Dodong Cacanando: Life full of miracles

The Manila Times

Dodong Cacanando: Life full of miracles   Dodong Cacanando, a man whose journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Once the acting country manager of Hewlett-Packard (HP) in the Philippines, Dodong took a life-changing leap, moving his family to Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. What followed were miracles that shaped his new life in farming and purposeful living. He opens up about the power of gratitude, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and the wisdom behind his five books and impactful videos. He even shares how he’s guided young people through immersive experiences in farming, offering them profound insights into life.   Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Subscribe to Business Franchise Guru: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessFranchiseGuru    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion     Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein    #TheManilaTimes  #philippines  #entrepreneur

Transcript

00:00:00The Business Mentor Talks is vlog by no other, Armando Buts Bartolome, in cooperation with

00:00:14the Manila Times.

00:00:15It aims to bring to life and recognize entrepreneurs who constantly strive to create a living for

00:00:21the community as well.

00:00:22Welcome to the Business Mentor Talks, I'm Armando Buts Bartolome, and I'm joined by

00:00:53Hey, good morning, good afternoon, this is Buts Bartolome again of the Business Mentor

00:01:21Blog over Manila Times.

00:01:24Today we have a very, very interesting friend who I was able to track him.

00:01:32This is a person who can really give a lot of insights about how to be happy because

00:01:37he was the one who found this happiness.

00:01:41Without further ado, let's not prolong this person you're probably very familiar with.

00:01:46You probably have seen him, you probably saw his page.

00:01:51Let me introduce no other than Dodong Cacanando, all the way from Manolo, Forteche, Bukidnon.

00:01:57Dodong, good afternoon.

00:01:58Good Sunday to you.

00:01:59Hi Buts.

00:02:00Thank you for inviting me to your program.

00:02:03I hope I can contribute a little in what you're doing in helping other people.

00:02:09Thank you Buts.

00:02:10Yes.

00:02:11Yes.

00:02:12So Dodong, you transferred to Manolo, Forteche in 1998, correct Bukidnon?

00:02:17Yes.

00:02:18Have you been there for a long time?

00:02:20No.

00:02:22Our story is that I'm not from here, I'm not from Mindanao.

00:02:25But in 1997, I was working for HP.

00:02:29My position then was assistant country manager of one of their divisions.

00:02:34When I say assistant country manager, because they were transitioning to become local.

00:02:40I was really actually the acting country manager because the transition country manager was in Singapore.

00:02:47So I was heading one of their divisions.

00:02:50But in 1997, for some strange reason, I had this very strong burden.

00:02:57God was asking me to leave the company.

00:03:00There was a series of miracles and a series of events that happened.

00:03:04He affirmed that I should leave.

00:03:06However, when I resigned at the end of 1997, he didn't tell me where I was going to go.

00:03:11But again, a series of events happened that led us to Bukidnon.

00:03:17Bukidnon, we don't have any relatives or friends.

00:03:20The one who chose Bukidnon was my wife.

00:03:23Even that much was a miracle because my wife was born in Pasay, grew up in Makati.

00:03:32They were a rich family, worked in New York.

00:03:35For her to want to live in Bukidnon, everybody was saying that's a miracle.

00:03:39In Bukidnon, she chose Bukidnon because the only business here is farming.

00:03:45So I was forced into farming.

00:03:48We all want to farm when we retire.

00:03:53It was easy.

00:03:55But you know what Butch, when I went into farming, I regretted it.

00:03:58Why?

00:03:59When I started farming, I realized it's one of the most difficult business you can enter.

00:04:05Because it's production, marketing, customer service.

00:04:10For example, you have a store Butch.

00:04:14For example, you say you have this franchise.

00:04:17You can buy inputs.

00:04:20It's different when you farm.

00:04:22For us, it's all ours.

00:04:24You have to deal with the weather.

00:04:26When we started farming, I told myself, why did I enter this?

00:04:31I should have just bought a franchise.

00:04:34But you have zero knowledge on farming.

00:04:37I have zero knowledge.

00:04:39I just felt that this was...

00:04:41When I came to Bukidnon, things started to open.

00:04:44It's hard to find land Butch.

00:04:46It's really hard.

00:04:47We don't have money.

00:04:49We went into a contract growing with Monterey.

00:04:53We don't have money.

00:04:54But I told him, there was a series of events that someone gave us cheap land.

00:04:59The permit started.

00:05:01We got money to put up a hog farm.

00:05:04But that's it.

00:05:06It was really a difficult start.

00:05:08You know, Butch, in franchising, it's hard to find a good location.

00:05:13When you're looking for it, sometimes it's expensive.

00:05:16For us, it's all ours.

00:05:18So we went into farming.

00:05:19But when I was farming already, I told myself, wow, why did I enter this?

00:05:24However, Butch, the reason why, you know me, I share a lot of principles.

00:05:31Because of the difficulty of farming,

00:05:34I discovered many business principles that helped us.

00:05:39Especially because we started from nothing.

00:05:41I read in Butch, I started in a container van.

00:05:44That's our house.

00:05:45Yes, that's what you're talking about.

