Leadership Story: An Inquiry on Becoming a Young Entrepreneur
Business / Organization: Amarilys. Ph Owner / Leader: Ms. Veronica Villarosa, CEO
Members:
Arellano, Shenneil A.
Dumlao, Vince V.
Jimenez, Kristine Cher A.
Ragos, Rae Elaine S.
Reforma, Trisha Jane D.
Salcedo, Andrea Franz S.
Salenga, Aaron Justine D.
Section: Section 12
Date of Submission: November 2021
Table of Contents
Pages
I.
Overview of the Business………………………………………………………….. 1
II.
Company Address and Contact Details……………………………………………. 1
III.
Date of Virtual or Online Interview………………………………………………… 1
IV.
Resume of Person Interviewed……………………………………………………... 2
V.
Questionnaire Template…………………………………………………………….. 3
VI.
Transcript of the Interview………………………………………………………… 6
VII.
Photo Documentation……………………………………………………………… 17
VIII. Individual Reflection Paper/ Personal Plan……………………………………….... 18
IX.
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………. 31
X.
References………………………………………………………………………….. 32
XI.
Appendices…………………………………………………………………………. 33
I.
Overview of the Business
Amarilys.Ph is an online store that caters women clothing, scrunchies, and the like to its
customers. It was established in July 2020 as a manufacturing business wherein they pick the
fabric and materials to be used and turn them into high quality products to ensure their
consumers’ satisfaction. Currently, the shop has an estimated 5,300 followers on an online
selling platform, Shopee, and almost 1,900 followers on Instagram. With this current platform
they have, the sole owner of the shop, Ms. Veronica Villarosa, is a student and an entrepreneur
who aims to export her products in the future and also to earn the trust of more resellers. In
addition, Ms. Villarosa mentioned that they value their customers’ feedback and suggestions
because their greatest fear as of the moment is to lose their established customers. Therefore,
their mission is to create a platform where they can easily communicate or negotiate with their
suppliers and especially, their buyers.
II.
Company Address and Contact Details
The shop is based in Las Piñas City, Philippines where the owner currently lives. Although
they don’t have any physical stores yet, the customers can still easily access their store through
Shopee (Amarilys.Ph). Ms. Veronica Villarosa, on the other hand, can be contacted through her
social media accounts such as Facebook (Veronica Villarosa), Instagram (@verownikuh), and
Email (Veronikuhh@gmail.com).
III.
Date of Virtual or Online Interview
The interview was held electronically utilizing Zoom Meetings. It was done on Friday,
October 22, 2021, and lasted for only 35 minutes from 7:25 PM until 8:00 in the evening. The
Data Privacy Act was followed throughout the interview to safeguard the interviewee's personal
information, and video recording was done with the approval of all meeting participants,
especially the interviewee.
1
IV.
Resume of Person Interviewed
2
V.
Questionnaire Template
The interview conducted aims to determine the skills, abilities, and values that make a leader
successful. Furthermore, it seeks to document the success story of a chosen leader in his/her
company. The following interview questions were used in order to answer the main objectives of
this paper:
1. How long have you been in business? What was your key driving force to become an
entrepreneur?
2. What is your company’s vision and mission and how did you come up with those?
3. Entrepreneurship requires a variety of tasks in operating a business such as
marketing, accounting, customer care, and others. When you started your business
Sir/Ma’am, have you earned any of the following in preparation for the business:
a. college degree in business or entrepreneurship
b. did not earn a college degree in business or entrepreneurship but attended
business training and seminars
If you have earned a college degree related to business and entrepreneurship, how does it
help you manage your company?
If you have not earned a college degree related to business and entrepreneurship but
attended training and seminars, do you think it equipped you with the same or more
advantageous knowledge as having the college degree?
4. Engaging in business entails a lot of investments in terms of money, time, and
sacrifices. And despite all these investments, still many have failed in their business
ventures. Based on your observation as a businessperson, is it a reality that not
everyone is destined to be a successful entrepreneur?
3
5. When it comes to business, what is your greatest fear and how do you overcome fear?
6. In life as well as in business, nothing is certain or future-proof? Do you plan to obtain
or have obtained insurance security for your business? In your opinion, why is it
important to have your business insured?
___ YES, I plan insurance security for my business.
___ YES, I already obtained insurance security for my business.
___ NO, I have no plan of obtaining insurance security for my business.
7. Do you believe that there is a certain pattern or formula to becoming a successful
entrepreneur?
___ No.
When you say No, does it mean that luck has something to do with business
success.
___ Yes.
When you say Yes. May we know your formula of success?
8. As a businessperson do you prefer to:
___ manage the business by yourself.
___ manage the business by yourself and by family members.
___ manage the business by yourself and hire employees.
In times of difficulties like the pandemic, which are affecting the business, how do
you come up with a solution to combat the difficulties?
9. In our university, we have core values of Fortitude, Excellence, and Uprightness. Do
you also have certain values that you follow and observe in your business operation?
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What are those and why did you choose to follow those specific company core
values? If you do not have one, do you plan to formulate some in the future?
10. What piece of advice would you give to future Filipino entrepreneurs?
5
VI.
Transcript of the Interview
A. Introduction - (1:27)
Interviewer: So, before we formally start the interview Ms. Vero, on behalf of my group, I am
Rae Elaine S. Ragos, currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at Far Eastern
University – Manila. This interview will be used as our final requirement on Leadership and
Decision Making. Good evening, Ms. Vero!
Interviewer: Before we formally start Ms. Vero, can you introduce yourself first and your
business?
Interviewee: Okay. My name is Veronica Villarosa, and my business is actually a clothing
business, and its name is Amarilys.ph. Basically, we sell premium clothes and girly stuff. It
comes with a variety of choices – clothes, tops, scrunchies, and such. We don’t have any
physical stores. The [delivery] riders come to our house to pick up the orders since we sell on an
online platform like Shopee. Before, we also sold on Lazada, but we had to close it down
because we cannot accommodate the orders anymore. We had to close it down and we just
focused on Shopee. We also had actually an account on Instagram and Facebook, but then we
can’t really handle it anymore, so we have to remove it.
