Interview with Jackie DIY -Co-Founder of eveRIAthing TV, Social Media Presence, Content Creator, & Published Author
Please share about your journey to who you have become and what your passion is?
I have two daughters who both got very seriously ill in the past. My eldest got sick of viral encephalitis at 4 years old rendering her blind for 6 months and partially paralyzed for a year. My youngest was bullied for her weight, after which she suffered from an eating disorder and had depression during her teens. During these most difficult times, I never lost hope, remained positive and believed that we weren’t always going to be in the dark. Our faith in God, love and support for one another kept us going. These experiences taught me to be strong despite the odds and to always find a solution for every problem no matter how hard.
After establishing myself as a successful corporate executive, I created my own construction company. As they say, some good things never last and after 8 successful years where I built 40 homes, the Asian economy collapsed in 1997 and I have lost a majority of my business. With hope in our hearts, our family moved to Canada in 2001. As we started to settle in our new country, I utilized every possible knowledge and experience I had in order to return to the workforce but among my most significant milestones to date are establishing my own theatre arts school for the youth (GIFTS) in 2006, our online streaming TV show, eveRIAthing in 2014, and in 2021, Jackie Diy (aka The Real Diy). Given their different audiences and platforms, all three programs are founded on inspiration, empowerment, self-respect and self-confidence. I believe that no one is ever too young to discover their values and that every discipline should be founded on character and self-worth.
You have just launched your first book - The Instagram WOW Factor: How To Build A Spectacular Online Presence. What was the inspiration that led you to create it? Why was now the perfect time?
I have always wanted to create a positive impact on people and this is why my platforms all focus on positivity and empowerment. Whether I am teaching about acting, filmmaking, public speaking, hosting, or personality development, my goal is to help my mentee discover their strengths, utilize them and raise their bar. I have my parents’ teaching genes and I love seeing my students grow. I find an inexplicable feeling of pride when I see our young ones succeed in their fields of interest while staying grounded and appreciative of where they came from. For me, one important manifestation of success is being able to confidently share what you know and allow others to also grow. This is why I launched my book. I want to reach out to as many people as possible as I share the importance of connection, respect, support and using social media as a positive platform for building rewarding relationships.
I feel privileged to use a lot of input from my experience in TV production, film and media, stage acting, dance and an inherent love for writing, social media and teaching. Before the pandemic, I would conduct in-class workshops on hosting, public speaking and overall public image. Indeed, the pandemic opened our eyes to the unlimited opportunities that the internet provides and through my book, I am able to reach out to more people, help them find their best version, and use social media as a platform to benefit the world and make them proud of themselves.
I believe that there is no better time to publish my book than now, given the negativity that can exist on social media. While it is a great source of information, entertainment, news, updates, inspiration and all, social media can also be a source of poor self-esteem and low morale. These encourage me to keep talking about empowerment, body positivity and mental health and how we all should lift each other up.
I have two daughters who both got very seriously ill in the past. My eldest got sick of viral encephalitis at 4 years old rendering her blind for 6 months and partially paralyzed for a year. My youngest was bullied for her weight, after which she suffered from an eating disorder and had depression during her teens. During these most difficult times, I never lost hope, remained positive and believed that we weren’t always going to be in the dark. Our faith in God, love and support for one another kept us going. These experiences taught me to be strong despite the odds and to always find a solution for every problem no matter how hard.
After establishing myself as a successful corporate executive, I created my own construction company. As they say, some good things never last and after 8 successful years where I built 40 homes, the Asian economy collapsed in 1997 and I have lost a majority of my business. With hope in our hearts, our family moved to Canada in 2001. As we started to settle in our new country, I utilized every possible knowledge and experience I had in order to return to the workforce but among my most significant milestones to date are establishing my own theatre arts school for the youth (GIFTS) in 2006, our online streaming TV show, eveRIAthing in 2014, and in 2021, Jackie Diy (aka The Real Diy). Given their different audiences and platforms, all three programs are founded on inspiration, empowerment, self-respect and self-confidence. I believe that no one is ever too young to discover their values and that every discipline should be founded on character and self-worth.