00:05:47Manolo for Teach Bukidnon is really a very cool place, right?

00:05:53It's cold there.

00:05:55Very, very pristine.

00:05:57The air is very clean.

00:05:59It's a place where you can see all the stars.

00:06:01Not the neon stars.

00:06:03You know, when I stayed in Malaybalay years ago in 1987,

00:06:08I could see the stars, really stars.

00:06:11Not the neon stars of the billboard.

00:06:15It's a nice place.

00:06:16However, the opportunity for business is also very limited.

00:06:21It is.

00:06:22But we started as a hog grower for Monterrey.

00:06:28So that was fixed.

00:06:30But I also discovered, Butch, that it's hard to be a contra grower

00:06:35because you will never enjoy the upside of the business.

00:06:41If the business is good, you won't share it with the company.

00:06:45But if the business is bad and there's a problem,

00:06:47you will be penalized.

00:06:49It's hard to earn.

00:06:51So because of that, we started also to venture into high-value crops.

00:06:56Lettuce.

00:06:57Today, we grow kale.

00:06:58We grow organic tomato.

00:07:00So that it can help.

00:07:02And then at one point, Butch,

00:07:04one of your interview questions, you asked what is our highlight.

00:07:08We became the biggest lettuce supplier of McDonald's for the country from 2002 to 2010.

00:07:15You're talking of U.S. grade standard lettuce?

00:07:18Yes.

00:07:19We are the biggest supplier.

00:07:21But that ended in 2010.

00:07:25Because of the freight cost.

00:07:27Okay.

00:07:28So the freight cost affected you.

00:07:30But again, it's really a miracle.

00:07:33I mean, everything is a miracle that happened to you.

00:07:35Every step of the way, correct?

00:07:36Yeah.

00:07:37Like for example, how to do farming,

00:07:39which you are zero-based.

00:07:41Now, maybe a lot of people are watching us.

00:07:43In 2025, if Dodong can do it, will I be able to do it?

00:07:48What is your opinion on that?

00:07:52It's the year 2025 now.

00:07:57We're talking about if Dodong can do it, will I be able to do it?

00:08:02Yeah.

00:08:03I'd like to answer that, Butch.

00:08:05Because sometimes people use stories in a wrong way.

00:08:11Like for example, Steve Jobs dropped out.

00:08:14He succeeded.

00:08:15I will also drop out.

00:08:17I will also succeed, right?

00:08:19Yes.

00:08:20Don't study.

00:08:21Don't study.

00:08:22Hendy C.

00:08:23Hendy C. is not yet done with college.

00:08:25I can also succeed.

00:08:26Correct.

00:08:27I have to explain this to people.

00:08:29Steve Jobs did not drop out because he wanted to.

00:08:33Steve Jobs dropped out because he felt sorry for his parents,

00:08:36for the high cost of education.

00:08:38But Steve Jobs has this attitude of a learner.

00:08:41He's not enrolled anymore.

00:08:46But he would go and he would still study.

00:08:48Correct.

00:08:49Correct.

00:08:50Hendy C. may not have finished college,

00:08:53but Hendy C. was a person who was driven because he was poor.

00:08:57So what I mean to say is,

00:08:59what helped me when I started to become a farmer

00:09:04was my discipline in studies and also my engineering mind.

00:09:09You know, Butch, when I was small,

00:09:11my mother told me,

00:09:12Butch, son, you're not smart.

00:09:15You're just diligent.

00:09:16I said, this is nonsense.

00:09:17You didn't teach me.

00:09:19Normally, parents are good to their children, right?

00:09:22Son, you're smart.

00:09:23My mother said, Butch, I'm not smart.

00:09:25I'm just diligent.

00:09:27I felt really bad because my son wanted to be smart.

00:09:30But the truth is, my mother told me, Butch,

00:09:33I'm a very slow learner.

00:09:35So in order to understand,

00:09:37I would read a book again and again just to recover.

00:09:42So I was very diligent.

00:09:44I don't want to drop out.

00:09:46I want to study well.

00:09:47And that was what helped me in my farming venture,

00:09:52my discipline to study.

00:09:55You know, yesterday, Butch,

00:09:56I was talking to a number of students here at local universities.

00:10:01And someone asked me,

00:10:03he said, why do you have to study?

00:10:05Why can't the academic pressure be less?

00:10:08I said, you know, if you don't want to study,

00:10:10just don't study.

00:10:11If you don't want academic pressure,

00:10:12just quit.

00:10:13Because in the future,

00:10:15in the future,

00:10:16there will be more stress at work.

00:10:18The habits you form in school

00:10:20is what will help you at work.

00:10:23It's like you're practicing, right?

00:10:25It's really training.

00:10:27And I was telling them,

00:10:29you don't go to school for the diploma.

00:10:31You go to school for the development of your mind

00:10:34and your character.

00:10:35Exactly.

00:10:36So now, the kids,

00:10:38now, Butch, the kids,

00:10:40if they can do it, I can do it too.

00:10:42And for most kids who are starting,

00:10:44Butch, there are two components

00:10:46that they need to succeed.

00:10:48One, knowledge.

00:10:49And two, money.

