Yo Work Fun Nation! 

While I haven’t been a fan of #KathNiel since the very start, I’m a sucker for romance. 

And in today’s world of Tinder and all the instant dating apps, I really really wanted to root for these guys despite the odds. 

Pero, sadly there are some things stacked against them.

They ARE movie stars, both in-demand, both very talented, both rich, and both with massive followings. 

They both have a lot of options. It’s not the end of the world for either of them.

Also, name a teen Pinoy celebrity love team that eventually got married and are still together, and I'll eat my words.

Di counted sila Xiam Lim and Kim Chu, or sila Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles. They weren't kids when they got together.

Sila KathNiel though they were basically children when they started dating, not even fully knowing who they were as individuals. Heck, most of us still don’t know who we really are until now. 

Things were bound to change. 

I saw some parallels din sa buhay ko, nuks. Not that I’m a moviestar or have the charisma to boot, but in that my first relationship was also long-term. 

Walang sinabi sa #KathNiel, but still 5 years is no joke. 

It was the high school sweetheart phase that went on through college too, where so many changes in your brain, body, and environment happen. Ganon lang talaga, we started to change. We had so many wrong notions about the real world, hehe good times. 

Not gonna elaborate on this na, wala ding third party but nagka-laboan lang talaga. 

In short, we simply had a lot of growing up to do.

Hemingways, as a freelancer now, I couldn’t help but make some comparisons, and forda clout na din. Sayang din e, ^_^ 

So eto na yung result sa kakaisip ko last night as people were bombarding my wall with KathNiel trend-jacking posts. Here’s my take:

Relationships take continuous nurturing. 

Like #KathNiel, client relationships can last for years when carefully built on trust and mutual growth. 

Flex ko lang: Longest premium client ko so far is from 2014. 9 years pa lang. Kaso lang on and off kami hahaha. (I’m not on retainer, but they always get me for video projects)

Continuous effort is required to sustain them long-term. As freelancers, we must actively nurture each client connection through regular check-ins, delivering exceptional work, and evolving with their changing needs.  

Like Clients though, they have decided to take their business in a different direction na, so we have to be prepared for that. 

Trust is essential but can be broken. 

Kathryn allegedly felt she could no longer trust Daniel after cheating rumors emerged. Similarly, our clients need to trust us to deliver quality work on time. If we miss deadlines or underdeliver, that trust can be broken, jeopardizing future work. We need to value our clients' trust and do all we can to maintain it.

TBH we have our biases, but tingin ko talaga nag-cheat si Daniel. Haha it’s my dude-tsong-pare brain thinking. Kath was just so patient with him. Too patient to a fault nga e. I’m actually relieved na she finally had the courage to break things off finally. 

Biologically speaking, we are all primates pa din, and men will try to mate with more than one partner. Sam Holstein the researcher and entrepreneur that I follow has this to say:

Monogamy is 'natural' for humans. But monogamy doesn't mean sexual desire that is limited to one person. Humans evolved to be 'socially monogamous,' meaning that we choose one partner with which we pair-bond while retaining a desire for other sexual partners.

In the case of Deej, wala halos friction or barrier for him to be with other beautiful women. He’s also rich and moves in affluent circles. He’s also young and has high testosterone levels pa. Marami din dyan who are waiting in the wings to get on a date with him. Call it callous or what you will, pero law of supply and demand lang yan. 

And he knows he’s in-demand. 

And this brings me to the next lesson. 

Everything is all about supply and demand. This is how the movie industry works. The very influence that celebrities enjoy is due to a shrewd management of supply and demand. We see them through a movie screen, up on a stage or on a pedestal. There’s millions of fans, and only so many of them. 

Come on guys, formula na to for decades, the Gabby-Sharon and Tirso-Vilma fans in my list will attest. Hahaha shh but let me spell it out again for the younger folks. 

Their producers create a craving in the fans, limiting public appearances that are all planned and curated. This imbalance causes people to become massive fans, ensuring sold-out movies and fully booked conventions, primed by the cunning interplay between infatuation and scarcity.

Whoa nagamit ko din finally yung word na interplay. My creative writing friends will finally approve. 

The show must go on, even after a split.

Despite their breakup, Kathryn and Daniel will continue their individual careers and brands. They’re gonna be fine. Similarly, even if a longtime client relationship ends, we must carry on - pursuing new projects and clients with determination. 

Courage builds resilience.

It took courage for #KathNiel to privately make the difficult decision to split and then publicly share the news on their own terms. As freelancers, we too must have courage in setting boundaries, having crucial conversations with clients, and bouncing back from project failures. Courage is key to resilience. 

In general kasi, pinoys are non-confrontational. Mas prefer natin mag-marites (like what I’m doing now haha)

Wala lang gusto ko lang sabihin. We’re not really changing that any time soon. Pero we can at least practice setting better boundaries na. 

Focus on the fundamentals, even when things end. Despite the breakup, they spoke with respect and care for each other. Likewise, even if a client partnership ends, maintaining professionalism and communicating properly is important for our reputations and future work.

Change can lead to new beginnings. Just as growth and change impacted #KathNiel's relationship, our freelance businesses also evolve. As some doors close, new ones open. Embracing change empowers us to rebuild and thrive in new directions. Though one chapter ended, fresh ones lie ahead for both Kathryn and Daniel.

All good things come to an end. No client relationship or project will last forever. The 11 happy years Kathryn and Daniel shared is remarkable. Kakabilib pa din it lasted that long ha.

We can appreciate and celebrate fruitful client partnerships when we have them, while accepting that change is inevitable.

There can be new beginnings, even after the end of something great.

And…  pretty soon before the year ends wala na to sa isip ng 90% of people. Life goes on. Yun lang naman.

Cheers,

Shoden

Ps. last day today ng Giveaway! habol pa!

You can click the photo or this link.

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