Aaron Abreu on Coming Out, Cultural Values and Career Resilience: The Leadership Journey of a Filipino, Gay, Pastor's Son

In this episode, Shanti sits down with Aaron Abreu (he/him), a Filipino gay man and pastor’s son, for an honest conversation about identity, resilience and navigating career success on your own terms. Aaron shares the emotionally complex experience of coming out in a deeply religious household, the cultural shifts he faced after immigrating to the U.S., and how those events shaped his career path. He openly discusses the power and complexity of Filipino values like community, humility, and resilience — and the ways in which they both lifted and limited him professionally. Aaron speaks about emotional intelligence and the need for strong support systems in building a sustainable, fulfilling career. He highlights the delicate balance between staying true to your identity and adapting to professional norms. His story offers powerful insights for anyone navigating identity in the workplace, building emotional safety on their team - or learning how to advocate for themselves while staying true to who we are at our core.

Aaron Abreu is an executive and leadership coach. Through his work at Cognitus Leadership and Executive Coaching, he helps individuals move from their current state and elevate to the next level. He also works in the healthcare industry as a board certified healthcare executive.

Shanti Joy Gold is a professional coach, 30-year corporate warrior and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She understands the unique challenges faced by those who feel like outsiders and, as an executive coach, guides underrepresented people to confidently thrive in their careers by being fully themselves.

ACCESS SHANTI’S FREE THRIVING ASSESSMENT TO GET BIG-PICTURE CLARITY ON FOCUS AREAS FOR INCREASED FULFILLMENT, JOY AND IMPACT - https://shantijoygold.com/take-the-thriving-assessment/

Other stories shared by Aaron and Shanti at the campfire: 

• Hearing Aaron’s journey through five failed promotion attempts, and how his cultural values led him to view the setbacks as opportunities for feedback and professional development.
• Discussing the importance of proactively seeking out mentors with shared experiences when navigating career paths as an outsider.
• Exploring how professional systems often reward advocating for ourselves over quiet excellence - and may require cultural adaptation.
• Sharing about how queer professionals often mask parts of their lives to protect against bias, even in casual conversation, which limits our ability to connect and build trust with others.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all episodes to receive insights about how to navigate your career as an outsider - and learn more about the impact of allyship. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and find me below to share your key takeaways!

Learn more about Stories We Haven’t shared at https://storieswehaventshared.com 

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