Mentors Preach: Lessons Practiced at Work… and Life

It’s said that if you want a great career, look for a boss, not a job. I’ve been blessed to have worked with brilliant mentors in recent years. Though none of them is perfect, all of them contributed to what I know now. I will only have my gratitude to offer them.

Here are some of those important lessons I learned from my mentors, both useful at work and in personal life:

Do one thing at a time.

This means you got to learn how to properly prioritize your tasks. Everyday is a cycle of work that’s left undone from yesterday and tasks assigned to us today. It’s not uncommon to hear some coworkers complain over workloads and new projects. Multitasking has also been a common practice. I feel blessed that I got to work with a boss who recognizes the value of time. He’s also one to meticulously screens the quality of work. When tasks stack up, he’ll often say, “Drop everything and work on the first item on your list. ‘Cause if you’re finally done with that, then you can stop thinking about it. And you can put your whole attention to the next item.”

Photo Credit: wwarby Grandad’s Watch via photopin (license)

Do not fall in love easily.

“Sometimes, when we love something or someone, we’re content to let them be the way they are. It seems to us that they’re already perfect. But that’s loving blindly and that’s not helping them. Always challenge what you’re seeing right now. Identify what’s working. Ask what’s not working and how the change can be facilitated.” In effect, these statements best describe how branding/rebranding works. And to be working with such an excellent brand person is truly a great experience. These words ring true to our personal lives and a wide range of other industries as well.

Photo Credit: Nick Fuentes Lejano. via photopin (license)

You can be good leader and a kind leader at the same time.

Though not in the exact words, Bob Davids said, “If you push people, deep inside, you wouldn’t know where they will go. But if you’ll show them how it’s done, then they’d follow you…And whenever you give power to your subordinates, that power comes back to you in the amount that’s always greater than what you’ve given away.” This sums up my experience with this particular mentor. She guided, encouraged and trusted me to do the things that I myself didn’t think I can do. Of course it wasn’t always perfect and there were times when I’ve been all over the place, but my mentor’s patience and generosity carried me through.

Photo Credit: Luigi Mengato Leadership As A Service via photopin (license)

Sincerity goes a long, long way.

When I thought people whose names are as good as VIP pass only exist in fiction, there’s actually this very cool guy who’s just that. Of course, it took him much time before he gained this advantage. He told me, “Initially people would only do business with you if they perceive you as the better deal, but that’s just the start. What you must do is to sustain that initial contact and continue to establish the relationship – be reliable, be trustworthy, genuine and concerned. It’s a tricky world out there and while you must do your job, you should also learn how to play it cool and enjoy yourself.” And yes, guys, he acts as he preaches.

Photo Credit: bellmon1 Helping Hands via photopin (license)

Dedication takes you places.

Most of our superiors have been in the company for at least three years. The amount of time that they’ve put into the job may be tracked, but the dedication that they’ve put in along those minutes is definitely immeasurable.

I’ve met a Manager who’s been with a 48-year old company for 32 years and another who chose to work during weekends to deliver reports on Monday.

I think people with this amount of dedication also has a great sense of accountability, not with just the output but with the people working under them. They are also usually the people who occupy the higher ranks. We always complain that we’re overworked or the tasks just keeps piling up. But not everyone in the higher rungs passes down the work, some of them shoulder the bulk of the load themselves. They may even have made greater sacrifices. These mentors taught me that I should be thoroughly responsible and dedicated to my tasks and that I can always give just a bit more to go the extra mile.

Photo Credit: Daquella manera Milla Extra via photopin (license)

You may also have other lessons from your mentors, feel free to share them in the comment section below!

Going Down South to Davao City

The plane landed at exactly 11:40am. Stepping outside the arrival area, I was welcomed by the hot, going-to-mid-day sun. And all at once I was reminded that, this here is still Philippines. I’ve arrived in Davao City.

My workmates were already waiting outside. But I went through a different door, and later, found myself face to face with this magnificent Durian sculpture.

It was awesome to say the least. The monument’s at the far left of the place and not at all prominent. I felt myself drawn to it and to the sculpted figures that seemed to want to come out of the giant fruit. Kublai Millan did a pretty impressive representation of his native land.