Interviewer: Oh I see that was very interesting to hear, but Ms. Vero, before I forgot, is it okay
to record this interview in line with the Data Privacy Act?
Interviewee: Sure!
Interviewer: Thank you.
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B. Interview Proper
Formal Question #1 - (3:14)
Interviewer: So, how long have you been in the business? What was your key driving force to
become an entrepreneur or a C.E.O.?
Interviewee: My business actually started during July 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. So, I
have been managing my business for more than a year. About my key driving force to become an
entrepreneur - actually to be quite honest, it does not come to mind in the first place. It is way out
of my league to have a business because I wanted to take up law and it [the business] does not
align or associated with what I wanted to do in life. But then, one day, I had a snap and it
suddenly crossed my mind – why not start a business? Since, I am bored, and I also wanted to
earn money. Maybe, the money is my key driving force to become an entrepreneur - as well as
my privileges as an only child because my parents are also supportive with whatever I’m doing
with my life. Also, I wanted to help because I actually have a lot of family members that lost
their jobs due to the pandemic. The problems piled up and at the same time, I have the financial
capability to start a business. I started to build this business – Amarilys.ph and that became the
history why my business succeeded.
Interviewer: Thank you Ms. Vero! The story of your business is truly an inspiring and
motivating one. Although establishing a business is not in line with the profession you wanted to
take, there’s still a motivation to push through your business.
Formal Question #2 - (5:32)
Interviewer: So, for my second question, what is your company’s vision and mission and how
did you come up with those?
Interviewee: Okay, so when I was starting out, to be honest, I really had nothing in my mind. As
in, I just wanted my business to thrive and earn sales. But gradually, you grow as an individual
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and your business also grows. That's why there is a need to widen your responsibility. Right
now, my vision for my company is to be an exporting company and at the same time, I wanted to
have a lot of resellers, because it’s easier when you have a large number of resellers that are
established and loyal to your company. That is my vision for the company. For the mission, I
wanted to create a platform where it’s easier for the company, clients, business partners, and
resellers to communicate and negotiate.
Interviewer: Thank you Ms. Vero! We are hoping that your business will expand not just here
in the Philippines because why would we limit it if we can also keep up with other businesses
who also exports outside the country.
Formal Question #3 - (7:32)
Interviewer: Ms. Vero, for my third question - entrepreneurship requires a variety of tasks in
operating a business such as marketing, accounting, customer care, and others. When you started
your business Sir/Ma’am, have you earned any of the following in preparation for the business:
a. College degree in business or entrepreneurship.
b. Did not earn a college degree in business or entrepreneurship but attended business
pieces of training and seminars.
Interviewee: Actually, I don’t have both because I was only in grade 11 when I started to
establish my business. Basically, I was young and naïve. But even if I don’t have a college
degree nor attended any seminars or training, I am kind of knowledgeable since there are actually
a lot of our family members that have businesses. For example, my Aunts who already have an
established company, they really guided me along the way. However, I cannot say they will
teach me, they give me pieces of advice instead. In my journey of establishing this business, my
family and relatives helped me a lot. Hopefully in the future, I can attend seminars and training
because it is very helpful when you have prior knowledge about establishing a business. When I
started, I only had a little background and pieces of information on how to operate a business,
but I don’t have in-depth knowledge on what is the proper way – I don’t have any knowledge
about accounting, customer care, and such. It’s kind of funny because it looks like I’m just
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playing as I don’t really know anything. But gradually, I was able to learn too. So far, I am really
looking forward to attending seminars and training in the future.
Interviewer: I have a follow up question, Ms. Vero. You mentioned earlier that you were only
in grade 11 when you started your business, did you think that your business will grow, and you
will take it seriously? Because when you were in grade 11, we still had face-to-face classes at
that time and our only focus was our studies, not until the pandemic happened where our mindset
shifted. What is the point in your life where you said to yourself – you need to pour your 100%
in continuing and pursuing this business seriously?
Interviewee: At first, I really did not think that my business would grow. I didn't even expect
that I would earn sales. All I think is it is just for fun. To be honest as a grade 11 student, my
mind is not focused here, and I don’t have the passion as it is not aligned to what I wanted to do
in my life. But then, it became the real deal when December 2020 came, and we already had
campaigns when we started selling on Shopee. I realized that the business has a wide potential.
My mother even told me that in case I get tired of my business, I shall pass it to her, and she will
continue it. We saw the business’ potential when the numbers of customers were growing. But at
first, I really thought it’s just going to last for a short period of time. Now, we are looking
forward to the business growing in the future.
Interviewer: If I heard it right Ms. Vero, even your family as well as your Aunties help you in
operating your business and in manufacturing the dress and clothes? The journey of your
business is truly amazing and inspiring. Until now, it is surviving and thriving!
Formal Question #4 - (12:17)
Interviewer: For my next question, engaging in business entails a lot of investments in terms of
money, time, and sacrifices. And despite all these investments, still many have failed in their
business ventures. Based on your observation as a businessperson, is it a reality that not everyone
is destined to be a successful entrepreneur?
9
Interviewee: Actually, I still don’t consider myself as a successful entrepreneur. But you know,
I realized everyone can be an entrepreneur, to be honest. You can be an entrepreneur yourself
and I can also be an entrepreneur. There are many chances and there are many people that can be
an entrepreneur, but the hardest part is to be a successful one because what is your definition or
standard of being a successful? Is it when your business has a lot of orders? Or if your business
already generates profit? Well technically, it is hard to be an entrepreneur especially in the long
run because to be honest it is easy to start, but it is hard to continue up until the end. Especially if
you invest all your hard-earned money in the business. And of course, there are lots of people
that are afraid to start their own businesses because there are numerous risks, but for me is it a
reality that not everyone is destined to be a successful entrepreneur? Well technically, I think
everyone can be an entrepreneur, but not everyone can be a successful one and being successful
is actually a choice for me. I do agree that not everyone can be successful, but everyone can be
an entrepreneur.
