What happens when a Computer Science major trades coding for video editing, content creation, and personal branding—with a few detours into startups and an MBA along the way? Well… a whole lot of plot twists, pivots, and passion!

In this episode of Off the REKOrd with Gia Santos, we sit down with Lui Baarde, the powerhouse behind Passionate Creators, to talk about her unexpected career shifts—from tech to creative work to teaching others how to monetize their passion through content creation.   

✨ Lui’s dabbling era—from Computer Science to startups, an MBA, and eventually content creation

✨ The ups and downs of pursuing passion (and how to push through when you feel lost)

✨ Ikigai, personal branding, and the power of showing up online

✨ The local author scene, writing, and the deeper purpose behind creating

Of course, we went off-tangent a lot (’cause masarap mag-kwentuhan 😆), but that just made the convo even richer!

If you’ve ever felt lost, multi-passionate, or unsure where to go next, this episode is for you.

 📚 Books mentioned in this episode:

📖 The Toyota Way – Jeffrey K. Liker

📖 Wooden on Leadership – John Wooden

📖 The Road Less Traveled – M. Scott Peck

📖 The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

📖 The 5AM Club – Robin Sharma

📖 Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki

🚀 Let’s keep the kwentuhan going! Follow for more real talk on life’s twists, ikigai, and new chapters.

Episode Timeline:

00:01:30 – Lui’s background in computer science, startups, and passion-based work.

00:03:12 – The meaning of ikigai and how it evolves over time.

00:06:25 – Early interest in video editing and storytelling.

00:10:42 – Gaming, storytelling, and content creation to personal branding journey.

00:16:18 – How all passions have value, even entertainment.

00:20:50 – Personal moments of feeling lost and finding direction.

00:24:21 – Quitting corporate job to explore new opportunities.

00:30:45 – The concept of dabbling and its role in finding one’s true passion.

00:36:06 – Following one's North Star instead of focusing on rigid career paths.

00:38:57 – The birth of Passionate Creators

00:41:23 – Building a personal brand around identity rather than just an offer.

00:45:29 – The concept of gigil—the deep problem one passionately wants to solve.

00:48:22 – Finding like-minded communities through shared passion and values.

00:51:07 – The rise and fall of Lui’s agency due to scaling too fast

00:52:38 – Lui refocuses on personal branding and content strategy after financial struggles.

00:55:48 – The role of self-trust in accepting and executing new opportunities.

00:56:45 – The importance of authenticity in personal branding.

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