The Land of Promise

Located at the southern part of the Philippines, Mindanao is the second largest major island in the country. It’s home to most Filipino Muslims. This is where vintas, great tunas and Manny Pacquiao hail from. Mindanao is a land made sacred, not just by religion or heritage, but by the lives of people who fought hard for it. And just like most of the Philippines, its filled with lush mountains, vibrant seas and warm people.

Truly, it is the land of promise.

All the Seafood that You Can Eat

I came to Davao City to work. We’re participating in a trade show in SM City Lanang.

Come night time, we went into this place where you can have all the seafood that you want. Crab Buffet is the restaurant’s name. If you’re going anywhere near Davao City, you should definitely eat here.

Crab Buffet, Davao City — Crab Buffet Platter

And then, there’s this local grill where they offer their freshest catch. I didn’t like the bagaybay very much, but the panga is all right.

Local seafood grill in Davao City. — Local seafood grill at Davao City where you can get their freshest catch.

What and Where to Buy Souvenirs in Davao City

When we had the time to go out and shop for souvenirs, we visited the Divisoria of the South (I’m not sure if the comparison would be correct, but it must be the Divisoria of Davao City) – Aldevinco.

Aldevinco is just in front of Ateneo de Davao. It’s a busy shopping center that the locals and tourists flock to for very affordable goods and unique finds.

Aldevinco Shopping Center — The facade of Aldevinco, where shops that stand side by side offer you unique finds at great prices.

I brought home pashminas, paper wallets and tote bags. All for low prices. You can haggle all you want.

The best thing about the place is that police in the area prevents the local vendors from harassing tourists. So you can really take your time shopping, with ease and security.

We also brought home fruits. Pummelo is very popular around here. A box costs P600.00, it has about 6 to 8 pummelos. Now, most tourists would want to buy the plump and golden ones. But chatting with the local fruit vendors, we learned that its actually better to buy the wrinkled and shrunken ones. And it turned out to be true! As they say, don’t you judge anything by appearance.

Local Fruit Stand in Davao City — Lyds Fruit Stand offers pummelos, santol and mango. The vendors are really kind and accommodating.

We didn’t get to buy any mangosteens. It was not in season, we were told. There’s santol, though. When I tried it, all my childhood memories came rushing back. All those hot summer days spent climbing the tree and harvesting its fruits. I never knew I missed those times until I tasted the fruit again. I really had a wonderful time at that shop.

Local Laws

Davao City feels like any other province here in Luzon. Not so many tall buildings and life is neither fast nor slow. But what makes it so different is that when a local law is passed, everyone, everyone, tries to follow it.

Motorists religiously follow speed limit. Local bars and restaurants observe curfew. The mayor is both feared and respected. It’s a safe place, is all I can say. Also, the place take care of the people as long as they practice discipline and the local ordinance.

I didn’t get to explore the place very much. But I think I seen enough and learned enough to say that Davao City is a very nice place. I want to visit there again.

FACT:

All Jollibee restaurants in Davao City is owned by one person. And if you’ll visit the place, you’ll see that Jollibee is located at every corner and establishments. There’s no Chowking here, though.

ADDITIONAL FACT:

They ride motorela here and not tricycle. Jeepneys are very few. Also, cab fares are low and drivers are honest.

Our Visit to the Puzzle Mansion – Pieced Creations from the Heart

From card boards, to wooden, crystal, 2-D, and 3-D puzzles, you name it, this place’s got it! Puzzle Mansion is a gallery literary full of wonderful art works pieced together. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just want to see something awesome, I highly recommend that you visit this place.

Ms. Georgina Gil-Lacuna, the owner of the Puzzle Mansion, holds the Guinness World Records of having the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles which consists of 1,028 different sets. She has been collecting puzzles for 26 years.

Ms. Lacuna's very first puzzle, one that's filled with love because we were told that she made it for her child. — Ms. Lacuna’s very first puzzle, one that’s filled with love because we were told that she made it for her child.

The Location

The gallery is pretty difficult to get to. It’s like this obscure mansion, hidden at the heart of undulating pineapple fields in Tagaytay City. There are steep descents and ascents before you can get to and from the place. It was a little terrifying. But it is surely worth it.

