Ken Do This

Congratulations! It's a Boy...or a Girl!

2009-12-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

This Blog post is dedicated to Jonas. He made a request asking me to be more active in writing in this blog because apparently he reads this in the office. If your boss knew you were reading this blog I think you will get promoted! hahaha like that would ever happen.

Anyways this is for you Jonas!
_________________________________________

Most of us have probably heard a parent say that being a parent is the best thing that ever happened to them or spending time with the kids is one of best part of being a parent. Well I'm not here to question that, I am just here to let you guys know a particular perk of being a parent.
Having kids is a legitimate excuse to be absent from work! True or False? I think everyone would probably say YES and I would definitely agree too... Employees who have kids can use their child's parent-teacher meetings as an excuse to miss work or some activity (like doctor's appointment) that they need to bring their kids to to miss that important presentation. This leaves the employees who have no kids to pull that jaw-dropping presentation out of their ass on their own and I think that's not fair at all.

With more companies looking at trying to balance their employee's work life and family life, there will be more childless employees who will be carrying the load. To all of you childless employees, it is time to even the playing field with "The Office Kid Kit".

If you check the cubicles of your co-workers with kids, you will probably find the pictures of their kids and some crappy kid artwork on their desk... now you can also have those without the actual kid! With the Office Kid Kit, you can choose to have a Boy or a Girl, choose ethnicity, and even choose what hobbies your "kid" have (like playing soccer). Now you can display those pictures and those kid artworks in your cubicle and once in a while have a "family emergency" and absent yourself from work! Time for someone else to pick up the slack!

The Rise of the Franchise Part 2

2009-12-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

Goal # 15: To Launch a Franchise

It's been a while since my last post. I have been very busy trying to really be employed hahah just kidding. Since my last post I have been working on one of my 100 Goals (which I haven't completed listing yet. In my 100 Goals list, one of my goals is to be able to launch our very own Franchise.

I'm very happy to say that last Nov.29,2009 we opened our very first Franchise-worthy bibingka (It's Philippine version of rice cakes) stand in St. Francis Square Ortigas Center behind SM MegaMall. I have to admit that it takes a lot of patience and time to come up with our very first stall. Granted that the idea of a bibingka stall is not really a novel or an all too original idea but we're quite optimistic on the future of this business.

In my humble opinion I think there are two main leaders in rice-cakes(bibingka) market here in the Philippines and I think that would be Ferinos' Bibingkas and Bibingkinitan. Of course I could be wrong but as of now we will settle on this fact.

In the Philippines, Ferino's has a great brand and it has been in the market for a very long time. It's most recent and closest competitor would be the Bibingkinitan Franchise which has grown through actively and aggressively franchising it's mini bibingka food stall concept. This has prompt Ferino's to also set up bibingka food stalls in the past few years.

I consider both companies to be first-movers in certain aspects. Ferino's, I consider to be the first mover in developing a brand and a foot hold in a market that is sentimental to tradition. And Bibingkinitan, for being the first-mover in pushing for the bibingka food stall concept which I think they did a very good job with.

Now here comes the second wave of bibingka brands like BibingkaKo, Bibingkabon, and our own bibingkitas. Now how does a new player try to compete with the more established brands in the market? That's the question that we will try to uncover in the coming months..

Passing Out in Style

2009-10-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Goal # 3: To Graduate from the Asian Institute of Management

In the words of my Indian cohorts "We have finally Passed Out from AIM"; and even though we use different words to express the same meaning, I deeply share the same sentiments. The Asian Institute of Management 16-month MBA Program Batch 2 has finally crossed the metaphorical finish line on Sept 25, 2009. On this day we close a chapter that has brought most of us together and torn some of us apart.

On the day we celebrate the culmination of our efforts, I tried to recall the things that I could have done better during my stay in AIM but realized that it would be futile to keep looking back when these kinds of moments remind us to move forward.

It has been a little over a month now since the picture above was taken and from that time until now I have realized that things will never come easy. The day after our graduation, tropical storms ravaged the Philippines, leaving millions of people devastated. There has been a lot of finger pointing and political bickering surrounding the tragedy that has swept the nation and this action can never heal our nation, it will only wear us down. It's time to move forward.

September 25,2009....and moving forward.

All In At Genting

2009-09-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

Genting Highlands was one of our highlight stops for the trip in Malaysia and it certainly was a memorable one. I won around 200 US dollars in one hand of an unfamiliar version of Texas Hold'em in the casino. You play only against the dealer and bluffing does not really matter because the dealer always has to play his cards. The game also has a peculiar betting rule but the interesting was the BONUS bet where you can win pay outs by just having a very good hand. For example pokets (pair on hand) would give 3:1 pay out, poket Aces gives 30:1 pay out and if you and the dealer both get pocket Aces the pay out is 1000:1. The group was supposed to meet up for lunch and I told Mark that I'll just play last two hands and jokingly told him that I had a feeling I would get a pair of Aces and on that hand I did. At that moment I thought what if the dealer had Aces as well that would mean we're going to extend our stay in Malaysia. hahaha

But playing in the casino during our visit to Genting Highlands was just an ice breaker to the thoughts that was running through my mind when I was there. Normally I would be easily impressed with the mention of the place having 6 hotels with 10,000 rooms, a theme park, shows, casinos, restaurants and retail shopping outlets all in one place but not today. I'm more impressed with the man behind it all, Mr.Lim Goh Tong.

If you find yourself in Genting Highlands, there is a place there like a mini museum about the transformation and history behind the place and the people who had a vision, the character and the perseverance to follow through. I bought the autobiography of Mr.Lim Goh Tong in the hopes to be inspired by his journey and as I coursed through the book I was not disappointed. His story starts off by leaving his homeland (China) and trying out his luck in a different place like many of the Chinese people who settled and made their fortunes here in the Philippines.

If we digest their stories we would probably see a lot of similarities and it is amazing how these men could make huge strides in their respected industries while coming from humble beginnings.

IKEA : Affordable Solutions for Better Living

2009-09-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

me being such a tourist!

When our group went to Malaysia we visited IKEA on the last day of our Asian Immersion Program. It was not really an official visit; no one met us or talked to us in IKEA but the experience of seeing one of the most read business cases that we had in AIM before your eyes is something very special for me.

I know that our visit to IKEA would probably seem weird to a lot of people... Don't deny it! hahahaha I was talking to some of our fellow MBA students from Malaysia. We had a joint case-room discussion with them just a day after we arrived in Kuala Lumpur. They asked me the usual things like "how do like it here in Malaysia?" "Which places have you visited?" and I answered that we were going to visit IKEA and they stared at me curiously. If you could see their faces you would seriously die of laughter. "Of all the places to go to why the hell visit IKEA?" --> This is what was written on their face! hahaha Any normal person would probably ask the same thing, even some of my fellow AIM delegates felt the same way.

Prof. Ortigas (AIM faculty for AIP) asked me in passing in one of our lunches if we should still visit IKEA because we could totally skip it to spend more time at Genting Highlands (Malaysia's top Casino/Theme Park spots) because we really needed the RnR. I expressed that in my opinion it would really be nice to see an actual business that we have discussed in the case room. I would love to see how they do things in IKEA in person and not let this just be another case that I have read. In a twist of fate one of our scheduled activity for Malaysia so the group ended up doing Genting Highlands and IKEA on the last day of our Malaysia visit.

When we got there I was amazed at the size of IKEA Malaysia maybe just because we don't have it here in the Philippines. We have MC Home Depot, ACE Hardware and DIY Hardware but but aside from Home Depot those hardware stores are the closest thing I could compare IKEA to. IKEA is a very unique furniture concept store that offers great furniture at affordable prices.

For AIM students who have read the case we know how IKEA could offer this proposition but for those who do not have a clue here is how they do it:

1. Their furnitures come in flat boxes and you have to put them together yourself.
* Their savings on delivery and putting the furniture together is passed on to their customers
* They also save on storage and transport costs because of these "flat" furnitures.

2. Information on the tags
* All the info you need to know is on the tags of these furnitures to save on employees who otherwise would loiter around store aisles waiting for you.

