Consuelo Valencia From house cleaner to a multi-millionaire in just 10 years. That is the Cinderella-like story of Consuelo Valencia.

A huge percentage of hard work, an adequate combination of entrepreneurial acumen and a considerable touch of luck turned the house helper into a successful businesswoman. Manang Consuelo, as she is fondly called, arrived in London 26 years ago on a work permit as a domestic helper. Craving for greener pastures for her family, she relegated the responsibility of taking care of their children to her husband, who already struggles to earn enough money in the Philippines. Willing to take her hand in, she decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and work for foreign masters to survive. It was the same devotion to risk, exploring unfamiliar shores that eventually triggered a huge and sudden twist of fate in her life. In 1986, Manang Consuelos rise from drudgery to a successful businesswoman began when after years of scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets, she was offered a job with a freight shipping firm. Like a destined plan, she was given the opportunity to embark upon a livelihood that benefits her fellow overseas workers. At that time, nobody was doing business in the Philippines," she said. But I realized there were many people here who wanted to send parcels to their families back home." So, she decided to make a living out of helping his fellow OFWs get in touch with their loved ones. When the owner of the firm shes working for eventually retired, Manang took over and managed to bring the business to greater heights. She acquired an ever-growing list of customers, with her excellent people relations doing its wonders. Today, she has made a difference in the industry of door-to-door delivery service to the Philippines as her company oversees the collection of boxes and T chests from individual customers across the United Kingdom. Manang Consuelo received an outpour of blessings in that same year as she was also able to set up Farochilen Remittances, her own door-to-door cash delivery service. She took advantage of many Filipinos sending money once or twice a month to give to their families back home. Finding her niche market, she quickly exploited it by offering face-to-face speedy delivery, high exchange rates and low remittance fees.

Confidently conquering uncharted territories, Manang Consuelo imposed a level-playing field and gave many banks a run for their money. While savoring the success of the remittance and freight businesses, Manang Consuelo also ventured into other services like a travel service agency, phone card dealership, real estate agency, recruitment and newspaper publishing-- all hard work in just 10 years. Her latest project was the Tatak Filipino, a mini-supermarket specializing in foodstuff from the Philippines and the Far East, which she started in October 2002. Currently the managing director of the Farochilen Group of Companies, Manang Consuelo heads the biggest business, encompassing freight-forwarding, remittances, travel services, real estate, phone cards, groceries and human resources recruitment and publishing, which mainly caters to the Filipino Community in UK. With a business empire that stretches forth into the heart of the city with her own prime real estate, the 59-year-old business tycoon has indeed gone far in the world. Who would have thought that when she was just living off serving other peoples household needs, she would succeed with flying colors serving the whole Filipino community? There may be many people who can thrive wealthily in this lifetime but only a chosen few can really be maid" for millions.

Norma Macalindong WHAT do expatriated Pinoys miss most about home? Family, yes, but also perhaps, meals accompanied by the salty treat of the tuyo at itlog na pula combo with the tangy addition of bagoong. Or those who played street basketball in their teens may remember fortifying themselves during their Pinoy-style post-game huddle with Pop Cola and Chippy. The sari-sari store, the Philippine version of a one-stop shop, has been pivotal in assuaging the sudden needs of the average Filipino. This especially holds true for our sudden cravings for chips and crackers for merienda to canned goods and instant soups for supper. So then, why not a sari-sari store in Rome, Italy-based Pinay Norma Macalindong thought. After all, the majority of the 87,000 documented OFWs in Italy reside in the Italian capital, according to 2004 figures culled by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Stable income source It all started when I became president of the Mancini Club [organization of Filipinos working in Piazza Mancini, recalled Macalindong, now 47. We would all spend our days selling Filipino food near Piazza Mancini, there under the bridge, every day. It was not long before Macalindong decided to make formal her enterprise. Soon, Normas International Food Store broke ground. The business offers the same assortment of goods found in sari-sari stores back home. It was an instant hit. Dried goods and husked rice are among her bestsellers, and not just among Pinoys. Surprisingly, we now have more South Americans customers than Filipinos, she disclosed. Although, of course, Filipinos patronize what we sell. Macalindong decided she had had enough of scrubbing bathroom floors or watching over someone elses children, which she did when she first started working in Italy. She realized the store would be a more stable source of income and a way to keep life intact for her family back home, specifically her children. This is all for my children. I have many *children+ so I make even the night a working day just to assure their future, Macalindong shared. With the store, I do hope to feed them and also send them to decent schools.

