Hi, I'm Dax. I'm a father and Filipino American, and I want you to have a sense of who I am before we work together.

Most people meet the serious version of me first, but the truth is I'm pretty goofy once I'm comfortable. That "serious" side was one of the masks I learned to wear after years of trying to fit into roles that never matched who I was.

I'm a Coast Guard veteran and a multiple-career-changer based in Northern Virginia. For over a decade, I stayed in a career that looked solid from the outside but slowly pulled me away from myself. The only part that ever felt right was developing people — helping someone grow, watching them step into their own potential.

In August 2024, I entered a Partial Hospitalization Program at Compass Health in Silver Spring. That decision changed everything. It gave me structure, skills I'd never been taught, and a community that made the whole process feel less isolating. It's where I stopped trying to be who I thought I "should" be and started becoming who I actually am. I relearned what values really are — not goals but chosen directions you live by.

Stoic philosophy became the backbone of that shift. It taught me to focus on what I can control, take responsibility for my choices, and meet reality head-on. That mindset helped me rebuild from the inside out. Now, it keeps me steady. Starting a business brings pressure and uncertainty — Stoicism helps me stay grounded and intentional instead of reactive.

I'm also trained through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the organization that sets the standard for professional coaching. Their framework shaped how I coach: client-centered, grounded in deep listening, asking better questions, and helping people find their own answers instead of giving advice. I've completed the required training and am now working toward the hours needed to sit for accreditation.