May Palacpac, Storyteller

I’ve been meaning to write about this inspiring young man we met a few months back, 22-year old Anthony Abueva. It was actually my husband, Jay, who first met and talked to him when he went looking for buco vendors to buy the juice from on a regular basis. You see, I had mild case of UTI and not being a natural water drinker (I’m one of those who need water ice cold just to be able to drink it!), I felt that buco was the next best thing.

Anyway, they got into talking and we learned a little bit about this young businessman.

In the Philippines, when you think about vendors, you normally think about hardworking people who don’t really care about their appearances, but not this one. Anthony carries himself well and is always smiling.

I learned from Jay that the buco business was Anthony’s and that he’s working to put himself through college. He told Jay that he worked in construction for a while but it became hard for him to sustain.

I can imagine how difficult it must have been to focus on your studies when you’re physically exhausted.

Life in Construction

At first, Anthony told me, he was intrigued by the idea of working in a construction, having been told of how grueling the job was going to be. He wanted to step out of his “comfort zone” and experience it himself.

However, he says that he didn’t take well to the environment which he found toxic. “…puro bisyo and puro kahirapan po lagi ang pinag-uusapan.”

The persistent discussions about poverty and the prevalence of vices motivated Anthony to seek opportunities elsewhere. He also observed a lack of personal growth, noting that despite working twice as hard, his efforts were not rewarded with better pay.

Venturing into Business

He thought about trying his hand in business. Anthony admits that he went into the buco business out of eagerness to start one. The opportunity presented itself when he met a buco seller who generously shared his knowledge in the business to him.

“Actually po, hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang sisimulan kong inegosyo. Naging gigil lang po kasi ako mag-business kasi sa discouragement ng magulang ko sa ‘kin,” shares Anthony. “Nagsimula po ako sa decision na whatever it takes, magne-negosyo ako, at may dalawang choices po ako — magbenta ng isda o magbenta ng buko. Nagkataon lang na nakakuha ako ng tao na marunong magbenta ng buko kaya ginamit ko ‘yung experience niya and inaral ko po kung paano magbenta ng buko kaya ako nakapag-simula.”

One of Anthony’s most crucial decision was to take a loan to purchase a side car to make his business mobile. He thought long and hard about it and figured that it will take longer for him to wait until he’s saved up. It only made sense to take a loan and pay for it when his business starts earning.

He says, “Urgent po kasi sa ‘kin kaya ko po siya ginawa. Ang thinking ko naman, mangungutang ako hindi para sa bisyo, mangungutang ako para sa negosyo na magpapasok sakin ng pera, at the same time po, ‘pag kumita na ‘ko sa business ko, makakabayad na po ako sa pinagkautangan ko. Ang kinagandahan po nun, na-leverage ko ‘yung pera ng ibang tao, kasi kung pag-iipunan ko pa, maaksaya sa time.”

Anthony advises anyone who are thinking of venturing into business to make sure that their intentions are clear. “Dapat decided sila. Dapat alam nila yung why kung bakit nila gagawin yun,”he stresses. He quotes Author and Business Consultant, Brian Klemmer, ” if the intention is clear, the mechanism will appear.”

He continues, “…bottomline po, clarity sa negosyo. Kasi yung mga strategy about business, madali mo na siyang matutunan.”

Finding the right mentor in business

Anthony mentioned to Jay that he once enrolled in a business class and realized that his professor was not a businessman and was just touting textbook principles. This prompted him to start searching for someone who actually runs a successful business to mentor him.

He found a mentor in digital creator, entrepreneur and motivational coach, MJ Lopez. Through Lopez, Anthony learned to break out of the traditional business mindset and learned skills like negotiation, sales and network marketing. He also underwent mindset and personality development training.

He admits that success doesn’t come to you overnight, “may proseso din po, hindi po talaga madali kapag nag-uumpisa.”

Here’s more on Anthony’s story from the mouth of his mentor:

Anthony aims to succeed in business. He shares that his goal this year is to reach his targeted six-digit income, which hints that he’s quite possibly already on his fifth digit; while his long term vision is to become an icon in network marketing. He’s determined to change the way people perceive network marketing.

Anthony’s faith and belief that God has given him the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) are what keep him grounded. “Always trust in God,” he said. “And always taking massive action, especially po, dapat sobrang naniniwala ka sa sarili na kaya mo.”

If you’re interested to hear more about his network business and learn from Anthony, you can communicate with him through his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/esleme18

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About the author, May Palacpac:

May was the Grand Winner of #Sinag Financial Literacy Journalism Awards in 2016 (blogger category) and the editor of the books, Productive Pinoy and Right Start. She has works published in several magazines and websites here and abroad, such as Smart Parenting, Brighter Life Philippines, Weddings in Manila, SPIFF, Sip, Dangerously Fit Bootcamp, Choc Chip Digital and Massage Champions.

May is an advocate of homeschooling and alternative education for Filipino learners, and a staunch supporter of the arts. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication at the De La Salle University – Dasmarinas. She is the creator of Fully Housewifed and Fully Housewifed Homeschool Podcast.

For reviews, collaborations and brand partnerships, email fullyhousewifed@gmail.com.