Q1: You introduced two new product categories in the Philippines, Green Cross Rubbing Alcohol in 1952 and Zonrox Bleach in 1954. They are popular products now. What made you think there would be a big market for those products in the 1950s? Back the 1950s, I knew there would be a big market for alcohol because of my experience at […]
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Q1: Decades ago, Goldilocks had popular cake competitors like Rolling Pin, Merced and Joni’s – all of which are no longer active in the market. Giant Jollibee Food Group acquired Red Ribbon in 2005. What has Goldilocks been doing right all these years for it to hold on to market leadership in the cake industry? I believe that the main […]
Q1: Your company deals mostly with generational transitions. What are some issues confronting family businesses that are usually overlooked by families? To their credit, most of the family business leaders we meet think a lot about succession. The vast majority are very interested in having what they have built continue into the next generation. More than anything else, the senior […]
Q1: Why do you use Chief Evangelizing Officer as your position title in your company? What is your “evangelizing” mission? Your goal is not simply to make a sale today, you want to invite your customers to join you in your cause… your mission. In our case, more fun in the beach with Beach Hut Sunblock or making sure your […]
As a student of lifelong learning, I always search for ideas and knowledge as well as great minds and conversations to challenge my ways of thinking. I like seeing white spaces of opportunities for new methods, new frameworks and new possibilities. I was especially intellectually stimulated with a concept of a strategy book in the mid 2000s and was so […]
Acer is one of the world’s top 10 computer brands with a global market share in the 7% range. Its managing director for the Philippines, Manuel Wong, was an entrepreneur before being tapped to head Acer in the Philippines close to two decades ago. For 16 consecutive years (since 2005), the organization has attained market leadership in computers and laptops, […]
Q1: You and your husband inherited six Hortaleza Vaciador stores from your in-laws and renamed it HBC. It now has over 200 retail stores. What was the trigger that made you change the company name? A: Since we inherited the stores and my husband’s other siblings also got their own numbers, there is a need to differentiate it in two […]
Q1: Retailing appliances has many pain points where customers go through a process of information search, face-to-face inquiry, product demo, delivery and after sales. How is Abenson addressing customer irritants and annoyances? At ABENSON, our mission is to bring the ‘Good Life’ to every Filipino Home. In our 45 year history we have seen how differently our customers’ priorities have […]
I thank the Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (formerly Anvil Club) as well as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce for inviting me to give a talk about “Defending Your Turf” recently. The topic on defensive marketing has attracted a bit of attention as of late, especially among those with successful businesses. This type of marketing is different from […]
On August 27, 2026, I will celebrate 12 years of blogging. When I started JosiahGo.com in 2014, my objective was simple: to share what I was learning and make practical business knowledge more accessible to students, entrepreneurs, managers and business owners in the Philippines. I did not realize then that blogging would also become a record of my own reinvention. […]