00:10:50They said, with knowledge and money,

00:10:52I'm okay.

00:10:53That's not true.

00:10:54I will tell them that's not true.

00:10:56Because knowledge is useless

00:10:58if you don't know how to use it.

00:11:00Right?

00:11:01You're picking up the trash.

00:11:02You're picking trash.

00:11:03Yeah.

00:11:04Trash knowledge.

00:11:05The fake news.

00:11:07Fake news.

00:11:08Not only that, Butch,

00:11:09it's different.

00:11:10Supposing you have a good education,

00:11:12you studied well,

00:11:13but you don't know how to apply it.

00:11:15Correct.

00:11:16You need to go slowly.

00:11:17You need to learn from your mistakes.

00:11:19And that's money.

00:11:20They said, if I have money,

00:11:21I'm okay.

00:11:22I will start a business.

00:11:23If you're small,

00:11:25you can't save money.

00:11:27What if you enter a business?

00:11:29So these are the things that hurt them.

00:11:32I believe, Butch,

00:11:34that if you really want to succeed in business,

00:11:38what's important is not what you get on the internet.

00:11:43Right?

00:11:44That's true.

00:11:45But nowadays, it's really the values.

00:11:48How you teach your kids,

00:11:50how you teach your students,

00:11:52how you share it in the social media.

00:11:55Values are very important.

00:11:57People are like floating water lilies.

00:12:01They don't know where to go.

00:12:03They're at the crossroads.

00:12:05They don't know what to do.

00:12:07The purpose of the vlog is actually

00:12:10interviewing entrepreneurs like you

00:12:12who can really share the right way

00:12:15that probably may inspire them,

00:12:18may use our interview as part of reference.

00:12:22But again, decision-making is probably

00:12:26what's entering in the minds of our viewers.

00:12:29How did Dodong decide to leave the corporate world?

00:12:32You were enjoying the title.

00:12:35I'm sure you have a lot of perks, right?

00:12:38The higher you go, the more perks.

00:12:41But to decide, the crossroads.

00:12:44Actually, Butch, I didn't decide.

00:12:46In fact, some people would say to me,

00:12:49Wow, you're so brave.

00:12:51They say, you took a leap of faith.

00:12:55Exactly.

00:12:56Now, I hope people can watch my testimony

00:13:00on YouTube because it's there.

00:13:03Butch, I tell people, I did not take a leap of faith.

00:13:06I was so scared that I would not move

00:13:09until something happens.

00:13:11God opens an opportunity.

00:13:13Because Butch, our story is special.

00:13:15I didn't plan to leave the company.

00:13:17But one day, I heard a voice that told me to leave.

00:13:21When I confirmed, I said, Lord,

00:13:23I will leave if you do this.

00:13:25Many things happened in a miraculous way, Butch.

00:13:28I said, I'm dead. I need to leave.

00:13:31If you have time, Butch, I will tell you a story.

00:13:33It started in 1997.

00:13:35I felt this very strong burden to leave the company.

00:13:38I was arguing with God.

00:13:39In 1997, Butch, the Asian economy collapsed.

00:13:42They were all removed from their jobs, right?

00:13:45So anyway, Butch, I was comfortable.

00:13:49Then I felt this very strong burden.

00:13:51Day by day, it became stronger.

00:13:54I was asking God, what do you want me to do?

00:13:57One day, Butch, I was jogging in our subdivision

00:14:00in United, Paranaque 2.

00:14:02And that was my question.

00:14:03What do you want me to do?

00:14:04What do you want me to do?

00:14:05After going one round, Butch,

00:14:07believe it or not,

00:14:09my Walkman,

00:14:10Butch, it was still a Walkman.

00:14:11There were no iPads yet.

00:14:13The Walkman was in the museum.

00:14:17My Walkman, Butch, started to turn off.

00:14:20And there was nothing wrong with the Walkman.

00:14:22I'd run, I'd turn it on, it would turn off.

00:14:24So I said, maybe God is talking to me.

00:14:26But I was expecting an impression.

00:14:29You know, a strong impression.

00:14:31Butch, I literally heard a voice that said,

00:14:33Leave. Leave.

00:14:35It was really a man's voice.

00:14:37When I looked at the street, there was no one.

00:14:40However, I could not talk on the voice, Butch,

00:14:42because where did that come from?

00:14:45So this is what I did, Butch.

00:14:47I asked God for three miraculous things.

00:14:50I said, Lord, if you do this,

00:14:53you're kicking me out.

00:14:54What I asked for, Butch,

00:14:57that year was just very, very bad for business.

00:15:00And one of my records in HP was

00:15:03I would always meet quota every year.

00:15:05That was my record. I never refused.

00:15:08I said, Lord, I will not be in a quota this year.

00:15:10If you want me to leave,

00:15:12let me be in a quota so that

00:15:14they won't say that I abandoned.

00:15:16You left because of poor performance, right?

00:15:19Yes.

00:15:20And then, that was around July, Butch,

00:15:22when I heard the voice.

00:15:24In August, two managers from headquarters came,

00:15:30one from the Asian headquarters.

00:15:32They said, it's been confirmed,

00:15:34you're going to be promoted next year.

