Looking Back at the 2014 “Big Dreams” of Key Finance People (Part 2)

At the end of 2013 I asked some people in the industry about their big dreams in 2014 for an article entitled What's Your Big Dream in 2014?. Before the week of Christmas I got in touch with them and asked them to revisit their 2014 big dreams and give their assessments. I also asked them to share with us their 2015 plans.

Here are the answers of those who were able to squeeze me in their hectic Christmas and work schedule:

 

1. Edward K. Lee, COL Financial, Founder and Chairman of the Board

HIS 2014 BIG DREAM:

“Next year we will conduct more seminars since we will have more time due to the cyclicality of the industry.”

HIS ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS:

“More seminars were conducted. We also did in three countries for OFWs in Singapore, Australia and Taiwan.

The year 2015 will be very exciting for COL Financial. Not only do we continue to educate on stock investing, we will be teaching our clients how to select different mutual funds to increase their returns.”

 

2. Salve Duplito, ANC On The Money Resident Financial Adviser

HER 2-14 BIG DREAMS:

“For my one-on-one financial mentoring advocacy to bear fruit. For more mentors to join and take on cases pro bono and for the mentorees to truly take on the challenge and be debt-free and turn into investors.”

HER ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS:

“This year has been such a gift for me in terms of fulfillment in my one-on-one mentoring advocacy. The results are so unexpected and I guess that's because life itself is unexpected. Pro bono cases that I handled have filled up their emergency funds! Can you imagine how happy I was for them walking inside the bank and putting their 90,000 pesos in a money market fund? That was a defining moment in their lives that I am so proud to be a part of. ?This year is a powerful validation of the power of mentoring. I've been writing and reporting on personal finance for almost two decades, but the real power of this movement is how it changes the nuts and bolts of life itself, not just finances. Better money management creates better relationships, enhances careers, builds fulfillment in motherhood/fatherhood, and so many other things. ?In some areas, the journey has not been as happy. Personal circumstances have caused one couple to stop seeing me because they said they could not pay. I said, its ok, I don’t mind. Still they wouldn’t come to meetings. I mention this because sometimes we need courage to embrace the blessings that life gives. So I move to another mentoree with a sad heart. In one extreme case, a couple who is deeply in debt refused to follow advice because of pride. Those of us who are in this work have to deal with personal choices. At times all we can do is to continue to care for them and pray. ?I've also been very blessed to have the chance to go to poor communities to give small workshops to what some may call ‘lost causes.’ Despite the difficulty - the team had to travel long distances and deal with heat and discomfort - I've had more fun in these communities than in the studio with floor lights, glam, and make-up artists! That moment when I saw several nanays cry with me as they embraced their potential to rise from poverty is just priceless.???????”

 

3. Melissa Gecolea, ANC On The Money Co-host

HER 2014 BIG DREAMS:

“For this year it’s pretty simple. I plan on paying off my mortgage (I hate debt) and increasing my income through other sources. I think yearly goals need to be attainable rather than too big that you'll feel bad if you don't manage to attain them.”

HER ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS:

“It seems that I am completing the goal I set for myself to pay my mortgage off by yearend. ?????My goal for this year would be to excel at my new job, acquire new skills. Documentaries are something really else.

For 2015 I really just want to focus on my career, getting better at it and saving and investing more.

 

4. Efren Cruz, Personal Finance Advisers Philippines Corp, Chairman & President

 

 HIS 2014 BIG DREAM:

“For EnRich to be one of the most sought after personal finance training programs in the country.”

HIS ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS:

“We are beginning to see the brand EnRich get traction. We are also getting requests to do more in-depth training both here and abroad. EnRich has touched the hearts and minds of many. ?The year 2015 will be even larger for EnRich as we partner with financial institutions to help people execute their financial plans. This is integral to our Walk the Talk campaign that we began a couple of years back.??????????”

 

5. Tony Herbosa, Corporate Finance & Consulting at Center for Global Best Practices, Managing Director

HIS 2014 BIG DREAMS:

“I have three clients looking to go public within 12 to 18 months: 1.) a Filipino owned but global cargo & remittance co.; 2) a resort company in the south; and 3) a consumer retail company with strong 'top of mind' branding. It's really all about execution now and I hope they go flawlessly?????... in 2014??????????.”

HIS ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS:

"I started 2014 with a wish list on mostly my IPO consulting jobs, the biggest of which was deferred. Thank God, 2014 was an exciting year for trading as "bagger" second-liner stocks, and not the big cap-blue chips, were the place to be. Many of my TAPPERS (Traders Apprentice Pilipinas members) were able to ride with me on MEG, DNL DD, LRW and MARC and this helped make TAP hit 31,100 facebook group followers as of today. The year 2014 also saw the birth of new TAP Chapters, such as TAP Ladies, TAP Singapore, Doha-Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahamas, Qatar and just recently TAP Italy.

For 2015 despite global deflationary pressures, I am still hoping for a good 1st quarter at the very least. I am also looking to help take public two small firms, one which is an on-line broker while another is into green energy."

 

MY 2014 BIG DREAM

In the same article I shared that in 2014 dream was to further my advocacies on purposeful parenting and financial literacy.

MY ASSESSMENT AND 2015 PLANS

I’m happy to say that I was able to fulfill that dream of further pursuing my advocacies. A big part of this was the publication of The Retelling of The Richest Man in Babylon. It’s actually getting bigger and bigger, bigger than my initial plan for the book. I was able to enlist the help of big names in the industry to participate in the videoserye that I made to pump up the interest in the book. I am so thrilled that in a span of months the book has sold over eight thousand copies. I am very grateful to those who bought the book not just for themselves but also for the people in their circle of influence. You are my “helpers” in spreading the basic laws of money that everyone should know!

I launched FQMom.com, a website where I share a lot of my thoughts not only on parenting and financial literacy, but also on relationships, Behavioral Economics, and other matters. I also spoke to different groups about parenting and financial literacy not only in Metro Manila but also in a province and another Asian country.

All these were happening while big milestones in our family life were also happening in 2014. My husband retired. We turned silver, I turned gold, our youngest son turned legal, and all three of them faced their challenges at work and at school, winning competitions and enjoying life.

I plan to continue with all these projects, to be awed by the things that will come my way in 2015. For starters, I’m coming up with the Tagalog version of The Retelling of The Richest Man in Babylon and my translator is none other than Ron Capinding, a teacher at the Ateneo High School, an actor and writer. Watch out for it. I will be sharing my other 2015 plans in future articles.

 

 I hope you also take time out to assess your own 2014 and write down your 2015 dreams. May I just suggest something? Be daring when you set your goals this year! As a wise man said, "The danger is not in setting our goals too high and not attaining them, but in setting them too low and attaining them." Cheers to getting out of our comfort zones!