Let's all first admit that at some point we've experienced at least one boring talk or seminar about a topic that should have been educational. Some of us might have even come home disappointed for dishing out on a workshop that taught way-too-basic things that you already know. But enough of all those bad experiences, let's talk about workshops that are fun!

Enter Manila Workshops: Turning Your Entrepreneurial Dreams into Reality!

Yes, I have attended some of their workshops and yes I do intend on experiencing more of what they have to offer. I don't deny that I advertise their workshops on my blog but I also don't deny that I feel that you'll miss out on a wonderful experience for not trying out at least one Manila Workshops event. Want me to convince you further? Here are the reasons why you should join a Manila Workshops event!

IT LURES OUT YOUR CREATIVITY
....even when you think there's none! I am an artist and so you must think I'm just saying this to entice you but from my workshop experience Manila Workshops' events do provide a lot of space for creativity. You don't need to be an artist to get creative and most of the workshops are for non-artistic types who want to venture and tap into their wild side! ..or, well, their creative side. Take for example their Water Color Calligraphy, Doodle Art and Make Your Own Totes workshops. Was majority of the attendees artists? Not even close!

A VARIETY OF WORKSHOPS FOR ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE
It doesn't matter if you're a working mom, a student or an aspiring entrepreneur. Manila Workshops cater to the interests of everyone. You can find all kinds of events from like:

• Parenting Guides
• Children's Safety Seminars
• Financial Management
• Ya-Ya or Maid Training Workshops
• Start-Up Business Guides
• Virtual Assistant Know-Hows
• Creative and Artistic Classes

They have almost every kind of workshop and all of them are REALLY useful. You can improve existing skills, lure out non-existent ones, boost your business, correct your parenting methods and enhance your career.

IT ALLOWS YOU TO PARTICIPATE
Most workshops involve a speak and rows of listeners. In Manila Workshops, I didn't experience that. What I experienced and felt was that there was a Sharer and different Participants. It didn't feel the same way when you're in college and it's required that you sit through a seminar on Copyright Issues. There is actual interaction between the speakers and the attendees at Manila Workshops events. There are relevant activities that will help you understand the topic better, which leads to the next reason why joining a Manila Workshops event should be on your list.

IT'S INTERACTIVE AND FUN
My last Manila Workshops experience was just this March; I attended a Road to Retail workshop series on Let's Create Your Own Product. You can read about my experience here. What makes Manila Workshops' events so memorable for me is the fun activities and how it makes you feel so involved. At the Road to Retail workshop we had several group activities that required some craft-work and brainstorming. Scissors and glue were provided as well as tons of magazines to look lovingly at, cut into pieces and stick on a cartolina to make an awesome mood board. How many workshops can you count that let you run scissor blades over Daniel Padill--i mean, some crappy perfume ads.

THE SPEAKERS ARE DOWN TO EARTH
I've listened to 5 speakers covering topics from Making Work-at-Home Easier and How to Manage Your Finances to Legalizing Your Business the Easy Way. Each of the speaker I've listened to had their own warm aura about them. I'm not a very sociable person and I tend to back off and shrink away from the crowd especially when the person in front of me is intimidating. I didn't feel that way with the speakers. If anything, I felt that they were trying to help. Really help. They're don't just give off an aura of warmth and openness, they actually talk to you, come up to you and ask what you're tackling on the subject and how they can help.

I experienced much of that in the Road to Retail workshop. Ma'am Bam Besa approached me, looked me in the eye and asked what I needed help with. That small question, a tiny detail, makes you feel important enough and that's something not all workshops can offer: a sense of being acknowledged. That the speaker is not just talking to rows and rows of chairs with people who happen to be sitting on it, but talking to a variety of individuals who sat on chairs.

ASSISTANCE AFTER THE WORKSHOP
Most of the time, once the workshop is done I'd get an email containing copies of the handouts or reference the speaker used during the event. With Manila Workshops, I get added into a support group so that I can keep in touch with the speakers and they can guide me through my entrepreneurial plans. In addition to that I can also ask for advice or feedback from fellow attendees regarding my progress, it's highly rewarding. Speaking of rewards...

THEY HAVE GAMES and RAFFLE GIVEAWAYS!
Yeah..I'm a sucker for surprises and raffles and giveaways and such, but wouldn't you feel happy and excited too if your workshop took a few minutes off to announce they're giving away 25,000 php worth of Life Insurance!?! I mean... who does that??? Sorry if I am too excited to write well or make sense right now, please let me fix myself. . . ehem. I can state that a workshop by Manila Workshops is Never Boring.

THEY HAVE THE PERFECT VENUES
When I attended the Road to Retail workshop the venue was at Fort Legend Tower and the room was big enough for a dozen attendees but small enough for us to work closer and hear our speakers well. It's also comfy and the tables are big enough for a comfortable and yet interactive work space. At the WAHM expo the rooms were like classrooms, since the talks were for 2 hours only each. I felt like I was really in a classroom and absorbing knowledge from professionals.

QUALITY PRICING
I can't say it's affordable because I have little experience on how much each kind of workshop should cost. I would say that the cost of one workshop is reasonable because first of all: LUNCH INCLUDED, secondly, HAND-OUTS and WORK MATERIALS PROVIDED and last of all FREE SNACKS and COFFEE when you feel like it. In addition to that they offer guidance even after the workshop is over. The value of the workshop is way more than its fee, especially that it gives you an opportunity to meet new friends and business partners.

A CHANCE TO MEET A FRIEND or TWO
I've only attended two events by Manila Workshops and have not made any lasting friendships, but in those two events I was able to talk with other people. I managed to socialize with people who are far from my cup of tea and actually enjoyed the conversation. Manila Workshop events also gave me a chance to break out of my shy/introverted self to try and connect. I genuinely felt that I could belong in the business/entrepreneur world after meeting different types of people. It also inspired me.

IT WILL INSPIRE YOU
I don't know how to explain how Manila Workshops inspired me to do more and be more. Maybe it's how the speakers talked, how they shared their stories of misfortune and trials followed by the rewarding feelings of inner success. Maybe it's the fellow attendees I befriended that emitted this fiery desire for greatness. The gleam in their eyes and how they talk about their dream jobs, businesses, their kids... Maybe it's me relating to these very different people, and catching the virus of I CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING. I somehow start seeing new opportunities to improve myself knowing that there are others like me who have made it out and pulled through.

I'm not sure what you are looking for in a workshop. Me, I want quality for what I pay for and that keeps me from getting JUST cheap things. I never felt regret or "Kakulangan" from attending a Manila Workshops event, if anything I felt somewhat "bitin" because it made me want to learn more. I believe that an event that allows and encourages you to want to be more is something worth experiencing and coming back to. So visit their page, browse through their workshops and choose one that best fits your life goals, help yourself through it: IT'S GOOD FOR THE SOUL :)

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