3. They make so many of everything...
* Volume lowers costs. So creating a lot of one thing saves lowers the cost of the furniture per unit.

other Strange IKEA ways

IKEA Malaysia also has a day care center for kids so that the parents could really shop around the store, they also have their own restaurant and other services including home and office furnishing consultants, delivery and assembly services (if you really want to for a fee). Malaysia is predominantly a Muslim country and IKEA Malaysia offers their customers and employees prayer rooms too. This shows how IKEA adapts to the country they are doing business in.

Now for the question: Will IKEA work in the Philippines??

As a stand alone concept store I don't think it can survive the Philippine retail culture. Based on my observation we Filipinos like the one stop shop concept that's why malls here are equipped with everything from grocery to entertainment to clothes you name it our malls would have it. I do not believe that we will go out of our way to visit a furniture complex unless it has a lot of other things attached to it.

And I'm not 100% sure about this but my guess is that majority of us don't want to bother with the "build it yourself" concept since we usually like things to be instant, it's easy for us just to buy it and have it installed.

And the most crucial thing is commuting in the Philippines is Hell. For the people who have cars they won't mind to have the stuff delivered because they can afford the extra fee but to people who don't have cars they will definitely have a problem because our public transport system will pose to be a real hurdle for those IKEA flat boxes. In the end they will still have them delivered which eliminates the value of the savings that is supposedly passed on to the customer if they took the items home themselves.

If IKEA was an annex of a super mall like SM's MALL of ASIA then it might work. Everyone likes to go to the mall at the same time they could visit IKEA and vice versa. But this will definitely conflict with SM owned hardware and furniture concept stores unless IKEA and SM partners up to give the Filipino people the IKEA experience.

The foot traffic problem could be solved with either partnering up with a Chain of Malls in the Philippines like SM or convert a big lot area into a place people would like to go to. They could invite leasers for restaurants and other service stores which would create foot traffic as well. But the retail mentality and habit of the locals might need a little more time to get used to the IKEA way.

Asian Immersion Program (AIP) Sept '09

AIM Student Stars in Siam Niramit Show

2009-09-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

AIM student Abhijeet Bahaadur of MBA Cohort 3 stars in this amazing, world-class performance of Thailand's cultural heritage. Well not exactly but he did get picked to go up on stage for a very musical and entertaining intermission number.

For a night we were happy to be a part of the 40 million dollar production. And even though I slept through the first act (I blame it on the buffet + being tired from all the traveling) I did wake up just in time to see an AIM student take center stage in front of a 2,000 capacity filled theater. For Abhijeet's performance I give him a 10 out of 10 and I think the crowd felt the same way too.

I've been part of some school plays and I know it is very difficult to manage a lot of different things at the same time. I could only imagine how the people behind this show could manage 150 actors and actresses (not including live elephants), over a 100 person stage crew, over 500 costumes and 102 sets every night. I've worked in a factory and I know my way around managing one but I have never tried managing a very creative and artistic project since I filmed a mock-documentary back in my university days. Of course you could not really compare my small time project to this 40million dollar production. But in all this great costumes, special effects, elephants walking around the theater I was thinking how much does the show earn and what is it's break even in ticket sales.

A ticket would cost 1,500 baht per person and at full capacity would generate 3 million baht in one night. In a week, this show could potentially get 21 million baht. Of course that's at 100% capacity. But I think with their marketing and the Siam Niramit cultural value they could go for a healthy 75-90% capacity every night. What I still can't imagine is how much does it cost to stage this show every night. And how long would they stick to the same show before they decide to stage a different show. In my opinion a tourist would probably only see this once and rarely come back. So when will they say... "this show has gone long enough let's change it up."

These were the things that were running through my head while I was trying to put together and understand the second act because I was knocked out during the first act. But after a very entertaining show I leave it up to you to ponder how did they manage to do that...

Abhijeet Bahaduur's smashing debut at Siam Niramit

Writing on Shit

2009-09-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Maesa Elephant Camp in ChiangMai Thailand

In our second day in ChiangMai we visited multiple tourist sites and our first stop was in Maesa Elephant Camp. The camp is home of one of the largest assembly of elephants in Thailand. Their goal is to create a healthy and natural environment for these elephants while trying to conserve and breed them.

Of course trying to preserve these magnificent animals requires a lot of money and it seems that the camp is self sustaining in generating healthy revenues for this purpose. They generate revenues first and foremost from the tourists that come and visit that camp. They also sell a lot of souvenirs including elephant paintings (Paintings done by the elephants themselves). The elephants in the camp actually holds a Guiness World record for the most expensive painting created by a group of elephants (the painting was sold for 1.5 million baht). But the most interesting part of the camp is when I heard they were also making money from elephant dung. I thought it was probably through making fertilizers but I was totally caught off guard when our guide said they were making paper from elephant poop.

Everyone knows that papers are made from trees and to finally find a way to create paper by using a tree-free raw material is actually revolutionary. Thailand and Africa are already manufacturing paper from elephant dung but how do they do it? Well, the secret is in what these elephants eat. These elephants eat a lot of bananas, sugarcane, and a lot of varieties of plants which is high in fiber. In the paper making process we need to break down the fiber which apparently our elephant friends have already done through their digestive system. I read somewhere that on an average an elephant produces 50kg of dung per day that could produce 200 sheets of paper.

You might be wondering why the hell am I talking about shit... well to be honest I find it very intriguing that we can truly have a "zero waste" facility in the form of the Maesa Elephant Camp. I hate the idea of wastage and being able to earn from elephant dung which is the primary waste this camp generates is amazing. I'm also pro self-sustaining environmental projects that does not solely depend on donations but could actually make money to further their cause. Maesa Elephant Camp is a great example of this and discovering a business opportunity from shit makes you want to just applaud those entrepreneurial minds who thought of it.

Franco Ongkingco helping make Paper!

Asian Immersion Program (AIP)

2009-09-13T23:52:00.000-07:00

I took an elective called the Asian Immersion Program for my last term here in AIM. This time around the program arranged for us to visit 3 cities and 2 countries in a week. We visited Chiangmai and Bangkok when we were in Thailand and Kuala Lumpur when we went to Malaysia.

The trip was a mix of business and pleasure but mostly business because we had to visit many industries and leaders and network with some of our alumni in both countries. But all work and no play makes us a very dull MBA students so in our own ways we found the time to have fun as well.

Overall the trip was truly a great and memorable experience in sense that it picked our business brains, exposed us to very diverse cultures and personally made me reflect on many issues, ideas that I have.

I will be posting my reflections on different issues and ideas I have on the trip... watch out for it.

1) Writing on Shit
2) Siam Niramit
3) IKEA

The Rise of the Franchise

2009-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

GOAL # 15 : To Launch a Franchise

I can still remember vividly the conversation that I had with my father about the business model called Franchising.

Franchising as a business model is a fairly simple concept to understand. It is when an existing business (which is the Franchiser) is transferring it's knowledge and systems to a franchisee so that person could operate and duplicate the operations of the franchiser. I still believe that franchising is and should be an expansion model for existing businesses to penetrate the market quickly with smaller risk. I'm not a fan of businesses who uses the franchising model as it's primary source of revenue because with this mindset these companies are just out to sell and earn first and foremost from the initial franchise fees and usually leave the franchisee hanging. Second, I also believe that with earning from the franchising fee as a main driver for these businesses there would be a serious lack of creativity for business development. This is already evident on the number of franchised business out there in the market that are very similar in selling proposition, style, price points etc. (related post: Franchise Clone Wars)

I could still remember around 10 years ago, me and my father had a very interesting talk about franchising. I was still in high school back then when I asked if we could get a franchise of a certain company. I can't recall the company anymore but back then I was so sure that the concept was a sure thing. My naive little mind was telling me that we just needed to put in the money and the business will take care of itself because the concept and the system was already provided and there was a ready market. Of course starting a business (franchised or otherwise) is never sure thing.

My father is not totally against the concept of franchising, he is just against getting one. He strongly feels that we could do a better job at being the franchiser than being the franchisee. As I grew older, I understood more where my father was coming from. He did start his own bakery from the garage back in 1983 and started other ventures as well. The entrepreneur in him did not want the easy way out by buying a franchise. He wanted to start his own.

