Publishing executive, supermodel, podcaster, motivational speaker, author, reality show star, and even computer programmer: she’s been them all
Not many people could claim to have the kind of stellar career that media personality Myrza Sison has had, but fewer still could claim to have had six of them.
In the past few months, Sison has starred in a reality show called Manila Matriarchs and celebrated the third anniversary of her podcast, You Can Do This. She is also about to publish her first book, Join Lang Nang Join.
These accomplishments mark the latest chapter in a long career defined by an incredible talent for reinvention that has led to dramatic and transformative career shifts fit for a movie. Sison famously started out with a background in tech, having trained as a computer programmer (one of the few women in the field in the 1980s) before skyrocketing to fame in the ’90s as one of the Philippines’ top supermodels.
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She was still at the peak of her modelling career when she was named editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Philippines, beginning a chapter in the publishing industry that spanned over two decades. She rose through the ranks to become an editorial director overseeing some of the country’s biggest magazine titles.
After stepping back from the magazine industry, Sison once again began a new chapter—now as a podcaster, speaker, executive coach and author. Her podcast, You Can Do This!, is a venue for sharing stories of personal growth and overcoming challenges, aligning with her core philosophy of “join lang nang join” (a phrase that means “just keep joining”), encouraging people to take on new opportunities with confidence and without hesitation.
Here the self-described “shapeshifter” shares the rules for a successful career marked by courage, adaptability and lifelong learning.
1| Reinvention is key to growth
Initially, I was going to say that becoming a model changed the trajectory of my life. Then, I realised that it was deciding to pursue a modelling career in defiance of the stable future in I.T. that had been laid out for me by my parents that was formative.
Of course, modelling opened so many doors for me, but looking back, the realisation that I could actually succeed in transforming myself from a nerdy, introverted computer programmer into a fashion model who walked on runways and under the spotlight was what shaped my path and future career in…shapeshifting! Reinvention later in life became easier because of the knowledge that I had the ability to accomplish whatever I decided to set my mind to.
2| Be open to opportunity, but also be ready for it
Except for pursuing modelling, I didn’t plan any of my other incarnations in advance. I never woke up one day and thought, “I want to be a magazine editor” or “I’m going to start a podcast.” But when opportunities presented themselves, using the “Join lang nang join!” mindset—which is also the title of my book—I said yes to things that scared me or felt outside my comfort zone, trusting that I could figure it out along the way.
I didn’t plan every step, but I always kept an open mind to new opportunities. Each ‘era’ in my career—whether modelling, becoming an editor, or podcasting, motivational speaking, executive coaching, or writing a book—was a mix of following my instincts, sniffing out and seizing opportunities, and adapting to changes as they came. I just went with the flow but made sure I was always ready for the next step and followed the path where my interests and strengths led me.