Life & Work with Giselle Abalos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Giselle Abalos.

Giselle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Before I go into how Hangouts with G started, my true story begins as the eldest daughter of two Filipino immigrants who moved to the U.S. in the 90’s to create opportunity and provide a better life for me and my sister. I was born and raised in Los Angeles with hard work and perseverance instilled in me for as long as I could remember. Growing up, I knew I wanted to be successful, make my parents proud, and live a life that was up to G’s standards. I understood that patience, sacrifice, and persistence were key factors in my journey. After graduating high school, I enrolled in community college, started my first job in retail, endured 5am mornings, drove 60+ miles a day, balanced school and work, and then eventually transferred to UCLA after two years. My time at UCLA introduced me to my future career in helping others – I was an undergrad New Student Advisor, guiding incoming freshmen and transfer students in planning their courses for the academic quarter. Once I graduated, I was hired on full-time as an Academic Advisor for UCLA’s Psychology Department.

After two years in higher education, I decided to shift gears and take on a career in Human Resources… and I love every single minute in this field. Fast forward to May 2020, I launched my Instagram Live show called “Hangouts with G.” I started this series after taking a long drive to Santa Barbara on my mental health day. I was listening to an Oprah podcast and was inspired. I thought to myself… what can I do during the pandemic/lockdown that will allow me to have fun yet make an impact? I felt it’d be a great idea to interview people in my network about their careers, the journey to get there, what they’ve learned during the pandemic, and everything in between. I love connecting with all walks of life and learning about people’s story. My goal is to remove the guise of achieving your dreams – there is no timeline (or time limit) and if your path looks different, that is OK. Along with my interviews (typically every other Sunday), I aim to post interview, resume, productivity, and motivational content. As always, my mission is to empower, educate, and inspire… one interview at a time. I will be reaching 15 total episodes in December, and I never thought I would continue this past the summer! I am definitely proud of myself for starting this passion project.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hangouts with G started off smooth, but there have been some bumps in the road. When I came up with the idea, I executed the show almost immediately – I was that excited! With help from friends who work in the digital creative world (thank you Sarah & Penny!), I downloaded a few graphic design apps and hit the ground running. My dear friend Sarah has also been my trusted consultant when creating marketing posts – I am lucky to have supportive people in my circle. So I decided to just START and my two best friends (Chandler & Paige) were my first interviews. Since then, I asked for and received feedback from viewers so that I could fine-tune my show. While working a full-time job, I have spent a lot of late nights reviewing material from my interviews, creating valuable content for viewers to take away, researching potential interviewees, and collaborating with guests to discuss topics to cover.

I have experienced more creative brainstorming than I ever thought I would… and at some point, I felt overwhelmed about not meeting my own expectations I set and I had a case of “Imposter syndrome.” I hit a point where I felt I was being pulled into different directions and I almost lost sight of my purpose. I believe in this show so much but I started to feel as though I was not doing enough. I even went on a break just to get back into the positive mindset – I did not feel comfortable being on camera sharing empowering ideas when I myself was not feeling empowered. After taking time off and remembering why I started this project, I have only gotten better. I rediscovered my purpose for Hangouts with G and that is to inspire young adults when it comes to their career and being their best version.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I am not on Hangouts with G, I am a full-time Recruiter at a boutique recruiting firm called J.R. Berry Search Group. The company places administrative and HR professionals with top organizations in the Los Angeles area. We also recently launched a new division, offering resume writing and interview coaching services. I love working with people and I am passionate about being an integral part of an individual’s career journey. I am so proud to work with an amazing team each day, especially during a rollercoaster year such as this one. We love the feeling of contributing to a job seeker’s happiness and we take pride in being their confidant and cheerleader. That is what sets me and my team apart from others – we genuinely enjoy what we do and it is so rewarding to be a part of someone’s job search process.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Absolutely. If I said the last year has been easy breezy, I would be lying. It has been a rollercoaster and that’s coming from someone who is typically very positive, active, busy, and also going 100 mph. ⁣⁣ The most important lesson I learned is to take care of our mental health. This year has been challenging in all aspects… and I have seen it take a toll on me. I started off with strong momentum, a steady workout schedule, and numerous projects to complete. As the weeks went by, some days were great and some were not. I strive to be more aware of how I am feeling each minute and hour to make sure I am doing all I can to take care of myself. Self-care is key these days – this is a topic on Episode 12 of my show! It is easy to forget to find time for things that make you feel happy and alive. I find comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who feels this way.

Appreciating our body and mind for keeping us healthy is enough. I have been a big advocate for self-care and spending quality time with nature and supportive people. Taking the time to relax, refresh, and recharge can make all the difference. Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations is a podcast I listen to that has really helped me cope through the COVID-19 crisis. The episode with Dr. Alan Lightman called “How to Lead a Less Hurried Life” is what sparked my idea to start Hangouts with G. He discusses how the pandemic has forced us to slow down and appreciate the finer things in life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gisellelorraine/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giselle-abalos/
• J.R. Berry Search Group: www.jrberrysearchgroup.com

Image Credits
Jimmy Song – @jimmysongcreative Anto – @anto_productions