Looking Through The Life of a Millennial Entrepreneur

 

Millennials are known to be uneasy sticking to one thing or one place. When they think of something, they want to make it happen right away. While these can be positive traits, some might be wasting their time changing their minds often. Therefore, there are two kinds of millennials – focused and one who just wanders around and explore.

I happened to have met one millennial entrepreneur some two years ago who had just started her salon business. But the owner was a bit weary since she was not earning as much as she anticipated that she even thought about just selling her business. However, she must have thought about it a million times before making a drastic move. Instead of closing the company, she took another chance by “reinventing” the salon. And that is how the Unicorn Themed Spa started. It is actually the first-ever unicorn-themed spa in the Philippines. And from what I have heard, others followed suit.

The unicorn-themed spa was a hit. The salon did not only cater to women who wanted their nails done. Veneracion Beauty Salon & Spa also offered mini-events like bridal showers, baby showers, and mini birthdays. That is truly something unique. But, that was just the beginning of how Ricel May Veneracion turned herself around after a massive loss in her salon business.

Be inspired by how this millennial entrepreneur and super mom never stopped from achieving her goals.

Business Mentor: Who is Rachel May Veneracion?

RMV: I’m a 28-year-old working mom from Romblon who took up computer programming and dreamed of being able to be different–such ambition started when I was 22-year-old.

Business Mentor: When did you start with your business (how old were you), and what motivated you to create one?

RMV: I was 23 when I realized that being confined in a four-cornered room while working for 8 hours a day was not what I wanted in life.

Business Mentor: Describe how your typical day is.

RMV: I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a morning person. My day starts off by having brunch with my kid and partner. We usually talk over brunch about the errands that are set for the day. I prep and get a dress for work. My day at work ends differently depending on the demand for labor. At the end of the day, it’s a catch-up moment for my partner and me as we go out for dinner and share with each other how our day was. Afterward, we go home straight, and I make sure to spend a little time playing with my baby girl before she goes to bed.     

Business Mentor: What were your struggles starting with the business?

RMV: Well, I was not born with a silver spoon, my family was not wealthy, but it did not stop me from achieving what I have right now. To tell you a story, I was disapproved by a building owner to lease on his property. This was one of the biggest challenges I had when I was starting. I was more eager and driven to convince the building owners that my business could pay the lease. My struggles did not stop there as my business was discontinued after 9 months of operation because of some problems that came along.  It was a heart-breaking experience, but it did not deter me from starting anew.

Business Mentor: What are your other businesses besides the salon, and how long have they been operating?

I have had my salon business for 3 years already, turning 4 actually, this December.

I am a proud franchisee of 3 Turks Shawarma branches. One at the Shaw Center Mall in Mandaluyong, operational since December 2016, at Victoria Towers in Quezon City since March 2017, and the other in Lapu-Lapu City Cebu located at Alfresco Mactan Newtown Megaworld, which opened July 2018. I also franchised another food cart business that opened last September 2017.

Business Mentor: From being a salon owner, what made you decide to engage with another kind of business?

RMV: Having the mindset of a mompreneur, I decided to maximize my time and resources. Apart from being a franchise of food cart businesses and a salon owner, I am also an active online seller who caters to young girls and moms.

My mompreneur mind is set to be engaged with more businesses in feeding my passion for helping my family and providing employment to others.

Business Mentor: What measures (training, seminars, workshops) have you taken to ensure that you can manage your business well? Do you have a business partner?

RMV: I am a firm believer that education, pieces of training, and workshops give us a blueprint to build a pretty good life. I underwent training at the Center of Aesthetics Studies (Frank Provost) and have experienced several pieces of training, seminars, and workshops for skin, hair, and nail care.

Business Mentor: Being busy with your salon and food cart business, do you still find time to be with your family? How do you spend quality time with them?

RMV: As a mother of a 2-year old baby girl and a businesswoman handling 5 businesses, 24 hours a day is not enough. However, a mompreneur like I fully embody juggling many responsibilities as an entrepreneur, a mom, and a wife. There is no “right” way to start or run a business and certainly no recipe for learning how to balance it all. Still, I have learned that you’ve got to find your own groove with discipline, routine, and priorities through the years.

Business Mentor: Being busy with your existing businesses, are you still interested in starting a new one?

RMV: I was looking into opening a Luxury Lounge that provides high-quality service at a very affordable price. I want to make women look fabulous without spending too much.  

Business Mentor: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned since you started with your business? And what tip can you share with the aspiring entrepreneurs?

RMV: Never stop dreaming. Reaching for success is like stepping on stones; take each step carefully, with the vision of achieving your goals. Also, do not stop making your dreams come true. After all, if you believe in your dreams, you can make them happen.

Business Mentor: How do you see yourself in 5 years?

RMV: Given the pace of change these days, I would not presume to say that I know what I’ll be doing five years from now. But I know I’ll be working hard being a mom and expanding my business (beauty and foods). Also, I will be creating more employment opportunities for committed people who are passionate about what they do.

Because of her persistence to go on and her faith in herself, she was able to overcome all the odds that made her who she is today. She believes that her primary responsibility is to ensure that she will never cease expanding more than starting a business. Her knowledge on how to better take care of all her businesses. I am sure that many young individuals can be as successful as her if they know the right path to choose.

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For questions and more information, you may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome.

By email: [email protected]

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Website: https://www.butzbartolome.com