00:15:36I will become full country manager.

00:15:38Wow.

00:15:39I said to God, Lord,

00:15:41if you promote me, I will be confused.

00:15:43They will give me a lot of money,

00:15:45perks.

00:15:46You said perks.

00:15:47I will not leave.

00:15:48Don't promote me.

00:15:50I said, don't promote me.

00:15:52And then, Butch,

00:15:53my financial habits then was very bad.

00:15:56Do you know how many employees I had?

00:15:58In total, I had 15.

00:16:00I had 30.

00:16:02I even had a commission from sales.

00:16:04You had 13, 14, 15 months, right?

00:16:07It was just a commission, Butch.

00:16:09Just a commission.

00:16:11So I said, God, Lord, I don't have money.

00:16:13Will you give me four months' worth of my salary

00:16:16as parambaon when I leave?

00:16:18So this is the story, Butch.

00:16:21Our last month,

00:16:22our fiscal year ends on October.

00:16:24Our October, Butch,

00:16:26I remember my quota then was $4 million.

00:16:28Wow.

00:16:30Is that right?

00:16:32Something like that, $4 million.

00:16:34Last month to God, Butch,

00:16:36my quota was $1 million.

00:16:38Last month to go.

00:16:40October.

00:16:42And we were praying to get a quota.

00:16:44First 27 days, Butch,

00:16:46our sales were $58,000.

00:16:49That's big, right?

00:16:51$1 million versus $58,000.

00:16:53So October 27,

00:16:55I went to my wife and said I won't get a quota.

00:16:57It's just impossible for me to get a quota

00:16:59in four days.

00:17:01When Butch entered the office on October 28,

00:17:06our fax machine,

00:17:08you can see it's old,

00:17:10our fax machine started to print out

00:17:12one purchase order after another.

00:17:14People were calling me and saying,

00:17:16Dong, we need to buy now.

00:17:18It's like they're running out of money.

00:17:20And we were so busy, Butch,

00:17:22that I had to cancel our order processing.

00:17:24In four days, Butch,

00:17:26October 28 to October 31,

00:17:28we sold $2 million.

00:17:30Wow.

00:17:32Double.

00:17:34$1 million, right?

00:17:36Yes, double.

00:17:38There were only three countries

00:17:40who met quota in Southeast Asia.

00:17:42We were number two.

00:17:44Despite of that, I was not promoted.

00:17:46My bonus, Butch,

00:17:48bonus, four months worth of my salary.

00:17:50Oh my gosh.

00:17:52When that happened,

00:17:54I told my wife,

00:17:56I need to resign.

00:17:58That's the only reason I resigned.

00:18:00I need to resign.

00:18:02And then a series of events happened.

00:18:04I went to Bukidnon, I saw the land.

00:18:06My life, Butch, is just a series of miracles.

00:18:08In fact, Butch,

00:18:10the reason why I shared,

00:18:12when you told me to share,

00:18:15is because I believe

00:18:17God allowed me to go through all of this

00:18:19so that I can share his story.

00:18:21Not my story,

00:18:23but his story.

00:18:25It's actually his message to us.

00:18:27His message to people.

00:18:29That's what's happening to us.

00:18:31We can't understand what's happening.

00:18:33During the day, from the time we woke up

00:18:35until the time we go to bed,

00:18:37a lot of blessings probably have happened,

00:18:39which we really don't know.

00:18:41For example,

00:18:43you and I, we met

00:18:45in our trip to Dubai.

00:18:47We met in Dubai.

00:18:49Right?

00:18:51There was bonding and sharing.

00:18:53Yes, yes.

00:18:55But again, what do you see now?

00:18:57Like for example, values

00:18:59of teaching parents,

00:19:01the challenges of parents teaching values.

00:19:03Because now,

00:19:05the young generation,

00:19:07Generation Alpha,

00:19:09Gen X,

00:19:11they're all concentrated

00:19:13on their computer.

00:19:15It's like

00:19:17reading a book.

00:19:19How can a parent,

00:19:21for example, help?

00:19:23Because those are the challenges

00:19:25of parents.

00:19:27For example, how do I teach the values,

00:19:29especially values

00:19:31of being prayerful

00:19:33to the young people nowadays?

00:19:35What do you see?

00:19:38To me, at the end of the day,

00:19:40Butch, it's about your example.

00:19:42What do I mean?

00:19:44Many years ago,

00:19:46I was in Davao, I had a talk,

00:19:48and so I was having breakfast

00:19:50in the hotel, and there were

00:19:52three mothers talking,

00:19:54and they were complaining about

00:19:56millennials.

00:19:58They have from one job to another,

00:20:00a lot of complaints.

00:20:02In my mind, I want to say to them,

00:20:04who taught your children?

00:20:06But they can say,

00:20:08I didn't teach them social media,

00:20:10but you allowed it.

00:20:12Your example is the same.

00:20:14I really believe,

00:20:16if you want to teach values,

00:20:18you must first leave it out.

00:20:20Most of the things in life

00:20:22cannot be taught by words.

00:20:24They can only be

00:20:26taught by example.

