Juan Tamad or “Lazy John” is a popular character in Philippine folklore. He is known for his extreme laziness, which is the cause of his many misadventures. His stories have been told, retold and passed on to generations of Filipinos.
Considered cautionary tales, these stories are meant to warn us Filipinos on the dangerous consequences of laziness, including how it can lead to other damaging qualities such as dishonesty, apathy and faint-heartedness, among others.
I do believe, though, that we are NOT Juan Tamad. Filipinos are not Juan Tamad.
We are Juan Disiplinado
Discipline is doing things that you don’t want to do in order to achieve your goal. It takes a lot of sacrifices. Sometimes, it means working on weekends, starting early, and working late at night.
As a Filipino who has been traveling overseas, I do believe that Filipinos, wherever they are in the world, are capable of having discipline.
The many successful Filipinos in different fields and industries in our country and all over the world are proof of this. After all, one cannot achieve success without possessing discipline.
I published the book Juan Disiplinado to encourage every Filipino to stop conceding to the notion that we are undisciplined people. The typical Filipino is not Juan Tamad. We are Juan Disiplinado.
And my hope with publishing Juan Disiplinado is to help every Filipino to bring out the Juan Disiplinado in each of them.
7 Successful Filipinos Share Their Top Advice to Juan Disiplinado
Just like us, the successful personalities I interviewed wake up in the morning, go to work, and come home at the end of the day. They have also experienced struggles in different stages of their lives.
And just like us, they are driven by their dreams, passions, loved ones and even fears. But unlike some of us, they don’t let their fears and their own limitations stop them from achieving their dreams.
In this article, I’d like to share with you some of the valuable insights and pieces of advice that I have learned from 20 successful Filipinos I have interviewed. For part 1, I include the first seven featured Filipinos:
#1: The Expat: Atty. Barney Almazar
Atty. Barney Almazar is currently the Director of Gulf Law Consultancy in Dubai. He is one of our featured Filipinos in the book Juan Disiplinado and author of the book, The Essential OFW Guide to UAE.
I met Barney during a business trip to Dubai in April 2014. The Consul referred him to our own group as he was the leading Filipino lawyer they knew in Dubai.
His accomplishments include being awarded as one of the Philippines’ Outstanding Young Men, awarded as Young Lawyer of the Year for the Philippines in 2016 and Young Lawyer of the Year for Southeast Asia in 2017.
For Barney, discipline is the numerical representation of how he achieves his goals in life.
“If it’s not stated in numbers, there is no way for me to check on my progress,” he said during my interview with him.
SOLUTIONS: Atty. Almazar suggests finding solutions, rather than blaming others
“A disciplined person will never blame others because he will find solutions to problems. You have no right to complain about the system if you are not doing anything. You should not be a part of the system that you hate.”https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6679566826319552512?compact=1
Learn more about Atty. Barney Almazar’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#2: The Founder: Amb. Jose Eduardo B. Antonio
How can Filipinos pursue greatness?
Amb. Jose Eduardo Antonio, Founder and Chairman of Century Properties Group and one of Forbes’ 50 richest in the Philippines, shared his answer to this question in my interview with him. Here’s what he said:
Get rid of crab mentality
“Let us rid ourselves of this crab mentality. Own success in our own ways. Let us project that not only to the group but to the world.”
Position the Filipinos as winners
“Our people are such talented, hardworking and compassionate people, that we excel in any job that we do, not only in this country but more so worldwide.”
EXECUTE: Amb. Antonio advises having the discipline to execute your vision
Amb. Jose Antonio or JEBA is like a father to me. I knew him when I started working for Century Properties Group right after graduation. Starting out as a property consultant, I rose from the ranks to become a sales director.https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6683171667860176896?compact=1
I had the rare opportunity of talking to him and hearing him out during meetings. He inspired me a lot and still does until today.
Follow your dream. Think big. There is nothing stopping you from being successful in whatever field you choose.
Amb. Antonio’s demeanor, discipline and the way he treats people with respect and value, more so his character, make him truly successful.
Learn more about Amb. Jose Eduardo Antonio’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#3: The Restaurateur: Bridget Co
Bridget Co, along with her sister, Abigail Co-Haw opened their first branch of Sunrise Buckets in 2008 with a capital of PhP8,000.
Both Abigail and Bridget were my former colleagues at Alveo Land. And I witnessed how they started Sunrise Buckets from a concept into a dream.
“Keep praying and believing that you have submitted what you have done and you believe that the higher power will provide. Talk to your God. He gave you this talent. Believe in it. Use it to serve him.”
