• Eileen Folch

  • La Serena, Chile - Vancouver

Art by Emily Honderich

Eileen Folch story

Eileen Folch

is an entrepreneur, founder of Somos Utera and a journalist. She is from La Serena, Chile and has been in Vancouver for almost four years. She´s always had a passion for helping women to reclaim their power and create the life they want. https://somosutera.com/

The Great Teacher

I grab my cup of coffee and run from the kitchen to my desk. I am already late. I turn on my computer and wait.

I have been in this job for almost six months. I moved from working 8 hours in a coffee shop with a miserable salary to working part-time in a tech company that paid twice as much. They were looking for someone to make people happy at the office, and that was me. It was a great job, and I finally felt that someone saw me as the skilled immigrant that I am.

Because of COVID-19, they had to send us home, and now our Monday meetings are via Zoom.

I put my headphones on and hear my boss, with an unusual, sad voice. He says that if they want to have a company after the pandemic, they’ll need to fire some people. I am on the list.

My first reaction is to cry. Then, I experience an AHA! Moment: this is my opportunity. The doorway to accomplish what I have been waiting to do for years--start my own business.

It has been six months since I got laid off. And I have created my website, a monthly free workshop, and my first online program for women. COVID-19 has been a great teacher that taught me to believe in myself, take action, and empower women through empowering myself.

"My first reaction is to cry. Then, I experience an AHA! Moment: this is my opportunity. The doorway to accomplish what I have been waiting to do for years--start my own business."

- Eileen Folch