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Hanepreneur
Hanep na Pinoy entrepreneur!
On August 21, we finally had our initial presentation with MLALAF thru Ms. Shirls and Sir Niku. We were able to present to them our initial modules which focus on Suppy Chain, Practical Accounting, and Sales Activities. During this session, we were enlightened as to what was really required from us. During this session, I also learned the true meaning of dedication.
So, August 21 came and we presented to Ms. Shirls and Sir Niku. It was pointed out in the meeting that the modules will benefit the student beneficiaries but more than that, it will guide the partner instructors on how to properly execute the modules. According to Ms. Shirly, these partner instructors have been with MLALAF for years, some for decades even. But what made them stay and still continue their works as partners instructors? What really motivates a person to wake up each day and to continue on? For some, it may be their salaries and benefits. For the others, it may be their passion and their desire to uplift the lives of their community. I believe the latter is true for the MLALAF instructors. Being an instructor, especially in this informal type of education can be really hard, especially during this time of the pandemic. But the MLALAF instructors are more than willing to extend their help, to impart their knowledge, and to be an inspiration to their student beneficiaries. During the session with Sir Niku and Ms. Shirls, I found out that these partner instructors also do not have that deep background on the subjects that they are teaching. But what makes them stand out is that they are willing to learn and to master these modules because they know within them the benefits outweigh the costs. The benefits that someday their student beneficiaries will be able to start their own businesses outweigh the cost of their sacrifices and efforts.
In all honesty, prior to the meeting I thought we were just making training modules for the beneficiaries of MLALAF. I didn’t know the impact of this project, initially. I didn’t know that we can actually influence and partly change the lives of those who will benefit from these modules. These may be simple, but surely these modules will help the student beneficiaries understand and learn more on the basics of starting a business and hopefully soon, we will have future Hanepreneurs who are products of MLALAF.
How can we be of service?
Last July 31, in the morning session of the 10th Anniversary of RVR-COB, one of the guest speakers, Mr. Chito Maniago mentioned that as lasallian business leaders, we always have to ask ourselves as to how we can be of service to the Filipino people. As mentioned not only in our ethics class, the goal of businesses is to provide goods and services that will better off the people. But as individuals, how can we practice this in our roles? How can we be of service to the others?
I am currently working as a sales personnel for a manufacturing company in the Philippines. The company started as a small biscuits and noodle manufacturer and made its way on top, making it now one of the market leaders for these categories in the Philippine market. The role in sales is not an easy one. I sometimes ask myself whether the stress and the anxieties are still worth the rewards or if I should just go back to my previous work as an analyst for a custodian bank. However, whenever I think about that and whenever I am in that situation, I always go back to the very reason why I took this position. In June 2017, when I signed the job offer, I made a vow that I will do my best not just for myself but also to be able to lift the lives of the people that I will be working with.
I started as a key accounts specialist back in 2017. As a KAS, my role was to ensure store excellence primarily through sales and merchandising activities. As a KAS also, I had the chance to be working with store merchandisers and area coordinators (AC). The ACs are the ones who manage and handle the merchandisers. The merchandisers are the ones who refill, receive, and maintain and manage the stocks inside the stores. Being in sales is a one tough role because of the pressure to hit sales metrics on a monthly basis. However, I made a promise during that time that I will give 101% best at anything I do because my team (the merchandisers and AC) are also relying on me. My success was dependent on these people and they too depend on me as their leader. Throughout my stay in the KAS role, I saw people succeed and getting promoted. It was fulfilling to see my team getting promoted from being merchandisers to team leads and to eventually ACs. Fast-forward to the year 2021, I am now handling a total distribution channel covering Baguio and La Union. My previous role has taught me to always think of ways to be of service to others, particularly my team, comprising of 200 people. As the days go by, I always want to ensure that I make positive contribution to the lives of my team, whether by coaching and mentoring them to guiding them on their day to day tasks. It’s such a wonderful feeling to hear success stories from these people that because of the company and because of the leaders of the company, they were able to send their siblings and family members to school, some were able to purchase properties and cars, and some are able to provide for their families despite the pandemic. My vow is to continue being of service to my team, to train and teach and guide them, to the best of my ability so that they too will become leaders one day and that one day they can influence and make a positive impact to the lives of their future team members, too.
The Laws of Money, Lessons of Life by Suze Orman
Having a diploma in business management, it sometimes surprises me that some of my colleagues and friends are actually struggling with their finances despite them earning more than what an average young adult makes. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life now, but it also helps if one is saving for later. I’m all for enjoying and rewarding oneself from time to time, but I’m also an advocate for financial literacy. I always tell my friends and even my family of the concept of delayed gratification – it is the act of resisting a temptation of an instant pleasure in the hope of obtaining a more valuable reward in the future. If you look at the Internet, you may find thousands of concepts about and personal finance and financial literacy, but there is one powerful video by Suze Orman that talks about the Five Laws of Money.
The first law – Truth creates money, lies destroy it
Fairly straightforward, the first law states that being true to one’s financial position will lead one to a better financial standing. Being in denial of one’s financial situation will create more problems in the future. A former colleague of mine, who is fond of traveling, had spent thousands of pesos for her Wester Europe trip back in 2015. Unfortunately, she didn’t save enough for the travel; instead, she loaned the pocket money from her bank. It took her three years to finally pay off the loan as well as her credit card debt. When one is truthful to his or her money, one is also led to do the right decisions about it.
The second law – Look what you have, not what you had
This specific one is applicable to investments made in the past. Investors tend to dwell in the past and so they get stuck to that moment and find it difficult to move on. A wise investor will always learn from the past mistakes and will use these learnings to make sound and strategic decisions which will benefit them in the future.
The third law – You have to do what is right for you, before you do what is right for your money
This one states that one should prioritize one’s freedom and security above all other benefits of money. She says that one should make decisions that will make him or her feel good and less stressed before one should prioritize money. This can be done by securing one’s emergency fund first before investing in riskier assets.
The fourth law – You must first invest in the known before the unknown
This one is my favorite since I am more of a risk-averse investor. I always make sure that I am 101% prepared at any life unexpected plot twists that come my way. I currently have two life insurance policies and I’m planning to get another one to cover for medical expenses should I get very sick in the future. I also have enough savings to cover for at least a year of my expenses. I always prioritize security and peace of mind above all.
The fifth law – Remember that money has no power of its own
The fifth and final law is a reminder that money cannot do anything on its own. We are the ones who control our money – whether we decide to grow it by investing it or whether we decide to spend it on material things. In the end, it is us who control it and it shouldn’t be the other way around. People sometimes forget that and this video is a good reminder that we are in control of our own financial situation. Whether we decide to prioritize our security in the future or whether we decide to enjoy the now, it is totally up to us.
2020 is not cancelled (Part 2)
“The chance to stay at home is a privilege not shared by all.” That kind of thinking was what fueled Kapit Cabalen to keep pushing. We knew that while many of us are privileged to stay home and be safe from the threats of the virus, many poor Filipinos have to go out of their homes each day to earn enough money just to get by.
At 5PM on March 20, 2021, we launched Kapit Cabalen – a donation drive initiated by Des, Joyce, Aly, and myself, which aims to provide assistance in the form of grocery and food packs to the displaced workers in Pampanga. By 6AM the following day, we were able to collect a total of Php40,000 cash donations from families, friends, and colleagues. It was at this time where I realized that people in general are kind-hearted and that everyone is willing to extend a help – whether through small cash donations, simple in-kind pledges, and even just by sharing our pubmats in the social media. Php40,000 might seem small, but it’s enough to cover grocery packs for 80 families in Angeles City, and that was just the start.
It wasn’t easy at first given that there were only four of us in the group doing all the tasks – from purchasing and repacking grocery items, to meeting up with generous donors to receive and pick-up in-kind donations, to doing basic accounting and bookkeeping, to creating our own marketing materials and digital ads and answering and attending to messages from Facebook and Instagram. Not to mention we were all employed full-time and have our own responsibilities at home. We divided the tasks into two – those who can do the physical activities and those that can help with the virtual activities. Des and Joyce were assigned to do purchasing and repacking, while Aly and I were assigned to do pubmats and attending to queries online. When it comes to distribution, the task was divided between Joyce, Des, and myself since we are all located in Pampanga, while Aly is based in Manila. It was exhausting but none of us felt stressed or scared or anxious amidst the pandemic because we knew that what we’re doing would be of help to our community.
Each day, our community grew. Colleagues, families, and friends kept on sharing our pubmats. There was even a point where our pubmats reached Instagram influencers and celebrities. Andi Manzano-Reyes shared our pubmat through her IG stories and many people from all walks of life started sending cash donations through GCash and bank transfers. By the end of week 1, we were able to provide grocery packs to at least 230 families in Pampanga and we even had enough excess cash to provide food packs to healthcare front-liners.
Week 1 distribution to Security Guard Frontliners in Pampanga
By the time we reach Week 4, we were already able to raise close to Php400,000 pesos in cash donations. Kapit Cabalen also stayed true to its initial mission of not only reaching to our Kapampangan Cabalens but also reaching to the displaced workers in Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, and Zambales. All in all, Kapit Cabalen was able to reach and provide grocery packs to more than 700 families, at least 400 healthcare frontliners, in over 20 communities in Region 3. It started from a conscious experience – from empathizing and putting ourselves in the position of those in need, to analyzing and reflecting how our simple ways can help and provide assistance to these people, and finally to acting on it and being committed to our mission. At that time, it was difficult to initiate it because everyone was in survival mode, everyone was anxious as to what the future holds because of the pandemic. But it only took a courageous one step that brought out the kindness and generosity among people.
2020 may have been a difficult year, but 2020 thought me several life lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. ❤
Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder Review
I came across this product while watching The Beauty Breakdown’s Innisfree | One Brand Makeup Tutorial, which, according to Morgan, is one of her favorite setting powders. This product is meant especially for those who have oily skin, it claims to be a replacement for blotting papers and is supposed to make one’s skin soft and matte for hours.
Innisfree is known for their natural and organic ingredients, and it is also one of the most affordable Korean brands I know. This No Sebum Mineral Powder is one of Innisfree’s best sellers.
The No Sebum Mineral Powder comes in two forms: loose powder or compact. I chose the former, which I got from Althea Ph for only Php 260. The product’s packaging is simple – it comes in a small, mint green colored pot. The container is solid and won’t easily break.
Inside is a puff applicator, which, in my opinion, doesn’t work perfectly for the powder. Just like what Morgan does, I prefer using a brush instead of the puff. The powder is separated from the puff by a plastic grid. Basically, you would want to shake it upside down for the powder to come out, get a brush, pick some product and pat it onto your face.
The powder has a minty/ herbal scent, which leaves a cool sensation on your skin even minutes after you applied. The texture is dry and very fine, and it blends nicely on my skin tone. It has a matte finish and somehow I think it has pore minimizing effect too. Since I have a combination skin type, I’d say it truly is a no-sebum powder because it makes my face oil-free for about 5-6 hours. In cases when I have some sheen on my t-zone, I simply apply some powder and everything looks nice and fresh again! It makes my skin matte and doesn’t leave a patchy, cakey coverage.
I can only see 3 downsides with this product.
- Although it comes with a puff applicator, I don’t think it works well with the product. It’s best to apply it with a brush or a more compatible puff that will pick up and hold powder for an even application to one’s face.
- I understand why Morgan said she bought several of these, it is because it only comes in one size, about 5 grams. The packaging is cute and simple, although I’d like it to be a little bigger.
- I have sensitive skin and although this product is really good when it comes to controlling excess oil, I experienced having little breakouts on the sides of my nose. The product is all natural and there are no strong chemicals so I am not really sure why I had breakouts.
Overall, I am happy with the Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder. It claims what it says to do and it is very affordable! I will definitely repurchase, although I would also like to try other K-beauty setting powders out there.
Got some suggestions? Leave them below! 🙂
Should you trust Althea Korea? I did.
If you want to avoid the hassle when purchasing online, a pre-requisite is to do an extensive research about the website. And since we’re talking about beauty and skin care products, one has to research not just about the legitimacy of the website but also the products themselves. Some of you may not have the luxury of time to do all that, so I did all the research for you. Let’s get started, shall we?
