Today we’d like to introduce you to Florence Mae.
Florence Mae, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in the Philippines and moved to San Diego in 2002 with the rest of my family. Everything was new to me, I had to learn a new culture, a new language and it was not easy. I focused on learning English so much that I almost forgot how to speak my two other languages. I went to school and graduated with a Bachelors in Communications. I moved to Los Angeles soon after that because of a Marketing Job that expanded out here, but I knew in my heart that LA was the place I wanted to be. As I continued to work, I found out that my manager was basically stealing my commission and not paying me in full, so I had left the job immediately and started working at a restaurant. I would also do background work for Tv shows/Movies because I enjoyed being around creatives and have always dreamed of being in a show. So slowly, I was able to do more background work, network and was able to get my SAG card from doing background work. So in the last five years that I have been in LA, I left my restaurant job, travelled for a month, and came back with a new job. I am now a Certified Personal Trainer because I have made it a lifestyle to stay active and stay healthy and I wanted to help others do the same. So fast forward to now, I’m an independent contractor at a gym, training clients and teaching HIIT classes & also made time to start taking acting class to take my career to the next level.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely has not been a smooth road for me because til now I don’t believe in myself as much as I should. I focused so much in personal training that I never gave myself time to actually take acting to the next level. I was always afraid of what people thought of me because when I first moved to California, I got made fun of for not knowing English. I was called F.O.B. (fresh off the boat) for the longest and it just stuck to me which is another reason why I focused so much in trying to better my English that I almost forgot my other languages.
But besides the point, being out here in LA is definitely different. I am still finding myself and really trying to figure out what I want in the long run and I know I would love to be in the entertainment industry but it’s so hard to get you feet in the door knowing that they only cast certain types of Asians. I look more of an islander and they’re basically last when it comes to casting certain types. So sometimes, I lose faith, get discouraged because I’m not good enough, therefore I go back into putting more of my effort into training. I make workout videos, trying to incorporate different brands I’ve worked with and use those videos for my “commercial reel”. So this year, I really had to question myself… “do I really see myself training clients who aren’t driven for the rest of life?” The answer is NO, it’s hard to train people who are not willing to change. So it led me to go back to acting. Acting is something that makes me happy. Being able to express myself in numerous ways, being able to connect with people on a different level. And just learning myself even more, connecting with my emotions and how I can use it as a tool. So I made it my focus this year to put more time, to take classes and sharpen my craft and I had made the best decision ever and this is only the beginning.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Floflowfit – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
The business that I started is training people to lose weight/gain weight. I was helping individuals reach their goals into bettering their lifestyle. People know me as a trainer, my Instagram is full of workout videos. I work with different brands here and there helping them promote their products whether it be supplements, clothes, or earphones. I have built that fitness niche for myself and for everyone else that follows me. And I believe I’ve gotten great at training, which now makes me want to move on and focus on something else. I am a very active person and I hate doing the same thing over and over again so acting was the next one I wanted to accomplish. To be honest, I am so happy when I get DMs about my workouts and how I’ve inspired people to changing their lifestyles for the better. And during this pandemic, I have been making home workout videos and I am loving the responses I get from all my followers. This have pushed me to really believe in myself and even if I were to move onto acting, I know I will succeed in that too because I have the support of my friends and family. I believe in myself more and more with all the warm messages I get from people. And I want to be out here inspiring people in more ways than just living a healthy lifestyle. I want people to be more creative, more positive, more driven than they were yesterday.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My future is filled with success. During this pandemic, although I am not acting, I am still watching my tv shows/movies and studying them. I am still working out at home, making videos for everyone and I was also able to pick up something new. I’m currently working on digital entrepreneurship. I am learning how to invest and trade and market just all from my phone. I knew about investing but did not know about how you can also make money trading. I am creating a second business where I can help people become financially free and also help them have more time to do things whether it’s traveling, spending time with family or picking up something new.
The business I have started and the community that I am a part of is slowly changing me for the better. I am developing a skill set that will last me forever. I am working on personal development. My schedule has now changed to waking up early, having zoom meetings with people I have never met in real life. But have impacted me in such a short amount of time. It’s crazy to think that there’s actually people out here willing to help you without needing or wanting something in return. So, once I master forex and the marketing side of it, I will then have more time to actually focus on acting. I will stop training people but will continue to work on myself, still make workout videos for people to copy on my social media. I am going to focus on myself yet still impact people in different ways.
Now that I look back at it, it seems like I am doing so many different things but my end goal really is to help and inspire people in any way I can. If you want to learn about fitness, forex trading, marketing yourself, I am all yours and would love to help you in any way I know-how. I want everyone to succeed in life.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/_florencemae
Image Credit:
Ralph Mariano, Jasen Mon, Matthew Romasanta
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