Joyce Pring-Triviño never imagined that her first step into media would change the course of her life. What began as a leap of faith driven by necessity, an audition for the Myx VJ Search at just 18 years old, quickly became the foundation of a career that would transform her into one of the most recognizable voices in Philippine media. From that moment, Joyce discovered not only her talent for storytelling but also her purpose: using her platform to inspire, connect, and uplift others.
“My journey in media started when I won a TV competition called Myx VJ Search in 2011. I was 18 years old, and I never had a background in TV or media, but at that time it was really out of necessity,” Joyce recalled. “My family didn’t have the resources to pay for my college tuition fee at that time, so I was working as a copywriter in an offshore company… So when my friend told me about Myx VJ Search, it encouraged me to send an audition tape. I did it! I didn’t really know where it was going to lead, but I just did it. And I won the competition eventually after getting into the Top 12. That was my first job in media as a host on Myx. I was a video jock, and I guess from there it just transformed into many other things.”
That leap of faith became the foundation of a multifaceted career in hosting, broadcasting, and eventually, digital content creation. But as Joyce would admit, her first steps were anything but easy.
“The challenges that I encountered when I was starting out were really the lack of 1) skill, 2) connection, and 3) guidance from when I was very young,” she explained. “I’ve never been to a hosting lesson or gone to any personality development or confidence-building workshop. I kinda learned trial by fire, you know. I was given the opportunity and had to learn on my toes. Being in a competitive industry, not a lot of people were really open to helping me out or mentoring me, although I felt like that’s still a good thing because it pushed me to train myself and to work harder and smarter than my contemporaries.”
What helped Joyce overcome those hurdles was her resilience and the right mentors at the right time. “I felt that I overcame them by just showing up every single day… to constantly just show up every single day and try to be better than I was yesterday,” she said. “It was also through actively seeking out mentors that were willing to train me, and I found those people when I got to radio, when I got into social media. So I’m very grateful for those people.”
Looking back, Joyce identifies several defining moments that cemented her calling in the media. “For many years when I was starting out, maybe the first three years of my career, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I was just learning on the fly and acquiring as much skill as possible,” she shared. “And when I became a 4th year, I felt, ‘Okay, I’m getting good at this. I’ve felt like this is my path to pursue because I was committed to it, and I was doing my best to be better at it every single day.’”
Her career milestones, from hosting international events to collaborating with global brands, served as further affirmation. But the most powerful reminder of her purpose comes from the people who follow her work. “Finally, something that constantly shapes the way that I do my work is when I encounter people who tell me how much my content, my videos, my podcasts have impacted them positively. That’s really when I realize, ‘Okay, this is where God’s calling me because the work that I do and the content that I produce was helping so many people.’”
Throughout her journey, Joyce drew inspiration from the storytellers who came before her. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved hosts. I’ve loved Oprah Winfrey… Brené Brown, Maya Angelou. I adored even our local hosts like Boy Abunda, Kris Aquino, Dyan Castillejo,” she said. “Personally, those that I knew who really helped me: my first radio partner Boom Gonzales, he really shaped the way that I worked, the way that I hosted, because I would consider him as my first mentor in the industry. And then one of my closest friends, Aaron Atayde, who was also my radio partner in Magic. The way that he just did interviews, how smart he was when doing research, those people really shaped the way that I actually became as a host and as an interviewer.”
Even her earliest experiences in television became vital training grounds for her current role as a leading content creator. “I think just being able to observe how producers at that time and writers would create shows… that made me a better content creator in general. Because when you are the content creator, the difference with being a TV host is you have to do everything: you are the cameraman, you are the producer, you are the writer, you are also the host, and sometimes you are the editor too. So having the chance to observe those individuals at their best when you’re on TV do their thing, and then try to apply those skill sets now as a content creator, it is really inspiring and very, very helpful.”
From a teenager auditioning out of necessity to an influential voice across multiple platforms, Joyce Pring-Triviño’s beginning is a story of grit, faith, and growth. And as her voice continues to reach more people, her journey proves that sometimes, the most powerful callings are found in the most unexpected places.