It took me 10 years to understand and here we are today planning and setting out to create a franchise. I have to admit it's not the most original idea but will make sure it will be the best.

Guest Host for Carmie's Special Day

2009-08-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Carmie's Birthday at Mcdonald's across the AIM was very special because for one we realized we are never too old for a McDonald's Birthday Party and second it doesn't matter where you celebrate your special day with as long as you spend it with the people you love.

Joh was tasked to be the host for the night, I was just can't sit down so I was the guest host at Carmie's surprise party. To find out what Carmie thought or felt check out Joh's blog where she wrote about this special moment.

The ChowKing Man Visits AIM

2009-07-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Robert F. Kuan, the "Father of Chinese Fast Food" here in the Philippines, visited our Work Life Harmony(WLH) class and gave a very inspirational talk. Because of this session I changed my mind of WLH... Now I think the class was worth it. hahaha

Robert Kuan is a graduate of the Asian Institute of Management and it is always a pleasure for me to listen to people who have made their mark in the business community and to learn from what they have experienced. I especially like to listen to their mistakes and to learn from them so that I won't have to make them in the future.

The key topic of the talk was knowing when to let go. This applies to everything, I think. hahaha But definitely when we talk about Robert Kuan, we can't help but talk about his success when he started Chowking in 1984 and pioneered a whole new category which is the quick-service oriental fast food in the Philippines. Before he sold Chowking to the Jollibee Group in 2000 there were already more than 100 Chowking stores nation-wide (I think there are some Chowking stores abroad too during that time). Since the topic was knowing when to let go, I just had to ask him how he felt or what was going through his mind when he was about to sell Chowking to Jollibee.

When it was time for the open forum... the class fell silent for a moment (which kind of felt like an eternity). I expected more from a class of "seasoned" MBA students. I expected that I had to reach for the ceiling to get noticed and get a chance to ask the man behind Chowking my question. But to my surprise, I was the only one who raised my hand for that first Question. So here I am trying to look cool and suave in front of 60 students, Prof Coloma, and the man who built Chinese Fast Food in the country, but I think my giddiness showed a little when I threw the question out there. hahaha

And the funny thing was when he answered my question, Robert Kuan compared "letting go" to premature ejaculation. That statement broke the silence that made everyone laugh. He continued to explain the metaphor and the the way I understood it was, "letting go" is not as important to KNOWING WHEN to let go. The concept of Letting Go is a constant but what makes the difference is the timing. He went on to tell us how making the decision was one of the most difficult decisions he ever made. He'd say yes one day and change his mind the next but in the end he had no regrets in saying yes to Jollibee. After that he continued on to do different things like being the chairman of St.Luke's Medical Center, leading St.Luke's to become the country's number one Medical facility.

This experience was an eye opener for me. In Robert Kuan, I saw a unique real-life application of a universal truth which is timing. A Rule of thumb in business is Buy Low Sell High which seems very elementary, but the challenge is in knowing when to buy and when to sell. Some might believe that luck played a big role in his success, I will not contest that if we have the same definition for LUCK.

I believe in this definition for Luck: Luck is being the right person, at the right time, at right place. The elements of time and place is out of our hands but being the right person is definitely in our control. Being the "Right Person" might mean different things for everyone but that does not mean we don't strive to be the right person when opportunity comes knocking at your door.
It takes a whole lot of soul searching and self-awareness to develop that skill of knowing when to let go and knowing when to grab that opportunity. Hopefully, in the future, I can tell my own story the way the CHOKING MAN did.

Inside the Mind of the Chocolate Man

2009-07-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

If you are still not familiar with the Axe Chocolate Man then I don't know what you have been up to because he is everywhere and I recently spotted him at SM MegaMall here in the Philippines when my family and I went out for dinner. Just like advertised, I couldn't resist going to the Axe Chocolate Man and have my picture taken with him (picture below). What?? Don't judge me... I like chocolates too you know! hahaha

Okay it is now time to put this 1 Million peso AIM education to good use. Disclaimer: boys and girls I will attempt to over analyze Mr.Axe Chocolate Man in a manner only fitting for the highest standard of case room discussion in the MBA, so do not try this at home. In layman's terms that means we will talk about this until we get more confused than when we started. hahaha

I was first introduced to Mr. Axe Chocolate Man when I was watching TV and saw his advertisement come on and then was reintroduced to him a few weeks ago when Prof Thomas Agana, who's teaching us Advertising & Sales Promo Management (ASPM), showed us the extended version of the Ad. And finally that fateful encounter when we met face to face in SM MegaMall

I want to approach this marketing analysis from two points 1. From The AXE Effect marketing perspective and 2. what's it like to be the Axe Chocolate Man aka: Inside the Mind of the Chocolate Man.

First I think coining the term "The Axe Effect" and associating it to uncontrollable attraction from females because of the great smell is a stroke of genius. Since Unilever's launch of Axe in France in 1983 they have since evolved to make a major impact in the lives of men. In 2003, when Unilever launched the brand in the US and Canada, they used humorous, suggestive marketing that promised confidence and sex appeal to geeky men. The phenomenon of "nice"girls turning "naughty" that will do your every bidding is what Unilever branded as "The Axe Effect". This Marketing Campaign has successfully propelled the brand to one of the top players in the men's grooming category along with P&G's Gillete Tag and Old Spice.

The Axe campaign has specifically played into the insecurities of men...yes we do have insecurities too. In general people have this fear of rejection and this what drives us to try to be more attractive to the opposite sex. In some studies, fear of rejection is one of the major causes that drives people to cosmetic surgery. So I think buying a bottle of AXE is a better alternative because it is a lot cheaper than cosmetic surgery hahaha. With the brand message of the AXE Effect which is so compelling to the target market (guys 18-24) how can men resist?

In the 1992 movie Love Potion #9, starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan, the plot sounds eerily familiar to the Axe Marketing Campaign. Geeky guy has a crush on a girl and can't get himself to talk to her but with the potion he gets all the girls to like him. Of course in the movie, the guy swallows the potion instead of spraying it and it apparently has 2 effects: 1. Women go crazy in love with him and 2. Men loathe him. Take out effect number two and viola you have your AXE Marketing Campaign. I know I'm oversimplifying the "extensive marketing research" behind the campaign but seriously how hard is it to find out what men really want? hahaha

So moving on to more in-depth analysis on the AXE Chocolate Man...

In the latest installment of the AXE product line, Dark Temptation is a body spray released in 2008 and its advertisement implies since women like chocolate ergo they will find men who smell of chocolate irresistible. In the ad, a man becomes the AXE Chocolate Man when he sprays on Dark Temptation and a series of girls kept biting off parts of him. There's only one flaw to this which I think is very important...Men like chocolates too! Okay, granted that there is only 1 out of 8 men who eats more than the average amount of chocolate compared to 1 out of three women but if I'm the AXE Chocolate Man I wouldn't be able to stop licking myself. I would have probably eaten my hand off by lunch time. Wouldn't it be funny to see in the commercial a muscular man trying to lick the AXE Chocolate Man too. hahaha

If I was really a Chocolate Man I would definitely encounter a lot of problems but the first question that should really be asked is "What Kind of Chocolate Man am I?". Am I the sweet kind or the bitter kind, the chocolate with nuts or with berries or both, am I the chocolate used for gifts or for baking? I think I'm having an identity crisis coming up hahaha. Now we deal with the problems... First, I can't really go out because the sun will melt my fabulous chocolate body (what more if it rains). 2nd I will have to deal with a lot of ants, I could not stay in one place because ants will definitely find their way to my pants. If people break parts of me, shouldn't I be bleeding? I would expect maybe chocolate syrup for blood so whenever someone breaks or cuts me I'll have chocolate syrup spewing out of my body. Or am I supposed to regenerate? In the commercial all the pretty women were biting the AXE Chocolate Man's Ass but what if an old grandma who loves chocolates start biting my ass too (that would just be too freaky). On that freaky note I have to admit that I have a new found respect for my buddy the AXE Chocolate Man and for the things he does to attract women.

