EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURIAL MARKETING (SMALL ENTERPRISE) JORGE WIENEKE Agora Awardee Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship (Small Enterprise), 2017 TEMPERING MARKETING THINKING TO A PERFECT T I always say that "the driving force to success is pain." All successful businessmen have experienced pain in life to force them to focus on their dream, leading to their success. If one is not challenged enough to experience being pushed against a wall, then he will not be determined enough to go for his goal. I myself went through a lot of pain. Several years ago, I sold my shares in my first baby, Potato Corner. It was humbling, I must admit, very humbling but that is the first value that a businessman should imbibe, HUMILITY. Humility has taught me to see my failure as an opportunity, accepting it with dignity and seeing the positive in the pain that it had brought me. Life after Potato Corner wasn't easy because being associated with the brand meant always being pulled back to it, asked about it and still being linked to it during industry events and talks. I can't seem to get away from its shadow. The friends that I had during my prime suddenly disappeared. My circle became smaller and people started doubting me as I tried and tested different concepts. After years of struggling to create a new product concept, I saw the long-drawn faces of my sons, staring at me, doubting me. My heart broke into a million pieces feeling my sons' pains. I thought to myself, "Do they think I made the wrong move by selling?". That moment made me push harder to create another brand that will put our name in the map again. This is where the second most important value of an entrepreneur comes into play: RESILIENCE. Every entrepreneur will experience failure, it is how he bounces back from this failure that tests his mettle. I fell flat on my face but bounced back with dignity. In my case I had 17 years of struggling through many concepts. I had been crying, trying, frying a whole lot before I went flying with my new brand TOKYO TEMPURA. I dabbled with a restaurant concept but went back to the food cart business which is my core competency. I created not only a brand in TOKYO TEMPURA, but also a company that I can proudly leave as my legacy and will provide for my family. A company that cares not only for my immediate family but likewise the "family" within, our people, and outside, their families. I have built a Giving Culture within our company and this is manifested through KALYENEGOSYO, our mentoring advocacy which provides a 6-month entrepreneurship program to micro-entrepreneurs in need. I was able to do this because I did not allow myself to fall victim to some personal traps which become walls to one's success. The 1st trap is the "I am alone trap". This trap makes you feel so infinitesimal and gives you the mindset that because you are by yourself, you cannot do anything. At Potato Corner, there were four of us and I found comfort in the fact that I had my friends to help me run the company. After leaving Potato Corner, I lost my comfort zone and initially was so afraid to be on my own but I did not let it control me. I overcame that fear and just plodded through. The 2nd trap is the Timing Trap. I did not dwell on my situation and dilly-dallied. Since Day 1 of selling, I worked incessantly to find my replacement for the one I lost. The time is now, and I moved with passion. You have to find your own timing but what worked for me is the immediacy of doing things. If I did not move right away, I might've lost my momentum and my nerve altogether. It may have taken me 17 years to get there but I do re but I do GTE not regret one bit of learning that I gleaned from those years. The 3rd trap is the Mistake Trap. Meaning, some people are afraid to commit mistakes, hence, do not make a move at all. I never for one second fell into this trap. In fact, I embraced all the mistakes I made and used them to fuel my journey towards achieving my goal. Lastly, there is the Comparison Trap. I did not compare myself against others. I was doing my own thing. I did not need to see how I fared against my old partners or against others in the same industry. I was happy just doing what I could and knowing that I was doing something. It did not stop me that others were better than me or felt that they were better than me. It just did not matter to me. What mattered was I was taking steps toward my goal. 106 THE AGORA WAY GUIDE & INSPIRE YOUR JOURNEY UP THE MARKETING WORLD