A minimal entrance fee is required. The receiving area has a wall that feature press releases of Ms. Lacuna’s achievements as well as the prominent people who visited the mansion.

Citations and press articles about the Puzzle Mansion.

The Gallery

The place gives off that very homey feel. The two-story building house the puzzle gallery and the retail store. There’s a wonderful garden in front and several mini-fountains.

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Totally Puzzled

To be welcomed by larger than life puzzles inspired by artworks from the Renaissance is nothing short of amazing.

Scenes taken from Lord of the Rings, art works from the Orient, 3D models of the world’s popular structures, wooden representations of dinosaurs and suspended air crafts are also exhibited.

Wooden puzzles of dinosaurs.

Woman with a Parasol, 1,000 pcs, completed in 12 hours. Originally by Mark Spain.

This is one of the biggest art pieces in the gallery. Very impressive. Can be seen at the left side of the room upon entrance.

I’m not really sure what’s this art work’s name. But I’d like to guess it’s a Renoir.

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Puzzle completed in 24 hours.

2D puzzles, with scenes from popular books and stories.

Wooden air crafts.

It’s very interesting the variety of art works that can be found in the gallery. It’s a mix of classic and pop art like this one.

Yoi. Made of 1,000 pcs and took 15 hours to complete. Original art work by Haruyo Morita.

St Basil’s.

This gives you a very good top view of New York… or some place else. I can’t remember.

3D puzzles of popular world structures.

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, made of 1,000pcs and completed in 14 hours.

Autumn Glow. Made of 1,500pcs, completed in 18 hours. Original work by Diane Phalen.

48pcs, completed in 20mins.

Crystal Puzzles of cute pandas and bears.

Claude Monet’s.

Klimt’s The Kiss

Much Needed Break

After taking the tour around the gallery, visitors can hang on the veranda and rest for a bit. Pineapple fields surround the area and there are cozy seats where you can start great conversation about the pieces that you saw or your thoughts about the mansion.

Pineapple fields.

Take Home Puzzles

You’d really want to start your own puzzle project after all that you’ve seen. There’s a retail store where visitors can buy puzzle sets. There are items for children, teens and even adults.

Handcrafted items for home decorations and clothing apparels are being sold as well.

There are so many puzzle sets to choose from.

Wooden kitchen utensils.

Handcrafted bags and dried flowers.

Decor set.

Various native products.

Beautiful swan paper weight.

Great Experience

The die-cut reproductions of the art works do not diminish the value of any masterpieces featured in the gallery. It showed us another way, another medium of enjoying and appreciating these works of art. Some puzzles can be accomplished within 13 hours, some, thousands of hours. Just imagine the time, the effort, the dedication it takes to complete one puzzle.

I really admire Ms. Lacuna for all her efforts and her passion and most of all, for letting us enjoy her hard work.

How do you boost online sales across multiple e-commerce channels?

Sharing this cool infographic by Channel Advisor on how to manage your multiple e-commerce channels. The information was gathered from 400 Australian online retailers to identify their strategies to boost their online sales!

Channel Advisor is an e-commerce software company that helps online retailers be seen and sell more online. You can subscribe to their updates and newsletters to get the latest e-commerce news, trends and resources.

Tiny Feet

Tiny Feet
by Gabriela Mistral

A child’s tiny feet,
Blue, blue with cold,
How can they see and not protect you?
Oh, my God!

Tiny wounded feet,
Bruised all over by pebbles,
Abused by snow and soil!

Man, being blind, ignores
that where you step, you leave
A blossom of bright light,
that where you have placed
your bleeding little soles
a redolent tuberose grows.

Since, however, you walk
through the streets so straight,
you are courageous, without fault.

Child’s tiny feet,
Two suffering little gems,
How can the people pass, unseeing.

Tiny Feet Analysis

Here is one of my most favorite foreign poems of all time. I suddenly remembered it from years back. I got a link for a copy of this poem and read my comment, explaining its meaning. (Yeah, I’ve forgot all about it!). And I was glad because my comment (now you know my name is Jel!) was actually helpful.

Note: I also wrote my analysis on this page. The content will be more or less the same from the link above.

In any piece of literature, as in any piece of art, one should first know the history of the person who created it so as to have a fuller understanding of the work.