Interviewer: We all have different bases for being successful. So, it really depends on the path
we take.
Interviewee: Yes, and there are many people that think when their business is already on a big
scale, they always keep in mind that there’s still something to be improved. Maybe for them,
they are not successful yet. At the same time, you cannot blame them [business owners] why
they are not yet content because we have different basis of being a successful entrepreneur.
Interviewer: Thank you Ms. Vero!
Formal Question #5 - (14:50)
Interviewer: For my next question, when it comes to business, what is your greatest fear and
how do you overcome fear?
Interviewee: Okay, my biggest fear before is having no orders from the customers. That was my
first fear when I was just starting my business. But now, my ultimate fear is when my established
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customers won’t ever come back to my business because when you lose your established
customers, it is like losing your customers for a lifetime. Basically, we don’t know when they
will come back to our business. It is easier to gain new customers unlike the established
customers that keep on coming back to you. That’s my biggest fear – when my established
customers won’t come back to me anymore. However, I overcome that fear by developing the
products because it is always the product that needs to be improved all the time. It is not possible
that the product is stagnant all throughout. You always have to improve it. What I do is – I
always take in account all of my clients and customers’ suggestions and relay it to my tailors –
this is what the customers want. You need to listen to your customers as well.
Interviewer: Yes, Ms. Vero that is right. It is important to listen to your customer’s ratings and
feedback. I also saw on the Shopee account of Amarilys.ph the 92% percent performance and the
4.8 shop rating. Congratulations, Ms. Vero! I am hoping that the business will grow and succeed.
Formal Question #6 - (16:47)
Interviewer: For my next question, Ms. Vero. In life as well as in business, nothing is certain or
future-proof? Do you plan to obtain or have obtained insurance security for your business? In
your opinion, why is it important to have your business insured?
Interviewee: Well actually, I am already planning, and I am getting advice from my other family
members that have businesses to insure my business. What is insurance? In life insurance, we
have Philam Life where we can use it when we have problems. Technically, it is the same with
the business that is why it is important for me to have something to hold on when problems
occur. I do believe it is important for the business to have insurance.
Interviewer: Ms. Vero do you think even if the business is just starting - is it important if it [the
business] is insured or planning to insure or how would you say that the business really needs to
invest or save for insurance?
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Interviewee: As a business owner, you would think – why would I establish a business if in the
long run, it would not benefit me. Technically for me, even if you are just starting, you need to
get permits and insurance like that because if you don’t plan to grow your business in the long
run, then what are you waiting for? What is the purpose of your business? For me, even before or
when you are just starting, you have to look forward to what your business will be like in the
future. It is really important because you don’t know when the problems will occur
unexpectedly. It is important for our businesses to have insurance.
Interviewer: We must always be ready especially in this time of pandemic where there are many
businesses that have been closed. We need to allot our money for those things.
Interviewee: That is true because you really don’t know like for example this pandemic – it just
occurred. We don’t know maybe next time what if something worse happens. That is why it is
really important to have insurance for your business.
Interviewer: Thank you. We’ll take note of that once we open our own businesses.
Formal Question #7 - (19:35)
Interviewer: For my next question, do you believe that there is a certain pattern or formula to
becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Interviewee: To be honest, I don’t believe in such – patterns and formulas, but I believe as an
entrepreneur you always have to be two steps ahead, and you always need to think critically
because you cannot just go with the flow. Before your customer thinks about something [the
product], you should have thought of that immediately beforehand. First, you really have to
analyze your customers. You need to know how your customers and potential buyers will think.
Second, you have to think outside the box. You don’t have to think if it is going to be a trend, or
it is just going to be another fad. Basically, you need to think that your business will thrive in the
long run. That is what you have to think as an entrepreneur, analyze your customer and at the
same time think outside the box.
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Interviewer: We must always have something new to offer in order for us to gain customers.
That is right.
Formal Question #8 - (21:03)
Interviewer: For my next question, as a businessperson do you prefer to: (a) manage the
business by yourself; (b) manage the business by yourself and by family members; (c) manage
the business by yourself and hire employees? Why? In times of difficulties like the pandemic,
which are affecting the business, how do you come up with a solution to combat the difficulties?
Interviewee: Actually, we are already doing the letter b [manage the business by yourself and by
family members]. I am managing the sales while my family does the actual work [manufacturing
of the products]. It is easy but at the same time there are conflicts as it is difficult to address
some problems to them, especially with the fact that they are family members. For example, if
there’s a problem – how would you address it without offending them. But I’m not saying when
you hire employees, it means you can offend them. It’s just that it is different when it is family
members because you have to be cautious on what you are saying to them. For me, I prefer the
second one because that’s what we are currently doing right now. I have family members that
help me, and it is also easier since they already know what to do, and they already know me.
Interviewer: Isn’t it difficult Ms. Vero to work with your family members? Especially when
you’re handling a business there is money involved. Does it affect [the business and the
relationship as a family]?
Interviewee: Actually, there are advantages but there are also disadvantages. You have to be
cautious about whatever you are saying and how you will talk to them, but in the end, they are
still your family. Of course, blood is thicker than water, and you can always trust your family
that at the end of the day, they will help you and they will be there for you.
Interviewer: That is very true. At the end of the day, it is always your family that will help you
and it is very evident Ms. Vero that in your business – you are not overpowered by your families
13
even if you are just young. Because usually when they say they are older than you, you need to
follow them. But we can see that the opinions are balanced, and the business is going well.
Interviewer: For our next question, how did the pandemic affect your business and how did you
come up with a solution to combat the said problems?
