I don't always take the day off coaching or wear real pants AND high heels but when I do it's to HAVE BREAKFAST WITH PACQUIAO!!!Can beat this as a way to start the new week![Enter me getting all giggly here!]
That was my Facebook status update and that's exactly what happened -- I canceled today's morning clients the other day in anticipation of today because, as I told you the other day, today I had breakfast with Manny Pacquiao.
Mind you, so did 150-200 other people too, attend the breakfast event that is.
Today was National Bible Day and so in celebration of it CCF Church held a breakfast event, invited a lot of celebrities and known names, and packed one of the gorgeous banquet halls in Shangri-La Hotel here in BGC. Manny being one of the many celebs but definitely the biggest name of all.
One of Pacquiao's close friends attends church where I go, hence hearing about this event, but I didn't realize that he was such a close friend with Pac. When Pac walked around, so did he. Right by his side, too. And when Pac was on stage at the end, so was he too. Again by his side. It was pretty cool to have been able to attend this event and then for Pac and my common friend to then be super cool about introducing me to Pac. He gave me such a sweet introduction too, wow. What an amazing man. I was so touched but to then be standing there with Pacquiao, a fighter I've watched for years in awe and have much respect for,... wow. I reached out, grabbed his hand to shake it and then smiled.
And, if that wasn't so cool enough, I got to meet him again. And I also got to meet his wife.
At the very end of the event many were allowed to enter a small room where Pacquiao was. He was posing for pictures with many people and signing autographs. They had given us a Bible as a kind of "party favor", in celebration of the day, and many were asking Manny to sign their copy but I had other plans. I wanted to give him something. I wanted to give him two Empowered caps I had made for him the night before. So, when I approached him in the room, I turned to him and told him I had two hats from my company, Empowered Clubhouse. "I coach 86 underprivileged girls, 50 of which are human trafficking survivors and 26 that are orphans or runaways." He reached for the caps, smiled and said thank you.
I don't know if he paid attention to anything I said, honestly, and I could have said more, but I didn't. I just wanted to give him my caps. Inside the two caps were my business card. I'm not assuming or anything will become of it but I know our common friend might drop word of me and remind him about what I'm doing, my Lil' Sistas Project. I know Pacquiao is all about giving back to the community and that's why he's such an iconic hero in this country. It's not all about his boxing career, it's also about what he represents to the people, his rage to riches story and his support and pay it forward mentality.
I've never been one to fan-out because of a celebrity but I definitely fanned-out with Manny. I was so giddy and I joked about how I'd never wash my hand again and how I leant him my pen, how to be in the presence of such amazingly raw and such incredibly fought for skills was the coolest thing ever. Manny is still very much a humble man and he's actually quite socially awkward, to tell you the truth, but he smiles at every one, shakes their hands, and doesn't shy away from offering fans a chance to take their picture with him.
Today was epic.... E-P-I-C... epic!!!
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