00:20:28In fact, I always say this, Butch,

00:20:33people do not do

00:20:35what you say.

00:20:37They do what you do.

00:20:39And the reason why YouTube

00:20:41is such a very popular site,

00:20:43is because YouTube shows examples.

00:20:45For example, I want to cook kare-kare.

00:20:47I need to see.

00:20:49If I read it, it's hard for me.

00:20:51I need to see.

00:20:53We are visuals.

00:20:55We actually do,

00:20:57we actually follow,

00:20:59we mimic, we copy.

00:21:01Even the Lord said, even Jesus said,

00:21:03Paul said,

00:21:05imitate me

00:21:07as I imitate Christ.

00:21:09So Paul influenced the world

00:21:11by his example.

00:21:13So I am also like that, Butch.

00:21:15In my page,

00:21:17I only share about principles.

00:21:19Oh yeah, by the way, what is Facebook?

00:21:21It's just a page.

00:21:23There, I share principles.

00:21:25But even as I share principles, Butch,

00:21:27I use my story.

00:21:29Sure.

00:21:32Someone else's story.

00:21:34So,

00:21:36they need to know.

00:21:38For example,

00:21:40many social media influencers today,

00:21:42Butch, they teach principles.

00:21:4424-year-old,

00:21:4621-year-old is teaching a business.

00:21:48Hey, you don't have a story yet.

00:21:50You already told your story.

00:21:52Exactly.

00:21:54That's why people are misled.

00:21:56Because they,

00:21:58unfortunately,

00:22:00unfortunately,

00:22:02on social media,

00:22:04it's all about money.

00:22:06Money.

00:22:08There's a lot of money.

00:22:10Let them see your life.

00:22:12Or you can say,

00:22:14how did you make your money?

00:22:16Just follow me.

00:22:18Listen, I have a lot of money.

00:22:20In fact, like what I do,

00:22:22whenever I see a social media influencer,

00:22:24the first thing I look for is

00:22:26how did they make their money?

00:22:28You can't see it.

00:22:30That's a blank page.

00:22:32It's a blank page.

00:22:34Walk the talk.

00:22:36That's right.

00:22:38Build your credibility.

00:22:40And be consistent with that credibility.

00:22:42Right?

00:22:44Because others,

00:22:46in white, in red,

00:22:48you don't even know where they stand.

00:22:50For example, parents.

00:22:52Today, they're encouraged.

00:22:54Find a coach. Find a mentor.

00:22:56I ask, why not you?

00:22:58Exactly.

00:23:00The father says, find a mentor.

00:23:02Why not you?

00:23:04I have a joke there, Butch.

00:23:06In the past, in the 1960s,

00:23:08when you ask them,

00:23:10when you ask children,

00:23:12who do you want to become?

00:23:14They would say, I'd like to be my father.

00:23:16I wanted to be a soldier because of my father.

00:23:18Then who do you want to be?

00:23:20In the 1990s,

00:23:22who do you want to be?

00:23:24Robin Padilla.

00:23:26Now, who do you want to be?

00:23:28Ironman? Spiderman?

00:23:30Because the fathers have failed

00:23:32to be good examples.

00:23:34They don't want to be like their fathers.

00:23:36That's right.

00:23:38It's fading.

00:23:40As a generation,

00:23:42more and more,

00:23:44it's fading.

00:23:46Which is challenging for all of us

00:23:48to maintain that.

00:23:50To make sure that the next generation

00:23:52will carry on whatever legacies

00:23:54will be there.

00:23:56That's what I've noticed.

00:23:58You won't be able to carry on

00:24:00the legacy that you have done.

00:24:02For example, Dodong,

00:24:04you have done a lot of extensive sharing

00:24:06in your Facebook page, your insights.

00:24:08These are living legacies.

00:24:10Regardless of whether we're still

00:24:12here on earth.

00:24:14For me, Butch, one of the reasons why I do this,

00:24:16I told you,

00:24:18I have this personal problem.

00:24:20And this personal problem

00:24:22would just have broken someone else.

00:24:24But I'm maintaining my

00:24:26faithfulness to the Lord.

00:24:28Do you know why, Butch?

00:24:30My children,

00:24:32my grandchildren,

00:24:34if I fail to show

00:24:36an example, what will happen to them?

00:24:38So I'm trying very hard

00:24:40to be faithful

00:24:42to the Lord, to have integrity.

00:24:44Not just for me,

00:24:46but I will destroy the lives

00:24:48of the next generation,

00:24:50at least our generation.

00:24:52Then, my example,

00:24:54you know,

00:24:56just to bless

00:24:58other people.

00:25:00But the reason I do what I do is because

00:25:02I'm concerned about my grandchildren,

00:25:04their children.

00:25:06I'm hoping that I can leave a good example.

00:25:08That's what I'm saying, Butch.

00:25:10Many fathers today have failed that.

00:25:12They have become rich,

00:25:14but they failed to be a good example

00:25:16to their children.

00:25:18Because the first thing their children look at

00:25:20is their father.

00:25:22And I really believe

00:25:24the father defines the character of their children,

00:25:26not the mother. The mother is comfort.

00:25:28The father is character.