DAD to AXE Chocolate Man: "My long lost son!"
DAD and Myself with The AXE Chocolate Man

Chocolate Me!
visit
http://apps.facebook.com/axechocolatizer

AIM Business Asia Week 2009

2009-07-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Business Asia Week 2009 is being organized by the Asian Institute of Management as a forum to present the Philippine economy and the Asia Pacific region as a strong arena for opportunities, despite the current global economic slowdown. Scheduled from July 20 to 23, 2009 at the AIM Conference Center, Makati City, the event is an excellent venue for networking with both local and foreign guests.

A unique feature of the event is the strong participation of current AIM students pursuing their Master in Business Administration and Master in Management degrees, as well as AIM alumni, who are available for immediate recruitment. AIM has been the premier school of management in Asia for the last 41 years and has produced 36,700 graduates from 70 countries who have been at the forefront of their organizations’ development.

Program

July 20, Monday (5-9 pm): ASIA: BUSINESS REDEFINED – The Management Association of the Philippines will give updates and insights on the rapidly changing Asian business climate while AIM presents an overview on how it prepares MBA and MM students to take on leadership roles in Asian organizations.

July 21, Tuesday (5-9 pm): THE PEOPLE FACTOR - An analysis of the Philippines’ and the greater Asian talent market and how it drives forward the global economy despite major challenges and competition in 2009. Speakers are from the Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines and the People Management Association of the Philippines.

July 22, Wednesday (1.30- 8.00 pm): TALENT RECRUITMENT EXPO - Up to 60 Asian companies vying to offer final year placements to AIM’s MBA and MM students of 2009.

July 23, Thursday (5-9 pm): LEADING THE WAY - After days of briefings and networking, participants are ready to pursue partnerships that will enhance their individual careers and professions. Speakers from the Asian Development Bank, the AIM Alumni Association, and the Philippines-Indian Business Council will further contribute their assessment on how the real world looks like outside the campus.

Daily programs will conclude with networking sessions among the speakers, sponsors, recruiters, students, and other participants.

Registration Fee: P500 single entry, P2000 multi-entry for the entire week

How to Pay Back Student Loans II

2009-07-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

In another installment of "How to Pay Back Student Loans" here I am once again to bring you the most crazy idea that might just work.

What if we operate/manage a call center from the Dorm. Impossible?? I don't think so. Just like what my favorite shoe company always say..."Impossible is Nothing" and my fellow MBA students I (with my "twin" Mark Uy) have done this feat for the past three months. A more incredible feat was that we managed this with the crappy internet connection we're getting from the dorm! See...Impossible is Really Nothing.

Actually it came to us by luck and a dash of desperation hahaha. We we're "desperately" looking for an Action Consultancy (AC) project and we got a job that none of our fellow cohort applied to. It was with a small firm that wanted to do a start up online tutorial. To make the long story short, we started it and managed it from the dorm for 3 months. Now the Business that we started is still in operations but someone else is managing the day to day operations. We are just retained to perform specific tasks for the company while still in school. Sort of like a consulting job.

Everyone has laptops and we are all connected to the web through wifi so we can definitely do this at the dorm... Rumors have been confirmed that AIM is getting a much faster internet connection from 2+2Mbps to 10Mbps making this crazy idea a lot more feasible.

So all of you guys who want to enter the BPO industry when you graduate, the dorm can be a training ground for Operations for such an industry. You can actually put this in your resume ( I think..) In your resume it will say...I'm an AIM graduate and if I can do this in our dorm then I can manage you BPO center easily anytime anywhere. ----> HIRED! hahaha

Maybe we can create the next Infosys right out of the dorm... hmmm...wouldn't that be something.

How to Pay Back Student Loans

2009-07-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Asian Institute of Management is an expensive school to go to. Seriously! I'm not joking! To take the MBA degree here you have to pay over a Million Pesos and that's excluding living expenses. And also you have to be a full time student which means having to resign from your job (unless you're company sponsored) and no income to pay off the bills. That's why a lot of students in AIM have student loans and are constantly thinking that they need to get a job immediately, even skipping graduation, so they can start paying these loans off as soon as they can.

As MBA students I think we need to practice a little bit more creativity in trying to earn the money. What if you can pay off your part of your loan while still in school?? Would you take that chance? Now is our chance to say goodbye to student loans (at least partially)!

7/11 is giving away 500 grand to the first prize winner of their BIGBITE MATCH Hotdog eating competition. That's seriously a lot money (almost half of your MBA Investment) for downing a lot of hotdogs. Of course eating away at hotdog sandwiches might seem mindless and could be beneath a future MBA graduate but what if we look at it a different angle? If we take this Hotdog eating challenge as an Operations Case then we can have our MBA minds wrap around this concept like a Cling Wrap is wrapped around leftover food.

Case facts:

Qualifying rounds:
You can only try and qualify every Friday and Saturday from June 26- August 15. There are also different time slots for each day. For Fridays that's 12nn-7pm and Saturdays that's 10am-5pm. To actually join you need to pay 150 pesos and you receive 5 hotdogs and a drink. Fastest time to eat 5 hotdogs qualify.

Semis:
There will only be 20 semi finalists nationwide. The contestants are given 30 hotdogs and 5 minutes to eat them. Top 7 contestants go on to the finals. In case of a tie, there is a 3 minute overtime match.

Finals:
Top 7 players are given 60 hotdogs and 10 minutes. Same rules apply but instead of a 3 minute overtime match they get a 5 minute overtime match.

Sounds easy? I think it's pretty straight forward don't you think?
Eat almost 100 hotdogs and get a chance to win 500 grand! Hmmm...

More ways to Pay your student loans soon!

Franchise Clone Wars

2009-07-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Franchise Expo 2009 held at the SMX was an interesting experience. Saw some familiar business, some new ones and a lot of "clone" businesses. It has become very obvious that franchising has hit it really big in the Philippines. My understanding of Franchising is it is an alternative expansion vehicle for businesses who do not have the enough capital or resources to expand their operations on their own. They go into "partnerships" with franchisees who are willing to follow company procedures and protocols in exchange for profitability and a business.

Professor Cruz made an open invitation in our Entrepreneurial Finance (EF) elective to visit this expo and I'm glad I did.

I have a high regard for Franchising and in the past I wanted to open different franchises because one, they already have a system in place and secondly they had an established brand which will help in marketing. My dad has an opposite take on it. He hated the idea of paying large amount of franchise fees for a franchise. He believed that we can do better business if we really wanted to. (We have something in the works, hopefully we can prove that we can really do better)

While walking around I felt like there were a lot of very similar businesses being franchised out. Franchise Clones as I call them were everywhere and how does an ordinary person like you and me going to determine which one is the better one or which franchise is more economically sound when everything seems so similar. What are the stuff we need to look out for?

In this Franchise event where everyone is out to get a franchisee, the first thing I look at is the concept. Good Concepts are very hard to come by but once you see it and it tickles your interest then you can ask more questions. After the concept the next thing I look at is the initial cash outlay (in normal people terms: the cash I need to start the franchise). This sort of determines how much you need (or how much you need to earn before making a profit). Each one of us has different tolerance level for risk and when you put money into the mix then it gives us a totally different perspective.

Next I try to see what they provide as supplementary services to their franchisee like training, equipment, marketing assistance. Are they capable of providing me these services to help me in this business undertaking. I hate it when they see and treat you as a potential "Sale" rather than a prospective Business Partner. There are more and more Franchisers that are after the sale of their franchise, earning from the franchise fee and does not care if their franchisee does well or not. I have observe that this type of franchisers have low brand equity, meaning that they are the type that can destroy a brand and just come up with a new name with the same concept and sell the franchise again. The Franchise Clone Wars is upon us and it is up to the franchisee to determine and discern which is the best franchise for him/her.

The most important thing that I also ask is the 2 ROIs (Return On Investment and Return Of Investment). They can give you numbers and data but we need to understand that they have "beautified" it somehow for presentation sake and we also need to understand that these data are not the standard but only a guideline. We need to manage our expectations especially when we do the actual business already. I found it really funny when I asked a Franchiser (ice cream stall) how many branches they have and she said they were just about to open their 1st one in Starmall. Obviously she can't give me the numbers for her business because their business has not really been tested yet. (Be wary of these kind of Franchisers).

