Growing up in a Filipino household, the nursing career path was all too familiar. Despite wanting to become an engineer, Ejay Cruz of Eastvale, California like his mother and two older sisters eventually became a registered nurse in 2010. Although grateful for his nursing career and the opportunities it has given him, Ejay knew a lack of fulfillment would eventually reach a point where he would begin to seek more. Like many of us, we reach a point in our lives and beg the question: “what is my purpose in life?”
When did Ejay start to try to seek answers?
About six years into his nursing career, Ejay enrolled in graduate school to become a Nurse Practitioner and was more than halfway finished. The search for fulfillment and purpose ultimately led him to make the difficult decision to walk away from finishing. Seeking answers and clarity for his future, Ejay decided to take his chances in nursing management in the meantime.
During Ejay’s search for answers, he made it a point to identify the things he was good at. With a background in generating side income from selling on craigslist and eBay, in addition to customer service and a passion for people, Ejay began to connect his strengths and expertise. Moreover, his new position in nursing management helped him see the business side of operating a hospital which gave him the confidence to begin developing his business. This combination led him towards his current business ventures in media, content creation, eCommerce, speaking, and small business investing.
What steps did Ejay take to slowly transition into the business world?
Ejay knew he had to make adjustments in his life to be able to foster change and experience true fulfillment. As cliché as it may sound, Ejay made it a point to “put yourself out there.” He jumped right into the entrepreneurship and self-development space, attending events and masterminds, and joining multiple communities. As a result, he was able to connect with a variety of amazing like-minded people and saw his network grow little by little.
Recognizing he loved engaging and connecting with people, he stumbled upon podcasting and thought he’d give it a try. He started formulating the idea of his podcast in 2017 and eventually launched September of 2018.
Initially, Ejay did episodes with friends and other local like-minded individuals as guests. He quickly realized podcasting was a powerful tool to connect and network with people, having some of the most influential and successful public figures and entrepreneurs as guests on his show who share their story and wisdom in hopes to inspire others. Fast forward a year now, Ejay’s podcast has been ranked Top 100 on iTunes, has launched a solo segment under the same show, and has truly opened up doors he’d never imagine.
This side gig that he took up on a whim, has really catapulted. What started as just a hobby he picked up to see where it would go, has turned into what Ejay now considers a responsibility to maintain and deliver upon. His podcast “The Parables” (@theparablespodcast on Instagram) has gone global and reached over 40+ countries as of today. This type of reach has Ejay more than determined to keep impacting people by the masses and provide continuous value. He wants to spread more wisdom, lessons, morals and actionable tips anyone can take to better themselves. Ejay describes his podcast as a vessel or beacon for positive influence and positive energy.
What is next for Ejay?
Ejay has seen the influence and impact that comes with hosting your own podcast and plans to continue reaching more people and eventually leverage his future and of course current business ventures. His future plans consist of upgrading his media studio, real estate investing, as well as branding and consulting businesses. He also predicts that the opportunities to fully monetize a podcast will be much greater in the future as podcasting is still relatively new compared to other platforms such as blogging, videos, and other content vehicles. He plans on coaching other entrepreneurs how to start a podcast and the full power behind utilizing such a great tool in today’s society.
You can reach Ejay Cruz at ejaycruz10@gmail.com or @itsejaycruz on Instagram.