Interviewee: I don’t how I will tell you this, but I already mentioned that I established my
business during the pandemic. The pandemic opened a lot of opportunities to me. I almost didn’t
have a problem when the pandemic happened, like in terms of my business. There are a lot of
things that arise and opportunities that opened because of the pandemic. Basically, my business
became stronger due to the pandemic. I still encountered minor problems like for example, I lost
my sales sometimes, but there’s no major problem since it is the pandemic that pushed me to
have a business in the first place.
Interviewer: Follow up question Ms. Vero, when the sales drop – let’s admit it, sometimes it
affects us as a seller as well as with our mental health. How do you bounce back again?
Interviewee: Actually, when there are times where there are no orders, I believe it is part
because aside from the fact that it [the products they sell] is not a basic necessity - sometimes the
sales are low and sometimes it is high. Maybe, the only motivation we have is to always be kind
to our customers and at the same time the product should always be improved. Because it is
difficult if the product won’t improve, stays the same, and there’s nothing new in the eyes of the
customers. So, it is important to look forward to the taste of your target market like what they
want to see next. You have to take in consideration all your customers.
Formal Question #9 - (23:31)
Interviewer: For my next question Ms. Vero, if I’m not mistaken you also came from FEU –
Alabang. So, in our university, we have core values of Fortitude, Excellence, and Uprightness.
Do you also have certain values that you follow and observe in your business operation? What
14
are those and why did you choose to follow those specific company core values? If you do not
have one, do you plan to formulate some in the future?
Interviewee: Actually, I am very lenient when it comes to the business as well as with my
family members, but when it comes to communicating with the customers for example the
customer care. I always imprint on my mind to be polite and kind, and at the same time always
put yourself in the shoes of your customers. You need to always take them into account. Even if
they’re already expressing their frustration and anger – actually there are many times that I
received curses [bad words] from my customers, since our business only offers pre-orders.
Always think that your customer is always right, and you always have to be polite and kind
whenever you are negotiating with them. That is really important if you want to establish
customers who keep on coming back to your business.
Interviewer: That is what matters the most Ms. Vero when you enter the business, right? Even
Mark DeJesus of Amazon, he is obsessed with the customer service feedback. It is important for
him to keep his relationship with his customers because they are one of the core of the business.
Thank you, Ms. Vero! We have learned so much from you, especially we are Accountancy
students and maybe some of my group mates will venture on establishing a business in the
future.
Formal Question #10 - (28:06)
Interviewer: Down to our last question Ms. Vero, what piece of advice would you give to our
future entrepreneurs?
Interviewee: Basically, it is just to start and just do it because usually, there are many
entrepreneurs who find it hard to start a business due to several risks and other factors. But for
me, you just have to start if you really want it. As in, start doing because that is what you want.
Don’t overthink too much and don’t pressure yourself too much. Take it gradually like baby
steps. It is important that you must not be consumed by your fears because that is difficult,
especially if you are just starting – you will most likely think what will happen next, or will you
15
achieve your goals for your business and for yourself as an entrepreneur. Overcome your fears.
Also, as an entrepreneur, you must know your responsibilities. Just start doing it if you really
want to.
Interviewer: So, thank you Ms. Vero! That concludes our interview and thank you for giving us
your time. There are many takeaways from this interview with you, especially with what you
have said – ―Everyone can be an entrepreneur‖. Although we are not knowledgeable enough in
establishing a business, we just have to trust ourselves that we can also grow in our perfect time.
And our customers are one of the foundations of the business. Thank you for your time, Ms.
Veronica! We truly appreciate it.
Interviewee: Thank you also for having me.
C. Ending
Interviewer: Before we formally end Ms. Vero, can we have a photo opportunity together with
my group mates?
Interviewee: Yes, Sure!
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VII. Photo Documentation
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VIII. Individual Reflection Paper / Personal Plan
A. Arellano, Hannah Shenneil A.
Young Leader: A Success Story
To be a leader does not depend on age, it is all about having the fuel to drive and lead an
organization forward. With our abilities and capabilities as youth, we can start young and strive
to be the face of leadership in the future.
Our civilization is heavily reliant on business – an entity that attempts to gain profit from
an activity. Ward (2020) noted that business is a broad phrase, a profit-seeking activity that
typically includes delivering a good or service that others want or need. It improves the quality
of people’s lives and raises their level of living by satisfying those necessities and desires that
they cannot satisfy for themselves. Surprisingly, nowadays, people become more engaged in
doing business that even youth become business owners and entrepreneurs. One of the worthsharing success stories of a young leader and entrepreneur is the experiences of Ms. Veronica
Villarosa, our chosen speaker.
Ms. Villarosa, a student-entrepreneur, launched her clothing company, Amarylis.Ph, in
July 2020 amid the pandemic. According to her, she was not expecting to start a business, but as
the epidemic hit, she wanted to help her family and give jobs to others who were laid off.
Amarylis.Ph has now been in operation for over a year and has created its mission – to provide a
platform where they can expand their bargaining powers to their customers, and vision – to
become an exporting company in the future. As a student who has yet to complete her degree,
Ms. Villarosa underlined that she learned about running a business through her business-owning
family, and she is interested in attending business pieces of training and seminars. With what Ms.
Villarosa revealed, I recognized that entrepreneurship is now a viable career option – especially
for young individuals with no experience but a passion and a wide array of ideas.
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Despite earning and delivering a large amount of clothing to her consumers, Ms.
Villarosa does not consider her business to be successful since she believes that success is
difficult to accomplish because everyone defines it differently. What I admire the most about Ms.