To everyone the Franchise Clone Wars are here to stay and it is up to us to be more vigilant in checking and discerning which franchise is for us. Of course having a franchise is not really a sure thing. Even though you have the system, there are a lot of factors that are still in play in doing business like Location, Operations, Quality etc.

Watch out for future news on our own take on franchise.

100 Dreams :The GOAL List

2009-07-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Dreams, in it's definition, are a series of images, ideas, emotions and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.

By definition, listing down dreams is useless these are just involuntary actions that happens in our subconscious. I think many would agree that we should call this little experiment the "The Goal List". I will try to write down 100 goals and I will get it done. Some say by just writing it down and reviewing it is a definite start to achieving it. Let's see what happens.

The goals on the list does not fall in any particular order.

The GOAL List:

1. To have a HOUSE
-definitely I would want the house to be big. It does not necessarily need to have a pool because I think pools are nice to look at but difficult to maintain.

2. To Not work FOR Anyone
- I am certain that this is what I want. I want to be my own boss. I am willing to work with different people but definitely not FOR them.

3. To Graduate (Survive) from the Asian Institute of Management
- We will be graduating this September or as my Indian friends would call it "Pass Out"

4. To Make 500,000 pesos a month
- How? I have yet to discover hahaha but definitely this is the goal if I could earn more the better.

5. To have multiple businesses
- To create or partner with someone it does not really matter. what kind of business I think it
would be best explained in a different blog posts.

6. To be able to build/buy a new house for my parents
-What kind of son would I be if I don't do something for the people who love and raised me.

7.To always have the capacity or capability to help my siblings
-I am the eldest of the family and the natural role is to be the protector/provider and hopefully at any given point in time I can do that when called upon.

8.To eventually have a family of my own
-A fortune teller told me I'll get hitched in 2010. That's next year! I need to find someone fast hahahaha. If it happens or not in 2010, definitely this is one of the goals.

9.To Travel the World.
- If I broke down the places I want to go to, this list will be done in no time. hahaha

10. Nice Ride
- I'm not really a car junkie that fantasizes about setting up cars but definitely I would need a smooth ride for where I am going.

Added: July 9

11. To learn how to play a musical instrument.
-I'm looking at learning how to play the sax.

12.To lose weight (a large chunk of it!)
-How can I forget this!

13.To Make a Movie (again)
- Did it back in college, filmed a Mockdocumentary called Quest for the Best. Don't mind filming a movie again.

14.To Learn How to cook
-Need to learn how to prepare food instead of just eating them. I need a specialty.

15.To launch a franchise
-Dad hated the idea of getting one but we're both sold to setting one up.

Added July 15

16. Perform in front of a live audience
-I've always wanted to sing but singing never liked me haha

17. To be a model
-Oookkkaayyyy.... hahaha

18. To be seen on TV (more significant Air-time)
-Actually I've been seen on TV already...Forgot the name of that ABS-CBN show but if I remember I'll try to find a copy of that. Not one of my finest moments but it was fun hahaha

19. To finish reading books I buy!
- Bought Human Sigma and Obsessive Branding (need to finish these two first)

20. To become a runner
- met monix training Patrick (a non-runner) to run his first 5k

(damn it's hard to write 100 goals) hahaha

Added August 10 2009

21. To Produce a Cooking/Baking Show
- i don't know why but the idea kept knocking on my head

22. To build a Hotel made of container vans
- Everyone should see those used container vans converted to architectural masterpieces.

23. To be writer...
-can i be considered as a writer if i just write blogs?

24. To stop drinking beer
-...eventually

25. Be featured in a Business Magazine
-Entrepreneur Mag will do just fine. Next one will be in Fortune hahaha

AIM: First Day Funk

2009-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Back to the grind here at the institute of higher learning (AIM). Today was the first day of my 4th and last term here at the Asian Institute of Management.

I was late for my first class because I went to the wrong class room. When I entered the room everyone started to stare at me because the professor was apparently talking about how he dislikes students who are tardy. He acknowledged my presence and asked if belong to the class he was teaching and I confidently said "what class is this?" then I said, just loud enough so everyone can hear,"Oh shit I got the wrong room." I Definitely made an impression on that class hahaha.

I have a rather light schedule. All my classes start in the afternoon. I took Entrepreneurial Finance by Professor Cruz, Sales Force Management by three Professors every Mondays and Wednesdays. I have Advertising and Sales Promotion Management by Professor Agana every Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also picked Asian Immersion Program which will happen in September. And my "might-as-well" class that I took is Work-Life Harmony by Prof. Coloma

To be be brutally frank I was disappointed by the selection of electives that was provided for us (cohort 2 and 3). I chose Entrepreneurship as my Major and in picking a Major (ex: Marketing/Finance) one should have at least 6 electives of that particular field. Last term there was only 1 Entrep elective which was Social Entrepreneurship by Prof. Lisa Dacanay. Some of us went to the administration and expressed our concern. The school said that there will be more Entrep classes in our last term. But it never happened.

When I complained they said that some of the electives that was offered last term was part of the Entrepreneurial electives like Business Intelligence by Prof. Roger Chua. I took that class in term 3 and it was definitely NOT under Entrepreneurial electives. Now they changed the name to FBI, Fundamentals of Business Intelligence by the same professor and told me its under Entrep because it's important to entrepreneurs.

Here is my email when I first saw the elective list:

I am confused about the current list of electives for term 4. I hope some one could enlighten us.
I am wondering if we will be taking this separately from cohort 3? I hope the school is still
planning to push through with what they said before that we will be taking our electives with cohort 3 because I would like to hear and learn from a bigger class.

I am also wondering about the list of electives for entrepreneurship.
When did Business Intelligence (BI) become an entrepreneurship course?
I have attended the BI class last term and I don't think it falls in entrepreneurship.
Don't we have electives that are solely under the Entrepreneurship anymore? Similar to Social Entrepreneurship (SE) Class
in term 3. If it is all a mix then there is no point in taking an Entrepreneurship track right?
New Management concepts under entrepreneurship? Operations Strategy under entrepreneurship?
I think students interested in entrepreneurship would be more interested with an elective that just lets us interact with established entrepreneurs because we can learn from their personal experiences/philosophies etc.

I was also expecting Strategic Negotiations to be back in term 4 to benefit our fellow cohorts who were out during the ISEP.
I think the class conducted by Profs Manny and Confessor is really good that I am sure the other half of our cohort would definitely
benefit a lot from that elective.

I was also expecting some classes offered to Cohort 1 to be offered to us now in term 4. The only reason that those classes were not offered to us in term 3 (based on my understanding) was that because of our limited number. Unless we are not taking the electives with cohort 3 then we will have the same dilemma again.

Work Life Balance?? Seriously?

As of the moment the only class I am interested in is the Asian Immersion elective and Sales Force and Distribution Effectiveness.

I hope the survey takes into account these kinds of reply

Thank you.

Here is an excerpt from their reply to my email:

If you notice, the courses you've mentioned above are found under the category "Entrepreneurship / General." This is because these general courses are found relevant for future entrepreneurs, i.e. any aspiring entrepreneur would definitely need some background in Business Intelligence. If you are not interested in these courses, we suggest that you enroll in the two courses listed under "Entrepreneurship / Finance."

My last reply :

I do not think this answer is enough. I mean if this is our only rationale for coming up with entrepreneurship electives then we might as well brand the marketing electives with "Entrepreneurship / Marketing" since it is also important to an entrepreneur.
My point is why are there no electives dedicated to entrepreneurship like SE. This is our last term and we do not have any other options to wait for better electives (we already waited last term).

It feels like we are getting the short end of the stick yet again since especially for students who are choosing the entrepreneurship track.

Of course the school administration still has the last say on things around here and I think that I am definitely on their list as a pain in the ass but if there's a lesson that supposed to be learned from this one is that when it comes to AIM, I think I need to manage my expectations.

I'm definitely not going to qualify as an Entrep Major now but honestly who really cares about that right? In the end as long as I learn from the classes that I feel that is beneficial to me and my future then its fine.

