Q1: Congratulations on the opening of Habitat in the Philippines. Can you tell us what is good design in the brand DNA of this European furniture brand? A1. Thank you. We are very excited with the opening of Habitat Manila and are very thankful to the positive response of the market. At Habitat, good design means beautiful, functional and affordable […]
Entrepreneurship
Q1: You and your husband are owners of several businesses (hardware, office supplies). What made you decide to be franchisee of another, specifically Kumon in Tarlac? A: I started Kumon by chance. It was never really part of my plan to franchise a Kumon Center until the existing instructor/ franchisee of the center in Tarlac was going to relocate to […]
Q1: There is always a crossroad with growing family enterprises – that of professionalizing by hiring an experienced outsider or continuing governance within the family. How can you help in this regard? A: When a family enterprise is ready to professionalize, the first things that need to be done are the drawing up of the family governance constitution and the […]
Q1: You were an IT executive before. What made you shift to becoming a yoga instructor and entrepreneur? A: I tried yoga as a form of fitness activity in 2005 when a yoga studio opened one floor below my office. Prior to that, I was a regular gym-goer. I did group classes and did once a week private session for […]
Q1: What made you decide to be an entrepreneur? A: I’ve been working for 25 years. I started as an engineer and rose to VP operations. I saw how I was able to make my previous employers financially successful because of my technical, selling and managerial and administrative skills and experience. I was not getting any younger and I just […]
Q1: Inglot is a make up brand from Poland. How did you encounter each other? A: My sister and I have been wanting to venture into possible brands to introduce to the Filipino consumers. We attempted venturing into food franchises but there were failed attempts due to circumstances. We were contacting 10 – 20 brands in different industries – food, […]
Q1: Congratulations! Piandre is celebrating its 28th anniversary this year. What made Piandre last this long? A: My mom, Linda Francisco, founder of Piandre Salons, has many secrets to success – one of which is her idea of a Total Development Program which involves training in skills, character building and most importantly Spiritual Development. I think Piandre is one of […]
Q1: What was the inspiration behind the Karimadon clothing business? How has the business and the brand transformed through the years? A: Karimadon started in 1980 as a small store selling PX goods in Virra Mall. Soon, however, people began asking where I got the clothes I was wearing. At that time, most of my clothes were of my own […]
Q1: Before becoming an entrepreneur, you were the Marketing Director of Unilever Philippines and President/CEO of Unilever-Bestfoods, tell us what your most memorable launches are, both successes and failures, in your corporate life and why? A1: As Marketing Director of Unilever Philippines, I must say it was the launch of Surf detergent bar which was then followed by the launch […]
Q1: You ventured into manufacturing bread immediately after college in the 1980’s. After two decades, you launched the first two of a series of innovations, namely the Walter Sugar Free Bread in 2005 and the Double Fiber (wheat plus apple) Bread in 2006. What was the turning point for the sudden change of direction? The market was getting crowded with […]