Villarosa is her determination to make her company the best it can be. She does limit her skills as
well as the capacity of her firm, and she is always looking forward to the improvement of both to
genuinely realize her company's long-term goal and success. With that, she stated, "Everyone
can be an entrepreneur, but not everyone can be a successful entrepreneur." I agree with her
statement because not everyone dares to continue their business despite multiple setbacks, and
not everyone has the motivation and perseverance to take greater risks as there will always be
risks in business. Of course, in business, the owner is always confronted with dread; for example,
Ms. Villarosa's concern is losing her existing clients. She underlined that gaining new clients is
far easier than regaining the trust of previous customers. She strives to develop her products,
troubleshoot problems, and prevent stagnation to conquer her fear. In addition, business is
similar to life in that both are full of uncertainty. Ms. Villarosa is intending to get her business
insured even though it has only been running for a year. It is critical for her to get business
insurance so that her firm is protected in the event of a disaster.
Another major topic discussed in the interview is how Ms. Villarosa ran her company;
she chooses to manage it personally with the help of her family. Managing things in such a
manner has both advantages and disadvantages; to make it work, she always ensures that she
focuses and uses the advantages to overcome the disadvantages. In this regard, during
challenging times they overcome the uncertainty by being motivated to enhance both their
product and their company. Of course, as a leader, she developed her company's basic values,
which are to always be polite and kind and to ―always put yourself in the shoes of your
customers‖. These basic principles are what they observe to have a healthy working environment
and relationship, as well as a cordial connection with their consumers, all of which are critical to
the company's success. Concluding the interview, she advised aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs to
"Just start, just do it." According to her, when starting a business, one should not overthink and
over rationalize, as this will only add pressure; instead, take baby steps; it is better to get there
gently, but steadily.
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Ms. Villarosa's experience demonstrated that today's youth play an important part in the
corporate world. Youth entrepreneurship is currently a vehicle or mechanism for opening
people's and society's minds to the fact that anyone, regardless of age or degree, maybe an
entrepreneur and leader. The ability of the youth to engage in business and leadership fields
create value to innovation and creativity, which focuses on investing in human capital and
further strengthening and cultivating a "can-do" mentality. Furthermore, this project taught me
the value of collaborative learning and working. In this regard, it is critical for anyone aspiring to
work in the corporate world to cultivate a feeling of connection and relationship with others,
particularly coworkers. Moreover, knowing when to be a leader and when to be a follower is
critical when working with others to accomplish success in any endeavor. A leader, or even a
follower, must always the organization’s core value, mission, and vision since they are their path
to reaching their goal and victory. To become a successful leader, one needs to acquire skills,
abilities, and traits as early as possible, so that they can be cultivated and enhanced continuously.
Therefore, I realized that as early as now, I should practice the act of leadership and work
in collaboration. Today, I consider college as a training ground to be someone prominent and
skilled not just as a leader but as a personality in general.
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B. Dumlao, Vince V
A leader understands how to accept responsibility and handle various types of
individuals. When it comes to running a business, there is no greater term to describe a leader
than responsibility. Managing various types of people with ease in a corporation is a skill that
every leader should possess. Working with and managing a team of people demands hard effort
and desire to hold the position of leader in a corporation. In a company, the leader is accountable
for managing their staff, and a leader must be capable of understanding the true needs of their
employees.
The interactive communication with the leader inspired me to start my own business and
become the leader of my own company. It motivates me to start my own business, even though I
am still young and inexperienced, and to not be afraid of failures or being criticized by others.
Fear of failure will only keep you from achieving success; it is okay to fail because failure is a
byproduct of success. Failure teaches us and allows us to grow. And not caring about other
people's criticism because people will always have something to say. Simply keeping moving
forward will pave the way for you to achieve great success.
Being a leader is not an easy task; it necessitates hard work and perseverance. A leader
manages a variety of people for whom he or she is responsible. Being a leader is not easy; you
will face adversity such as failure and criticism from others, which will result in you improving
and becoming a great leader who manages his or her people well. And having the support of
people you care about gives you the motivation you need to keep moving forward in order to
achieve success.
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C. Jimenez, Kristine Cher A.
Throughout the first part of this semester, we were taught lessons about leadership in the
Leadership and Decision Making subject. In fact, I encountered most of it for the first time.
There were concepts and ideas that changed my perspective of what a leader is. Therefore, I kept
all of these in mind as we conducted the interview and made this summative assessment in an
attempt to apply what I have learned in our subject.
The process of choosing a leader to be interviewed took us quite some time since some of
our target interviewees either declined because of their lack of time or never responded to our
emails or messages. Since they hold significant positions in their company, it was understandable
that they declined our request. That's why we are really grateful when Ms. Veronica Villarosa
agreed to do it. One thing that has been imprinted in my mind ever since that interview was the
phrase she said: ―Anyone can be an entrepreneur but not everyone can be successful‖. She also
emphasized that success is subjective and after some thinking, I have realized that it is true. We
really learned a lot and were even inspired by what she shared with us. It was kind of sad to end
the meaningful meeting with her but I am thankful for everything she had imparted to us.
After the interview, I was left in awe. She started the business when she was in senior
high school in the midst of a pandemic. It was a very challenging time for all but that did not
stop her from being productive and helping her family. Personally, I think that the business type
she chose was very risky since she had to find trustworthy suppliers, make her own designs, and
establish her brand. But again, that did not hold her back. She took a risk, worked hard and now,
her business is thriving. I really applaud her for being brave and also her family for supporting
her.
I also reflected and I realized the fact that Ms. Villarosa is around our age yet she
displayed a high level of professionalism that really stunned me. Looking back, I remember that
she also mentioned working with her family. She talked about it having pros and cons. Of course
since they are her family, they would pretty much know her personally with how she likes to
work or how her standards are set. On the other hand, sometimes it gets complicated too because
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sometimes there might be conflicts that may arise. But still, I am amazed with how she handles
the situations well.
Our members then had a talk after and agreed to proceed to make the paper. Everything
went smoothly and in my opinion, these were all possible with the help of the active participation
of our members. Everyone was cooperative and they voiced out what they wanted to say. No one
was afraid to raise their concerns and questions which made our communication more open.