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I have always wanted to create a positive impact on people and this is why my platforms all focus on positivity and empowerment. Whether I am teaching about acting, filmmaking, public speaking, hosting, or personality development, my goal is to help my mentee discover their strengths, utilize them and raise their bar. I have my parents’ teaching genes and I love seeing my students grow. I find an inexplicable feeling of pride when I see our young ones succeed in their fields of interest while staying grounded and appreciative of where they came from. For me, one important manifestation of success is being able to confidently share what you know and allow others to also grow. This is why I launched my book. I want to reach out to as many people as possible as I share the importance of connection, respect, support and using social media as a positive platform for building rewarding relationships.
I feel privileged to use a lot of input from my experience in TV production, film and media, stage acting, dance and an inherent love for writing, social media and teaching. Before the pandemic, I would conduct in-class workshops on hosting, public speaking and overall public image. Indeed, the pandemic opened our eyes to the unlimited opportunities that the internet provides and through my book, I am able to reach out to more people, help them find their best version, and use social media as a platform to benefit the world and make them proud of themselves.
I believe that there is no better time to publish my book than now, given the negativity that can exist on social media. While it is a great source of information, entertainment, news, updates, inspiration and all, social media can also be a source of poor self-esteem and low morale. These encourage me to keep talking about empowerment, body positivity and mental health and how we all should lift each other up.
How did the writing process work for you? Did you have a scheduled time to work every day, write whenever inspiration hit, or ?
I have a lot of other books in mind, but I finally decided to start about this first because I knew there was a need to bring back the focus on what’s good and positive. With a solid idea as to what I wanted to write about, I created my outline and started my draft. Research was challenging for me because I wanted to validate my intuition and findings, get some statistics and references. For me, it was very important that I had a solid framework on which I could develop an extensive book. The writing part was easy.
I am very active on social media and am building my YouTube channel, meaning that despite how much I wanted to finish the book quickly, I had to remain very visible on social media: creating concepts, posting content, filming, editing and publishing regular YouTube episodes; so I was constantly researching, planning, getting feedback from within my network. I also work full time and as a hands-on wife and mother and ‘granny’ to my dog, Gizmo, my days were always full and they included my regular workouts and exercise routines.
To make everything work, I would wake up at 4 am especially as I was approaching the final stages of my book. I am a very early morning person so I would work on my book from 4 through 6:30 am, every day, including weekends. Writing was always spontaneous because I wrote from the heart and mind. The next most challenging aspect of this book was producing my supporting data which included screen recordings, screen shots, active connections with people from whom I derive a lot of feedback and experience and for this I am truly grateful. This book is a product of ‘walking the talk’ and I couldn’t be prouder to share its contents.
What about the writing/publishing process came easiest for you? What was hardest?
I would say this was what got me pulling my hair. After having spent weeks completing my book, I didn’t realize that I had to publish it in ePub format so that I could upload it on Amazon and I have never heard of ePubs until this publication. I worked with numerous applications and tools until I finally found the right resource and I got a lot of help from my husband. Now that I can say that I have successfully been able to create a book that is compatible to Amazon’s file requirements, I look forward to releasing a tutorial so that others did not have to go through the difficulties I had. I definitely had lots of trials and errors and frustrating moments but I never gave up. I knew that I would get there and here I am.
Can you share a little bit about The Instagram WOW Factor?
Yes, for sure. You can expect a lot of tips, tutorials, guidelines, exercises and challenges from me. I love to teach and that is because I find joy in seeing people learn from me. What I am sharing in this eBook has a very personal touch. Using my years of experience as a stage actress, filmmaker and TV producer since 2014, TV host, mentor for public speaking, hosting and personality development, and content creator, I am determined to help you find your best version to enable you to shine on Instagram. My eBook will show you that it is not just about your content that will make you stand out; it is about how YOU can use your personality to create that unforgettable experience for your audience. When you know how to use your innate gifts, you will be equipped to build a powerful social media presence and I am here to help you make that happen.
My book has a lot of tutorials and these include some technical stuff and we need them because of the internet and social media era that we all live in. Above all the learning that is to come, what I am so excited for my readers is for them to learn and master the skills and then re-focus on their inner selves: How to apply these skills to enhance your personality because after everything that is said and done, it is not your skills, resources or techniques that will make you stand out on social media. It is you. It is all about you and how you make that difference.
