If the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) #BeTheBoss Awards are any indication, then there is clear evidence of women being natural entrepreneurs who can thrive and lead in any endeavor they choose to undertake.

Now on its second year, the PLDT #BeTheBoss Awards recognizes young entrepreneurs from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), who, according to the organizers, “are able to harness the power of digital tools and platforms to grow their businesses”. It is organized by PLDT SME Nation, an organization within telco giant PLDT that provides digital solutions to businesses, and seeks to “recognize excellence in tech innovation and digital integration for global competitiveness”.

This year, four winners were selected by a panel of industry leaders and by the voting public for four categories: Boss in E-Commerce; Boss in Social Media; Boss in Innovative Solutions; and Boss in Social Responsibility. They stood out from 600 nominees and were part of a public voting process that generated over 24,000 votes. The awarding ceremonies were held on September 9 at the Conrad Manila in Pasay City.

Meet The ‘Bosses’

Of the awards’ four categories, three were dominated by women:

Boss in E-Commerce, awarded to sisters Rachel Alejandro and Barni Alejandro-Rennebeck of The Sexy Chef, the food delivery service that offers a wide variety of healthy meal packages that are as delicious as they are fitness-friendly.

Boss in Social Media, awarded to Jill Borja, as well as husband and wife Jaime and Nadine Fanlo of Pedro Brewcrafters, the craft-beer brand made “fun, approachable and accessible” using cloud-based technology.

Boss in Social Responsibility, awarded to Melanie Go and Hindy Weber of Holy Carabao, the organic-food brand that offers premium produce to its discerning consumers, while taking care of farmer communities.

The lone male winner, Boss in Innovative Solutions, Matthew Cua of Skyeye Inc., was proud to acknowledge that his company is now comprised of “more than 50 percent female—from administration to engineering to field work.” Skyeye creates its own unmanned air vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones) to help communities, people and organizations make better decisions by taking aerial images topped with metadata.

What Makes Women Entrepreneurs Stand Out?

This year’s awards seem to say a lot about a feminine brand of leadership that is critical to entrepreneurial success.

Pedro Brewcrafters’s Borja says, “There’s a study that says women are natural entrepreneurs because of their attention to detail and their ability to multitask. It’s very easy for us to look at the little things, and that’s what matters to being an entrepreneur … Being able to multitask is a natural trait of women, as well. It allows you to expand your ability to do things and to complete things, and I think that’s the benefit of having women as entrepreneurs in your company.”

Borja’s business partner, Nadine, adds, “In terms of PR and marketing, there’s something [about a woman’s touch and about] being personable … and getting the pulse of the market and tapping into people’s emotions that comes from a very sincere place.” These Bosses for Social Media attest that “it’s a mix of these elements” that have helped them communicate better with their community.

For Holy Carabao’s Weber and Go, it’s their crystal-clear vision and their uncompromising stance—driven by their “nurturing nature” as women—that have allowed Holy Carabao to thrive.

Weber explains, “It’s our nurturing aspect that ensures that everything we give our children, our families, our brands, are always helpful, whole, real and nurturing … [We’re also] always trying to keep it real, always keeping the ‘why’ [of the business] in our minds and hearts.”

According to both Weber and Go, there had been many times when their business approach was “challenged”.

“There’s temptation all the time—[with] your product line and and your bottom line. It usually involves money. But we started [with being] really concerned about what we wanted to provide our families, so we’d always go back to that. What you choose to eat grows into what you choose to consume, and then … it becomes [a part] of your life,” Weber emphasizes.

The men also attest to women’s drive and ability to get things done.

Skyeye’s Matthew Cua shares, “Whenever I review candidates for hiring, I hide the names. I look at the metrics of how they write, how they reply, and [the women candidates come out] better. It’s a fact of life that people who apply to us who are good are female. And usually on the field, women are the best. I fear for their safety, as well, when they’re out on the field, but they’re overly aggressive in getting the job done.”

PLDT VP and Head of SME Nation Mitch Locsin opens the second year of #BeTheBoss.

From the perspective of PLDT’s Vice President and Head for PLDT SME Nation Mitch Locsin, “Women learn digital technology quicker than men [do]. What makes women natural entrepreneurs and leaders is that they love to multitask; their brain [has] a lot of boxes that allow them to think and consume and do things at the same time. When they create their own business case, I think they’re more open and adaptive in terms of what they call “digital disruptive technologies” or solutions. They’re not [as conservative as] men, who [opt for] traditional bricks-and-mortar [businesses]. Women are more risk-takers and they adapt quickly.”

Taken all together, the emerging image we have of the modern Filipina entrepreneur is this: a natural leader, detailoriented, multi-tasking, good at communications, visionary and uncompromising, nurturing, aggressive, driven, risk-taking, agile and adaptive.

When provided with the right kind of infrastructure and support, and connected with the right kinds of networks and experts, she will not only do well for herself, her family and her organization; she will also have what it takes to uplift her community. Together, women entrepreneurs and leaders have what it takes to uplift an entire nation.

What the rest of us must do, then, is to all step up together to make this possibility a tangible reality all over the country.

The Sexy Chef

www.thesexychef.ph

www.facebook.com/thesexychef
Pedro Brewcrafters

www.pedrobrewcrafters.com

www.facebook.com/pedrobrewcrafters
Holy Carabao

www.holycarabao.com

www.facebook.com/holycarabao
Skyeye, Inc.

www.skyeyeproject.com

www.skyeyeph.com

_{This article was originally published on Business Mirror and has been reposted on Connected Women with the permission of the author.
Edited by Nedda Chaplin 
Image credit:
Featured Image:
Maria Ressa, Rappler CEO}

Meet the ‘Bosses’ (from left to right):
Rachel Alejandro and Barni Rennebeck, The Sexy Chef
Jill Borja, Nadine Fanlo and Jaime Fanlo, Pedro Brewcrafters
Melanie Go and Hindy Weber, Holy Carabao
Matthew Cua, Skyeye, Inc.

Man Holding A Microphone Image:
PLDT VP and Head of SME Nation Mitch Locsin opens the second year of #BeTheBoss.

Niña Terol heads corporate affairs for McCann Worldgroup Philippines, the leading multinational marketing communications firm in the Philippines. Terol is a member of Business and Professional Women Makati, a nonprofit organization aligned with the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles. Disclaimer: None of the organizations mentioned in this piece have an existing business relationship with McCann Worldgroup Philippines.

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