With this, I have realized that we applied what we learned in the first lesson — leadership is not
only about the leader but also the members and the situation. In order to complete one’s task,
everyone must work together in accordance to the situation we are in. This is quite a hard task to
do but with the help of my groupmates, we were able to finish it with not much struggles on the
way and I am grateful for that.
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D. Ragos, Rae Elaine S.
The Beauty of Trusting Your Own Capabilities
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Social media
plays a big role in teen culture today. Surveys show that ninety percent of teens ages 13-17 have
used social media. Seventy five percent reports having at least one active social media profile,
and 51% report visiting a social media site at least daily. Two thirds of teens have their own
mobile devices with internet capabilities. On average, teens are online almost nine hours a day,
not including time for homework. In line with this research is the reason why Ms. Veronica
Villarosa started her own online business. She saw a possible opportunity in an online set-up
with less capital than opening a physical store, although she wanted and was planning for it in
the near future. One of her target customers are teenagers who love dressing up and online
shoppers who spend most of their time browsing different shops online. She also mentioned how
she started from scratch; it was her passion and dedication that keeps the business running.
Learning from a person who is better than you will always be a privilege. Ms. Veronica
Villarosa, CEO is also my co-content writer at The Studio and I’m amazed at how she manages
her business, work, and at the same time excelling in her academic performances. Last Friday
night was indeed a great experience to learn some tips on how to be a successful entrepreneur at
a very young age. I’m the one who interviewed her along with my group members and hearing
all those inspiring messages from becoming a leader, stepping out of her comfort zone, and
venturing into the business industry, she indeed inspires and influences me. Her journey wasn’t
easy because she doesn’t have any background in sales, accounting, or any business related stuff,
but she still pushes herself and never doubts her own capabilities.
I couldn’t deny the fact that opening a business is both a risk and fulfillment. Risk
because you don't have any idea what will happen next. Fulfillment because there’s a possibility
to make an impact on your customers and community. As a teenager who also has a business I
can definitely relate to what Hart Main, the 14-year-old founder of ManCans told a business
reporter: “It’s more work than I thought, but I’m glad I started it.” because looking back I
wouldn’t have the things that I have right now if I didn’t conquer my fear and I doubted myself
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when I’m starting. I learned the value of hard work. If you really want something, make an effort
and be dedicated to it and I also wanted to share one of the quotes that I always uphold, that is
from Blake Lively, that goes this way ―The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence‖.
Because even if you don’t have any idea just try and wait for the results. Furthermore, with the
help of all the topics that we’ve discussed from Leadership and Decision Making help me to see
and understand the deeper meaning of becoming a leader. One of my favorite quotes that Ms.
Villarosa said in our interview that I can somehow relate to what I’ve learned in our course is
that ―All of us can be an entrepreneur‖ just like ―Every one of us can be a leader‖. It may sound
simple to others, but for me it has a very strong message. Not all of us are born to be a leader nor
can be a successful leader, but as we grow, discover, and adapt to other people and as well as to
the environment we’re capable of being a leader in our own unique way. Also based on the
interviewee’s answer on planning to expand her business I think her approach can be classified
as a Goal Setting for she’s already planning on the long-term success of her business. In terms
of allowing her family members to manage her business and giving them trust that they could
also perform well, can fall under the Empowerment approach which helps the business to grow
and increases the efficiency of her family members which are also her employees. She also
mentioned and emphasized how customer feedback and relationships are very important in a
business. Customers keep the business running and progressing that’s why building credibility
should be one of their utmost priorities when opening a business.
With that said, Ms. Veronica Villarosa, CEO proves that teenagers are capable of
managing a business even without taking a business related course she also gave me the courage
to try a different thing than usual; it’s okay if I would be clueless when starting, as long as I’m
willing to learn from my mistakes, failures, and most importantly with the people around me. At
the end of the day every one of us is capable of becoming both an entrepreneur and a leader. Age
wouldn’t be a problem if we’re passionate and dedicated to growth and improvement and most
importantly the beauty of trusting your own capabilities that no matter how many failures you
will encounter and how many people doubted your plans, you can still make a beautiful and
meaningful life out of your own power as a leader and young-entrepreneur.
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E. Reforma, Trisha Jane D.
The course Leadership and Decision Making taught us several lessons during the first
half of the semester. We have encountered different concepts and ideas that pique my interest
especially with the fact that it is presented in a general to a specific manner, making it easier for
us to understand. Learning doesn’t stop at understanding the concepts, the application process
should always be considered since it is a crucial step if we really want to grasp the concepts
better. I personally believe that the concept and application should always come hand in hand.
As we have learned the concepts all throughout the first half of the semester, it is reasonable for
us to have an output at the end that concerns the application of all the concepts that we have
learned about leadership.
The final output requires our group to conduct an interview with a leader. Looking back
to our journey as we create this output, I think the time-consuming part on our end is finding a
leader to interview. I believe it is understandable enough since we are looking for a leader,
someone who is significant to a respective organization. That is why we already expected that we
would have a hard time finding a leader who would agree since most of them have a lot on their
plates already. Thankfully, with enough dedication and perseverance, we managed to land an
interview with Ms. Veronica Villarosa, the owner of Amarilys.Ph. The whole interview lasted
around 30 minutes only but I must say, not even a single minute is wasted because listening to
her story as a leader is truly inspiring. As we concluded our interview with her, I think that the
piece of advice she left will always linger in my mind. She advised us that in business, we just
have to start and do it. As I reflect on that, I think it is not an impulsive kind of advice, rather, it
is a piece of advice that speaks how business is all about taking risks. Sometimes, being cautious
slows us down. I particularly liked it when Ms. Villarosa acknowledged the fact that it can really
be fearful for some, but she highlighted that we should not let our fear consume us. I also believe
that lying in our great fear is a great opportunity as well. In relation to this advice of Ms.
