Full story
Julia Cueto - Founder of IKIGAIBASED
Hi, I'm Julia!
And although today I live in alignment with my purpose , for many years I felt just the opposite.
I had a good salary, stability, and a job that, for many, was great (but not for me). On the outside, it seemed like I had it all; but on the inside, I felt like I didn't fit in , and that I wasn't bringing out the best in myself.
I always asked myself the same question, but what is my calling? What would I like to work as? Without ever finding an answer, until that changed.
As a child I never knew "what I wanted to be"
When people asked me , "What do you want to be when you grow up?" , I would draw a blank.
I didn't have a clear calling. And although it seemed silly or something common among other people, it frustrated me. I felt that those who did have a calling had a certain advantage in life.
The only thing I did see was an image: me, as an adult, being a businesswoman.
And with that "reference", I studied Law and Business Administration.
The autopilot
During my degree, and after my Erasmus exchange, I still had no idea what I wanted to do.
So I made decisions somewhat out of inertia … and ended up in the world of Auditing, an exit that “opened doors”.
It would open doors, yes, but were they doors that led me closer to something I truly liked? - Spoiler: NO
I was there for 3 years. Until I couldn't take it anymore.
I was absolutely certain it wasn't for me... but even so, I still didn't know what it was and opted for the easy, but unhappy, choice of staying in what was familiar.
The problem was that I had never really stopped to think about what I wanted to do, what I liked (not because of the opportunities I had) but because I enjoyed doing it, to be aware of my abilities.
I was living on autopilot , because it was easier.
Mistake.
A small but great “click”
My next job was of higher quality: better hours, better pay, people with a different mindset.
It seemed like "the logical option" to be better.
But after a while… that inner nagging feeling returned. The one that appears when you know you're not where you'd like to be.
It was there that I experienced something that marked me: an INSIGHTS training with a specialist who gave us a very in-depth personality test.
I loved how you described who you were, how you related to others, what you needed…
I was also greatly inspired by the professional who taught it.
That was my first real click .
For the first time I felt: that job would suit me perfectly
A big change… that didn't change the essentials
Two years passed and I requested an internal transfer to Switzerland, along with a change of project.
I thought that a new environment, a new country, and new roles would make sense of everything.
And yes, at first it motivated me.
But soon the same thing returned : the feeling that I was learning, but not doing.
The decisive moment
Un día, leyendo el libro de IKIGAI, algo se removió. Y decidí hacer lo que nunca había hecho: pararme y mirar hacia dentro.
Empecé a preguntarme:
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¿Qué me hace feliz?
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¿Qué se me da bien?
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¿Qué necesita el mundo de mí?
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¿Por qué siento este vacío?
Y por primera vez encontré respuestas.
Me di cuenta de que lo que más me llenaba era ayudar a otras personas. Acompañarlas en su crecimiento personal, en el autoconocimiento y en ese proceso de mirar hacia dentro para convertirse en su mejor versión.
Vivir con propósito, liderar desde la autenticidad, escuchar de verdad, motivar e inspirar a otras mujeres a creer en sí mismas, a hacer lo que las hace felices y a atreverse a ir a por ello.
A aprovechar la vida con sentido y a construir una vida alineada con lo que realmente les llena.
Cosa que había hecho de forma natural a lo largo de mi vida con la gente que tenía cerca.
Y despues de ser consciente de ello… todo encajó.
This is how IKIGAIBASED was born.
I realized I wasn't the only one.
Many women live without clarity, without direction, without a purpose that makes them feel alive.
And I understood that my story could help more people.
That having been lost for so long was, in reality, my greatest strength and responsibility.
Today I accompany people who want to find their own IKIGAI, as I found mine.
And that is precisely mine.