Seeing her store grow, she decided to turn it into a family business. Her husband is now involved in its operations, as are her seven children who now study in Italy. When they arent available to mind the store, Macalindongs in-law takes over. Go Negosyo awardee

For establishing her sari-sari store in Rome, Macalindong was singled out as one of the outstanding Overseas Filipino Entrepreneurs by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE). Macalindong received her award from PCE founding trustee Jose Concepcion III and President Gloria MacapagalArroyo. The Go Negosyo Para sa mga OFWs at Balikbayans program is part of the continuing Go Negosyo campaign spearheaded by Concepcion. It aims to develop entrepreneurship in the country and assists in reintegrating OFWs by exposing them to business opportunities. It is really an honor to be part of those Filipinos considered as successful business people across the globe, Macalindong said. It reassures; much more than your status, (it reinforces) the pride of having succeeded, as a Filipino, a steady life overseas. The recognition, however, is simply a nice little icing. Okay, so theres an award for my entrepreneurial efforts, but this doesnt mean that Id be complacent of my business, she said. The family has also started an export business in the Philippines, which is managed by one of Normas children. The Las Pias-based Macalindong Export-Import reduces the expense of acquiring products from importers. It has made three shipments to their own store in Rome but may soon service other Asian shops in the city. Business birth pains Although its now easy for her store to meet its daily sales quota, Macalindong openly spoke of the hardships on the way to business stability. I first continued my studies here for I havent finished high school back in the Philippines, she narrated. I went on studying terza media, then concorso for Camera di Commercio, for me to be able to open my business. I needed to finish one year and four months of studying to legalize my business because I knew escaping the cops who were after us illegal vendors will do me no good. And of course, shelling out some amount of money was inevitable. She also had to deal with envy. Her growing success attracted negative impulses like the rumormongering of other people. But thank God I am still here in Piazza Mancini flourishing on what Ive started, she said, emphasizing that she established her store independently or without the help of an Italian backer. When youre that passionate in what youre doing, and you believe that God is by your side, there is just no breaking you down, she declared. From selling Macalindong said her entrepreneurial bent began when, as a second grader, she would accompany her mother to sell fish.

Her selling skills were evident even after she left her destitute life in the Philippines to work in Italy. During her days-off, she would go to train and tram stations to vend bags. This helped augment her and her husbands income. Selling soon became the couples major means of livelihood. Fourteen years later, the full-blooded Batangeas persistence paid off. She vended in Andrea Doria, a well-known marketplace for migrants in Vatican, then moved to Ponte Millo, and finally found her zone in Piazza Mancini. to serving Macalindongs success has snowballed into concerns more civic. Egged on by fellow Filipinos and other Italian officials, she plans to step out of her comfort zone for a better cause: service. They insisted that I run during the elections, Macalindong revealed. They say that I have a great chance of winning. Especially as she has established good relations with both her countrymen and the people from her adopted country. Macalindong is eyeing the position of Consiglieri for Municipio 2 of Rome. As a councilor, she will have a consultative function in the Italian Counsel and will be entitled for five years to represent migrants of every nationality residing in the area. But win or lose, my business shall continue. It certainly is my life now, Macalindong concluded.?

Emelina Pulido Talaue: The Epitome of Inspiration, Courage and Determination It is really an ambitious attempt to navigate between two extreme perspectives of life failure and success. Only few people endure and last. The life story of Emelina Pulido Talaue, a Philippino is truly amazing. For her success is all about inspiration, courage and determination. Being a mother of four children, her journey to success was filled with hardship. She was born in a poverty-stricken family that followed discipline and values of hard work. When her life began to slip further into poverty, she earnestly took a job of Operations Head in a multi-national company manufacturing semi-conductors. It lasted until she had her first child. She again joined a real estate company as a sales agent. It was a rough patch initially, but later when the company started providing premium to encourage sales agents, her career took an upward turn. She worked hard and grew step by step. Her education in real estate operation and management helped her gain further insight in the real estate business. It was until when she was promoted as Vice President, she decided to quit and start her own company, Praised Reality. As a President and Chief Executive Officer, her true leadership qualities and strong urge to succeed took her further ahead in her real estate marketing company. Her hard and persistent efforts made her company one of the top marketing agencies for land developers. Other than the hard work, she believes in the people around her who helped her become successful. She believed in a conservative approach of leadership and always led her team from the front. Though her company initially served as a marketing agent to many real estate developers, it went on to develop partnership with many big real estate developers as an exclusive broker because of the trust it earned during the years. Today, these partnerships have earned her and her company enormous success, of course, not without hard work. She works twenty-four hours a day and rarely finds time to sleep. To her, success is fulfillment of her goal, including that of her employees and the entire company.