FAITH: Bridget reminds you to empower yourself with faith
“Always have a purpose that is greater than yourself. Don’t chase after money or fame. It has to be a higher purpose, which is to share love through your work.”
“Empower yourself with faith. Keep praying and believing that you have submitted what you have done and you believe that the higher power will provide.”
Learn more about Bridget Co’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#4: The Mompreneur: Abigail Co-Haw
Wanting to travel, Bridget and Abigail took a break from their corporate jobs for a year. They traveled around the world. Their adventures inspired them to put up their own restaurant selling chicken wings, and so they started Sunrise Buckets.
PURPOSE: Abigail recommends living for a bigger purpose
“I used to have a lot during my career years. I was working for a big, multinational company. I earned a lot of money. I got all the benefits. But I went through a depression for one year. I didn’t see any meaning in life at that time. I was just holding on to material things.”
Photo above: Raymond Domingo with Bridget Co and Abigail Co-Haw
“Now that I’m married, I’ve come to know that there is a big difference when you are living not just for yourself when you’re living with God.”
As a mompreneur, Abigail is driven by her desire to share her passion for cooking and hospitality to their customers, as well as to provide jobs for her employees.
Learn more about Abigail Co-Haw’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#5: The First Life CEO: Peter Coyiuto
Peter Coyiuto or PGC is one of the respected movers and shakers of the Philippine business community. Despite his success, his most revered attributes are his humility and respect for people around him.
Some people go through lengths to find inspiration, to find something to motivate them to have the strength to conquer the day. For PGC, it is the sunrise that brings him such a positive outlook in life. He has made it a habit to wake up 15 minutes before the sun rises.
Every single day opens with a beautiful sunrise…
WARRIOR: Peter advises challenging yourself if you want to improve your life
“Work hard. Love your parents. Be disciplined. Be persistent. Be consistent. Go with warriors.”
PGC has always inspired and encouraged me to do more. Let’s learn from his wisdom. Like the sunrise, be CONSISTENT in order to RISE ABOVE.
“If you want to improve, to challenge yourself, and to be better in life, make sure that the person beside you is also a warrior.”https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6686795462655246336?compact=1
Learn more about Peter Coyiuto’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#6: The Legal Executive: Raymond Fortun
Atty. Raymond Fortun is a well-known celebrity lawyer and lawyer of high-profile cases in the Philippines. And I’m honored to be able to see and experience the other side of Atty. Fortun.
Do you wonder what drives a celebrity lawyer? I asked Atty. Fortun this question, and here’s what he said:
“I hate losing to just anybody. If it means that I have to wake up early in the morning just so I can be better prepared than my opponent inside the courtroom, I’m going to do it … I know that I’m not as smart as them, but I can outwork them.”
Photo above: Raymond Domingo with Atty. Raymond Fortun
HARD WORK: Atty. Fortun emphasizes putting in the work to achieve success
“You can never achieve success without putting the amount of time in order to achieve it.”
I won’t forget this important message he shared when I invited him to speak in my former company:
“In any profession, if you want to be successful, you need to work harder and prepare more. If you want to be the best lawyer, whatever case you have, whether big or small, you need to prepare.”
I also believe that no matter how brilliant you are, if you don’t prepare, nothing will happen. To execute your brilliance, you need to exert effort and put in the work. And it starts with preparation.
Learn more about Atty. Raymond Fortun’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
#7: The Preacher in Blue Jeans: Bro. Bo Sanchez
Bro. Bo Sanchez is an international speaker, a best-selling author, a preacher and an entrepreneur. My first encounter with Bro. Bo was during the Truly Rich Club Platinum Super Conference in 2012.
Prior to meeting Bro. Bo, it was already my dream to write a book. Through his encouragement, I was able to publish Juan Disiplinado. And I’m on my way to publishing another book!
Photo above: Raymond Domingo with Bro. Bo Sanchez and Chinkee Tan
PASSION: Bro. Bo highlights the importance of giving up everything for something you are truly passionate about
“If you want to succeed in life, look for your passion, discern your potential or your gift, then align it with your purpose.”https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:6690785907987087360?compact=1
If you ask me, “What makes Bro. Bo successful?” I’d say his kindness.
Bro. Bo’s mission and passion is to bless and help other people live a full life. And to fulfill his mission, he stays true to his discipline. He works hard because he wants to touch lives and bless others.
Learn more about Bro. Bo Sanchez’s secrets to success: www.juandisiplinado.com