00:25:32If the father is gone,

00:25:34the mother will have a challenge

00:25:36to establish

00:25:38the father figure.

00:25:40Because that's what they're looking for.

00:25:42The two are important.

00:25:44That's what I noticed.

00:25:46Children look to their fathers

00:25:48for character.

00:25:50That's what's important.

00:25:52But again, let's go back now to becoming

00:25:54an entrepreneur. What is the

00:25:56hardest hurdle for you

00:25:58aside from learning from zero,

00:26:00then all the way up

00:26:02to being persistent?

00:26:04Would you now

00:26:06say that entrepreneurs are still

00:26:08reeling from this effect of

00:26:10challenges or

00:26:12whatever challenges

00:26:14our country or the world is

00:26:16experiencing? Like in your case,

00:26:18for example,

00:26:20you're in the farming

00:26:22side of the country.

00:26:24How do farmers

00:26:26really survive nowadays

00:26:28that you see now?

00:26:30I, Butch,

00:26:32in my studies,

00:26:34I just wrote a

00:26:36book about entrepreneurship.

00:26:38I hope you don't mind.

00:26:40I like that.

00:26:42I have this book.

00:26:44Entrepreneur's Journey.

00:26:46I'll send it to you, Butch.

00:26:48Entrepreneur's Journey to Fruitfulness.

00:26:50This talks about my journey.

00:26:52I explain how a business should start,

00:26:54how it should grow, and how it becomes

00:26:56profitable.

00:26:58Butch, I also have another book

00:27:00with it.

00:27:02Look at the title.

00:27:04The Greatest Salesman I Know Does Not Sell.

00:27:06So your passion

00:27:08is really still... How many books have you

00:27:10written so far, Dodong?

00:27:12I have written five books, Butch, but it's not

00:27:14my passion. I just want to correct that.

00:27:16It's not my passion to write books.

00:27:18However, Butch,

00:27:20I just feel that God has taught me so much

00:27:22that I don't want to die

00:27:24that I won't be able to share it.

00:27:26My legacy is, I hope that before I die,

00:27:28I can leave all these principles

00:27:30to help other people.

00:27:32But anyway,

00:27:34one of the things I said in this book, Butch,

00:27:36The Entrepreneur's Journey

00:27:38to Fruitfulness,

00:27:40I said, Butch, don't worry, I'll send you

00:27:42a copy.

00:27:44I said, one of the things

00:27:46that destroys entrepreneurship

00:27:48is the definition we use.

00:27:50Today, the modern

00:27:52definition of entrepreneurship

00:27:54is the willingness

00:27:56to start a business.

00:28:00It's the ability to start a business

00:28:02and the willingness

00:28:04to take financial risk.

00:28:06That's the Oxford Dictionary, right?

00:28:08Knowledge to start,

00:28:10willingness to take financial risk.

00:28:12And then,

00:28:14Butch will tell us,

00:28:16the greater the risk, the greater the gain.

00:28:18The greater money you risk.

00:28:20Do you know, Butch,

00:28:22that's what destroyed my business

00:28:24for the first four years?

00:28:26Because I said, I'm willing, I have knowledge

00:28:28and I need to

00:28:30take a lot of risk.

00:28:32If I get a chance to

00:28:34risk, meaning I will get a profit

00:28:36from pork, I will risk it

00:28:38from vegetables.

00:28:40I have a job, but most of the time,

00:28:42I lose money. Why?

00:28:44Because the experts

00:28:46did not complete what they said.

00:28:48The truth is,

00:28:50the greater the risk, the greater the gain.

00:28:52But the greater the chances

00:28:54of losing your money.

00:28:56Correct.

00:28:58Now, because they said

00:29:00knowledge is important.

00:29:02Over time, Butch, I learned

00:29:04that knowledge is not important,

00:29:06ability is important.

00:29:08When I say ability,

00:29:10it's the right way to apply knowledge.

00:29:12But the right way to apply knowledge,

00:29:14Butch, when you came out

00:29:16from college, you know a lot.

00:29:18When you apply, they are wrong.

00:29:20The theory is not wrong.

00:29:22The way you apply is wrong.

00:29:24Because we don't understand it well.

00:29:26This is my attitude, Butch.

00:29:30I will do things

00:29:32and then I will always improve.

00:29:34I will always learn.

00:29:36What I will do, Butch,

00:29:38when I have a project, before, I would risk

00:29:40a lot of money.

00:29:42Now, I stop.

00:29:44I would think of a project,

00:29:46I would invest a little,

00:29:48and then I would watch it.

00:29:50I will learn from my mistake,

00:29:52and then I will scale up.

00:29:54If it's okay, I will scale up.

00:29:56If it's okay, I will scale up.

00:29:58Step by step.

00:30:00I actually follow the ways of the plan.

00:30:02Exactly.

00:30:04They told me,

00:30:06Butch, you are slow.

00:30:08I said, I'm not slow.

00:30:10I started with Pesos.

00:30:12Later, it became 2 Pesos.

00:30:14Later, it became 4 Pesos.

00:30:16Later, it became 8 Pesos.

00:30:18Isn't that exponential growth?