Roberto Toby Claudio Jr. The Guru of Sports Gear LIKE music, the appeal of sports is universal. From professional ball players to weekend athletes, sports is a global community of game enthusiasts who love the thrill of their sport and the joy of keeping fit and leading a healthy lifestyle. Businessman Roberto Toby Claudio Jr. understands the global appeal of sportsthe charm which bolstered the growth of Tobys Sportsthe shop that bears his name which has become countrys largest sporting goods retail chain. The brainchild of his father Roberto Sr., the first Tobys store opened at the Vira Mall in October 1978 when Toby was still too young to tie his own shoelaces. The initial inventory included 112 different toys (mainly Mickey Mouse and other Disney toys) which Roberto Sr. acquired through a barter trade in Zamboanga. Tobys was not an instant success. Seeing an opportunity to sell skateboards after the holiday season, Roberto Sr. eventually transformed the shop into Tobys Sports and Hobbies, a sporting goods store that offered a wide array of sports apparel, equipment and accessories. Within the next few years, Tobysunder the leadership of Roberto Sr. and with the help of Toby and his brothers Jojo and Rodrevolutionized the local sporting goods business until it was eventually relaunched as Tobys Sports and became a corporation with Toby Claudio at the helm. Tobys continued to build its chain of stores opening shop in over 40 locations around the country and carrying over 150 brands of local and imported sports gear. In 2001, Tobys opened the countrys biggest interactive sports superstorethe Tobys Sports Arena which hosted an indoor basketball court, a climbing wall and a host of activities and games for the customers to enjoy. Years later, Claudioa graduate of Business Economics from the University of the Philippinesopened urbanAthletics another sports concept store designed to cater to the weekend athlete and combines sports gear with street wear. Passion for Sports For Claudio, the shift from toys to sporting goods came as second nature. Growing up in a family of sports lovers, Claudio grew up with easy access to learning any sport he set his mind on. From competitive tennis, to badminton, golf, baseball, soccer, running and adventure sports, he has tried them all. This exposure to sports and fitness gave him an early appreciation of the family business. How can you complain, when your name is on the sign, Claudio jokes. Instead of feeling pressured, I considered it an honor and a big responsibility (to assume leadership of the business. But sports took a toll on his body, too.

I have a back problem. I have two screws in my knee and Ive had a slipped disc many times because of overuse from sports, Claudio confessed. When he reached a point where he could no longer play competitively he found healing in a sport he liked the leastrunning. Hampered by extreme back pain Claudio began to do research on the science of running and discovered the importance of finding a proper shoe to fit a persons foot type and gait. Soon he was running long distances without pain. He fell so much in love with running that he had the idea of opening another sports concept store. So in 2009, Claudio opened RunnR at The Forta store dedicated to the sport of running. By good fortune, a resurgence of interest in the sport of running that year helped prop the business of RunnR. Sponsoring weekend races around The Fort, Claudio saw multitudes join their races followed by a growing throng of store patrons. RUnnR really took off. We were praying that people would come on the first day, and it was more than what we expected. There was actually a line outside, recounts Claudio. We took the best brands and technologies from the best running stores around the world and brought them here to help Filipinos run. RunnRs most unique service offering is Footworxan integrated system that provides information on how to choose the right pair of shoes depending ones foot type, anatomy and running gait. Here, a customers running style is recorded on video and analyzed in minutes in other to help find the proper running shoe. Claudio said RunnR also maintains a crew of sales personnel who are truly knowledgeable in the sport of running. Our people can really relate to our customers because they are runners themselves. Aside from explaining the features and benefits of our products, our consultants can also help teach people proper running form and how to train properly, he said. Passion for Entrepreneurship Claudio, who is now Tobys vice president for operations, credits his father and his uncle Jose for teaching him the importance of having a hands-on approach to business management. My dad was very hands-on, he said. Both he and my uncle manned the cashier, stringed the tennis rackets, and they were even selling. They knew how to do everything, and this was really the first thing I learned from them. Calling the business cyclical, Claudio keeps himself updated with global sports trends and acts on every opportunity as soon as possible.

Before, we only grew at a rate of one store a year, but now were opening an average of three to five, not just in Tobys, which now has 44 stores, but also with the two other concepts, we expect to open more stores in the coming year, he reveals. Asked for advice how entrepreneurs can succeed in the sporting goods business, Claudio advised: You really have to love it first. If youre not into sports, its going to be hard running a business in this industry. But if youre really passionate about sports, then by all means, go. Know what to focus on, what the market likes, and put all your effort behind it. Recognition For all the effort he put in the 33-year-old family business Claudio received the distinction of being the Most Outstanding Junior Chamber International (JCI) President of the World in the 2011 JCI World Congress held in Brussels, Belgium. In winning the award, Claudio bested more than 5,000 other presidents of JCI chapters from various cities around the world. Founded in 1944, JCI is a worldwide association of young active citizens who lead projects in the areas of business, community, individual and international development in order to create positive change. Under Claudios leadership, JCI Manila organized several community and sports development programs, among them the Dare to C.A.R.E. for Smokey Mountain which helped construct a baseball and a soccer field on the site where the dumpsite used to be. Also in the same year, RunnR was named the Most Promising Retailer of the Year in the 12th Ayala Merchant Awards programwhich is Ayala Malls way of honoring its most excellent merchants. On receiving the award Roberto Sr. said: Im proud of Toby for Runnr, being the brainchild behind this concept store. He was able to maximize the marathon boom in the country through Runnr. We are already beefing up our brand roster that will further excite our loyal customers.