PS:
To Professor Coloma,

I hope you don't take offense in the work-life balance remark I said in the email. I was just upset that there were no REAL Entrep Electives offered. In the end I enrolled in your class, heard good things about your teaching style and I hope to learn a lot from this.

Once Upon A Time in Hooters

2009-06-28T03:12:00.001-07:00

On Friday (June 26 '09) Franco, Mark and myself brought two of our AIM schoolmates from China to HOOTERS near Mall of Asia. Personally this was my first time there even though I've heard of the place before.

I like the place because of the chairs and the table (hahahahaha who are we kidding)! In general I think it's a good place to go to bring your foreigner friends out just for them to experience something different. But personally I think it's just an okay place. It is on the pricier side of the restaurant spectrum and for the people who knows the 300 club, price is a big factor in determining if the place would be approved on the list.

Overall we had fun and Chris learned a couple of tagalog pickup lines (now he's set for life hahaha)

check out their website: www.hootersphilippines.com
for more information on events and location.

Philippine Heroes does Facebook

2009-06-24T19:56:00.001-07:00

Saw this pic while I was browsing through Facebook. Can't imagine our Philippine Heroes having facebook during their time... because everyone would know what everyone else was doing.

Just wanted to share this. For more funny pics and funny filipino signs visit the Filipino Facebook page

MQN: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-06-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

June 15 2009: Murphy's Quiz Night

Even though we lost the first week we entered Murphy's weekly battle of wits, we had so much fun that we don't want to miss the next one. Slightly feeling the humiliation of defeat from last week our group vowed to rise from the ashes like the phoenix. We had a game plan in place and we had our game face on. hahaha

We named our team for that night Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Aptly so because we are out for blood in this highly competitive trivia arena we call Murphy's Quiz Night (MQN). This is where quiz masters gather to keep their minds sharp... we are only here for the beers.

We have come prepared for this night but alas our game plan was flawed at the very beginning. We thought that the quiz categories would be the same from last week, so we went out studying legendary creatures only to find out that the categories change from week to week. hahahaha

We came up 7th this time around improving from our previous standing which was lower than 10th place. Coming in 7th out seven teams is still last but we definitely gave it our best shot. Some say we were losing the game on purpose so that we'd get a free round of beers. Maybe because we were just having too much fun that the agony of defeat did not show. hahaha

I heard in the grapevine that we are bringing in an IMPORT to the team. We'll find out who that in the next MQN. And to my teammates, I think we need to stick to a name. hahaha

Murphy's Quiz Night

2009-06-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, on a very dreary Tuesday afternoon, I got a text message from Ester that me and Mark should go to Murphy's that night because she was one of the contestants of Murphy's weekly Quiz Nights.

So I thought, why not... I can cheer for a friend, give moral support or if it turns out for the worst then we can just laugh it off and have a few drinks.

But it turned out that the weekly battle of wits at Murphy's was usually played by teams. So from spectator, Mark and myself became Trivia Gladiators for the team that was named Nocturnals. I think Est named the team... I bet it struck fear in the hearts of the opposing teams. hahaha

The place was jam packed with people. I don't know what was special about that particular Tuesday Night but there were about more than 10 teams in the dining area. Each team consists of about 6-8 people. I don't want to brag or anything but out of all the teams that played that fateful Tuesday night we came in dead last. hahaha

AIM Nominates 'Ken Do This' in 2009's Top Ten Emerging Influential Blogs

2009-06-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Asian Institute of Management has nominated my personal blog 'Ken Do This' and 2 other blogs that I have created to their TOP 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009 writing project.

Click AIM's Top 10 to see the list!

The two other blogs that AIM nominated (I think they are unaware that I created them) are....drum roll please....*sound effects*.... AIM Poker Nights and AIM Online Marketing. Of course the nomination is biased because they nominated blogs created by students and alumni (and of course their own blog). Got to hand it to them... they know how to love their own. Just for kicks I will rank the three blogs of mine that AIM nominated based on being "Influential".

RANK 1: AIM Online Marketing

Out of the my three blogs they nominated the blog that has the most potential to become a true Influential blog is the AIM Online Marketing. I think the topic of online marketing in the Asian context is really huge. The topic could truly be special if you sprinkle a little bit of AIM analysis and some Framework into the mix.

When I started the blog it was for an Online Marketing Class started by Prof. Rich Cruz, Prof. Ortigas and then guest lecturer Regnard. But I had a greater vision for it. I was hoping that this blog can be passed on to the school and Professors, Students, and Alumni alike can write/post anything and everything about online marketing. Right now it's just for updates on the contest we entered but it if the other members of the class (students and Profs) are not posting on the blog then it's just be one of those dead-end blogs. I don't think we need to be experts in online marketing to write on or post on this blog. I think the lessons we learn and the opinions that we bring in is more valuable than a step-by-step-how-to-guide on Search Engine Optimization. Hopefully someone in the AIM community would want to help out in this blog (let me know).

RANK 2: Ken Do This

I don't want to brag... (ok that's a lie hahaha) but I like to think that I have acquired at least some influencing skills during my time here on this planet. My elementary school teacher once told my mom that I had great leadership skills ( I bet she tells that to all the moms hahaha) because during 'playtime' my fellow 6 year olds would listen to me as we play BIOMAN and stop the evil forces from conquering the world.

I'm definitely no OPRAH or OBAMA who can sway the masses in what and what not to do. But I find refuge in the knowledge that at age 6, I have stared evil in the face and won. From that alone I think I could influence someone. hahaha

RANK 3: AIM Poker Nights

AIM Poker Nights was the brain child of the Top 5 Filipinos of Cohort 2. AIM Poker Nights was originally an Entrepreneurship Project that we just continued. As far as we were concerned it sometimes gets boring at the school dorm and Student/Dorm Parties gets old really quick. This was a great alternative to boredom and AIM Poker Nights is also a great way to meet fellow schoolmates from different courses.

As part of our Marketing ploy we decided to create a blog for this project and use a girl persona as the author of the blog. We called her Poker Girl. When we started the blog the Gossip Girl TV series was very popular so we imitated (at least tried) to write like the Gossip Girl. We felt that our marketing efforts worked on our target market. We created Buzz and interest. This would probably be the same ploy pH Care did when they created the www.gossipHer.com campaign.

(the pH Care blog is not a bad topic in AIM Online Marketing...)

I thank AIM for nominating three of my blogs that they considered 'Influential'. Hopefully someday these blogs can truly be influential blogs of the future.

EPIC Online

2009-06-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Two months into our Action Consultancy with Genashtim Philippines Inc. we are currently handling overall operations and development of their new business unit called Epic Online.

Epic is short for English Proficiency in Conversation. We provide English Practice/Tutorials online. We have clients from different countries and are still expanding operations. We are still looking for Online English Tutors and in our efforts of doing so we will be in Glorietta this June 8-9 2009 for a job fair.

But if anyone of you out there is interested in applying as a online tutor, forward your resume to epicrecruitment@genashtim.com and we'll be in touch.

For those who might be interested in availing of our services you can reach me through my office email : kenneth@genashtim.com

Top 5 Filipinos in AIM MBA Batch 2

2009-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

It is May 2009 and a New Batch of MBA students have arrived for another 16 month MBA program here at the Institute. It was just a year ago that we were the ones sitting in those same seats... time really does fly.

I am part of the first May batch (aka The MAY TRAIN) in the Asian Institute of Management. We are the second batch of students who joined AIM's 16-month MBA Program. There are 33 students (aka LAB RATS) in this "experimental" program and to be honest, it was not a smooth ride at all aboard the MAY TRAIN.

I've heard the stories of having to stay up late for group meetings and how difficult and grueling the case method can be but that was not at all what made the MAY TRAIN become one of the most ill-prepared trips that we've have. Sometimes it just made me sick to my stomach and it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.

Hopefully the school administration has fixed the rails this time for the 2nd MAY TRAIN so that they would not have to go through what we had to go through. (ok too many train metaphors in one post).