00:30:20I started with Pesos.

00:30:22Then I lost 100 Pesos.

00:30:24Zero.

00:30:26You lost.

00:30:28But you know Dodong,

00:30:30I remember what you're telling me.

00:30:32I remember you're sharing this.

00:30:34You shared that

00:30:36we will have an extreme safari.

00:30:38You put me in front of

00:30:40the sand dunes.

00:30:42Anyway.

00:30:44One of the things I learned

00:30:46until now,

00:30:48in farming, you let the land rest

00:30:50before you do another farming.

00:30:52Yes.

00:30:54I respect nature.

00:30:56And you respect nature.

00:30:58You don't have to keep on plugging and plugging

00:31:00with so much fertilizer.

00:31:02You're poisoning the earth.

00:31:04Yes.

00:31:06What's happening today with entrepreneurs?

00:31:08Why are they failing?

00:31:10Because they don't study

00:31:12how nature acts.

00:31:14Not just in farming.

00:31:16One of the things I discovered, Butch,

00:31:18in life,

00:31:20everything goes on a cycle.

00:31:22Famine, abundance, famine,

00:31:24abundance.

00:31:26We're in famine today.

00:31:28But I'm excited, Butch.

00:31:30How do you see 2025?

00:31:32I still do not know.

00:31:34But I'm hoping I'm ready for the next abundance.

00:31:36So what am I

00:31:38learning?

00:31:40This is what I know, Butch.

00:31:42When times are good, I save.

00:31:44Why? Because famine will come.

00:31:46It's a cycle.

00:31:48When famine comes,

00:31:50I invest.

00:31:52Because

00:31:54abundance will come again.

00:31:56So now, when kids earn,

00:31:58it's all gone.

00:32:00It's all gone.

00:32:02Shopping, gadgets,

00:32:04gimmicks, and all this.

00:32:08But this is what entrepreneurs should learn.

00:32:10The little you earn, you should save it.

00:32:12For the rainy day.

00:32:14You never know what's

00:32:16going to happen.

00:32:18I don't call it, I save for the rainy day.

00:32:20In fact, I don't have

00:32:22in the industry,

00:32:24they have what they call emergency fund.

00:32:26As an entrepreneur,

00:32:28I don't have an emergency fund.

00:32:30I call it opportunity fund.

00:32:32Meaning, I want to be cash rich

00:32:34so when an opportunity comes,

00:32:36I can buy that opportunity.

00:32:38You can jump on that.

00:32:40But that's an entrepreneur

00:32:42mind. I'm not saying

00:32:44emergency fund is wrong.

00:32:46I'm just saying this is an entrepreneur mind.

00:32:48Correct.

00:32:50You let the opportunity pass,

00:32:52but you have nothing.

00:32:54Butch, look at the Chinese.

00:32:56How do they become rich?

00:32:58Because they're so cash rich.

00:33:00When they sell cheap land,

00:33:02they buy it.

00:33:04Because they're cash rich.

00:33:06Sometimes,

00:33:08the Filipinos tell you,

00:33:10that's money if you don't use it.

00:33:12Right?

00:33:14In other words,

00:33:16money should be hidden

00:33:18under the umbrella.

00:33:20But again,

00:33:22when it comes to starting up,

00:33:24because we talk a lot,

00:33:26some are afraid

00:33:28to start up.

00:33:30Nowadays,

00:33:32I don't want to start up.

00:33:34Like for example, I was talking to a group of

00:33:36retirees,

00:33:38they're scared.

00:33:40The fear is there.

00:33:42But again, what happens now to your money?

00:33:44Because your retirement money

00:33:46is your last money.

00:33:48And you won't live from it.

00:33:50I really believe, Butch.

00:33:52You won't live from your retirement.

00:33:54It will be spent on medicine.

00:33:56They spend so much.

00:33:58They splurge.

00:34:00But they really don't know how to save.

00:34:02At the end of the day,

00:34:04they're looking for ways how to earn.

00:34:06Butch, let me share with you a story.

00:34:08Just to explain.

00:34:10I have this very close friend.

00:34:12He was a general manager of one of these

00:34:14big internet companies

00:34:16in the Philippines.

00:34:18And so, when he was about to retire,

00:34:20I said,

00:34:22Bro, what are you going to do?

00:34:24He said, Bro, I'm going to rest.

00:34:26I have enough

00:34:28retirement to get by.

00:34:30I said, you're wasting your money.

00:34:32You're just going to rest

00:34:34because I told him

00:34:36this is my principle.

00:34:38When you were young, you were at the peak

00:34:40of your strength.

00:34:42But now, you're at the peak of your wisdom.

00:34:44And he stopped you.

00:34:46Of course, he said, I don't know how to do business.

00:34:48All this time, I've been employed.

00:34:50So I told him,

00:34:52I told him, Butch,

00:34:54you take part of your money

00:34:56and you start small.

00:34:58Just try it.

00:35:00Don't try to be big.

00:35:02Because you don't have the skills.

00:35:04So he took part of his money

00:35:06and he opened a convenience store.

00:35:08Okay, of course,

00:35:10a convenience store.

