Touched by an angel

The Holy Week allowed us to reflect on our lives and our relationship with God. We somehow got to work on our spiritual side, which admittedly is always a rewarding experience. We got spiritual nourishment through the various recollections, homilies and sharing we had with our relatives, friends and spiritual leaders. In a way, they always serve as our mentors in our spiritual journey.

For the past five years of the Go Negosyo advocacy, the importance of mentorship has grown. We have the overwhelming support of more than 600 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship mentors. They are what we refer to as Angelprenuers.

Angelprenuers are the people who have reached a level of success and expertise in running a business and who now would like to pay back and help others. They have the heart to assist and educate aspiring and existing entreps in our caravans, summits, and negosems. They also share their knowledge through our books, TV shows, columns and speaking engagements. By just being able to tell their story, or teach various aspects in business operations, they give hope and empower others. Other Angelpreneurs, who are professors and motivational speakers, share the need to have the right attitude and various know-hows in starting and growing a business.

The importance of mentorship is almost always the key success factor in getting people started in business and, more so, in helping people to move up from micro to small and from small to medium.

Getting the government to also understand the importance of mentorship and encouraging them to become Angelpreneurs by being enablers bring forth a wider and intensive reach for our entrepreneurship advocacy.

Some Angelpreneurs from the government are DTI Undersecretary Merly Cruz, assistant secretary Angel Pelayao, and Undersecretary Lina Amata of NLDC. Many from the DTI like the regional and provincial directors and officers in other organizations have become Angelprenuers. A project that PGMA started five years ago called One Town One Product (OTOP), also serves as a vehicle where more can be mentored.

There are many stories of microentrepreneurs who have been touched by our “angels”.

We discovered the story of Jennilyn Antonio last 2006 when I was asked to be one of the judges in the Citigroup Microentrepreneur of the Year Awards. Before, she was a struggling housewife juggling two jobs to feed her family. From one kilo of peanuts, she was able to find her goldmine. Since 2006, Jennilyn has been exposed to the Go Negosyo community. She has been mentored by Angelpreneurs and she has been exposed to our wide network of entrepreneurs. We are proud to say that she has moved on from being a micro to a small negosyante, and moving to become a medium-sized business.

“Go Negosyo ang naging daan para ma-share ko sa buong Pilipinas ang kabutihan ng Diyos (Go Negosyo has been the avenue for me to be able to share the goodness of God to me). I feel very special kahit maliit lang ako (even if I am just an ordinary person). Kayo sa Go Negosyo ang angels ko. You give me strength para lalo kong harapin ang hamon ng buhay (to be able to face the challenges of life). Mahirap pero dahil sa angels that God sent me, kayang-kaya ko to!” says Jennilyn. Today, she is making her way to becoming medium. Through Go Negosyo, she has also built relationships with Julie’s Bakeshop and The French Baker.

All the way from Baguio, we discovered the story of a remarkable young entrepreneur. Melody Ayupan’s soap business started because of pimples. This problem was the beginning of her growing Metaphors Bath and Beauty Products. We first awarded Melody in our first Youth Entrepreneurship Summit September of last year. Since then, we have invited her to attend and also to share her entrepreneurial journey and advise in our activities. She has also been exposed to the Go Negosyo network of mentors and entrepreneurs.

“Without God’s blessings, Metaphors is nothing. Go Negosyo’s selfless efforts to expose Metaphors to the whole country and the world is deeply appreciated. They are God’s angels actively at work,” shares Melody. Aside from being touched by our angels, she is also serving as an angel to others.

We met another micro negosyante in Batangas. Her name is Tita Burgos and she is slowly bringing her Tita’s Delight Bibingka and Pastries to another level. We awarded her as one of the Most Inspiring Batangueño Microentrepreneurs two years ago. Like Melody, we have also invited Tita to attend our summits and seminars, as we have also featured her in our Tagumpay book.

“Ever since naging part ako ng Go Negosyo, inspired na inspired ako. Naging angel ko na talaga ang Go Negosyo. Inspired ako na lalong pagbutihin ang negosyo ko. Ipinagmamalaki kong nagkaroon ng pagkakataon para mapabilang sa mga na-recognize at natulungan nila. Very proud ako! Guardian angel na talaga ang turing ko sa kanila. Andami kong nakuhang tips at parang nagiging bible ko ang mga Go Negosyo books, (Since I have become part of Go Negosyo I have become inspired to make my business grow. I am proud that I have been counted among those that Go Negosyo has helped. I have gotten a lot of tips from Go Negosyo),” relays Tita.

These are just three of the countless entrepreneurs out there who have been touched by Go Negosyo angels.

We are, likewise, inspired by our Angelpreneurs who take time to share what they have. “I agreed to be a Go Negosyo Angelpreneur because it allows me the great opportunity to payback a little of my time, talent and resources,” says Henry Tenedero, a speaker on mindset change. “Entrepreneurship is the way of the future. It’s a great advocacy to prepare our children to become masters, not of other persons, but of themselves and their own destinies,” he added.

Another suki Angelpreneur is Dean Pax Lapid of the Entrepreneurs School of Asia. He said, “Go Negosyo sharing gives me the high because an important factor for success either in business or personal is clearly to understand your reasons for doing what you’re doing. The Go Negosyo movement is successful & dynamic because it is specific towards prospering an entrepreneurial mindset among Filipinos.” Dean Pax is only one among the many entrepreneurship educators who has been with us for a long time. “As a Go Negosyo Angelpreneur, I firmly believe that any man’s greatest fulfillment is the moment when he has worked his heart out for a good cause — and finds his fellow Filipinos happy and prosperous,” he added.

One of our Angelpreneurs, Ping Sotto, also shares his views. “I am an Angelpreneur because I believe in the Go Negosyo objective and I simply want to do my share. I guess this is one of the ways I can pay it forward. What we need is a change in mindset... first to focus on what we want to achieve, then believe that it can be done and continue to push.” Ping is a self-help guru and an HR consultant.

“The invitation to be an Angelpreneur came as heaven sent. Seeing people hungry to learn the ropes in getting into business and the ability to share without thinking of my vested interests propels me to continuously heighten my passion to mentor.” says Franchise Guru Butz Bartolome.

They are just a few of the hundreds who give time to be an angel to others. Join and become a Go Negosyo Angelpreneur or as a big brother wanting to help the small entrepreneurs. Start a program with us. God blesses those who help others improve their life. Our country will be great as we help the small become great.

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E-mail me at tagumpay@gonegosyo.net, or thru my Joey Concepcion Facebook account. Visit t “_blank” www.gonegosyo.net. Watch the GO NEGOSYO: Kaya Mo! Show in QTV, every Saturday and Sunday 8-8:30 am, with replays in NBN every Sunday 9:15-10:00pm