Meet Renee Villanueva, the growthbacker at Cyberbacker (www.cyberbacker.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – We provide high-level support for organizations and business owners who want to make sure that they find the right hire. We have built effective systems for vetting, hiring, training, and keeping the right person. If it can be done virtually without requiring a license or certification, it can be done by a Cyberbacker. Cyberbacker is the leading provider of world-class administrative support and virtual assistant services from anywhere in the world to anyone in the world.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – I was diagnosed with a severe chronic kidney disease when I was 12 and had to undergo chemotherapy. I was bullied for most of my early years until high school because of my weight and how I looked, and being surrounded with that growing up, it’s hard to build your identity and self confidence. I was scared of risks, I was afraid of making mistakes, and I did my best to stay within my comfort zone. Almost a year ago, I decided to move and focus on my career. I needed a space where I could really build myself and my identity as a “growthbacker” from the ground up with solid foundations, and I believe that being in a safe and healthy environment is a big factor for growth. Because of the opportunity I have, I am able to do what I enjoy doing while making sure that my family is well provided for. Not a lot of people know, but Craig, our CEO, is big on personal and career growth. Our team is always reading books together. We have dedicated Zoom huddles on a daily basis to share our thoughts with each other and it is one of my favorite things about being part of this company. I like learning and growing and being uncomfortable. It has been a big transformation from who I was a few years ago, and I’m really proud of myself for it.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I am 7,833 miles away from Nebraska. I was born and raised in the Philippines and still am in the Philippines while working with Donald Kracke for Cyberbacker Nebraska-Iowa.
What is your favorite quote or the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “You are right where you’re supposed to be.” This calms me down whenever I am going through a rough day or when I’m frustrated. In life, there will always be people that come and go and circumstances that happen to us that are meant to teach us something. It might not make sense right away, but as time goes by, we look back at certain things that happened in our life and get that “aha” moment of realizing what it was for.
What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – I am big on education and business. I am currently preparing to be able to support children born in poverty with their education. My long-term goal is to be able to provide jobs for thousands if not millions of people to help them succeed in life. I am actually currently achieving my goal by providing jobs for our Cyberbackers. For each client that I help determine their needs, I help one person from the Philippines get a stable job in the comfort of their own home so that their kids won’t have to grow up like how I did with my parents having to work overseas to provide for our family.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (515) 217-6387; nebraska-iowa@cyberbacker.com; www.cyberbacker.com.