How far would you go to find your truth?
In this powerful episode of Welcome to the NOW, I sit down with Calvin Castiel, who began his professional life with a stable career in mechanical engineering, only to find himself in an entirely new path — as a YouTube creator.
From Angola to South Africa to the Philippines, Calvin’s journey redefines what high performance means in today’s world. It’s no longer about output — it’s about alignment, creativity, and courage.
Together, they explore:
- The fear and freedom of starting over in a new country
- Why success isn’t a formula, but a feeling
- How presence and purpose fuel real performance
This is a story about listening to your intuition, trusting the unknown, and saying yes to the version of you that’s been waiting to emerge.
Take a breath. You’ve arrived.Welcome to the NOW.🎙
When life falls apart, how do you find the strength to rise again?
In this deeply moving episode of Welcome to the NOW, we sit down with Dr. Neeta Bhushan — bestselling author, emotional intelligence expert, and host of The Brave Table , to explore what it truly means to be brave when everything feels uncertain.
Together, we unpack:
- How resilience is not learned from books but from the experiences that shape us
- The powerful role family plays in both our growth and our greatest challenges
- The raw, unfiltered truth about motherhood and maintaining presence
- How surrendering to vulnerability becomes the key to strength
This is not just a conversation about success. It’s a reflection on the beauty of imperfection, the lessons found in struggle, and the courage it takes to keep showing up.
Take a breath. You’ve arrived.Welcome to the NOW. 🎙✨
Join the Conversation:Tag @erwinbvalencia and @neetabhushan with your biggest takeaway. Let’s keep building a community where gratitude, presence, and growth meet.
What happens when the spotlight fades, and the real work of reinvention begins?
I’m Erwin Benedict Valencia—award-winning multi-hyphenate who’s truly lived many lives and wears many hats: MTV VJ, pop radio DJ, NBA medical and performance director, non-profit founder, mindfulness coach, mentor, and many more. Along the way, I’ve learned that success without presence is a recipe for burnout.
Welcome to the NOW is a podcast for athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and high performers who’ve risen, fallen, pivoted, and dared to rebuild. Together, we’ll explore presence, gratitude, and the communities that sustain us, through raw conversations and real stories of transformation.
This is your invitation to stop chasing and start arriving.
Take a breath.
You’ve landed in the right place.
Welcome to the NOW.
In this episode, I sit down with Mary Cristine—award-winning Middle East gut specialist and the founder of Be That Life, Beat That Dish, the Be That Life Summit, and the Be That Life Podcast.
Mary shares her incredible journey of moving from clinical practice into holistic wellness and community building, where she empowers others to heal not just their bodies, but their entire lives. We talk about resilience, the courage to start over, and how she’s built spaces where people can connect deeply on the path to wellness.
If you’ve ever wondered how to transform your pain into purpose, this one will light the way.
I hope this conversation sparked something in you—an insight, a breath, or maybe just a reminder to slow down and truly arrive here, in the NOW.
If it did, I’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Your words don’t just help others find Welcome to the NOW—they also grow this community of high performers, seekers, and changemakers who are choosing presence over burnout, gratitude over grind.
Until next time… stay grateful, stay present, and as always—Welcome to the NOW.
In this conversation, I’m joined by Agustina Palma—singer, actress, and creative force who has grown up in front of the camera. From early fame to navigating transitions in both career and identity, Agustina shares her raw and real journey of stepping into presence and owning her voice in a new way.
We talk about the challenges of being in the public eye, the courage it takes to reinvent yourself when the world is watching, and the importance of gratitude and grounding when everything around you changes.
Her story reminds us that reinvention is never a single moment—it’s a practice of returning to who we truly are.
I hope this conversation sparked something in you—an insight, a breath, or maybe just a reminder to slow down and truly arrive here, in the NOW.
If it did, I’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Your words don’t just help others find Welcome to the NOW—they also grow this community of high performers, seekers, and changemakers who are choosing presence over burnout, gratitude over grind.
Until next time… stay grateful, stay present, and as always—Welcome to the NOW.
The Many Lives of Erwin Benedict Valencia
I’ve lived many lives before I ever arrived here with you.
From being an MTV VJ in Asia, to a radio DJ for the Philippines’ top pop station, to touring as the MC for one of the country’s biggest R&B groups—my early years were all about chasing the spotlight. Later, I found myself in NBA locker rooms, serving as a high performance director and mindfulness pioneer, working alongside some of the best athletes in the world.
But here’s the truth: behind every dream realized, there were moments of emptiness, burnout, and the haunting question—“Is this all there is?”
In this first episode of Welcome to the Now, I share my personal journey of reinvention. I’ll take you through the highs of fame and success, the silent battles behind the curtain, and the lessons that taught me the true power of presence, gratitude, and community.
This podcast is more than stories of success—it’s about the humans behind the highlights, and what it takes to stay grounded when the world pulls you in every direction.
If you’ve ever found yourself asking what lies beyond “making it,” or if you’re in a season of transition, this episode is for you. Together, we’ll explore what it means to pause, to breathe, and to fully embrace the Now.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
My journey from chasing fame to finding presence
Why success without stillness leads to burnout
How gratitude and community sustain transformation
The vision for Welcome to the Now and what’s ahead
I hope this conversation sparked something in you—an insight, a breath, or maybe just a reminder to slow down and truly arrive here, in the NOW.
If it did, I’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Your words don’t just help others find Welcome to the NOW—they also grow this community of high performers, seekers, and changemakers who are choosing presence over burnout, gratitude over grind.
Until next time… stay grateful, stay present, and as always—Welcome to the NOW.
