Three life lessons we learned from one of the OG digital girls of the Philippines

In its second season, Portraits looks beyond the surface and takes a deep-dive into the lives of some of today’s biggest game-changers. Jumping off from the premiere season that invited viewers to see life differently, this time around, Portraits season two’s 60-seconder profiles put Pinoy outliers in focus. It’s a toast to those who’ve made big moves in order to create the lives they want.

Five faces, five stories…starting with one of Manila OG digital girls, Saab Magalona.

No stranger to life in the spotlight, making headlines or writing for a global audience, Saab Magalona has always had her finger on the pulse of content that resonates with people; be it through her music as the frontwoman of local band Cheats, her blog spellsaab.com and her YouTube channel.

In her Portraits episode, Magalona talks about life’s punches that turned her world upside down, her journey as a new mom and finding comfort in unlikely places like her podcast with hubby Jim Bacarro called Wake Up With Jim and Saab. 

The 30-year-old digital content creator has once again proven that even the road less traveled holds great potential. This, in Magalona’s case, was taking on podcasting, something regarded by others as a format the Philippine audience is not ready for. Turns out, all it takes is the guts to make the trip and an ear on the ground to make sure that what you create enriches the lives of others. With Wake Up With Jim and Saab rising through the ranks and becoming the #1 podcast in the Philippines, it’s evident that Magalona and her husband have succeeded against the odds.

RELATED: A Brand-New Season of Portraits Is Just Around the Corner

What are some life lessons Saab Magalona has learned since making her big move? Scroll through to find out.

It is possible to never get bored with your spouse.

“That’s what we were scared about at the beginning. I can’t speak for him but honestly, I was not so much afraid as I was not looking forward to the thing that most married couples say will happen: that you will grow tired of being together. But with Jim, it’s always fun. I think a big part of that is attributed to the fact that we still have our separate lives. So, while we have our shared activities, we have our own thing. We come home and share the highlights of our own separate thing with one another­­—even the bad days we share with each other. 

It’s always exciting and that’s why whenever we shoot our podcast, we don’t have anything written down, no topics in mind—nothing. We’re always just like, ‘Ok, what are we going to talk about?’ We think on it and say, ‘Hm, well here’s one thing that happened!’ and then we jump off from that.

Romance is real, you guys. Pero wala pa kaming seven years. Eh diba it’s called the seven-year itch, so we’ll see! Just kidding! [Laughs] ‘Di naman siguro.”

It’s okay to be vulnerable.

“I used to be afraid to be vulnerable…in that I used to edit myself. That’s why I haven’t blogged in a while. I feel like writing thoughts on a blog is permanent especially now, in the age of the internet, where everything online is immortalized. It’s easy to be afraid to say something freely because it might bite you in the ass someday.

For a while, I was extremely careful with the things I said. And it’s a good thing naman rin to be careful, but with podcasting, it’s candid and people understand that it’s just you talking. You aren’t expected to edit yourself; whatever you say is just that. And it is what it is. I think it’s been therapeutic for me to open up to listeners who used to be strangers but now feel like part of a family. Since opening a Facebook group just for our listeners, we got to learn more about the people who tune into the show; it’s become very interactive in a sense na our conversations spill over there. And it’s almost like, a secret thing where people don’t have to worry because it’s like, ‘hey, we’re all like-minded people here!’ and it’s a safe space for you.”

It’s okay to share your husband.

“Pero not, like, literally. You know. [Laughs]”

Wake Up With Jim & Saab and keep up with them, too. Follow Saab Magalona on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and check out her podcast with husband Jim Bacarro on Spotify. 

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