Today I went to the new students' convocation and heard Clarence Lim of Cohort 3 speak in front of everyone about her personal experience and about what they should expect from a life here at AIM. (curiously why did they only ask cohort 3 people make a speech?? hmmm... maybe the school might be afraid to let anyone from cohort 2 to speak their mind in front of the newbies) Anyways, the speech by Clarence was very down to earth and very sincere and it moved one particular skeptic of the school --->me. With all the shortcomings that I really do feel the school could still improve on, Clarence showed me and everyone that there are a lot of things that we can take from this experience and appreciate as well.

One of the key points that Clarence made was about friendship and to me I value that very much. For a year now I have been blessed to have with me four of the top 5 Filipinos in MBA Batch 2 along for this roller coaster ride. (ok I really need to stop using train metaphor)

The top 5 are Franco Ongkingco, Mark Uy, Dindo Ofrecio, JM Patino (NOT IN the PIC) and myself. I jokingly call ourselves the TOP 5 Filipinos of Batch 2 because technically we are. Out of the 33 Lab Rats.. I mean students.. there are only 5 Filipinos. So in our future job interviews we can all proudly say (without blinking and with a rockstar smile on our faces) that we belong to the TOP 5 Filipinos in MBA Batch 2.

In the Asian Institute of Management I have found friends and enemies, I have found mentors and teachers but most importantly I have found my brothers in AIM in Franco, Dindo, JM and Mark.

To the first MAY TRAIN and my AIM brothers happy Anniversary.
To Clarence: Thanks for the speech, loved it... inspired me to write this beautifully crafted blog post hahaha
To the NEW MAY TRAIN: Hope you have a great 16-month experience ( I seriously mean that by the way)
To Batch 3: Good Luck on your AC's/MRR's ... just 2 more terms to go.

No Beer / No Soda Rule

2009-04-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

It has been proven that beer and softdrinks will make you fat. I'm one of the many walking social proofs that this is true.

Now I have come to realize that if you put your mind to it (and if you write it down), you can accomplish most of the stuff you set out to do.

So starting today, April 28, 2009, I will journey life leaving that ambrosia called beer behind.
In addition I will also cut soda's from the list of beverages that I am going to take.

This is nothing new and many have done it before. But I assure you that this is New to me.
Number of Days Beer/Soda free: 0

South Beach Diet Experiment

2009-04-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

To understand the intricacies of the business (The Sexy Chef Cafe), I signed up for the South Beach Diet for two weeks. The food was great. It definitely beats fast food take-out any day. They deliver your meals a day before and the pre-paid program ensures that the customer sticks to the South Beach Program at least a week. They said for optimal results the customer should be in the program for at least two weeks.

To see if it would work on me, I tried the program for two weeks and to my surprise it really did work. I lost around 7 lbs in the duration of two weeks. I rarely did any exercise (I normally don't do any exercise anyways hahaha) during this little experiment. But gained a little back after the experiment hahaha

Undergoing this experiment has given me the insight of a customer and what I see the company can improve upon. Will not write the specifics on the blog for confidentiality's sake all I can say is there is always room to grow.

Personal points:
Eating Healthy is a must do for everyone and I know that it is at back of everyone's head but most of us rarely do it. I admittedly do not eat healthy food. And I usually push it back to next week or next month. I need to change that. Let's move forward into the right direction.
Maybe I need a goal?!hmmm...

Previous weight: 245lbs
Current weight: 240lbs

BMI: 38.7

AIM Online Marketing Blog

2009-03-31T02:28:00.000-07:00

I was tasked to start the AIM Online Marketing Blog for our elective in Online Marketing elective. This is blog is supposed to document the experience of the class as they participate in Google's Online Marketing Challenge.

All Posts about our google online marketing challenge with sexy chef will be posted there.

Visit the Blog: www.aim-onlinemarketing.blogspot.com

Genashtim Philippines Inc

2009-03-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

I am currently doing my Action Consultancy (AC) with Genashtim Philippines Inc. Action Consultancy is sort of a fancy word for internship. Genashtim President Mr. Thomas Ng was looking for an Operations Manager to start up and launch their new business.

Mark Uy (my roommate) and I applied for the position to last week and it turned out that they only needed one person. They were interviewing both of us at the same time in the conference room when it suddenly felt like the season finale of the Apprentice. We were suddenly put in a position where the typical MBA graduate thing to do is to try and impress the boss more to land the job. However we are not your typical MBA students. We put a twist in the Genashtim Apprentice Finale. In a nutshell we offered them two MBA students for the price of one. A deal no boss can refuse.

To make the long story short. We both got the job and are now working closely with the President on their new project. visit their website: www.genashtim.com

A Tribute to a Philippine Musical Icon

2009-03-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

Francis Magalona or more affectionately known by the Filipino public as Francis M. has passed away yesterday (March 6, 2009) at 12 nn. in Medical City due to multiple organ failure caused by leukemia. He was 44.

Francis M.,the Master Rapper, is the King of Pinoy Rap. Before he passed away he was already considered a legend in the Philippine Music Community because of his lasting contribution to Philippine music. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross the mainstream. In 1990 he released the groundbreaking album Yo! which was the first commercially released Pinoy Rap album in the Philippines. It included several popular singles like Mga Kababayan Ko (My Countrymen). He then continued to make more rap albums with tracks that featured politically conscious and thought-provoking rhymes in both English and Tagalog. This paved the way for Nationalistic Rap in Filipino Hip Hop.

Francis M. has given us a reason to be proud. He has forever given us the reason to be proud of our country, our heritage, our creativity. His life is a testament of Filipinos breaking new grounds and soaring new heights. Mga Kababayan Ko, this is the moment where we remember a hero. We pay tribute to a Patriotic Musical Icon which paved ways for Filipino creativity.

Francis M., we will remember you forever. Your music will live on in our hearts. Rock on!

Meeting The Sexy Chefs

2009-03-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

After getting an email from Rachel Alejandro telling us that they were very interested in working with us in the Google Online Marketing Challenge, we agreed to meet on a thursday at 3pm in one of the posh restaurants in Serendra at Fort Bonifacio

Some might say I deviously planned the meeting on a Thursday so that my other group mates could not meet Rachel and Barni Alejandro of the Sexy Chef Cafe. But it was really an unfortunate coincidence that they had Business Economics class that afternoon...honest (with devilish smile painted across my face).

So I went to Serendra to meet the Sexy Chefs and I was excited and nervous at the same time. If some people get butterflies in their stomach, I felt like I had a swarm of bees in mine. It's not everyday that a 'normal' person like myself get a chance to meet famous sibling tandem like Rachel and Barni. The only thing that me and my brother are famous for is our daily fight over the television's remote control but other than it's pretty ho-hum.

When I met the Sexy Chefs, I didn't know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. They were very nice and I can see from the way they answered my questions that they are really passionate about their business. I love seeing entrepreneurs talking about their business, their energy sometimes rubs off you.

So I explained to them the mechanics of the Google Online Marketing Challenge and they were really excited about the project because apparently they were also trying to figure out how to promote their business online.

I was very happy on the outcome of the meeting and was pleased to report to my team and our Professors that the Sexy Chef Cafe is now on board!

Asian Institute of Management Stakeholders Forum

2009-03-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

I feel like this is the first time in a while where students have banded together to create something that can help improve the system that we have here in the Asian Institute of Management.

With the Asian Institute of Management 'Unofficial' Stakeholders Forum being created the students and other stakeholders can share their insights and suggestions and frustrations about one of Asia's premier graduate schools.

I think this should not be the venue where we sugar coat things and say it will be ok or everything is fine. This should be the venue where we tell it as it is. Because if nobody says anything then we are all at fault for not improving the system.

I feel that this forum could actually make things happen in terms of improving the system, the quality of education and overall image of the school. How the outside world view a school is based on a number of things like the roster of professors, the facilities but most of all it is how the stakeholders of this institute carry the brand of the Asian Institute of Management.

The Lakeshore Estates (an RPMD feild trip)

2009-03-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

I am currently enrolled in a class called RPMD or our Real Estate Development class in the Asian Institute of Management. The class is headed by Professor Danilo Antonio, a real estate entrepreneur whose experience extends to over 30 years in various aspects of the property business.

In the duration of the elective we are given the opportunity to go on field visits to various Real Estate sites which I feel was very beneficial to the learning process. This was the first time that a class was allowed two days of field visits. We spent one day visiting real estate property development in the South (south of Makati) and another day in the North.