What is Althea Korea?
Althea is a K-beauty online shop that is taking aim at the Southeast Asian markets. In 2015, the startup announced that it received an undisclosed amount of seed funding from 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital.
[Finance 101: A venture capital is a type of financing that is provided by firms (a.k.a. investors) to small, emerging firms that are seen to have high growth potential.]
Since then, Althea has already expanded into 6 countries namely Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Philippines.
Products
Althea offers a wide range of K-beauty products. To be honest, I had a preconceived notion before that K-beauty is all about face masks and lip/eyebrow tints. (Yes! I am a newbie here!) With Althea, I figured that K-beauty refers to basically anything about health and beauty care. Althea offers a wide range of products from skincare, make-ups, to hair care and even nail care. To date, Althea has partnered with up 100+ Korean beauty brands (and if you ask me, I think they have no plans to stop expanding this list because just this week, they welcomed the latest addition to their brands, AMOK). Of course, the favorite Korean brands in the Philippines are present (Etude House, Tony Moly, Laneige, The Face Shop, Banila Co, IOPE, Innisfree, Holika Holika).
Price
This is the game changer! Althea offers HUGE discounts to its customers. Since they deliver products directly from Korean suppliers, they charge much lesser compared to other online shops. In fact, they offer cheaper products than the actual shops in the Philippines. For instance, the Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion is retailing at Php 1,900 in the Laneige store in SM Aura. Althea, on the other hand, offers the same at a much lower price of Php 1,320. Not only they offer cheaper products, Althea also offer free shipping for orders above Php 1,000.
Payment Options
I could only see 2 downsides with Althea. While usual online shops such as Zalora and Lazada and transportation apps Grab and Uber have offered the ultra-convenient payment method known as Cash-on-Delivery or COD, no such option exists yet for Althea. The only payment options are by Credit Card and through Paypal. So, being a non-card user, I have to resort to borrowing (thanks Lirs!).
But I’m not giving up on that hope just yet as Uber did finally bend to user demands. Maybe in the near future (fingers crossed).
Delivery
It took my package only 6 business days to arrive and I got it in GOOD condition. The products are placed in a huge bubble wrap and then placed inside a thick plastic sleeve that has the Althea logo sticker on it. Their local courier is LBC Express so once your order has arrived the Philippines, you can contact LBC directly to track your package. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the actual package.)
Did I also mention that Althea has an online tracker that lets you see a step by step status of your order?
So, Is Althea Korea Legitimate?
A personal tip: if you want to check the legitimacy of an online shop, test their customer care service. A legitimate online shop will hire good customer service representatives no matter what. In my case, the CS rep was able to answer my questions in a timely and appropriate way. I have also tried contacting them through their Facebook page and again, I was impressed by the prompt reply. With great products, best prices, and excellent delivery service, no doubt, Althea Korea is a legitimate online beauty shop!
More Tips:
- Make sure to have a shopping list. Althea offers a wide range of products, and if you are not sure what to buy, chances are you’d be overspending.
- Although most products have reviews on them, make sure to do your own research still. Watch YouTube videos or read blogs that do product reviews before purchasing the items
- Know your skin tone if you’re buying foundations or BB creams. Korean brands have much lighter shades compared to Western brands. Before I purchased the Laneige BB Pore Control at Althea, I went to the actual Laneige shop to have a closer look at the product as well as to test which shade fits my tone (HAHA sorry and thanks to Laneige SM Aura).
- Subscribe to their newsletter and watch out for promotional codes! Althea offers discount up to Php 350 to new customers. Receive this special discount by clicking this link. For existing customers, however, Althea sends promotional codes and discounts via email, so make sure to check your inbox once in a while. The 2nd downside that I noticed with Althea is that they disable promotional codes very soon after posting, without informing the customers. For instance, I placed the Lunar New Year promo code and was about to checkout but decided to change one item from my bag, when I tried to checkout again, the promo code has already expired.
All in all, I am satisfied with my Althea Ph experience, and yes, I will definitely repurchase!
So there you have it! Are you still hesitant to buy from Althea Philippines? What are your concerns? Comment down below or shoot me an email at koreandermitch@gmail.com.
The Koreander 