The indomitable Mariel C Tablan overcame a string of obstacles to emerge as a Globally Certified Coach, Trainer & Mentor.
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines and the youngest of 3 siblings, Mariel was orphaned at the age of 19. Her mother died when she was only 9. She witnessed her dad’s business collapse and they had to leave their home when they could not afford the medical bills. However, she was fortuitous to witness her dad get back up again and provide for the family. He managed to send Mariel to De La Salle University where she took up a Bachelor’s degree, majoring in
Management of Financial Institutions. When she was 19, her father died of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve. In addition to the emotional trauma of being orphaned, her college education was also incomplete. But, her dad had been prepared this time around. She was a beneficiary of his life insurance policy and finished her education without financial worry.
When it was time for her to pick a career, Mariel applied for jobs only in Life Insurance companies as she had been a beneficiary of her dad’s policy. Her purpose was clear – give back to the industry by enabling sales agents and leaders through learning and development. In 2018, she was assigned to work directly with seasoned sales leaders and help them advance to the next level. She created an end-to-end process that included Training, Mentoring and Coaching as critical parts of their journey. This is where she discovered her passion and a new found purpose – Coaching.
Today, Mariel is the 1st and only Head of Agency Sales Training in the Life Insurance industry in the country who holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) global designation by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) with a certification in Applied Neuroscience by The Neuroscience School, Montreal, Canada.
She has been Training for 25 years and Professionally Coaching for 5. She is a Registered Financial Planner (RFP), a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI), DiSC certified, and has 2 decades of experience in Learning & Development, specifically in the fields of Sales, Sales Management and Leadership. She has led multiple corporate positions including her current role as Associate Director for AIA Philippines. She also serves as a coach in Bravely – a US based company that connects people to on-demand coaching.
What makes Mariel stand out is her lucid Mission and Vision, out-of-the-box strategies, and structured systems that allowed her to achieve breakthroughs even amidst the pandemic. And it was thus during the pandemic, that her personal coaching business was born. She used coaching to help her team and offered pro bono coaching to sales leaders to help them cope, adjust and thrive despite the lockdown. She observed how their mindsets and behaviors slowly transformed and how they once again took charge of their lives. This inspired her to expand her influence and impact, starting with social media presence and eventually registering her business.
“I am led by my purpose which is to ignite transformation in individuals and teams, both personally and professionally. This drives me to continuously elevate my knowledge, skills and mindset as a leader, coach, mom and human being. I have always believed that when we become better human beings, we become better in the roles that we play at home, at work, in the community and in our country.”
Mariel has influenced a culture of intentional learning, ownership, agility, and collaboration within and across business units. This has seen her receive various accolades: Rank 5 from 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in LinkedIn; Top in Malasakit – Philippines’ Top 30 Leaders in LinkedIn; Rank 11 from Philippines Top 30 Leaders in LinkedIn; Featured in Leaders in Action; Featured in Mindanao Journal.
She tells us her strengths can be summarized in a nutshell: ACE IT
- Always lead by purpose
- Commit to holistic growth
- Explore & Experience new things
- Intentionally pause for well-being
- Take calculated risks.
And weaknesses? “Being late to realize that Self Awareness is key to unlocking your purpose and potential. Self Care starts with Physiology because we have but one mind-body system. Physiology affects our focus, emotions and thoughts.”
As a successful coach, we can’t help but ask Mariel how she copes with her challenges. She answers, “I have always been a working mom. How do I make both worlds (personal & professional) work in harmony?
I have clarity of purpose in both areas of my life. This serves as my compass.
I am intentional in my learning and apply total immersion in areas of my life that I want to upgrade.
I put in necessary time and effort in applying what I learned using an agile mindset.
I accept the fact that perfection is never the goal, but always progress.”