Meet Sydney Roa

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sydney Roa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

Optimism is an important attribute to have as it often roots from personal experiences, external influences, and environment. I grew up in an immigrant household parented by first-generation Filipino immigrants. Filipino culture often consists of duty towards your family and respect must be given to elders. I enjoyed the culture my family brought back from their homeland. However, as they brought their rich culture with them, unhealed trauma followed. Both my parents came from unhealthy upbringings causing them to separate when I was sixteen. At this point, I was dealing with societal pressures, but also battling the outpour of emotions from my parents. My mental health deteriorated heavily. As the years went by, I learned the importance of surrounding yourself with others who uplift you and teach you optimism. Many of my friends had similar experiences so they empathized with me and shared their stories. They taught me the importance of mental health and self-care. I reached out to resources while also taking time to do things that made me happy. One of those things included starting my own business in digital marketing. Hello Kollective Media aims to work with small businesses in need of a social media presence. I found my optimism through those who reflect it and carry it in their everyday life. My friends inspired to share optimism and so it can spark a light in somebody else.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I own and operate Hello Kollective Media personally. My digital marketing company aims to work with small businesses in need of a social media presence. The title’s inspiration comes from my love of all things Sanrio and Hello Kitty and the wonderful colour, PINK!

Right now I am currently working at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, BC as a Marketing and Communications Coordinator. I hope to pursue Hello Kollective Media full time, however, I am currently gaining professional marketing experience. I have learnt to specialize in content creating, social media managing, and engagement with my time at the Space Centre. My favourite part of working as a coordinator and running my own business is that I get to foster meaningful connections. Helping those in need of anything is something I hope to deliver to everyone I meet.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Empathy, open-mindedness, and acceptance.

I strongly emphasize patience in yourself. We are our worst critic and it is easy to fill our thoughts with negativity. It is important to stay present and to take things one step at a time. You are resilient! You’ve made it through all the challenges in life to be where you are right now. Be patient and persistent and your skills will certainly grow.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I think it’s important to be well-rounded in other traits to build experience, but also building on your strengths is important, too. Diverse traits are handy when pursuing a personal business and in real life. Being personable is definitely a strength I knowingly have. I often use this skill to help others develop within it. For example, the non-profit organization that I currently work at has less of an understanding with the younger generation. A part of my job as a coordinator is to monitor and analyze the trends among Gen Z. This is considered my strength, however, I lack experience in a non-profit industry.

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