Villarosa, she mentioned that everyone can be an entrepreneur. Well, it is true that everyone can
be one for as long as we are courageous enough to start. But I also agree with Ms. Villarosa that
the fact that everyone can be an entrepreneur does not mean everyone can be a successful one. It
would all go back to the point that business is a risk itself. At the end of the day, I think what’s
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most important is that we are able to say that we tried, without any regrets, and without any
questions of what-ifs.
Now that we are reaching the end of our journey in creating this output, I realized how
important our harmony is as a group in making this paper that requires combined efforts.
Somehow, I think we applied some of the concepts we have learned inside our group as well
such as getting to know each other before proceeding to formal work and knowing each other’s
strengths and weaknesses in order for us to utilize them. I believe that the kind of communication
we established served as a huge help in condensing our ideas, making the kind of paper we had
vision possible.
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F. Salcedo, Andrea Franz S.
It has always been an amazing experience to listen to the stories of struggles and
triumphs of other people. Oftentimes, their stories became our inspiration and motivation to do
something that will make a huge impact not just for ourselves, but also for the important people
around us. Through this amazing experience, we can have an in-depth understanding of their
journey and how they become who they are today. We can see and know how they perceive life
in a new and different way. More importantly, we can learn the best lessons from them, and we
can use this learning as our guiding path towards making our own stories. According to Vanessa
Boris, telling stories is one of the most powerful means that leaders have to influence, teach, and
inspire. True enough, we have always heard leaders and other successful individuals share their
stories with us and influence us to make our own incredible stories as well.
We are fortunate to be given an opportunity to interview a great leader and a business
owner who is keen on making a difference even at a young age. I would describe this leader as a
passionate, purpose-driven, and creative leader. She was able to manage and establish a business
out of scrap in the middle of the pandemic, which is truly amazing and inspiring. She is none
other than Ms. Veronica Villarosa of Amrilys.ph that sells clothes and other girly stuff on
different online platforms. Even in just a short period of time, I have learned different lessons,
strategies, and experiences from the stories she shared with us about her journey of becoming a
successful leader. Throughout the interview, I was amazed by how she speaks and delivers
herself to us as she looks composed and full of integrity, which I believe is an important factor of
being a leader. The appearance will always give either a good or bad impression to the people
you would want to influence or share your story of success. One important lesson that I have
learned from Ms. Veronica, and I still keep in my mind up until now is that as a leader or a
business owner, you always have to be two steps ahead. I firmly believe in what she said because
as we all know, establishing a business especially in difficult times like this is like joining a
survival game. In order for your business to strive and keep on track, you need to think critically
and anticipate immediately beforehand every situation before your competitors, clients, and other
people involved even think about it. By being two steps ahead of everyone, you also need to
bring out your creativity and think outside the box as the industry you belong to always demands
new and fresh outputs.
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As an Accountancy student who also plans to build a business with her friends in the near
future, I have also learned from Ms. Veronica that it will always be easy for us to start or
establish a business, but the hardest part is to continue and pursue it as there are problems and
risks that may occur along the way. Thus, I realized that your determination and purpose will
always be your key factor to push through your business despite all the struggles that may come
along the way. All of the learning that Ms. Veronica imparted to us will surely be treasured and
remembered once we are already in her position. This opportunity and experience wouldn’t be
possible if it weren't for the cooperation and collaboration of everyone in our group. From the
very beginning where we planned, look for a leader, and the delegation of tasks, everyone
showed and expressed their support and assistance, which made the completion of this final
requirement in this course possible. In the future, I am hoping that all of us in the group could
also share our own stories about our success of being a leader, establishing a business, or any
venture that will give us the opportunity to tell other people our struggles and triumphs.
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G. Salenga, Aaron Justine D.
A leader is not just about being in front. A leader is the one in charge at all, the person
who convinces other people to follow. A great leader inspires confidence in other people and
moves them to action. We can also classify a leader as a successful entrepreneur wherein a
successful leader symbolizes our brokenness and fidelity to our jobs or what we do for a living.
Everywhere has a leader, in school, there’s always an outstanding student who can lead and
inspire his/her fellow students inside a campus. In a company, there’s always a leader who
manages and understands his team to be able to influence his team so that they can be a leader
someday.
The positive emotions of the leader inspire and motivate us to be a leader someday.
According to Ms. Veronica, everyone can become a successful leader someday as long as you
are passionate and you love whatever you do for a living and the most important is you should
never be afraid to take a risk or the chance of failing in business because sometimes it is not the
perfect time for us but always remember that you are only delayed but not denied. Most of us are
affected in this time of pandemic but the story of the journey of Ms. Veronica started in this time
of the pandemic. She admits that there was a time that she was afraid of the chance of losing all
the items that she sells but still she stays on having a positive mindset and considers it as one of
the keys to being successful.
At the end of our preparations, I still believe that two is still better than one. My group
mates are very attentive at all times. I feel that I’m comfortable with them throughout the
preparations. They made sure that all of the workloads will be equally divided between each
member of the group to be fair for all and when it comes to unexpected situations like having a
power interruption and in the middle of the service, they are always by my side to help and guide
me. Based on the answer of the leader in the interview, it gives me hope and inspires me to be a
successful leader someday, influences me to establish a business in the future and the most
important is always remember that failure is still part of the process, sometimes we are only
delayed but not denied.
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IX. Acknowledgement
To whomever reads this, all the group members thank you for giving a portion of your
time to know what this paper is all about. By your simple act of interestingly going through each
page, this study is given further value and importance. Every conflict that the group experienced,
every hardship they went through, every sacrifice they made has not gone to waste, all thanks to
you.
Furthermore, it is with sincerest gratefulness to these individuals for their efforts in
helping make this study possible and successful: Initially, the entire group would like to express
their whole-hearted thanks to Ms. Veronica Villarosa who took time to be interviewed out of her
hectic schedule to provide us her success story and valuable insights in becoming a leader and
young entrepreneur.
