If you’re one of the individuals who invest significantly in their homes, then you’ve probably heard of the Facebook group Home Buddies. It helps users find design inspiration for their humble abodes, solve usual issues, and even divert the public’s attention to must-have items to make the living experience more comfortable.
Conceptualizing such a group may seem like a feat, but it’s all thanks to Frances Cabatuando, a.k.a Mayora Frances.
Now that Home Buddies reached significant heights in popularity, Frances eyes greener pastures in her career in the entertainment industry. Her first step is joining NYMA Talent Management under KROMA Entertainment.
She feels more secure and confident facing people with NYMA on her side. She credits the NYMA team for helping her see her potential and where else she can take her career as a full-time content creator.
One of NYMA’s many goals in the local industry is to empower content creators to achieve milestones using their talent and leveraging technology. NYMA is a TraDigital talent management agency and production house. It focuses on growing key talents’ content and reaches across all digital platforms.
Recently, Frances took on two new responsibilities to further her career as a content creator. First is by joining the newest interactive entertainment channel in the Philippines, PIE Channel, as one of the hosts of the morning block, Bgy. PIEsilog.
Mayora also started a YouTube channel and has taken on more speaking engagements, brand engagements, interviews, and other career opportunities.
Inspiring other communities to begin
Before Home Buddies, Frances worked in the advertising industry for eight years as a copy-based Associate Creative Director. And besides, she also has her own sustainable living page, Nobi Home, where she shares solo living tips and home finds.
Frances ultimately decided to leave her job in advertising and take the leap to managing the Home Buddies community full-time in late 2021. By this time, the demand from brands to partner with the Home Buddies community also grew.
After seeing her success in creating an online community, Frances inspired those who want to start similar groups to cater to Filipinos’ needs. Nonetheless, it’s still a significant leap that people are afraid to take.
For Frances, it takes passion and determination to create such a group.
“One must be passionate about the community they are building, not just passionate to share but also passionate to learn,” she said.
Meanwhile, she advises others with similar intent to create solutions to persistent problems.
“Find a problem in the world that hasn’t been solved and try to solve it. If someone else has already answered it, don’t recreate it. The chances of succeeding are higher if you provide more value by solving something that hasn’t been solved. It is likely that other people are also experiencing the same problem as you! When figuring this out, you not only solved your own problem but also helped others in the long run,” she said.
Mayora is among the local content creators who continue to prove that content creators can have it all – a fortified community who share the same interest, a rising career in the entertainment industry, and other opportunities.