#21 Leaving the Corporate Ladder for Horizontal Growth | Cate de Leon | Philippines → Spain

Cate de Leon had a very clear goal when she decided to move from Manila, in the Philippines, to Madrid, in Spain. She wanted to ditch the corporate ladder and skip vertical growth to search for self-actualization and horizontal growth.

Before moving abroad by herself – to a city she had never been to before – Cate had what many would call a “successful” career: columnist, managing editor, community manager, author. But when she achieved all of that, she found herself wondering: What’s next? From there, she looked up at the people above her on the ladder and realized that maybe that was not what she wanted for her life.

During her trips, she started to realize there were so many other things out there, and life in Manila was not a fit for her.

So, Cate left her job and embarked on a journey to start a whole new life in Spain, working as an English language assistant and enjoying little things like a dance class and the simple act of using public transportation and walking around.

In this episode, Cate reflects on her past and all the things that led her to move, what’s next in her life, what it was like losing her father abroad and dealing with grief, and chasing a “higher ceiling” for who she could become.

Connect with Cate:

• Substack - ⁠https://madrilenafrommanila.substack.com/
• IG @catedeleon

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Why the name “Transplants”?

I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.

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Connect with Transplants:

• Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod

• Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/

• Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi

• Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants