Angel Jones defied adversity through her unwavering disposition so she could become the independent, empowered, and remarkable woman she is supposed to be. She defines her purpose by radiating hope, positivity, and love to everyone she meets. Angel was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and spent most of her summers in the Philippines. “We moved around a lot and lived in the Philippines, US, and Canada. I went to school in Pangasinan from 5th-6th grade and learned to speak Ilokano before learning Tagalog. I’m back in the Philippines and have stayed put for the last five years to fully commit to living in Manila,” she shares.
As a single mother of two children, Angel was only sixteen years old when she gave birth to her son. Confronted with this challenging situation urged her to drop out of high school and obtain her GED to complete her credits while raising her son and helped to raise her sister’s two kids. Although she grew up in a dysfunctional home and had a formidable relationship with her mother, Angel chose to embrace her new reality in the hopes she could raise her children well. “Lord have mercy! I was young, clueless, worried, and had to constantly figure out what I was supposed to do, hoping I could be the best mother for them. The life of a mother involves the never-ending cycle of worry and anxiety. I may not have been the best mother to them while growing up since I didn’t have a healthy childhood, yet in time, I learned to confront my past demons so I could heal and become a better mother,” she discloses.
Being a single mother at a young age raised some eyebrows and proved to be financially daunting for Angel, but she believes it was the best decision in her life. “I still have the energy and youth to experience adventures with them while also enjoying my life,” she relays. As her kids grew older, Angel’s experiences shaped her into a better person so she could understand, accept, and love her kids unconditionally. “Seeing them all, kind, thoughtful, wonderful adults who have paved their way makes me proud. As a parent, I always encourage other parents to be open in admitting their mistakes, accepting that we don’t know everything, and embracing change. Healing your personal childhood traumas is the key to establishing a healthy relationship with your kids,” she adds.
Angel started her career as a commercial model and international pop star―a member of the Philippine pop group Kulay during the nineties which was the only Filipino band to tour internationally and have a contract with Sony music in the UK. Over the years, Angel has discovered new things about herself using her best abilities and maximizing her potential to shine. “As I got older I wanted to explore and do the things I didn’t get a chance to do when I was a young mom. During my thirties, I attended culinary school, makeup school, and marriage and family counseling in the hopes to help others, but little did I know the training would actually help me in the process,” she states.
This relentless woman wears multiple hats and is an Event Host, Inspirational Speaker, Fitness Ambassador, Celebrity Mom, Brand Ambassador, Self-Love Advocate, and Co-Manager of her son Tony Labrusca, who is a rising star in the entertainment industry in the Philippines. “Honestly, I didn’t think I would become a performer since I had stage fright and a nervous tick each time I would be on stage. My group had to choreograph every move I made so I wouldn’t freeze or fall off the stage, but by the time my confidence in music increased, the music group disbanded and that’s when I worked as a DJ in radio, hosted live events, and became a VJ for Myx, juggling three jobs at a time to make ends meet,” she confides.
Angel has proven to be passionate and determined in everything she does. She is the award-winning voice talent, station voice of cable channel 2nd Avenue, the first batch of MYX VJs, first VJ of number 1 hip hop and R&B show Urban MYX, and has done live events for various brands like Roxy, TLC, Mercedez Benz, Adidas, etc. Angel is also the Brand Ambassador for Puma. “I love hosting events, speaking to empower people, and brand collaborations on social media, but my main focus now is helping manage my son’s career and handling our new businesses in the Philippines,” she informs.
To add a feather to her cap, Angel became a health and fitness enthusiast during her thirties which has allowed her to use this advocacy in inspiring women to improve themselves through physical and mental fitness. “When I started this fitness journey, I had just broken up with my husband and had to leave my kids. I was a complete mess―emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically who was suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, sadness, and felt lost about the whole situation. Not being able to afford psychological therapy propelled me to get into fitness which healed my wounds. Fitness keeps me sane and provides peace of mind,” she reveals.
Ever since she engaged in fitness, Angel has committed herself to live a healthy lifestyle. “Everyone keeps asking me for a magic diet or if a miracle happened to me and I always tell them that this is the lifestyle I have chosen. I learned about how the combination of food and exercise can affect us both mentally and physically. It’s about having a healthy relationship and balance with myself and my body. I’ve wasted too many years not loving what I see in the mirror, so now that I’m forty-two years old, I’m gonna enjoy every minute of it.” She winks.
