Introduced in the cult favorite “Bagets 2” in the late 80s, Cheska Iñigo was a teen star whose budding career was clipped when she decided to finish her degree in psychology and raise a family.

Two decades later, she returned via teleseryes on ABS-CBN and GMA Network, notably “Mga Anghel na Walang Langit” and “Encantandia.” From then, she had become a regular on TV and movie projects, transforming into different characters with a depth of emotion that had endeared her to audiences despite her long absence.

Apart from the many hats she wears as an actor, Cheska is also the managing director of Winebrenner & Iñigo Insurance Brokers, Inc. and a senior training consultant for Management Strategies, a global consulting company based in Asia.

“Last year, a few months before I turned 50, I was looking for something else to do. I wanted a career that I could do when I was way older. I’ve always really been helping others. I enjoy helping people find what they’re good at or helping others realize their potential. The training was in line with my purpose, which is to be present for others so that in turn they can be present for the world and make a difference,” says Cheska, who is part of the wildly popular DonBelle series “Can’t Buy Me Love”.

Being part of MgtStrat wasn’t a conscious choice, according to Cheska, who is among 50 of the company’s consultants and coaches worldwide. Her family-run brokerage firm has partnered with MgtStrat for their team-building activities and certification training since they commenced operations in the Philippines in 1992.

“Cheska is one of our consultants. With her education and certifications in Psychological Safety and Positive Psychology coupled with her experience, she is a perfect fit for MgtStrat,” says Joi Natividad, country manager.

Earlier this year, Cheska completed her Positive Psychology and Wellbeing diploma from a popular institute in Australia.

“When I took the course, it changed my life. Because I realized when I sat in a room with the staff I was not the boss. Now, when I walk into a room. I say, ‘Okay, guys, what’s the most important thing you want to discuss today? Where did we excel? What did we do well? Where did we not do good?’”

According to Cheska, positive psychology is a different take on how we see things in life. It’s a part of the science of psychology.

“As people we have natural strengths. We have tools that we can use in having a mindset or how we see things. There’s a saying, glass half empty, glass half full. Ang positive psychology dun tayo palagi sa half full. Throughout the day, we should look for things that make us happy. Little things, small things. Because if you collect those things throughout the day, it grows. You become happier,” Cheska shared.

The actress claims that scientific studies across the board say changing the way you speak to your co-workers and changing your culture to be more positive increases performance, profitability, and retention by 20 to 30 percent.

“For example, in a corporate setting we usually ask, ‘Bakit ba nangyari ito? Ano ba ang mali? You can say instead, ‘Okay, this happened. How can we improve it? How can we be better?’ This way, we approach the same problem, but it’s not as scary or threatening. I am more willing to explore. I am not afraid of judgment, whereas if I tell you, “O ano’ng nangyari bakit ganun? Mali ka na naman!"

“It’s human nature to see where we make mistakes, to alert us to what's wrong, instead of alerting us to what we did right. And we laugh about it. It could be better, healthier, and generally more solution-based. There might be a better method, we can try and make it better.”

Cheska said being recognized as an actor during training sessions can be advantageous.

“Some rooms I walk in, and it will work to my advantage, and I introduce myself as such. Ang spiel ko dyan ganito, “HI I’m Cheska Inigo-Winebrenner minsan artista, araw-araw corporate executive ngayon trainor ninyo. There are sessions where I co-facilitated, and it distracted the participants. One of the first sessions I ever co-facilitated midway through, nag-break. Someone approached and said, ‘Sorry I couldn’t get it off my head, ‘Artista ka di ba?’ And that made me realize in some rooms, I must tell them. In others, there’s no need.”

Asked what job title she would like to be known for, Cheska said she wants to be an actor first and foremost. “That’s what brings me the most personal joy. And then I am a positive psychologist, senior consultant, and a corporate executive.”

Cheska enjoys the challenge of being given any role. “There are no small roles. Throw it at me, and I’ll take it,” she said.

As a business executive and senior training consultant, Cheska believes that showbiz can take a positive psychology approach to improve their working conditions.

“How can we make things better for our actors, crew, and people that work with us? In making things better for everyone involved, we can produce better content because people are not tired, making mistakes, and not rushing to finish things. We were able to prove this during the pandemic. It was possible with proper planning.”