Kapamilya actress Ivana Alawi shared how she is still in pursuit of improving her craft both as an actress and a social media influencer. The A Family Affair star sat down with King of Talk Boy Abunda earlier this week to share some of the realizations she had working in the industry. 

Ivana’s first taste of the entertainment industry was back in 2011 with GMA’s Tween Hearts where she played a supporting role. She then tried her luck out and joined the Kapuso reality program Starstruck in 2015 and placed in the Top 22.

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Recalling her time during the elimination round of the talent search, the Kapamilya actress shared that she wasn’t as emotional since it wasn’t her first rejection.

“Alam mo kasi ganun ako eh, hindi siya first rejection. Siguro yung first rejection mas iiyak, mas damdamin ko pero ayan parang Miss Universe pa ako diyan. Kasi parang I know there's something better for me. I know that God has a bigger plan for me,” she recalled.

Since then, Ivana has dabbled not only in the entertainment industry but also the world of social media. Her YouTube channel boasts a huge following due to her creative vlogs. When asked about how she manages to keep her feet on the ground, she maintained that she doesn’t let fame get to her head. 

“Hindi ko talaga nilalagay sa utak ko kasi ka pag nilagay ko sa ulo ko, feeling ko lalaki ulo ko… Turo sa aking ng nanay ko anytime pwedeng mawala sa'yo yan dapat handa ka at dapat hindi ka magyayabang na ito na narating mo,” she said.

“Ang tingin ko talaga sa sarili ko ay I’m still learning and I’m still working to be great–– to be good [and] to be a star,” she added.

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She then expressed that she knows how blessed she is in life–– even revealing that she earns millions from her content creation alone. With the blessings she receives, the Kapamilya actress makes sure to give back whenever possible.

“Sobrang alam ko na blessed ako. Hindi ako tanga na ‘ganun po ba’–– alam kong blessed ako. Kaya nga ako nag shshare ng blessings at kaya nga ako nakakaappreciate sa mga ginagawa ko. Kaya rin ako nag sisipag is because I am blessed and I will work as much as I can,” she maintained.

Ivana then gave a piece of advice to everyone trying to make their mark in their respective career paths. 

“Lumaban ka lang. Wag kang susuko sa mga battles at lahat ng failure mo, gawin mo siyang kalakasan mo. Learn from every mistake and become stronger. In God’s perfect time, you will get what you want,” she ended.