Among the real estate development projects that we visited during the two days, the Lakeshore development in Mexico (yes mexico) Pangpanga was the most impressive and the most memorable for me. I really liked the concept of waking up to a village/community with your own lake. The lake by the way is a man-made lake, base on what I recall a 12 hectare creation with its own island, pier, and light house. I know the light house is a bit of a stretch and probably has no real use but it just looks real good in the picture. And the lighthouse is a fabulous conversation piece when you go out with your friends or even on a first date... you can tell your date "hey, did you know I have a lighthouse." --> that would be a conversation starter right there and it's definitely better than "hey, did you know I have a light saber."

I also like their model houses, especially the one called Diamond ( of course leave it up to me to pick the most expensive one like I can afford it). I was drawn to the floor plan and layout of the place and definitely the western/Mediterranean approach to its design. It kind of made me think of an idea for an idle property my family owns in Tagaytay.

Having taken this class I realize there can be a lot of different uses and approaches to real estate development and I am definitely more open to exploring the opportunities in this industry. For AIM students who might be interested or just curious in what your missing out on real estate then I suggest you take the class of Prof. Antonio.

Getting in Touch with Rachel Alejandro

2009-03-02T05:38:00.000-08:00

Rachel Alejandro is one half of The Sexy Chef Cafe and I would think it might be difficult to get in touch with her directly since she might be busy with her career as a singer/entertainer. But I was wrong.

Our Google Marketing Challenge Team decided to contact and to request Rachel and Barni Alejandro (The Sexy Chef Cafe) to be our partner company who will participate in this global student competition. We felt that the project would be mutually beneficial since we will be able to understand and analyze how a small company can utilize Google Adwords to improve their business.

Filipinos love social networking sites like Multiply and a lot of us use these sites for entrepreneurial en devours. I was thinking that if we tried to contact them through the Sexy Chef multiply site then there would be a larger chance that she would be the one to personally read it compared to just sending an email through their company email address where a secretary might just disregard it.

So we sent her a message explaining the competition and that there was no obligation for the company to continue the Adwords campaign after the competition was over. We were like crossing our fingers waiting for a reply and luckily they said yes to the competition and are willing to meet to discuss the project more thoroughly.

The Sexy Chef Cafe

2009-03-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

I have planned to pursue the South Beach Diet but no idea how to go about it. I have no idea about cooking and preparing meals, I kinda gave that whole side of food a long time ago and just concentrated on eating it. So I was looking for someone or an establishment who provides South Beach diet meals here in the Philippines.

Luckily I saw this website called The Sexy Chef Cafe and looked at their offerings and thought why not give them a shot.

The owners of this establishment is Rachel and Barni Alejandro and business has been around four years now. It's primarily a healthy food delivery service but they do have some food kiosks in some of the Gold's Gym branches. And they also have an establishment in The Loop at the ABS-CBN building in QC.

A very interesting business, it might be common in places like California or New York but here in the Philippines this is very niche and I'll probably contact them if they would be interested in partnering with our group for the Google Online Marketing Challenge.

South Beach Diet

2009-03-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

I have heard of the south beach diet before but I never really looked into it since I was still enjoying a life of quarterpounders, ice creams and unlimited snacking.

Now that I have reevaluated my weight and health I have come to realize that I need to read more about this stuff and try them out.

From what I understand, in principle the South Beach Diet is basically replacing bad carbs and bad fats to good carbs and good fats. That sounds really easy like just changing a soiled pair of jeans. I think if it was that easy then there will be a lot less people thinking of losing weight.

I have decided to try this diet out for myself and see if the South Beach Diet Principle really does work.

The quest of being a healthier me has begun!

I am Ken and I Ken do this!

Mile High Club Membership Fees

2009-02-28T01:41:00.000-08:00

It seems people planning to enter the Mile High Club might find themselves looking for loose change before they could get into the airplane restroom.

If Micheal O'Leary, CEO of Europe's biggest discount airline (Ryanair), had his way we might be seeing coin slots on restroom doors. A very interesting revenue stream to add on ever-creative ways of earning money from passengers.

I personally think they should make a special cubicle for the Mile High Club members or those aspiring to be one and charge them for the use of that cubicle. A dollar a minute would generate huge amount of income for the discount airline.

Deciding to Change

2009-02-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

The first step in stopping any addiction is admitting you have a problem. I have an addiction to snacking. Just like anything that gives you a that euphoric feeling like the 'runner's high' phenomenon where runners have had the opportunity to experience a state of euphoria after running a certain distance. I'm thinking what if I can switch my snacking addiction to something a more constructive which will give me the same satisfaction.

Last week I have decided to change for the better. I would like to improve my health and maybe fit into smaller size clothes along the way. I am now dropping my habit of making McDonalds run in the middle of the night while reading cases. I am dropping my habit of eating the delicious Mini-stop ice cream cones (which by the way is a lot cheaper than the McDo ice cream if you compare price to size ratio). Basically I am not going to eat unnecessarily.

I will eat healthy food and TRY to get some exercise (Try being the magic word people). I will document my process of losing weight and being healthy.

I am ken and I am obese

Google Online Marketing Challenge 2009

2009-02-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Google Online Marketing Challenge is a global student online marketing competition developed by professors in collaboration with Google to provide students with practical online marketing experience.

This is the first time where the ASIAN INSTITUTE of MANAGEMENT has entered this competition. In this year's competition we are fielding 3 teams which is tasked to be online marketing consultants to a currently existing company who has a website and has not participated or used the google adwords service in their marketing campaign.

Each team is given a $200 Google Adwords budget to use for their respective partner companies and based on Google's scoring criteria they will select a global winner of the competition. The winning team, along with their professor, will journey into the heart of Google, the Googleplex which is located in Mountain View California.

*Regional winners will get to visit their local google office.

The 2008 Google Online Marketing Challenge saw around 1600 student teams from 47 countries.

Who will win this year's challenge?

The O Word

2009-02-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

In the general sense of the O word, Obesity is the condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that an individual's health may be negatively affected.

In Body Mass Index (BMI) terms it means someone who has a BMI record 30kg/m2 and above. You can calculate your Body Mass Index through the BMI calculators on the web. I calculated my BMI through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute website and it showed that I have a BMI of 39.5 which is alarmingly high.

The BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight and is applicable to both men and women. I am 5 feet and 6 inches tall and I weigh 245lbs. which shows that I have a BMI of 39.5

According to the BMI table if your BMI is below 18 then your are considered underweight, 18.5-24.9 is normal, 25-29.9 is overweight and 30 upwards is obese.

The first time I saw the BMI table, the immediate thought that came into my head was wow even if I get my BMI less than 30 I am still FAT. People like to categorize other people. I loved my days in kindergarten where categorizing people was simple like tall/short, fat/thin, small/big. But now it's like there's anorexically thin, thin, fit, toned, muscular, overcompensating and there's chubby, fat, overweight, and the O word. How do we teach our children the difference? You might be surprised to find yourself in the mall and overhear a 5 year old asking his mom "Ma, is that guy obese or is he just fat?" And to make matters worse you hear the mom tell her kid a new word that categorizes you like "No son, he's just Ginormous!"

By the way ginormous (gigantic + enormous) is a real word according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2007 edition just in case you don't know yet.

I am Ken and I am obese.

Who am I?

2009-02-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

I am Kenneth Reyes-Lao and as of this post, I am an MBA student in the Asian Institute of Management. I am in my third term of a 16-month MBA program and can't wait to graduate this September.

But that's not who I am.

I am a son, a brother, a friend, a student of life like everyone else. I am the funny guy in the barkada, I am the lonely guy in the barkada. I am the "big-picture" person, I am the marketing guy, the love to see a movie guy, the love to see a koreanovela series guy. I am a big dreamer. I am an optimist who sees the glass half empty and calls the waiter for a refill.

That's just part of who I am.

Like most of us, I am still traveling the road to self-discovery. And hopefully writing this blog will help me find out things about myself that I never knew before. I am also hopeful that I will find out that I can do things that I never really thought of setting out to do, like fly and stick to walls.

I am Ken and I ken do this.