Gabriela Mistral has been called a feminist most of her life, but she’s really a child advocate. And she wrote this particular poem to call attention to child prostitution.

From where she was born, prostitution, especially of children, has been rampant. Children, at the very young age of 5 or 6, are pushed to this trade in order to help their families. Child prostitution has become just another social issue that people choose to ignore.

The title, Tiny Feet, is a phallic symbol, just like the size of a male’s feet connotes the size of his sex organ.

There are several imagery and symbols in the poem. The word “snow” can mean indifference. Just like how we describe people who seem not to care at all as cold. “Soil” symbolizes fertility, referring to the vulnerability of female children. Tuberose is a plant that belongs to the lily family. In literature, it means dangerous pleasures. “Two suffering little gems” refers to virginity.

This poem calls the people attention protect and give importance to children. They are the most vulnerable member of the society and as older people, we are responsible for giving them shelter, security and support.

As a literary piece, this work is so reflective of Mistral’s style. She’s not a stickler for traditional poetry elements. The most defining element of her works is the strength of emotions she’s able to convey through the various use of metaphors, symbols and themes.

This poem has brought me sadness, made me feel horrible and ashamed. Sadness because it’s true, child prostitution is a real social issue and a great concern at that. Horrible, because I just couldn’t imagine the plight of a child described in the poem. And ashamed because I didn’t realize what the author wants to say until a literature professor explained it to me (and I’m not an active participant to end prostitution). I was so ashamed that I got shallow understanding about this beautiful piece of art. I felt I wasn’t giving it the respect it deserves.

Much is also true for what I felt with Ghibli Studio’s movie, “Spirited Away” which also alludes to child prostitution. That discovery made me really sad. Again, I was clouded by my ignorance.

So, if you want to add your own analysis or interpretation of the poem, please do so on the comments below. Thanks for dropping by!

Filipinos Prefer In-Store Experience for Grocery Shopping; Online Shopping for Non-Consumables and Services | Philippine Association of National Advertisers – PANA Website

Sharing this blog post from PANA Website on Filipino Grocery Shopping Experience. This is based on Nielsen report.

Filipinos Prefer In-Store Experience for Grocery Shopping; Online Shopping for Non-Consumables and Services | Philippine Association of National Advertisers – PANA Website.

The Bottom Line of Advertising | Philippine Association of National Advertisers – PANA Website

Visited PANA’s website today and came across this industry news about The Bottom Line of Advertising.

In a gist:

Even people from the industry can’t guarantee that greater ad spending leads to higher sales.

Advertising is a shout out to all your prospects and your current customers. It only helps to take your brand out there, to inform the market what you can do and the problems that you solve.

It’s not the be all and end all of marketing. In fact, advertising is just one of the many promotions activities that you can do when launching or marketing your products or services.

Ads effectiveness are measured through impressions, reach, engagement or resonance. Sadly, these indicators aren’t directly translatable to sales.

These figures just tell you how many people have heard about your product, are aware that it exists and its purpose. Whether they will convert depends on how effectively you integrate different activities on your marketing campaigns.

Advertising though, can greatly impact your brand or services in the long run. There was this one study that says, brands that steadily advertise, even during recession, have achieved higher sales at the end of the difficult economic period. Why?

Because most people would turn to a brand or product that sticks around no matter what. Brands, products, or services that consistently makes their presence felt and communicates to their market can hardly be forgotten. And that’s how a brand, product or services achieve share of mind. And once you got that space, it may not be very difficult to get share of wallet. 😉

Why be conscious of your social media image?

So, I was browsing through my Facebook news feed when I came across this post from the World Economic Forum page about social media image.

So, from the video we learned that not only big businesses, politicians or entrepreneurs need to be concerned on how they are perceived through their status updates, photos shared or online activities.

Our social media image augments, even shapes the opinions of people who doesn’t know us personally. We must be accountable and careful on what we share online.

We better make use of the privacy setting our preferred social networking sites offer so that we can control which information to share to the public or friends.

Social media provides us with so many benefits, including a far-reaching channel of establishing ourselves and building reputation. It’s never a bad thing to think twice before you post, tweet, pin or share. So be mindful of it.

Update: The link to the video is no longer available.

How to Practice Gratitude that Unlocks Your Happiness

I believe gratitude and happiness are inseparable.

Gratitude is thankfulness, the acknowledgment of the positive things and great opportunities that you have and expect in your life. And happiness, arguably, is that wonderful, warm sensation in your heart that lets you know something you wanted or planned for is finally happening.

And so, if you can acknowledge even the littlest of things that you’re thankful for, you can’t help but be happy.

Sounds simple, right? But most people remain unhappy.

Be thankful for the little things.

Often, you tend to overlook the little things in life that can bring you happiness. These are trivial, sometimes mundane events or things that you don’t even consider. But when you start to be conscious about all the things around you, you may discover a lot of things that you can make you happy, or at the least, smile.

List all the things that you’re thankful for. You might be surprised how your happiness is consists of small, every day things that you usually take for granted.

Think of your favorite weather, the smile you received from a stranger, or that kind guy who offered you a seat on the ride home. These simple, usual events are your simple blessings each day. And if only you acknowledge these as such, then you might just realize that life is easier, more bearable because you get these little miracles every day.

Be thankful for the big things.

Of course, bigger blessings are hard to ignore, especially the ones that you really worked hard for. But still, most people forget to give thanks. They feel entitled. They think that because they worked for it, they only deserve it. It’s all on them.

And maybe this is one reason why most achievers lead an abundant, but unhappy life. They forget about gratitude.

Gratitude begets happiness. — Gratitude unlocks happiness. Never forget to be grateful.Photo Credit: symphony of love via photopin cc

You shouldn’t forget that great things can’t be achieved alone. You may have been the leader or the main man for a really successful project or business venture, but you could have never been at the top without the people who helped you, supported you and prayed for you.

I believe in hard work, in discipline and focus. But I don’t believe that you can get to where you want on your own. There will always be people who you’ll need to ask help from or those who will offer you their help. And for that, you must be thankful.

Acknowledge the hardships for they made you stronger. Recognize your team because they supported and strengthen you. Thank the universe because it conspired to make you successful.

Be grateful for the success of others.

We’re echoes of each other. And the more we support other people to achieve what they want, the more that we make ourselves capable of achieving our own goals and dreams.

Be happy for others. — Be grateful for the success of others. Photo Credit: tedeytan via photopin cc

Instead of being envious or holding grudges or blaming fate, it maybe better to say our thanks that our brothers or sisters finally achieved their dreams. Tell the Universe, or your God or whatever deity you hold the highest respect for, that you’re ready to receive yours.

Practice gratitude. Achieve happiness.

Featured Photo Credit: MTSOfan via photopin cc

What’s a Filipino?

A month or so ago, I found this true-blue Filipino blog called The Pinoy Warrior. I went around the website and found content that’s really informative and credible. Author does research really well. But, among all his articles about Filipino culture, traditions and celebrations, I noticed he doesn’t have any entries about the definition of Filipinos.

It was around the same time that I came across Nick Joaquin’s statement:

“The identity of the Filipino today is of a person asking what is his identity.”

So I went ahead and wrote an email, asking if he can make an article about it. And he didn’t disappoint.

A Take on Filipino Identity covers Filipino history, the author’s experience and what he sees at the moment. It’s a very reflective work and very consistent with what Joaquin had to say.

“So who is the Filipino? No one can really say… Today it is a state of mind and a choice, for each and everyone who proudly says I am Filipino.” – Russell Lorenzo

There are distinct Filipino traits, then there’s our environment and the legacy of our past, and the influences that’s shaping our society at present. In all of these, we can see fragments of what it’s like to be Filipino. If we zoom out and attempt to make sense of it all, our interpretations will be varied and irregular.

This isn’t at all bad, because we can have great opportunities for growth and development as a nation. But it’s also our main drawback. Are these traits and traditions enough to bind us in one thought? Does our history make us closer and help us identify with each other?

But we’re a young nation. And maybe we’re at experimental (confused) stage. We’re slowly discovering who we are. And with all these things that we’re doing and exposed to right now, we’ll find that certain and absolute identity that we’re searching for.

Thank you, Russell for such great work!

Photo Credit: Cebu Bluewaters