Cessie Colayco: Passion and play
March 11, 2007 | 12:00am
"I used to be a lot more hyper," a bubbly Cessie Colayco shares, halfway through the interview, trying to sit still as makeup artist Chechel Joson applies mascara on her eyelashes. And with that statement, you quickly understand how she was able to make a name for herself in the colorful world that is the fashion and beauty industry.
Francesca "Cessie" (that’s pronounced Chessie) Colayco is currently Rustan’s Marketing Corp.’s (RMK) product manager for Procter & Gamble beauty cosmetics. She has been in the company for two years now, but she is no beginner in the industry. Before RMK, she was at the helm of L’Oreal’s luxury division. And before that, she had worked in the fashion retail department Stores Specialists, Inc. for a total of nine years.
She had originally wanted to be a lawyer, but a spur-of-the-moment venture into fashion retail steered her to another path. "In my last year of college, we had put up this business wherein we made boxer shorts and we made a killing," she recalls. That starts her life in the fashion industry.
Fresh out of college at 21, Cessie was accepted into Store Specialists Inc. (SSI), a sister company of RMK, where she handled fragrance and cosmetics before doing fashion retail for SSI. Now, 14 years later, she would be back to handle the same type of products, but this time, it’s a bigger ball game.
"In fragrance and cosmetics, the competition is so much tougher. The market is also a very fickle market. They can switch brands just like that," she says, snapping her finger. "It’s not a bad thing, actually. It’s a good thing. It’s what keeps it interesting."
It is this love for challenges and enthusiasm for her work that keeps Cessie high up in this industry. Her boundless energy and drive to achieve simply result into nothing but success. But don’t think that all that vigor is only channeled to her work. Even with such a demanding job, Cessie still manages to find things to enjoy outside the four walls of her office.
"I try not to make work my life," she says. "There’s more to life than just work."
So what keeps her adrenaline pumping when she’s not caught up in the hustle and bustle of work? "I’m in my happiest when I’m in water. It’s the most peaceful place in the world," she shares with a smile on her face. "I love to scuba dive. Right now, I dive in Anilao, but I’ve gone down in Bora, also Palawan. I’ve been diving since ’94, and I just completed my Nitrox One," she says, quite proudly. Aside from scuba diving, she keeps fit by doing yoga and walking. "I walk. I don’t run, unless I’m running for my life," she quips.
This lighthearted yet passionate woman says she wouldn’t have lasted as long if she had not been at ease with herself. "You have to be comfortable with who you are. You won’t be able to last long if you’re trying to put masks and play different roles," she says, this time, in all seriousness. She believes that to achieve a lot, you have to be passionate and confident. And as a parting shot, she utters impulsively, "There’s nothing in this world that you cannot not do."
Francesca "Cessie" (that’s pronounced Chessie) Colayco is currently Rustan’s Marketing Corp.’s (RMK) product manager for Procter & Gamble beauty cosmetics. She has been in the company for two years now, but she is no beginner in the industry. Before RMK, she was at the helm of L’Oreal’s luxury division. And before that, she had worked in the fashion retail department Stores Specialists, Inc. for a total of nine years.
She had originally wanted to be a lawyer, but a spur-of-the-moment venture into fashion retail steered her to another path. "In my last year of college, we had put up this business wherein we made boxer shorts and we made a killing," she recalls. That starts her life in the fashion industry.
Fresh out of college at 21, Cessie was accepted into Store Specialists Inc. (SSI), a sister company of RMK, where she handled fragrance and cosmetics before doing fashion retail for SSI. Now, 14 years later, she would be back to handle the same type of products, but this time, it’s a bigger ball game.
"In fragrance and cosmetics, the competition is so much tougher. The market is also a very fickle market. They can switch brands just like that," she says, snapping her finger. "It’s not a bad thing, actually. It’s a good thing. It’s what keeps it interesting."
It is this love for challenges and enthusiasm for her work that keeps Cessie high up in this industry. Her boundless energy and drive to achieve simply result into nothing but success. But don’t think that all that vigor is only channeled to her work. Even with such a demanding job, Cessie still manages to find things to enjoy outside the four walls of her office.
"I try not to make work my life," she says. "There’s more to life than just work."
So what keeps her adrenaline pumping when she’s not caught up in the hustle and bustle of work? "I’m in my happiest when I’m in water. It’s the most peaceful place in the world," she shares with a smile on her face. "I love to scuba dive. Right now, I dive in Anilao, but I’ve gone down in Bora, also Palawan. I’ve been diving since ’94, and I just completed my Nitrox One," she says, quite proudly. Aside from scuba diving, she keeps fit by doing yoga and walking. "I walk. I don’t run, unless I’m running for my life," she quips.
This lighthearted yet passionate woman says she wouldn’t have lasted as long if she had not been at ease with herself. "You have to be comfortable with who you are. You won’t be able to last long if you’re trying to put masks and play different roles," she says, this time, in all seriousness. She believes that to achieve a lot, you have to be passionate and confident. And as a parting shot, she utters impulsively, "There’s nothing in this world that you cannot not do."
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