How I Turned My Passion for Training and Coaching Into a Business

Wandalyn Tan-Calupig

Wandalyn Tan-Calupig

Founder
Caltan Training and Consultancy

Team Size

1

Revenue

Not Disclosed

Location

Dubai

STart Date

Mar 2017

Joining us today is the amazing Wandalyn Tan-Calupig, the founder of Caltan Training and Consultancy. Her business is helping individuals and organizations achieve goals through training and coaching, with the focus on life and career coaching to individuals as well as training on topics related to stress management, happiness, problem solving and parenting. 

After experiencing a burnout and quarter life crisis, she dived into a world of personal development. The more she applied what she was learning, the more she became passionate about helping and teaching other people on how to overcome their problems and achieve goals.

Caltan Training and Consultancy

INTRODUCTION

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND THE BUSINESS YOU STARTED.

Hi, my name is Wandalyn Tan-Calupig. I am an audit manager turned mompreneur, international coach, consultant and speaker for working individuals and organizations they work for.  As a career and life coach, I help professionals find jobs and fulfilling career in 1 year or less using a 3-step framework. 

As a speaker, I design and deliver talks and workshops that are educational, entertaining and empowering.  I use powerful NLP tools and accelerated learning techniques that help participants learn faster and remember more.

My company Caltan Training and Consultancy is committed to helping individuals and organizations fast-track their goals through training and coaching. Email [email protected] and discover how we can help you.

The company offers:
• Life and career coaching to individuals and groups
• Training on topics related to stress management, happiness, problem solving, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and mindful parenting
• Online courses and programs 

WHAT DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE AND HOW DO YOU STAY PRODUCTIVE?

I have been working from home since March 2020. With the lockdown currently on, I am managing work and helping kids with their online school assignments when they need me. Evening is family time, playing games or movie nights.

To stay productive, I:

  • Start my morning with prayers and affirmations,

  • Journal my thoughts, pain, emotions, goals and aspirations,

  • Write and record my small wins for the day,

  • Keep a to do list,

  • Use household chores as means for deadtime learning e.g. listen to podcast while washing dishes.

THE JOURNEY SO FAR

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING YOUR BUSINESS.

I experienced a burnout and quarter life crisis in 2014 after 14 years of working as an Audit Manager. In these times, a series of personal development training and coaching sessions helped me find the answers to life’s most difficult questions.

I started sharing my learnings with others and these shared learning sessions and coaching led to extraordinary success for my students.
 
I started as a volunteer trainer and coach, but I decided to turn this passion to business because this is my compass of joy, Ikigai as the Japanese call it.
 
I did not get any partner or employee or business space because I was just starting, and I wanted to maintain low costs. I leveraged on my network to win consulting and speaking engagements.
 
My first client after business registration was Emirates Airlines, which was my previous employer. They hired me as a freelance consultant.
I partnered with established training companies and well known trainers in the Philippines that lead me to getting accreditation as speaker for Philippine Department of Industry and Central Bank of the Philippines and an accredited business mentor by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship.

Other than face to face workshops, I also built an online school and organized courses to help others find more joy and meaning in their personal and professional life.

Unfortunately, we had to leave the Philippines in July 2019 because of an earthquake and attempted robbery in our apartment that ironically  happened on the same day. We came back to Dubai and I chose to go back to the corporate world because we needed to secure our work visas.

With the pandemic,  I have scheduled my training and coaching business during weekends. I am now doing all the training and coaching online.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AND YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR BUSINESS?

My biggest accomplishments are:

  • Passing the rigorous and tedious accreditation by the Philippine Department of Industry, Central Bank of the Philippines and Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship,

  • Positive impact I had on individuals through training and coaching that lead to extraordinary client results like ranking 2nd out of 4,967 CMA examiners around the world, 100% passing rate for all clients (from various fields like, real estate, architecture, CFA, CFE, CMA), winning 4 awards in 5 months by a toastmaster newbie, client attracting the dream job double the salary in 4 months, manager promotion in 3 months and more,

  • Using my 20+ years’ audit experience working at corporate and NLP as differentiator because I share real life strategies and stories that work on the real world,

  • I was one of the 17 (out of 4,974) Filipinos in the management team of Emirates Airlines when I left Dubai in December 2016,

  • I can manifest what I want – Career reinvention over 6 years as Audit manager >Author > Speaker > Housewife > Coach > Consultant > Business Owner >Senior Auditor.

My biggest challenges are:

  • Lost money from failed businesses and investments with the wrong set of people,

  • Finding the right business that aligns to my soul purpose,

  • Deep unhappiness in 2014 despite having everything I dreamed of, a successful career and a happy family, 

  • Finding answers to life’s most difficult questions – Who am I? Why am I here?

