It seems like only yesterday.
I was 20, with just a hundred pesos in my pocket and a borrowed suitcase, when I left Cebu to work as a marketing representative for Mobil Oil in Iloilo City. After five years in the oil industry, I moved into life insurance—as an agent and eventually an agency leader. At 50, I took the leap to become my own boss.
From scratch, my family built what is now a thriving enterprise: a school, a chain of restaurants and a juice and shake business that today employs over 1,500 people.
That was more than 25 years ago. And since most businesses don’t survive their first five, people often ask: How did you grow it?
Every entrepreneur wants to grow. But wanting is one thing—building is another. Growth doesn’t come from luck or a single breakthrough. It’s a long, deliberate process driven by discipline and grit.
Here’s what worked for us:
1. Reinvest your profits
When the money starts coming in, it’s tempting to enjoy the rewards. But if you want to grow, delay gratification. We reinvested early profits—opening new branches of Thirsty, Mooon Café, House of Lechon and Lantaw, upgrading systems, training people and building our brands. That’s how momentum began.
2. Keep improving
We practiced kaizen—continuous improvement. Better service. Cleaner stores. Faster responses. Every small improvement, done daily, adds up. Don’t wait for perfect. Just keep getting better.
3. Expand wisely
Growth is exciting—but dangerous when rushed. We only expanded when our core was strong and our team was ready. Never scale faster than your people, finances or systems can handle.
4. Build your people
Businesses don’t grow—people do. We invested in training, promoted from within and trusted our leaders to lead. Empowering people multiplies your growth capacity.
5. Obsess over customers
You can’t grow without loyal customers. Fix what frustrates them. Make things easier. Listen. Your best growth partner isn’t your marketing—it’s your customer. I always ask our people: are our customers happy?
6. Stay hungry
The moment you think you’ve made it is the moment you start slipping. Stay curious. Keep learning. Ask daily: How can we do better? Hunger and humility are your edge.
Final thoughts
Growing a business that lasts takes more than a good product or clever idea. It takes leadership, courage, and the will to keep going—even when it’s hard.
But when you get it right—when you build something that creates jobs, serves others and stands the test of time—it becomes one of life’s most fulfilling journeys.
Go for it.