- Katrina Faith S. Beo
Choosing a certain career path one would want to devote their life to is already a challenge in itself, which is why deciding to transition from one path to another should never be trivialized nor taken lightly, as such is never an easy feat. Let’s meet Carmina “Coach Mina” Anunciacion, founder of Earth Food – Vegan Cloud Kitchen, whose story is a testament to this as she personally had gone from being a brand marketing specialist to an entrepreneur and finally to being an ISSA certified nutrition coach and ISSA certified personal trainer. She remarked that it has been quite a journey for her – that this interesting series of shifts and U-turns she has made at quite a young age had not been the easiest as it had involved years of self-discovery and introspection.
Mina started working jobs where she engaged in public relations and content marketing. The humble beginnings she had, starting from the bottom of the corporate ladder boded well for her and taught her a lot along the way. Being the goal-oriented young individual that she is, she has always been seeking for a concrete purpose in life that could make her confidently say that, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
“Finding certainty in uncertain times was challenging, but with more time at home since I was working from home, the timing for deep introspection couldn’t have been any more perfect. After lots of back and forth thinking, self-doubts, pep talks and personality tests (to get to know myself, my motivations, my likes and dislikes in a much deeper level,) I finally decided to quit my corporate job to start my own businesses.”
Entering the corporate world and navigating through rather taxing jobs and roles, Mina already had a plan in mind, an end goal, that she would one day want to start a business and be her own boss – it’s just that she didn’t know how to go about it yet and what to venture in back then. But thankfully, she eventually found the purpose she was looking for.
“I realized that my purpose is to encourage, empower, help, and urge people to take action with their health. As someone who’s been through the pains and struggles in this area long before I became an adult, I can understand to a degree the pains and struggles people have with their current lifestyles as well, especially if they don’t have someone to go through it with. I believe that there will always be people (like me) who need someone to empower them towards their personal steps to better nutrition. I love doing 1 on 1 coaching as a way to create deeper connections with my clients and give them the support they need.”
Her struggles as an immunocompromised child who grew up with a plethora of medical illnesses and the purpose she had slowly but surely established in herself to overcome all that became her drive to start her healthy vegan food brand, Earth Food, as well as her Nutrition and Fitness Coaching. Having gone through such health problems herself, Mina understands to a certain degree the pains and struggles that people encounter because of their lifestyles and she has made it her mission to help them brave through such, especially since she has experienced how difficult they were herself.
It has not been long since Mina took the initiative towards taking her health and nutrition seriously and even take the leap to start businesses out of the matter, aiming to help other people with the same struggles in the process. She has this vision of helping her clients realize that they can enjoy eating while pursuing their fitness and health goals at the same time.
Mina founded Earth Food back in 2020. It is a vegan cloud kitchen and local online shop that offers a selection of delectable and nutritious vegan food. Amongst their best-sellers are their savoury hummuses, zesty lavash bread, organic white adlai, and nutrient-dense superfood.
Just this year, Mina jumpstarted her Nutrition and Fitness Coaching Services where she offers 1-on-1 coaching services that focus on mindful and intuitive eating and movement. What makes this service really special is that she is devoted to cater to each of her client’s personal and unique needs.
Mina’s mission is to encourage and help anyone who strives for smarter and healthier lifestyles and to show them that this is definitely achievable – no matter what your current state in life is. Such is also manifested in the way that she is living her life because she’s personally passionate about promoting better nutrition and its benefits to one’s life in a holistic sense.
“My coaching services and brands, Earth Food and The Green Butcher, opens its arms to anyone who needs a gentle nudge towards better nutrition and health. It doesn’t matter what age, gender, role or race you have; better health is deserved by anyone and everyone.”
Being A One Woman Team
Be that as it may, it hasn’t always been just constantly one positive thing after another for Mina – unfortunately she also had to face both minor and major bumps along the road. When asked what she thinks was the biggest challenge she has encountered in her craft, she first highlighted how it has been a challenge for her to meet her clients face-to-face due to the constrictions brought about by the pandemic. She dubs herself a “one woman team” and that being such entails pulling out all the stops, all by herself, since she’s the one in charge of all the ins and outs of her brand.
“It helps to always remember that with all challenges there are always solutions. And with all solutions, there is always a creative way to go about it.”
