, a hundred percent.

I gave it to my family to solve the problem. My two years, because my goal is four years only as a domestic helper, right? So after two years, I save that money also, to pay my agency fee and ticket to go to Canada. See, that’s how, so I stopped dividing already. I already have that target, right?

And then after that, when I hit that, when I get to Canada again, how much money again I need to send to the Philippines? To pay the bills and how much money I also have to save because it’s not enough. So what did I do? So I had a part-time job. So if I have a part-time job, I can already consider, and manage my responsibilities and I can save more money.

So if you are going through challenges right now and your income is not enough, what would be the next step? Do you have to have a part-time job? Can you get a part-time job? What kind of part-time job? So think as yourself, because maybe before I went into sales because sales are unlimited income.

So how can I do that? In Canada, I only worked five days a week as a nanny, but from seven o’clock in the morning to seven o’clock at night. So after that, I have a lot of work and a lot of time. So after my full-time job, from seven o’clock to 11 o’clock, Monday and Wednesday I pursue my school, going to school.

But Tuesday, Thursday, and the weekend, that’s my part-time job. Believe it or not.

So my point is you find ways, find solutions because God gives you that concern, that problem because God believes in you. You can find different ways in order to solve problems because it’s pushing you to go to the next level. I mentioned it again earlier, like a diamond, right?

You have to really rub that raw diamond to make it a very first-class diamond. So life is like that too. So the more challenges you go through, you are because the challenges will make you a very powerful person. I believe in that so strongly. I became like this. As I told you, I cannot speak proper English, but I was polished because of those challenges.

Also when you make money, another problem is the lifestyle. Live it simply because if you watch every penny. And you save that. And at the age, I said before to return at the age of 50, this is what I want. So that will find, and believe it or not only we reach that, but also double that.

Yana Fry: Beautiful.

Rebecca Bustamante: right? And look at the outcome. And of course, I highly encourage everyone to read my books. You can have it for free. It’s an ebook at Rebecca-bustamante, and go to the book there. It’s free and you can, all the stories there, you can get, the steps that I use, how I started and what’s the outcome. So I hope that I can help you and thank you for inviting me again, Yana.

Closing

Yana Fry: And I’m sure we are gonna include the link directly to the book for people to actually go and download it. So to make it easier your story is just so unique in a way that it’s incredibly inspirational for people of different backgrounds. So it works for those who come from humble backgrounds as you just shared.

At the same time, it also works very well for people who come from middle-class or privileged families because you are one of those people who is constantly embossing determination. Perseverance, hard work, right? Focus, focus on what you want, and just do not pay attention to anything else. And even for me, I personally know so many people in different countries of different backgrounds, poor, middle, privileged, and everything in between.

And there are also even kids from families who are supposed to have everything, often having incredible amounts of self-doubt. That’s why I ask you, do you have self-doubt? How do you deal with them? So it’s interesting that I think sometimes as humans, we think if I only had that start in life, like if God only gave me like these and that, then maybe my life would have been much easier.

But actually, in reality, I’m a strong believer that God or universal life, whatever we call that, that Enogen force always gives us exactly what we need. And that definitely also includes the start of our life. And Rebecca, you just, you are truly a diamond, and it has been a pleasure to have a conversation with you here today.

I would love to see you again in the Philippines and to see you in Singapore when you are coming here. And so thank you so much for coming online, for sharing your wisdom and your time, and I do encourage all our listeners and the audience to connect with Rebecca on any social media and reach out to her professionally.

She’s an amazing speaker, by the way, if you wanna have her at the conference. And from my side, I just appreciate every one of you for coming here and listening to these conversations. And absolutely do recommend the show. Remember to subscribe and share, and we are gonna be back soon with another episode.

Thank you for being here today.

Our Guest: Rebecca Bustamante

The life of Rebecca Bustamante started in extreme poverty.  From a young age, she worked in homes wherever she would be fed. She left her home while still a teenager to work as a Domestic Helper in Singapore – working 7/24 with only one day off per month. 

Rebecca provides practical, real life lessons anyone can use to improve their careers and life. She provides powerful presentations and mentorship across the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, Canada, and so on.  Her moving speeches have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indonesian.

​Rebecca leaves people with a lasting sense that they can overcome any challenge and achieve any goal they desire.  

With Rebecca as your motivational speaker or executive coach, you will be brought to tears and stirred to inner joy while receiving the lessons of achievement that will stay with you for the rest of your lives.