Meet Joanna “An” De Jesus-tran | Content Creator, Freelance Online Retailer, & Hair Donation Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna “an” De Jesus-tran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna “AN”, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
There is a lot of factors why we are on this situation its either a decision for our career or personal life.

I have chosen a lot of things in my life. And in order to attain our goals for career or personal life there are sacrifices we need to choose or make. One way or another we have to give up something to gain another.

I could say that we must continue to keep on going to reach our goals in that certain premise. Cause life is a journey of choices and it is always up to us if we think we have reached the limit or still push ourselves on that certain matter. But as for me I always do my best in everything before I give up. I can say that I am tenacious working woman towards my goal. And I hope that all of us will never give up on our dreams until we reach it. Pray and Work for it and make it a reality.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Content Creator / Freelance Online Retailer / Hair Donation Advocate

On my content creating side, I do not believe in any rules about it. I love to create content which I can be myself without any facade which people can relate and be informative. Maybe I am inclining in the food and lifestyle side of content but my main goal in creating content is to help or assist people like sharing the stuff we have at home and make the most out of it. Sharing a good restaurants to have a good meal and also helping those establishment so people will know about their business and what they offers.

In my Online Retailer hustle, I like it so much that I have my own pace. I am still learning on this business. And I embracing it.

Maybe the most proud or excited about what I do is I love that I can provide help or solution to people.

How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges?

I am still a novice on both industries since I am coming from an admin work from my previous career. There is no career or job that is easy. We need to persevere to thrive in our chosen path. I think to overcome challenges is to be committed in what we do. We need to be trustworthy and provide the same respect that the brands is giving to us and we need to deliver the best effort every time. And with our customers/clients we need to be flexible/make adjustment with the arrangement to meet in their expectations or demands. However, we also need to cater for our self needs in order to become effective retailer or become effective in what we do.

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

The lessons I’ve learned along the way is to be cautious in communicating with people especially now we are in the online world which is super fast pace and our information and people’s information is at risk and we need to handle does information with care.

And most important lesson that I’ve learned since I was kid helping my relatives in their businesses (selling a small family store) before that I have applied is to always treat your customers with high respect and courtesy. Be trustworthy. Always plan ahead, network, and diversify. Work hard and your business will flourish.

For my Hair Donation Journey, I started 10 years ago or 2015 and I have donated three times now in that time duration. The years are 2015 and 2020 during Covid Pandemic both in the Philippines, and this 2025 donated in the https://locksoflove.org/ in Florida . Aside from sharing our precious hair to people and make them happy, I also believe in helping the environment by donating our hair, reducing the hair waste in our earth.

I am still a student on my chosen path and I am eager to learn from other people’s life stories and success. And I pray and thrive that one day I will also be successful and more joyful with the supportive people that matters in my life, and share more blessings to our fellow men.

Furthermore, a long the way we can say to ourselves that it’s worth it and I am happy to share my talents, time and treasure to the world and the world will give back to us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in Colorado Springs and my spouse and I love this awesome place.

Okay, in an event that my best friends will be visiting us in a week trip we will be starting the week in visiting the Pike Peaks Center with the amazing view of Colorado Springs in a Cog Rail Way. My best friends will appreciate the view of the nature. And eat in nice restaurants in Manitou Springs. We love the cool ambiance of that place.

The second day we will visit our favorite Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in this place they will experience the kindness and wildness of the animals in the zoo which they can get close in person and feed them. Their food place in the Zoo is amazing many variants of food to choose from.

The third day we will visit the Seven Falls of Broadmoor area where we will be welcomed by the beautiful rocks and falls. We can also have our lunch there since they have a cozy restaurant close to the falls.

In the fourth day we will be visiting the US Olympic Museum, ProRodeo Hall Of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy Rodeo, and National Museum of World War II Aviation because I myself have not visited these museum as of now (hopefully soon this year). And if they want we can also visit Denver Museums. We have visited Denver Museum of Nature & Science in a free Museum day, and we have visited it without paying anything, we have enjoyed it. And eat in the city restaurants such Pho, Pizza and Taco places, Italian, American buffets and Japanese spot is nearby. By the way, our favorite Pho places are Pho Express Number 1 and Saigon Teapioca. For Tacos, For Pavor Tacos and Tragos, El Super Taco and Tacos del Gordo.