Amidst the constraints of the current circumstances in our country, Mina made sure not to let anything hamper her productivity and so she started utilizing all the resources and mediums in handling all her operations. She promotes fostering effective communications with her clients wherever physical interactions are not possible through the use of digital media and social networking sites. Mina also believes that reaching out to family and friends for things you need that are beyond your field of expertise is not a bad thing, nor should it be seen as a sign of weakness – especially if it will help you in taking steps forward with your business and your brand.
Collaboration is key when the going gets tough.”
Motivation
Mina is a realist and she recognizes that motivation is something momentary, which is why it is crucial to grab the opportunity to create something productive out of that motivation as it comes. She enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts by successful and influential people and finds that they ignite creative juices and inspiration.
“Through my years of working for companies and eventually starting my own businesses, I learned that motivation is fleeting. Motivation may come to you as fast as it will leave you. So when this happens, I always go back to my WHY. I realized that a business or a career is like a tree and your why starts out as a seed that’s been planted and becomes the roots. Whenever some of your branches get cut off or some fruit may not bear yet, the roots (or your WHY) will always keep you grounded.”
What She Is Most Proud Of
Authenticity is something Mina values and thrives in. She finds joy in sharing her journey as a nutrition and fitness coach on social media, sparking inspiration to both her clients and audience alike. She believes that showing that kind of vulnerability is not always easy but that way, she feels she can truly connect with her audience and the other way around.
Purpose, Passion, and Care
Mina is a go-getter and some people would even say she has a strong front but she reckons that even with a seemingly extroverted side, she also has this incredibly introverted side to her that allows her to empathize with people, and she is able to apply that in her craft, as well.
What Mina considers the utmost and most important pro of spearheading her projects and businesses is that her personality shines through her brands and services and that’s what keeps it authentic and what no other brand or service can mirror.
“I’d like to say that my coaching services and brands are all powered with purpose, passion, and care towards the health and well-being of people.”
Success isn’t linear. Hence, everyone thrives in different ways and paces. Mina believes that while some people are blessed to already have their lives figured out at an early age, others end up pursuing something, only to realize halfway that the path they decided to take was not really for them – and this is completely fine. She also shared two points that allowed her to free herself from the fear of trying something new:
- Never stop getting to know yourself: This is the only way you will truly be closer to finding your purpose and happiness in life. Start taking those personality tests even just for fun, do lots of life auditing, and do not be afraid to be unapologetically YOU when you do find who you are because chances are, there will be people who’ll need someone like YOU to inspire them too.
- Continue leading life with curiosity: do not be afraid to try things that are out of your comfort zone – you will lose nothing from gaining experience. Career and even life isn’t a 1 size fits all. You will need to TRY a lot and FAIL a lot to SUCCEED a lot.
Currently, Mina is in full swing with her family in launching their new brand and store, The Green Butcher, located in BF, Paranaque. According to Mina, The Green Butcher is the biggest project on her plate to date. She takes pride in the fact that all her businesses are grounded to her purpose which makes them all interconnected. Her calling and purpose being that she aims to empower people in taking action towards achieving better health.
Getting to know oneself is pivotal in the search for your purpose which is why Mina has made sure that her businesses and the brand she has built are anchored in the principles and values she has and that she remains as genuine as she can.
“The most valuable lesson I learned and I think everyone should remember is that all big decisions take (lots of) time. Creating a blueprint for your career isn’t an overnight task. It’s a recipe that includes experience, trials and errors and life auditing as the major ingredients. Having said this, there will inevitably be failures and self-doubt, but never stop keeping an open mind to YOUR possibilities. I emphasize the ‘you’ because only you will be accountable for your life and the decisions you make in order to be successful and happy. This is the scariest BUT most empowering gift you will ever receive in life.”
Follow Mina on her social media accounts to stay updated:
Nutrition & Fitness Coaching Platform – @minaanunciacion
IG: https://www.instagram.com/minaanunciacion/
Earth Food – @earthfoodph
IG: https://www.instagram.com/earthfoodph/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/earthfoodph/
The Green Butcher – @thegreenbutcherph
Katrina Faith S. Beo
Kaye is an accountant and a freelance wedding and events singer. She is passionate for the arts, especially theater art. She is a writer and an editor of online English reading content. She loves music and aspires to produce her own soon. Connect with her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariakatrinafaith
