She is persistent, consistent and diligent. Then she got me to meet her. She was not content with just a phone conversation. After several calls, I had to see her. Joby Linsangan Moreno, the woman behind the fast-rising Orange Blush Salon now with 20 branches and counting more, is an empowered woman. She is young, vibrant, beautiful, happy and inspiring. Read the Q and A below.
In your mind, is college education necessary to one’s success?
”Yes, I suppose. I am a Medical Technologist, with no subject related to my present business. But I believe that more than the course and theoretical subjects that they teach you in school, it is the students’ discipline to study and to excel that really matters. That’s what education is all about — aiming for a goal and attaining it.”
How much of your success is luck and how much is hard work?
“20 percent luck and 80 percent hard work.”
Do you believe in inspiration? Why and why not?
“Yes, definitely. Inspiration gives you a reason to try and try again even if you fail; it gives you a sense of purpose of why you are doing things and who you are doing it for. When you are inspired, all things are bright, beautiful and possible!”
Why set up a beauty business? Why not a rice mill or a mall?
“I have always been interested in the cosmetology field — haircutting, make-up, hairstyling, fashion — and I believe that when you choose a business, it has to be something that will also reflect your personality; something that you could relate with your inner self. And the beauty business is something that’s close to my heart.”
How did you come up with Orange Blush Salon’s name?
“Orange is my favorite color — it’s fresh, young, vibrant. It’s a color of hope and love and happiness for me. Anything that’s colored orange fascinates me.”
Tell us about Orange Blush Salon. What does it offer and how is it different from the others?
“Our Orange Blush Salon is a community hair salon that caters to the young, happy people who want to get value for their money. We offer quality yet affordable salon services that come with warranty or after-sales service. At Orange Salon, we believe that every customer should be treated fairly, that their concerns come first, and that our services and personal treatment exceed a customer’s expectation.”
When people say Orange Blush, what comes to mind first?
“Happy!”
What is an Orange Blush beauty?
“An Orange Blush Beauty is someone who embraces both her strengths and weaknesses; is happy with the way God created him/her, and is definitely proud of the person that he/she is. Orange Blush Beauty is more than skin-deep. It’s that person’s outlook in life that makes him/her a beauty.”
Tell us about you. What makes you beautiful?
“Happiness for me makes me beautiful. It is certainly true that when you are happy on the inside, it shows on the outside. When you are happy and grateful for the many blessings you get, then beauty radiates on the outside.”
What makes the Filipino woman beautiful?
“A Filipino woman is fearless. She dreams and achieves it, and that makes her beautiful.”
Your beauty secrets?
“I believe in the old school and natural beauty secret regimen. I think there is no substitute for what’s natural and what’s healthy. I exercise three times a week, I eat a lot of vegetables, I sleep at least eight hours a day, and I drink lots of water. Typical advice, but those tips really work.”
The most beautiful part of your body?
“My hair!”
Will you go for surgical enhancements?
“That actually depends. I am happy with what God has given me and I know He has a purpose for creating me this way. However, I do not also see anything wrong with people who have undergone or would like to undergo surgical enhancements. If it is what will make them feel a better, more confident person, then they should go for it.”
Your beauty icons?
“My mother and my sister top my list, then there’s the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, Ms. Meryl Streep, and Ms. Tessie Sy-Coson.”
How do you juggle life as a mother, wife and businesswoman?
“It is a matter of choice and priority. You have to decide first which role you want to become. I have decided to be a family woman; a wife, a mother, a daughter and a sister. Then everything else follows. I suppose you should know what to prioritize first so you can give it your best and you do not lose your focus.”
Men, how important are they in a woman’s life?
“I think that men are important enough to make a woman feel secured and loved. A man becomes important if he chooses to play his role as a man in a woman’s life. I am the conservative-type and I still believe in the Knight in Shining Armor.”
Your advice to women?
“That they should live their dreams, dare the impossible, go out of their comfort zones, be thankful to God always, count their blessings every day, to love their husbands and kids unconditionally, to honor and love their parents and family, and to believe that there is nothing impossible for a woman who has a dream, who believes in it and who dares to reach for it.”
How do you see Orange Blush Salon in the next 10 years?
“We shall be the top-of-mind budget Filipino hair salon in the Philippines by then. A household name hopefully, recognized nationally and still working with our happy, wonderful, fulfilled Orange Salon employees.”