I have always been driven by this quote and I can say that after all that I have been through in life, this has always kept me standing tall, faithful, proud and dignified:
“When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must believe one of two things: either there will be ground to stand on, or you will be given wings to fly.” - O.R. Melling
I have a lot of other books in mind, but I finally decided to start about this first because I knew there was a need to bring back the focus on what’s good and positive. With a solid idea as to what I wanted to write about, I created my outline and started my draft. Research was challenging for me because I wanted to validate my intuition and findings, get some statistics and references. For me, it was very important that I had a solid framework on which I could develop an extensive book. The writing part was easy.
I am very active on social media and am building my YouTube channel, meaning that despite how much I wanted to finish the book quickly, I had to remain very visible on social media: creating concepts, posting content, filming, editing and publishing regular YouTube episodes; so I was constantly researching, planning, getting feedback from within my network. I also work full time and as a hands-on wife and mother and ‘granny’ to my dog, Gizmo, my days were always full and they included my regular workouts and exercise routines.
What about the writing/publishing process came easiest for you? What was hardest?
I would say this was what got me pulling my hair. After having spent weeks completing my book, I didn’t realize that I had to publish it in ePub format so that I could upload it on Amazon and I have never heard of ePubs until this publication. I worked with numerous applications and tools until I finally found the right resource and I got a lot of help from my husband. Now that I can say that I have successfully been able to create a book that is compatible to Amazon’s file requirements, I look forward to releasing a tutorial so that others did not have to go through the difficulties I had. I definitely had lots of trials and errors and frustrating moments but I never gave up. I knew that I would get there and here I am.
Can you share a little bit about The Instagram WOW Factor?
Yes, for sure. You can expect a lot of tips, tutorials, guidelines, exercises and challenges from me. I love to teach and that is because I find joy in seeing people learn from me. What I am sharing in this eBook has a very personal touch. Using my years of experience as a stage actress, filmmaker and TV producer since 2014, TV host, mentor for public speaking, hosting and personality development, and content creator, I am determined to help you find your best version to enable you to shine on Instagram. My eBook will show you that it is not just about your content that will make you stand out; it is about how YOU can use your personality to create that unforgettable experience for your audience. When you know how to use your innate gifts, you will be equipped to build a powerful social media presence and I am here to help you make that happen.
What do you feel is the most important takeaway for readers?
I would love to close with a favorite quote - one that is your go to, that lifts your spirits every time.
I have always been driven by this quote and I can say that after all that I have been through in life, this has always kept me standing tall, faithful, proud and dignified:
“When you come to the edge of all that you know, you must believe one of two things: either there will be ground to stand on, or you will be given wings to fly.” - O.R. Melling
Bio -
Jackie Diy is a Co-Founder of eveRIAthing TV, a social media presence, content creator, and co-author of the bestseller, Pursuit:365, a book featuring 365 empowering Canadian women. She has a BS in Commerce from De La Salle University and worked her way up the corporate ladder to become the only female on the executive team of a highly successful pre-need education company. A family crisis meant leaving that job. After a few years she started her own real estate company.
Her family left Manila in 2001 to become landed Canadian immigrants. After working in several fields, in 2006 she founded the Gifts School of Theatre Arts and then in 2013 she co-founded eveRIAthing TV. In 2021 she branched out to launch her own inspirational platform - Jackie DIY. This was followed in 2023 by the launch of her first book, The Instagram WOW Factor: How To Build A Spectacular Online Presence, where she shared social media tips and strategies learned from her extensive industry experience.
Her family left Manila in 2001 to become landed Canadian immigrants. After working in several fields, in 2006 she founded the Gifts School of Theatre Arts and then in 2013 she co-founded eveRIAthing TV. In 2021 she branched out to launch her own inspirational platform - Jackie DIY. This was followed in 2023 by the launch of her first book, The Instagram WOW Factor: How To Build A Spectacular Online Presence, where she shared social media tips and strategies learned from her extensive industry experience.
I am deeply honoured and grateful for this beautiful interview, Marilyn! Thank you so much, my dear friend, for this feature and book review! The world is privileged to have you in our midst! Keep writing and wowing us with the treasures you unfold as you also share your impeccable taste for fashion and clothing and travel! So privileged to be your friend.
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