While on the Fifth day we can visit the Gardens of God and also hike some free trails in the other side of Colorado Springs and Cheyenne Mountain Park. We can bring our own snacks or lunch or just go the nearest restaurants.

And in the sixth day we can chill in the hot springs of any astonishing resorts offers by Colorado cities which is also in my bucket list and also to ski or snow board.

And in the seventh day we can explore the Old Colorado Springs City and also the downtown establishments and enjoy the exploring experience and their food.

I know that my best friends will enjoy Colorado Springs and the whole Colorado; the mountains here is enchanting and also the people and food.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I always look up to the amazing Ms. J.K. Rowling. She came from a very humble beginnings and never give up on her writing despite from the obstacles she had faced before publishing the first Harry Potter Book. I am a Potterhead since I was 11 years old. I can read her books and finished in days. And I am amazed by her works and most importantly her dedication despite the things she had been through. For self-help books, I read Psychology books. I graduated with a BS Psychology degree and I can say that it helped a lot in learning about human behavior especially my own behavior. In addition, I also look up to Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. And from now and then I also read books by Robert Kiyosaki, Napoleon Hill, and looking forward to read by Tony Robins and other amazing authors of Business and Life Coaches too.

Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?

I will always give credit to my story to the group of people that hone me, my family especially my parents, Papa Jaime, Mama Carmen, my maternal Grandfather Domingo Sapinoso, WWII USAFFE Veteran and Army retired, and also my paternal Grandfather Simplicio de Jesus, Educator, District Supervisor and his wife Educator Grandmother, Fructousa Ramos-de Jesus, and my uncles and cousins who are in the US Military affiliation . I grew up with a Farmers/Educators and Military families upbringing I think they shape me to have discipline and also to be compassionate and respect with our fellow human beings and our environment.
And also want to give credit to the groups that I am in college on my Freshmen to my Senior Year I was involved to the organization Psychology Society in our University and I was fortunate to served also as Vice President of that org in my graduating year. I have served in the Philippine Government agencies for almost ten years naming them are: Office of the President, National Anti-Poverty Commission and Philippine Veterans Affairs Offices with amazing leaders and supervisors and colleagues. I have high respect and value in what their mission and vision for fellow Filipinos and their dedication and hard work is commendable and I am blessed to be part of it and gathered my learnings and skills there. And also my motivated small circle brilliant nurse aunt Emelita de Jesus Hogan, my amazing cousins ate Barbara Cohn Bustillos (Graphic Designer), ate Terri Cohn with his wonderful career and family, and friends/older sisters named ate Glenda Dimaandal, ate Elena Padua (Financial Advisor), Bryan Silot (Harvard Student and Finance Assistant), Daisy Sayahon and my Thursday group siblings, kuya Mel, ate Ana, Hazel, Julienne, and Mhiks. And I am blessed to have my loving brothers Joseph, Aldrin, Jason, ate Sheena and nephews and niece Jasper, Kenneath, and Jaydee Anne who I grew up with and supported me and I supported them with love forever. And also, I was a member of our Community Church Choir during teenage years and in an Office Chorale in my previous employer the PVAO which gave me the opportunity to practice and improve my singing skills.

And of course to my loving and supportive spouse, Binh Tran who is the US Army. My husband is a discipline person and he is a-go-getter lad. He is very private and I understand that. I admire him so much and he is a joyful person too. He is my personal compass to navigate in our journey together with our Faith.

And I am grateful for all the clients/brands /customers who has entrusted me.

I can say that those involvements had form or conditioned my happy and thriving life now.

Website: https://www.amazon.com/shop/andejesustran

Instagram: An de Jesus-Tran

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnDeJesustran/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnDeJesusTran28

Image Credits
Pikes Peak Center – Cog Railway, Pop Mart Toys, Seven Falls in Broadmoor, Rocky Gains Apparel, RockBox Colorado Springs, Garden of Gods Park, Museum of Illusions – Denver, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Locks of Love