Business Grower, Operator, Investor, Startup Advisor, Getting Shit Done, New York City, USA

Ms. Maricor Resente, a colourful personality with a fierce attitude for “getting shit done” (not kidding, this is part of her LinkedIn title). Ms. Resente’s story is captivating for many reasons. She casually talks about overcoming and persevering through events that would shatter most individuals.

“Immigrants, we get the job done!” was possibly written about Maricor, who also created jobs and provided growth opportunities for many women.

This WOW Woman is tough and resilient. She will kick your butt, and I mean that in every sense; at just under five feet Maricor has been a jiu-jitsu fighter for many years. Again, a casual mention of this earns her additional respect. Maricor’s compelling answers had a lot of introspection and gave me much to think about; a sure sign of a WOW Woman.

1. Name.

 Maricor Ferrer Resente.

2. Where is your hometown?

Quezon City, Philippines (north of Manila).

3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?

Great question. I would call myself a work in progress. Professionally though, I’ve been in business/tech for over a decade now.

My average day looks like this:

• 7:30 - 8:30am -- morning chores, coffee

• 8:30 - 9:30am -- checking emails and organizing my day

• 9:30 - 6:00pm -- jam-packed with calls, often up to 12 -15

• 6:00 - 9:00pm -- I make dinner with my partner or try a new restaurant

• 9pm onward -- either relaxing, doing home improvement (just moved) or having a glass of wine.

**Definitely should have included “working out” somewhere in there, but we’ve all packed on the COVID 15, haven’t we?

4. What did you study in school?

Economics.

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the moment for you that changed your life (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?

I lost my mom when I was 10 and my life was changed forever. It definitely forced me to grow up quicker especially since I never had a good relationship with my dad. He traveled a lot for work and I barely saw him growing up. 

I’m the youngest of six: five girls and one boy. The age gap is massive. The eldest is 16 years older than me and the youngest is 8 years older. When my mom passed, my siblings were all in their early 20’s (which is about the age people tended to get married in the Philippines back then). Every year, since my mom passed away, it seemed like one of my siblings got married or moved away. So, overtime, a lot of my mom’s responsibilities of managing finances fell on my shoulders at a young age. I remember doing payroll and talking to lawyers before I was 14.

At a young age, I was given a ton of freedom. I would manage 100% of the family’s finances and had no parents in sight. I never felt the need to rebel or act out because there was no one to act out to. In fact, I would arbitrarily set my own curfew just so I could feel normal among my peers.

Like any other middle class family in the Philippines, a few of us were already out of the country. My mom’s side was in the US and my dad’s side was in Canada. We all got our green cards and planned on moving but my mom’s death threw a wrench into those plans.

At 17, I decided to move to San Francisco. Two of my sisters were already here as well as some extended family. The first few months were fucking depressing. I went from the vibrant city of Manila where the world around me was alive 24/7, where I had all the freedom I wanted, to a dreary, cold, foggy, depressing San Francisco where everything closed by 10pm and nobody really seemed to treat you like an adult until the age of 21.

Moving to the States was an interesting transition. Luckily, the Philippines is very westernized and I was already fluent in English (shoutout to my mom here, as she taught me English as a first language because she knew I was going to learn Tagalog just by living in the Philippines) but of course there were still some adjustments. I was very conscious about how I pronounced certain words. I was told that I needed to wear more make-up. Everyone commented on how much rice I ate. In reality, none of those insults mattered and it wasn’t until years later that I realized some of those comments were probably racially charged. I thought it was just a way of life so I ignored it.

I was very much determined to reclaim the independence that I had back in Manila and for that I needed money -- so I set out to do just that. I finished school as fast as I could while working 40-hour weeks. My schedule was insane. I would be in Calculus class from 7 to 8am, at work from 9 to 6pm, then back in school from 7 to 10pm. Saturday school from 1 to 4pm and back at work on Sunday from 10 - 7pm. At the time I believed there was a direct correlation between how much I worked and what I could achieve. Now I don’t believe that so much.

Every seven years or so, I push myself to make a big change in my life that forces me to grow. My biggest fear is looking back a year from now and realizing I have stagnated by staying in place.

What were some of the seven-year-itch changes you’ve made in your life?

The switches were generally geographical location moves that necessitated career switches:

• 2004, moved from Manila to San Francisco at 17 

• 2011, moved from San Francisco to New York without a job

• 2018, moved from New York to Berlin without a job then back to New York

I believe that changing your space and location generally changes that inertia and therefore your energy and direction too. When you’re feeling stale, a change of pace is bound freshen things up. Of course, it’s not for everyone.

I don’t know if there is a single moment that changed my life. I think it was a series of moments. Losing my mom at a young age however, was the moment that instilled the idea of independence and forced me to take care of myself.

Later you ask about who I look up to; I don’t actually have the concept of role models, I have the reverse. I know what I don’t want and I try my hardest not to do that. As for who raised me -- I was influenced by a number of people, my mom, my dad, my sisters, and other family but I think the biggest influence on who I am today is the adversity that I went through.

