PAUL Cholo Sepra, the founder and chief executive officer of Bellshayce Foods Inc., known for its chorizo, made his first million in 2010. Starting with just a humble P2,000 startup capital in 2008, Paul began selling frozen meat in Carbon Market alongside his mother’s fresh meat cuts.
Despite lacking a formal business degree, Paul honed his entrepreneurial skills in Cebu City’s Carbon Market. “The Carbon Market became my school,” Paul said who grew up in a broken family and struggled to make ends meet.
At 16, he became his mother’s right hand in running their meat stall in the market, working from midnight to 6 a.m. He either manned the store or took care of the supply. Most of the time, he delivered fresh meat to their clients.
“As early as 16 years old, I was exposed to the harsh realities of life. The financial difficulty we were dealing with at that time showed the best and worst in me,” recalled Paul.
Paul’s journey wasn’t easy. He faced many challenges, including dropping out of college and becoming a young father at 19. A turning point came when he encountered his college classmates while delivering meat, prompting a reflection on his life choices.
“I saw my classmates on the same jeepney ride. I was on my way to deliver meat to clients, and for the first time in my life, I suddenly felt ashamed—not because I was helping my mom, but because of how I was leading my life and the wrong choices I made. That moment convinced me to change. I know I could do better,” he said.
Working overseas
An opportunity to work in Japan provided Paul with invaluable life lessons.
“Working abroad taught me to be independent. It taught me a lot, from doing laundry to managing money,” he said.
Paul initially worked in a frozen meat company. After six months, he was transferred to a piggery farm, where he had to care for 600 to 700 pigs.
After a year, Paul went home to Cebu and returned to Carbon Market. Sometime in 2007 to 2008, he saw potential in selling frozen meat. His business grew rapidly, from re-selling one box of frozen meat to 20 boxes a day, while still helping his mother run the fresh meat business.
“I learned growing this business the Carbon way, ‘tinamban-style’ as they would call it,” he said. Paul became a supplier of frozen meat in Carbon.
Professionally-run business
In 2011, Paul formalized his business, naming it Bellshayce. He expanded his supplier network and, in 2016, opened a commissary in Mandaue City, all while becoming more prudent in his spending.
“My goal at that time was to make my money grow. The more I saw results, the more disciplined I became,” he said.
Networking and continuous learning became Paul’s pillars for success.
Knowing that business is about connections and maintaining healthy relationships, Paul engaged in various hobbies. He joined groups with similar interests in owning Harley Davidson motorcycles and American Bully dogs.
“One of the most important things in business is your network,” he stressed.
Besides being active in social groups, Paul immersed himself in learning to grow the business professionally. He listened to podcasts of business leaders and coaches, which inspired him to hire a consultant to ensure his business grows, adheres to government policies and stays for the long haul.
Opportunity during a crisis
Since then, Paul’s business has grown, importing frozen meat products from the US and Europe until the Covid-19 pandemic posed significant challenges in 2020.
“I was worried at that time because I was a new importer. I had a huge inventory, and I needed to dispose of it,” he said.
Paul adapted quickly by selling it directly to consumers and turned to processing, by making chorizos.
Fortunately, his products were also chosen by the Cebu Provincial Government as part of the relief distributed to the province. The company was one of the province’s partner merchants for the Sugbo Negosyo program during the pandemic, allowing the Sugbuanos to learn to make “chorizo” as a lucrative source of income.
“That allowed us to roll the ‘sleeping money’ we had at that time, saving us from potential losses and tarnished reputation as a new importer,” he said.
Through word-of-mouth, Bellshayce products are now slowly penetrating households not only in Cebu but also in Mindanao. It has been delivering highest-quality processed foods to the tables of families, restaurants and food service providers.
Long-term goal
From three workers, the company has grown to support the families of its 200 employees.
Moving forward, the company is also gearing up for the opening of its production plant in Mandaue City. Besides, tapping the Visayas and Luzon markets, the company is also eyeing a good slice of the Luzon population.
“This is not all about myself anymore. I want to make sure the business is run professionally so I can continue supporting the families of my employees. After all, they are the very first people who believed in me,” he said. / KOC