Secondly, they would like to ardently express their gratitude towards their Leadership
and Decision Making Professor Dr. Leonardo Cada Jr., for his dedication in educating them with
the necessary composition guidelines and for her limitless patience in correcting the errors
committed for this purposeful endeavor to be finally complete.
Last but not the least; they lift their praises to the ever-living God for all His favored
gifts, such as: guidance, which kept them on the right track; wisdom, which helped them find and
supply all the related information; understanding, which broadened their comprehension on the
true purpose of the study.
With all these said, it is the group members fervent hope that this paper may be of
greater use to you and other future researchers, not only as a sample academic piece but rather
serve as a reference to becoming a leader and entrepreneur.
May God bless you all!
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X. References
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2018). Social media and teens.
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF
Guide/Social-Media-and-Teens-100.aspx
Boris, V. (2017). What makes storytelling so effective for learning?
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/
Chowdhury,
R. (2011, July 24).
Being
a
young entrepreneur. Business
Insider.
https://www.businessinsider.com/being-a-young-entrepreneur-2011-7.
Isaac, C. (2012). 7 Reasons why your teenager should start a business this summer.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldviews/2012/06/12/7-reasons-why-your-teenager
shouldstart-a-business-this-summer/?sh=63b74f6f76b1
pma. (2021). 6 Case studies to help expand your thinking & leadership to grow your business.
https://www.pma.com/content/articles/6-case-studies-to-help-expand-your-thinking-and
leadership-to-grow-your-business
Therrein, C. (2018). Why confidence is the most beautiful thing you can wear.
http://www.irinatee.com/2018/03/14/confidence-beautiful-thing-can-wear/
Ward, S. (2020, July 18). What is a business?. The Balance Small Business.
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/business-definition-2947960
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XI. Appendices
A. Approval Form
Leadership and Decision-Making Approval Form
Group Member Names:
Section: Section 12
Date: October 21, 2021
Vince V. Dumlao
Kristine Cher A. Jimenez
Hannah Shenneil A. Arellano
Rae Elaine S. Ragos
Trisha Jane D. Reforma
Andrea Franz S. Salcedo
Aaron Justine D. Salenga
Leader Name
Position
1. Veronica Villarosa
Submitted by: Hannah Shenneil Arellano
CEO
Organization / Business
Online Shop Business - Amarilys.Ph
Approved by: Prof. Leonardo Cada, Jr.
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B. Consent Letter for the Interviewee
Date: October 22, 2021
To: Ms Veronica Villarosa, CEO
Dear: Ms. Veronica
I hope this letter finds you well during these trying times.
Via Bernas mentioned that you can be our participant in our Final Video Output in Leadership
and Decision Making since we’re looking for business owners, ceo, and leaders. We are First
Year BS in Accountancy Students at Far Eastern University. On behalf of our group I’m writing
this letter to personally ask if you could participate in our final output on the said course. I
personally browse your instagram and shopee account and I’m amazed at how your shop was
performing from the start until today. My friend also mentioned that you’re a student and with
that, we wanted to learn how you’re handling your time being entrepreneur, student, daughter,
leader, while working and being on top of your class. The presentation or video would be done
through a virtual interview using the zoom application. We will also provide guide questions
once we get your response that could help in having a clear interview process.
I look forward to meeting you and feel free to let us know once you’re available and the time
schedule you will be allotting for us to conduct the interview.
Thank you and I hope to get a positive response regarding this matter.
Best Regards,
Rae Elaine S. Ragos
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C. Supporting Case Studies
Employee Engagement: Turn Around in Touch Times
When the new CEO took over MGM, he implemented a successful plan to improve the
business by speaking with every person within the company. He asked questions and found very
simple things that needed to be adjusted and changed and conducted daily huddles to stay up to
date on the day-to-day of the organization. As a result company morale grew, and the business
thrived. This study showcases the benefit of listening to your team and incorporating that in the
day-to-day. In this section, participants discussed how to get to the truth of what’s going on and
how to get people to speak truth to power.
● As a culture, people are too uncomfortable asking questions.
● In order to get to the truth of what’s going on, it is important to ask ―why‖ and to
continue to ask difficult questions.
● Asking why can empower the team to think about past failure.
● It is on leadership to initiate conversations to encourage employees to speak truth to
power.
● Ways to encourage open dialogue could include: small group chats, one on one
conversations, the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time and the opportunity to
submit questions anonymously.
● It is important for leaders to lead by example.
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Talent: Talent and Succession Planning
Talent is incredibly important to any organization. The resourcefulness of talent is what
got many companies through the pandemic. As a family owned business, Carlson leaned into the
family for talent and succession. Eventually the family hit a point where there were no more
family members to take over and they needed to think about succession and talent development
of talent throughout the organization and not just the family. Participants here shared job skills
they anticipate will be important in the future and what the role of development looks like to the
organization and individual.
● There is no one right answer or way to do things. It is important to be open minded and
learn as you go.
● Flexibility will drive different behaviors and expectations from all individuals and the
workforce.
● Understanding where the industry and business are going helps lead to what skills will be
necessary in the future.
● It is important to trust employees and give them opportunities to learn.
● Acknowledge and appreciate employees who challenge the status quo.
● Development is important for building confidence, competent and impactful contributors.
To close out the session, Scott asked each participant to fill in the blank for the following
statement: ―A leader sometimes needs to be ___ and never should ___ but always be ___.‖ Here
are the answers:
● ―A leader sometimes needs to just make the decision and never should lie, but always
lead by example.‖
● ―A leader sometimes needs to just get out of the way and know when to do that and
should never be satisfied but should always be curious and lead with their heart.‖
● ―A leader sometimes needs to be vulnerable and never should avoid perspectives but
always be learning.‖
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