Moving to San Francisco got me into tech. Having women bosses helped. I watched one of my bosses go through an acquisition and take her company public. This experience taught me that my dreams as a woman were tangible. Prior to that my bosses had all been male. I’m sure not all women are like this but the women bosses that I worked for were very inclusive. It made me want to work harder because it felt like were working together. My male bosses were more adversarial, so working with them felt more like a chess game than a collaboration. This contrast taught me about what I liked about the different types of leadership so I could pick and choose what I wanted when it was time to lead myself.

Although, I will say, just having women bosses was powerful enough to show me that my aspirations were within reach. It’s true that representation definitely matters. I also pride myself that most female employees of mine have gone on to achieve bigger roles, earn higher salaries.

Moving to New York exposed me to even more ambitious people. It taught me how to dream big but more importantly that my dreams were achievable and within reach.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?

Very different and though I remain hungry for more, I would say that I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. At 20, I was only three years into my move to the United States. At that point I was still figuring out where I fit in this new world, while trying to reconcile it with the world I used to know, trying to picture my place in the world ahead.

I’ve always been a goal-setter, and every time I meet my goal, I move the goal post further out. I would say that it’s very interesting to see how far I was able to push the goal post. I’m thankful to all the people that supported me and inspired me to dream bigger along the way.

7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?

This is a great question. I honestly don’t think it’s one moment. Again, I think it’s a series of moments. I think it was when I realized that I used my professional life a lot as a proxy for self-worth and when you “wake up” from a burnout, it’s a pretty rude awakening. By the time I noticed I already had alopecia. I left my job, but without it I had no idea who I was because I belonged nowhere. That was 2018, my “rediscovery” year.

I sought therapy (can’t say enough good things about this) in 2018 before going on a sabbatical and slowly trying to re-acquaint myself with myself, if that makes sense. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever get there, wherever “there” is but the hard part is being able to live in the moment, appreciate the journey and be kind to myself about where I currently am.

It sounds like such a simple thing, but once I learned how to actually prioritize and take care of myself, things started getting better. 

The first step to getting help is recognizing that you need it. For me personally, I think I needed to hit a wall to change direction. I was so hellbent on going 150 mph in one direction that the only way to change direction was an equal and opposite force.

8. Advice for other women?

Have different bets to accumulate wealth. More women need to rise to the top and make a shit load of money. Additionally, lead with the attitude of “I’m worth it”, rather than “Let me prove myself to you”.

9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?

Yes, but not without help of resources and having the right community.

I think first and foremost you need to have the right nuclear unit, whatever that is for you (close group of girlfriends, a partner, etc.). These are the people that you see or talk to every day of your life. I truly believe that the people you spend your everyday life with have a massive effect on you. If you surround yourself with people that are go-getters, who are resourceful and supportive, it goes a long way.

Next is resources, and by this I mean money -- however way you can get your hands on it. The one thing that will remain scarce as we dream more and achieve more things is time. So the more that women can outsource what’s not core to them, the better and outsourcing is expensive, so again, make that money.

Lastly, I think women need to be unapologetic about their goals. Whether you want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a housewife, big part of feminism means having the right to choose your own path.

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?

In a productive business meeting and right after submitting someone on the mat in jiu-jitsu. It’s pretty unexpected when you’re 4’11.

11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?

Jiu-jitsu and singing. Though I haven’t done much of either during COVID. 

I love martial arts because it’s such a dose of self-confidence and it’s a very democratic place. There are no gender labels on the mat and no one talks about careers. It’s just the art of what you’re doing at that moment and nothing else.

I love to sing because it’s something that comes naturally to me and I’m pretty good at it. You generally feel good about things you’re good at.

13. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

I think fear of losing control is definitely a big thing. When you lose a parent at a young age, you generally try to grasp for a sense of stability. For me, this was myself. Learning how to be myself without judgement is something that I’m still working towards.

14. Anything you'd do differently, if you had another go at life?

Maybe I’d go into finance or start a business earlier.

15. What inspires you?

I think it's like the chicken and the egg; a plethora of small actions that turns into momentum to keep me inspired. The hardest part is to start.

16. What are you hopeful about?

That at one point women will know their worth, fight for it and have equal opportunity and respect in every part of society.

17. What are some ingredients to a good life? Has the global pandemic changed your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?

• Knowing how to set boundaries and making sure your needs are met before tending to other people’s 

• Healthy eating

• Everything in moderation

• Travel

• Great support system

• A little vice here and there

18. What are (at least) three qualities you most love about yourself and why? What are your superpowers?

+ Pan frying/searing salmon or arctic char

+ My ability to talk my way in and out of things

+ Intuition about people's character

+ At work, getting people to perform while also inspiring loyalty

+ Getting shit done

19. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self?

Don’t lose your green card and then attempt to talk your way into entering the US. It won’t work.

20. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and what are your favourite reads?)

Oh dear, this is embarrassing, but I barely read books! I do listen to podcasts though and mostly on business. Big fan of Freakonomics.

21. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?

My LinkedIn page here.