After going through years of emotional and mental healing, physical fitness has proven to play an instrumental role in Angel’s life. “It felt natural to share my testimony about how my life was transformed with women especially mothers. After reuniting with my kids, they encouraged me to join a renowned fitness and beauty competition— Century Tuna Superbods. I was quite hesitant, but everything kept pointing toward that direction. I had the right energy, confidence, and mental space, and nothing could stop me now. Bagging the Grand winner prize and becoming the first ageless to win in history spelled the culmination of all my years of hard work and trials.” She beams.
Angel’s advocacy aims to help other people develop their confidence and make better choices in life. She immersed herself in a counselor training course and while learning the ropes, the course healed her past traumas. Together with friend and Beautyism partner Monique Jaramillo Seneres, Angel conducted workshops called Beautyism where they taught women how to apply makeup, to empower them how to feel good from the outside so they can heal on the inside. “My goal is to reach out to the people who are misunderstood and have experienced trauma like me. I prefer to speak with groups where we can share our life stories of how we overcame our challenges and transformed our lives. I use my past experiences to help them and provide hope.” She smiles.
Angel is part of a management team of her son Tony’s career. “I am grateful for my son’s generosity and how he takes care of me. My son’s success gives me the freedom to be selective with work and only engage in projects I truly enjoy. I love helping my son in his career and learning and working on our current and future businesses. It’s easy to market someone you believe in, but also difficult if your child doesn’t believe in your pep talks or the bigger vision you have planned for him because you are still his mom. However, his best interest is my priority and I feel safe being the one in control, protecting, and watching over him. Some days can be annoying separating business, parenting, and friendship with my son, but it is such a great feeling knowing we have our little team going against all odds, and it’s also fulfilling to achieve victories and see how far we’ve come,” she imparts.
Angel’s ambition and drive to succeed stems from the trials and tribulations she faced. How she conquered her battles derives from inspiration to change her reality. “There’s nothing like experiencing poverty to keep you hustling. Not knowing how to pay rent or deciding between buying food or paying for a cab to get to an event leaves a tight knot in my stomach. My life has more meaning and joy knowing that I’m helping my children and others achieve their dreams and use their skills to reach their full potential. I want my children to surpass any greatness I may have accomplished and create their own paths and brilliance,” she declares.
Although Angel has traversed a bumpy road, this dynamic woman lived a life without a manual and has mastered the art of hustling and surviving while figuring things out along the way. “I call it the power of ‘getting it done.’ I find a way to make dreams happen and it always does,” she affirms. Like a chameleon, Angel is resilient and flexible to embrace many roles to complete the task. “I had to be a personal assistant, an editor, a producer, a makeup artist, performer, accountant, and do the marketing. These experiences have assisted me in both mine and my son’s career,” she adds.
Angel also encountered setbacks while pursuing her career, but never lost her focus on her goals and priorities. “Since I’m a woman who likes to look my best, others don’t take me seriously. My personality and dreams appear to be too big for some people who constantly want to minimize, laugh at, or crush my spirit. Thank goodness I’ve built my confidence which doesn’t require approval to keep me going. I love when my trials become my testimony. I savor the bad days for when the good days come so I can use that to help and inspire others facing the same situation,” she conveys.
Angel starts her day by filling her cup with meditation, prayer, and silence. She balances her life by working out, burning incense, keeping crystals to protect her, and eating healthy. “I’m a weekend vegetarian and obsessed with self-help seeking how I can improve myself. I’m not religious, but spiritual. If it promotes well-being and can create a better version of you, why not? One of my superpowers that my son hates is the ability to laugh at situations that are intimidating and scary, but I know this will make a really funny good story to share one day,” she quips.
As Angel evolves in her career and journey, she hopes to defy her age, do more business ventures internationally, and continue to live her purpose while she serves to be an inspiration to others. “There’s more to life than just living and dying and my goal is to continue to improve myself to be a better and kinder human being so I can be an influencer to my kids and others. I refuse to let age, setbacks, and motherhood be the reason to stop living my best life and fulfilling my dreams,” she concludes.
Amid all the hurdles she faced, Angel Jones learned to take everything in stride so she could thrive and persevere through a storm.
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Photographer: VINCENT GOTTI @vinniegotti