CURACHA: A Success Story

This is the story of Curacha.

She was once married with five children. But her marriage doesn't turned up well. She experienced being physically abused by her husband who's kind of alcoholic and addicted to cockfight.

She's just a tiny woman, her height doesn't even reach 5 foot, so the beatings must have been so hard for her. And that results with their separation.

He left her husband. They've got 5 kids so it wasn't easy. Some of the kids were left to the relatives of her husband and the others are on her relatives.

She started a new life and she found a new love.

But that doesn't make things easier. They become together but life wasn't that easy. Both of them are not rich, they didn't finish college and they don't have a regular source of income. In short, both of them are financially unstable.

Despite that, it won't stop her from thriving. Both of them are hardworking so they started doing what they can do. And that is to buy and sell.

Her partner is a great cook so they started from selling home-cooked dishes from house to house using their bike with a sidecar. Later on, they started selling dry goods that they bought from divisoria and from those they were able to buy a motorcycle.

Until they started to enter the direct selling industry. The first direct selling company they entered was Tupperware Brands. I bet most Filipino's know this brand. Who doesn't have or even saw a goodie box yet?

They become quite known in the City for selling those products. Even people from nearby Cities and Municipalities on their province knows them. From those who works in the LGU, teachers from Elementary School, High School, and even to Universities.

Using their motorcycle, despite the heat and the distance of travel, they are going to every places in the province wherein they can sell their products. They are really hardworking, and because of that, the company were able to recognized them as one of the top sellers of the brand.

Because life became good on them and they are earning enough income, she were able to get all her children from her family and her husband's family. And she were also able to send them to school for their education. It was also nice of her partner to accept her children as his.

Aside from getting her children back, from their earnings, for easy transportation, they were able to buy a second hand owner type jeep which was really useful for their business.

Back then, more direct selling companies emerge and they also become involve with it. Aside from Tupperware Brands, they started selling products from other companies such as Avon, Natasha and Marikina Shoe Exchange (MSE).

On the year 2002, they finally open their first physical store. They rented a unit on a 2 story building on their City. With continuous hardwork, they have experienced prosperity on the following years.

From their old owner type jeep, they had a little upgrade. They sold it and bough a multicab. Few years later, they sold it again and bought a Toyota Innova. After few years of use, it was sold again and they purchased a Toyota Commuter. The next year, they were able to purchase another van which is Toyota Grandia without selling their previous vehicle. 2 years later, a car was given to them from another direct selling company which they topped in sales.

Aside from the upgrades of their vehicles, they were also blessed with their stores. From having their first store, they were able to open another one which is just a block away from their first store. Then another branch on the City next to theirs. Branches came after branches until they already have a total of 8 branches.

That time, each of their children have their own branch to manage. Business was good. They also started selling products from other companies such as Dakki, Ever Bilena and Sundance. And since then, they are always winning awards to every direct selling companies that they are affiliated with. She was even once featured on a national television for being the number 1 top seller at Ever Bilena.

Previous years was just too good to be true. But then, life isn't complete without another set of challenges.

They started to have problems with the branches. It was such a long story but to cut it short, from 8 branches, it was split to half. 4 branches were left.

What happened is that the main branch was the only one that was earning enough. Other branches are producing deficits so they have to cut it.

They're still winning an awards but everyday was not easy. Almost daily, they have due dates that they need to paid to every companies and it was just so hard to pay everyday. Daily collections were just being used for payments.

There are instances where they will receive bouncing checks since they failed to deposit money on the day of the due date. There are also instances wherein they have to borrow money or pawn their jewelries so that they can have money to pay for their dues.

It was such a big dump from their success, it wasn't easy, but through hardwork and teamwork, of course they will rise again.

Life must go on, that's what she always believes.

As of now, she only have 2 owned branches, and the other 2 was already transferred and being managed of one of his sons and the other one is on her nephew.

Truly, the business was not big as before but it is earning enough to sustain their needs, even their wants. With the grace of God, they are not having such a hard time on their finances now.

Even with the pandemic, they do not worry with their due dates anymore. They are actually paying now in advance. So, bouncing checks, borrowing money and pawning jewelries are out of the picture anymore.

Awards are still there. Actually, they just receive an award for being #84 top gross sellers in Natasha, nationwide. They are winning awards from before but that's just on the company's branch level. This was such a huge achievement despite the pandemic.

Right now, all is great. Hardwork continuous, it never stops. She's already on her mid sixties and her son is the one who's managing the main branch with her. They know that they are still far from being really financially stable. But she is hoping, they are hoping, that they will be able to manage the business without having any credit at all. It's their goal to offer credit without having any credit themselves.

Hardwork, perseverance, determination and the mindset to not give up whatever happens is what they did to experience what they are experiencing now. And most of all, it was their faith and dependency on God that brought them to where they are now.

She is Cora and this is her very own life story of being "Curacha, ang babaeng walang pahinga".

This is just a typical story of someone coming from rags to riches and I do hope that you'll somehow be inspired of it.

This is a story of someone I know and it always amazes me and inspires me no matter how many times I have heard this story.

I just want to remind you all that life can be really tough, but so are we! Let's keep going and we will reach our own success soon.

Hey there, folks! It's been a while. I hope all of you are doing fine. Take care always! =)