Meet Sharmaine Magsipoc | RN BSN, CEO & Curiosity-Driver

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sharmaine Magsipoc and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sharmaine, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Curiosity Over Fear (COF) began a few years ago when I went on the Havasupai Falls hike with my cousin Daphne. It had been a while since I last saw her so we had lots to catch up on, and luckily, we had 10 miles to do it. In a nutshell, this is how COF was originally created: through curiosity that led to powerful conversation. During our hike, Daphne asked and I answered. I shared with her my life story. I told her about a difficult childhood being bullied, about watching my parents have a volatile relationship, and I even shared about experiencing sexual abuse as a young child. My life is made up with many stories that I don’t openly share but my cousin, being the incredibly introspective and curious person that she is, engaged me with questions and created a space that encouraged me to share. At the end of the hike, she joked that it felt like she was listening to a podcast and suggested that I create one of my own. At the time, I had a blog that captured all the fun and exciting things going on in my life and I realized, I’ve come a long way. It’s important that I share the story before The Story and I’ve always valued hearing how others have persevered and overcome their own fears. They show me that if they can do it, so can I. Today, it is my hope that Curiosity Over Fear can be a similar space and openness that I felt on that hike, where it can be a platform for others to fully express themself and be inspired to lead with curiosity and share their stories, however daunting they may be. Curiosity Over Fear is a result of powerful conversation, connection, and the people we know, like Daphne, who continue to empower and motivate us along the way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I want to be clear. Curiosity Over Fear isn’t the pursuit of getting over fear itself, because a healthy dose of fear (the kind that keeps us safe from danger), keeps us grounded. Whenever I go in the ocean, I always have a little fear because it can be unforgiving if you don’t have respect for it. That being said, I don’t let my fear hold me back. We fear things we don’t know or understand. But if we can choose to be curious over being fearful, we open our world to be a place that we’d want to explore. It helps to see and hear the stories of people who venture out, despite their fear. People like Wasim Hajjiri who despite not having a job, family and barely any money pursued his dream of moving to the United States and making something for himself. And today he is now a Forbes published executive career coach/Author. Or when it wasn’t mainstream, Brené Brown researched courage, shame, vulnerability and empathy and now gives lectures and Ted talks on how these affect relationships, leadership and work forces.
I don’t want to be known as someone who is fearless, but someone who was afraid but chooses to practice courage and curiosity instead.

My purpose is to inspire others to live courageously and with curiosity. I try to portray that in everything I do. When I do that, I feel like the outcome is never as bad as I thought it was going to be and whatever happens, I grow from it. Doing this also brings me joy and gives me a sense of pride. There are too many people who feel bad about themselves. We need to build our confidence by doing the things that scare us to build self-trust and the courage to pursue our curiosity.

I’m proud that I’m living my life the way I want to live it. This took me a while to get to this point. We all carry visions of how our life is supposed to look like at a certain age or time. And when we don’t get to that point, we get disappointed. But Ive learned that there’s beauty in falling in love with the process, with the journey to where we want to be. And the reality is if we don’t like what we see, we also have the power to change it. I like to remind myself every so often of Steve Job’s quote:
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

Part of that for me was cultivating a work/life balance that was fulfilling. I make sure I schedule time for play as much as time to grind and work. I also try to make sure I make time for myself. It really is true that the most important relationship you have is the one you have with yourself.

I’m also pleased with the friendships I’ve gained, learning that intentionality creates solid relationships. I’m not afraid to go deep with people I meet. I’m not afraid to get deep in conversations with people. Going deep allows us to be vulnerable and when we’re open, we’re authentic. This is who I am and the type of people I want to be surrounded by.

One life lesson I’ve learned is why and how to let go of attachment. I never fully understood what that meant until recently. In Jay Shetty’s book: Think Like a Monk, it became clear. He stated that, “Attachment doesn’t mean you own nothing, it means nothing owns you.” It taught me the power of impermanence. How to never take anything for granted and to cherish and be grateful every moment, good or bad. It also taught me to never take anything personally, which is also a way of letting go.

I know my value and I’ve learned to manage my emotions along the way. My biggest life lesson will be to continue cultivating curiosity and courage.

I want Curiosity Over Fear to be more than a brand but a concept — I want it to be a space where people come together to meet and co-work with a common purpose — but I want it to expand from a co-working and networking space into a creative and adventure hub for people to bond through experience and inspire each other. I want Curiosity Over Fear to be a space where people learn to fear less and become more curious and courageous.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite parts of San Diego would be right by the water. I always lived near the ocean. I’ve live in Pacific Beach and La Jolla. La Jolla is probably my most favorite spot. I learned how to freedive in La Jolla Shores since I lived right on Prospect Street, it was walking distance to all the restaurants. I also loved watching the sunset at the Tide Pools in La Jolla.

Pacific Beach is super fun. You can walk, skate, bike, or run the board walk and there’s also a bunch of amazing restaurants right next to the board walk. On Fridays, I would go to the greens on Law Street and do acroyoga with all my acroyogi friends.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Angela Quach Founder/CEO of The Destiny Lab: Angie reminds me of the quote: Be friends with people who will say your name in a room full of opportunities. We met each other a few years ago before we started our businesses. Now hers is thriving and she continues to encourage and support me with mine.
Mo Cisse, Founder/CEO of Meraki Allure: My friendship with Mo is grounded in self-development and getting rid of limiting beliefs. He represents growth and helps me feel more capable because of his positive mindset and encouraging nature.

Wasim “The Dream” Hajjiri, Forbes published executive career coach/Author: Wasim has also been an incredibly supportive friend because he’s connected me with guests to bring on the podcast that he knew would add value to the listener’s lives. After I read his book: Fulfilled? How to Land a Job That Aligns With Your Purpose, I asked him to be a guest and we became fast friends.

Professor, lecturer, author and podcast host Brene Brown has been a big influence for me when it comes to courage and connection. One of my favorite quotes from her reads in part,

“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time … Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

I was taught growing up that being vulnerable = weakness. I refuse to believe that now.

I also want to give a nod to solo traveling because it’s helped shape who I am. Originally, my boyfriend and I made plans to travel and see the world together. Outside of the Philippines, this would’ve been my first solo international trip. When my boyfriend and I broke up, I was faced with a decision that I ultimately still stand by today, and it’s that I can give myself permission to explore and be curious, without being dependent on anyone traveling with me. In 2013, I traveled to South Korea alone. I ate alone, I got lost alone, all while making friends along the way. That time alone pioneered the many adventures that followed after and it’s helped shape the love affair I have with traveling to this day.

So, give the thing that you’re scared to do a try. You’ll figure it out. Remember, you are resilient.

Website: curiosityoverfear.com

Instagram: @curiosityoverfear

Other: https://anchor.fm/curiosityoverfear