Nobody can put a good (Hart)man down
Since he was nine years old, Victor Harry Hartman had been looking for his biological father. Every day, he would be in a rented computer shop in Navotas, surfing the net to find the man he had never met since birth.
When he was 22, after countless failed attempts, he found him. They had a meet-up in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, they have never been apart in spirit. They are constantly in touch. They now take vacations together — just father and son.
In him, Harry found his voice. He found a purpose greater than himself. And everything Harry does now is in honor of his dad — including the marketing agency he established.
“Ray Hartman is the name of my father. I will always say his name with pride,” Harry begins.
“Seven years ago, meeting my father for the first time was a turning point that pushed me to look deeper at what really matters in life. It made me realize the value of connection, of finding your people and building something meaningful together.
“That experience shaped my decision to create Hartman — not just as a marketing agency, but as a place where passionate people come together to help brands find their own voice and purpose. Today, Hartman is a collective of creatives who go beyond traditional marketing. We focus on making real, human connections and crafting brand identities that stand out in a crowded world,” he says.
Harry is big on finding identity because he was finding his own when he was growing up.
“I am a product of an unexpected pregnancy. My mother already had her own family when she met my father in Hong Kong. He was a musician. They parted ways in 1994, and I was already inside my mother’s womb then. My father did not know my mother was pregnant,” Harry recalls.
But Harry refused to call it an “unwanted” pregnancy because he’d like to believe that nothing and no one in this world is unwanted. He said his mother delivered him on her eighth month of pregnancy. It was a miracle he survived.
“Everything and everyone of us exists because we all have a purpose. Thankfully, I grew up with a positive outlook on life,” says Harry, a product of the kindness of people because he was cared for by his adoptive father, Arsi Baltazar, formerly of GMA Artists Center.
Before he turned 17, Harry was already out of his mother’s house in Navotas. He lived in a friend’s house. From grade school to college, he was an academic scholar. Harry, who took up a course in Advertising and Public Relations at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, is a techie.
In 2011, armed with good looks, he wanted to enter showbiz and auditioned at GMA Artists Center. He did not get a callback but he found a friend, Arsi Baltazar. He focused on his studies. In 2013, Harry and Arsi, no longer with the GMA talent center anymore, met again. Harry told him his story, asked for a job, and landed as an apprentice at Francis Libiran’s atelier until he became the deputy GM and marketing communications manager of Francis and Arsi’s fashion company. In June 2013, “Dada Arsi decided to adopt me and made me live with him and his friends.”
“I was labeled as a ‘mistake’ and a ‘disappointment.’ Countless times I was told by people close to my biological family that I would never make it in life; that I would never reach anything, that I am worthless and useless, that I will never find my biological father, that I will be just a ‘nobody,’ that I don’t and won’t have a family and I will never be happy. Hearing those words from the people that I’ve expected to support me and help me grow really hurts, but then again, C’est la vie.”
He proved his worth. Since he found his father, his drive to excel has become unstoppable — which led him to found his own agency, Hartman, the brand he honors his dad with. Harry and his brand have come a long way in a short time.
“Being in the business for two years, we’ve already partnered with over 30 brands—local and global, across industries like fashion, technology, health, beauty, lifestyle, food and beverages, hospitality, public figures, and politicians.
“We don’t see people as data points or transactions. We see them as real, complex individuals with stories that deserve to be told and problems that need to be solved. That’s why we’ve helped refresh established brands and launch new ones by creating authentic connections and experiences that people remember.
“Our team is a mix of young talent and seasoned professionals who prove every day that when you combine passion, creativity and understanding, you can achieve incredible results,” he says.
Harry often says that he’s a product of goodwill because so many people have extended kindness to him along the way. That’s why paying it forward is so important to Harry.
“At Hartman, we’re about more than just doing business. We’re about creating spaces where young creatives can find their footing and where brands can connect with their audiences on a deeper level. It’s about making sure that everyone feels he or she has a place, just like I did when people opened doors for me,” he says.
He recalls, “I’ve been looking for my father since I was nine. I would go to a computer shop, type his name on Yahoo! Search. After several misses and rejections from people who knew his father, on Sept. 1, 2013, a big part of the puzzle seemed to fit in. Harry found his father’s private Facebook account.
He sent him a long message, ending it with “I think you’re my dad.” He also sent his dad’s photos, newspaper clippings and letters that Harry salvaged from the trash in their house in Navotas.
On Sept. 5, 2013, he got a reply. “Hello! It’s me! Thank you for finding me. We have a lot to talk about and catch up on…Do you go by Victor or Harry? Love, Ray.”
It took about four years of waiting before father and son finally met in person. On July 20, 2017, after Harry managed to secure a visa and fly to Vancouver, he met his dad personally for the first time. (He did not have a US visa then.) They spent a few days together with Peggy, Ray’s wife. They sealed their bond and they have stayed close to each other since then. Their first meeting was just the beginning of better days to come for father and son.
What are the qualities of Hartman that are identical to Harry’s dad’s traits?
“Hartman is driven by three key principles: having a clear purpose, being intuitive, and making intentional choices. We don’t just chase trends; we focus on what makes each brand unique and find ways to tell their story in a way that resonates. We take the time to understand the complexities of our clients’ needs and turn that understanding into simple, impactful strategies. Everything we do is about creating results that matter, and that’s why our work is so personal—it reflects our commitment to doing what’s right for the people and brands we work with,” he says.
Harry is kind and driven — his experiences taught him that. Despite the odds, Harry proves that nobody can put a good Hartman down. *
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