  • Going against norms of society – leaving my high paying stable job in 2016 to fulfill my dreams to become a housewife and business owner,

  • When people fail to understand the value add and benefits I bring as an Audit Manager turned life coach and speaker, 

  • When people prefer labelling me in a box based on my experience and expertise which is still undervalued,
  • Transition from audit manager to housewife,

  • Stay at home depression as housewife,

  • Starting a business venture all by myself, taking care of tedious government paperwork,

  • Finding a successful married mompreneur,  whilst looking for one, I connected with some of the most successful mompreneurs who were  separated or divorced and these instances, somehow created a success block for me because family is my core value,

  • Managing my goals towards my spouse and with each other, based on my ever evolving journey and career reinvention,

  • Managing my business and helping the kids cope up with our relocation across continents  from Dubai > Malaysia> Philippines> Dubai.

WHAT STRATEGY DID YOU USE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS? AND HOW?

My growth strategies:

  • I hired coaches – career coach, intuition coach, branding coach, meditation coach, speaking coach, journaling coach, book writing coach, etc.

  • I invested a lot of time and money on personal development training and certifications – I travelled to the US, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines and bought a lot of online programs to learn and equip myself. I am a certified NLP master practitioner, Quantum Leap Program Graduate and certified trainer by T.Harv Eker,

  • I set clear goals and have monthly reflection, 

  • I asked help from my network to increase my visibility and win clients,

  • I developed products based on market needs and based on my personal journey,

  • I set clear boundaries and clearly communicate with my kids on why I do what I do,

  • I have honest conversations with my husband on my dreams, goals and aspirations.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS?

My business is coping well because I was able to leverage on the online courses that I built in 2017 and repurpose the content to suit current market needs. My plan is to register my training and coaching company in Dubai.  My vision is to be one of the top female “mom” career coaches and speakers in the world. 

RECOMMENDATIONS & FINAL THOUGHTS

ARE THERE ANY RESOURCES OR TOOLS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE HELPED YOU RUN YOUR BUSINESS?

I used a lot of free software to keep my costs low – Canva, Mailchimp, Teachable, Zoom,etc..

  • Mindvalley and their programs helped me achieve many of my goals.

  • I used Bible principles to manage my business.

  • Reciprocity works a thousand-fold so choose to give without asking anything in return.

  • Partnering and collaborating with like minded people works like magic.

WHAT OR WHO HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE IN BUSINESS AND WHY?

My greatest influences in business are Vishen Lakhiani, Dean Pax Lapid, Bo Sanchez and Dodong Cacanando. These business owners taught me about building a “soulful” and purpose driven business.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER WOMEN WHO WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS?

 

You can be anything you want to be, your breakdown can lead you to your breakthrough. My burnout and quarter life crisis lead me to find my mission to help others live happier lives. Find your biggest pain and compass of joy because that will give you the clue to find the right business or career for you.

WHAT BUSINESS IDEA DO YOU HAVE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE WITH OTHERS?

Business idea needs to be aligned with a person’s passion, compass of joy and Ikigai because I tried many businesses before, but it did not work for me. Hence, I always recommend that this needs to be aligned to one’s purpose and passion for making it a success. 

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

You have a unique calling in this world that you can only fulfill, find it and your life will never be the same. When you do what you love and turn that into a business you will sleep in peace and wake up in joy. God wants to give birth something through you and when you allow yourself to become an instrument of love, you will experience heaven on earth.

Always look at the brighter side in any person or situation because life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you respond to it. Stop expecting others to change, focus on changing yourself positively and your relationships will be better. Men do not listen sometimes but when you change positively, they will change and will always have your back.

You have no limits. The only limits you have are the ones you set yourself and the limits you allow others to set for you.

There is one powerful affirmation that I have been using since high school. This helps me overcome difficult tasks, overcome limiting beleiefs and achieve what others say is impossible. I hope this can inspire you on your journey “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”.

If you are ready to find a fulfilling career and if you want to move from burnout to bliss, allow me to help you because I want to save you from the many pains I have been through. Book a free discovery coaching call now Bit.ly/CoachWanda.

Violeta Semenova

Violeta Semenova
Founder
theBizLadies

Welcome to the Biz Ladies interview series!

If you’re new to these series, I interview women entrepreneurs on how they started their business, what was the idea behind it, how they got where they are, the struggles, the reality and more.

By sharing their stories, we want to inspire other women to get started.

If you are interested to share your own story on the Biz Ladies LET ME KNOW!