Ladies Who Launch Season 3 delivers expert-proven tips from powerhouse lineup
It was a day of ultimate sisterhood when community builder Leading Ladies recently held Ladies Who Launch Season 3. They exchanged positive energy, fortified networks, and shared business knowledge without gatekeeping.
Entrepreneur/changemaker Cat Ilacad, and digital content creator/author Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio—the duo behind the Leading Ladies community—set the tone for the day.
“We wanted to find a space for all of you, where you can connect, where you can find your next collaborator, and business BFF,” said Ilacad.
“This is also a space where ideas are born and support is found,” said Peralejo-Bonifacio. “We’re not doing it alone. We’re actually walking together.”
To create a spark in each of the 100 ladies in attendance, the Leading Ladies duo put together a powerhouse lineup of business experts who were all eager to share their knowledge and experiences.
Hold your power
Wellness advocate, columnist, and award-winning author Stephanie Zubiri started the day with a series of empowering activities. All of it was meant to show the ladies in attendance how important it is to protect their energy.
“Hold your power. No one can take it from you. You only get to give it to who you want,” Zubiri told the attendees.
A business owner’s attention and energy keep getting pulled in different directions. Zubiri demonstrated that by reining in their power and being mindful about who to share it with, ladies in the audience could fully own their peace.
Focus on product, profit, and people
“Have a great product,” Pau del Rio, founder of Paulash, Burvon, and Glam Hour, told newbie entrepreneurs. “A good product won’t just satisfy your customers; it will also market itself.”
She also emphasized that a healthy profit margin is essential. “I started out without listing expenses. So we had a tough time expanding in 2022, 2023.” A good profit margin dictates the rate of business expansion.
Finally, del Rio stressed the importance of hiring the right people. “Your business needs to run even if you’re out of the country. That’s what your core team is for.”
Don’t be afraid to fail and start from scratch again
Chal Chang Lontoc-del Rosario, CEO of Jeron Travel, had a rough start in the travel agency she inherited from her mother. Months into her new post, she discovered that everyone in the company had been stealing from the company’s coffers.
At 24, Lontoc-del Rosario had to fire the dishonest employees, file legal cases against them herself, win each one, then rebuild the family business from the ground up.
Today, Jeron Travel is back to its original glory. And all Lontoc-del Rosario had to do was to use failure as a stepping stone to greatness.
Sell what you know
Winnie Wong, minimalist, organizer extraordinaire, and founder and creative force behind two smart brands, Pouf and Sorto, lives what she sells.
To be intentional with everything she buys, she keeps an inventory on Pinterest of everything she owns. Her passion spills over to the platforms she established.
Pouf is an online shop where Wong offers long-lasting essentials. The goal of the company is to reduce “the urge to buy more of the same things.”
In the same vein, Sorto, which is still in its beta phase, is an AI-assisted personal inventory platform. It helps users organize all their possessions and, in the process, gives them insights about their approach to accumulating things.
Use excellent product design to drive sales
Fresh from a failed casual couture business, CMO of Amen Global Co. Kyna Gem Sy had to pivot to couture masks at the height of the pandemic. Using the leftover fabric from her couture line, her brother-in-law designed masks that people could wear to formal occasions.
The masks were sequined, beaded, highly functional, and fulfilled global standards of safety. They were a hit. But when the pandemic ended, Sy had to pivot again; this time, with Amen custom suits, to provide women with power suits specifically designed for them.
The suits her team develops in New York City are customizable. Customers can mix and match colors, pick special buttons, and be assured of personalized sizing. Suits can also come with a secret pen pocket.
One customer came back with a powerful review: “The suit helped me close a deal with a high-paying client.”
For franchises, stay true to the brand’s integrity
Roberta Abad Estacion, the Philippine franchisee of long-time brands Browhaus and Strip, enumerated the “house rules” for maintaining a franchise:
- Make sure the brand has a strong identity. It has to stand on its own.
- Find a brand with a proven business model so you can just replicate rather than reinvent.
- Be mindful of the brand’s SOPs.
- Ensure there is training support for your staff.
- Confirm the brand has a good marketing strategy.
- Make sure the legal and financial structures are sound.
Estacion added, “Be consistent with your brand; don’t be swayed by trends. Also, use storytelling to connect with your customers’ emotions.”
Providing a powerful end to the day was a jam-packed panel with more business experts: Anna Magkawas, co-founder of Luxe Beauty Wellness Group; Janine Khazaie, CEO of Massage MNL; Roselle Velasco-Taberna, CEO of Taberna Group of Companies; Juliet Chen, co-founder of Serenitea; Rizza Lana Sebastian, CEO and founder of multiple businesses; and Sarah Jessica Caringal, Head of Brand and Marketing for Bravefood’s Global Concepts Holdings.
The Ladies Who Launch Season 3 attendees went home bursting with inspiration and enough business tips to help keep their ventures running far into the future.