00:35:12Not a Sari-Sari store.

00:35:14I don't want a Sari-Sari store anymore, Butch,

00:35:16because it's full of money.

00:35:18Butch, a convenience store has a cash register.

00:35:20You can't go out without cash.

00:35:22I didn't say

00:35:24a convenience store.

00:35:26He just decided a convenience store.

00:35:28The first year, there were a lot of problems.

00:35:30Butch,

00:35:32he's a process person.

00:35:34He's a corporate man.

00:35:36He has wisdom.

00:35:38Later, he improved.

00:35:40I think today, he has three convenience stores,

00:35:42a number of coffee shops.

00:35:44He didn't know that.

00:35:46He didn't know that.

00:35:48But he started it slowly.

00:35:50That's my belief.

00:35:52How did I grow my business?

00:35:54I didn't have money.

00:35:56I would always learn from my experience.

00:35:58When I know, I scale up.

00:36:00When I know, I scale up.

00:36:02When I know, I scale up.

00:36:04In fact, Butch, what I'm saying is,

00:36:06I use time to my advantage.

00:36:08Some people are angry with time.

00:36:10They say, you're wasting time.

00:36:12What I'm saying is, don't waste time.

00:36:14We might run out of money.

00:36:16In fact, Butch, my story is in this book.

00:36:18Wow.

00:36:20Maybe I'll be making

00:36:22a series of vlogs on that.

00:36:24Quoting you.

00:36:26In fact, my goal is

00:36:28how do I get this book

00:36:30to as many people as possible.

00:36:32Of course, it has a cost.

00:36:34But it's not really the cost.

00:36:36It's my desire

00:36:38to help Filipinos.

00:36:40It's actually a seed.

00:36:42It's like you're planting.

00:36:44The amount that you spend for that book

00:36:46is a seed.

00:36:48The amount of seed that you plant

00:36:50are the people who can help you

00:36:52plant that.

00:36:54That's important.

00:36:56It's not a novel reading

00:36:58that's a one-shot reading.

00:37:00It's how people will take that book

00:37:02further

00:37:04to other people.

00:37:08For me, it's important.

00:37:10For example, I never knew how to write a book.

00:37:12But again, because of my accident in the book,

00:37:14I guess the miracle happened

00:37:16that I was able to learn to write.

00:37:18And even doing this vlog,

00:37:20which I never knew how to do it.

00:37:22You're learning.

00:37:24Everyone is learning.

00:37:26Perfection is there

00:37:28along the way.

00:37:30At the end of the day,

00:37:32it's not you who's doing a grandstanding

00:37:34of your own self.

00:37:36But you're doing something of a message.

00:37:38Doing a message for people

00:37:40that this is the good news

00:37:42that you should pick up.

00:37:44Like what we're talking about

00:37:46right now.

00:37:48That's the good thing.

00:37:50For me,

00:37:52health is another thing

00:37:54that I realize nowadays.

00:37:56It's the health challenge.

00:37:58Specifically, mental health.

00:38:00During COVID, and even now,

00:38:02we're reeling from the mental health issue.

00:38:04Because I get a lot of

00:38:06comments that say,

00:38:08Sir, it's like in social media,

00:38:10nobody loves me.

00:38:14Wait, wait.

00:38:16Can you qualify that?

00:38:18In different schools and

00:38:20corporate people.

00:38:22Sir, I think it's hard to have

00:38:24social media. Why?

00:38:26It's like nobody loves me.

00:38:28How do you classify that?

00:38:30I said, why?

00:38:32Because my friends

00:38:34like you a lot.

00:38:36For me, no.

00:38:38My mom doesn't like me.

00:38:42It's a joke and yet it hits.

00:38:44It hits people internally.

00:38:48What's your insight on that?

00:38:50For me, your friends in social media

00:38:52are not really your friends.

00:38:54They're just

00:38:56what we call associates.

00:39:00Maybe we have friends who are really

00:39:02friends, who really stick with us.

00:39:04But in social media, you have to

00:39:06take it lightly.

00:39:08There are a lot of bashers.

00:39:10There are a lot of people who

00:39:12make fun of you.

00:39:14That's why I said,

00:39:16qualify that

00:39:18a lot of people love you, especially

00:39:20people that are close to you.

00:39:24For me, it's a butch take-off.

00:39:26As I said to you earlier,

00:39:28I actually just finished

00:39:30recording

00:39:34a series called

00:39:36Overcoming Depression in the Workplace.

00:39:38Because depression

00:39:40is not only in social media,

00:39:42even in the workplace.

00:39:44You know, I have this

00:39:46important conclusion.

00:39:48I tell people

00:39:50not to get mad at me

00:39:52because my belief is

00:39:54that there should be no

00:39:56mental health issue. Why is that?

00:39:58The only reason why we're having

00:40:00mental health issue is because we're not

00:40:02responding to our trials

00:40:04and circumstances properly.

00:40:06What do I mean?

00:40:08I have a story,

00:40:10there are a lot of kids today who are depressed

00:40:12because their boss

00:40:14is not accepting their work.

00:40:16They were arrogant,

00:40:18they were smart,

00:40:20when they submitted,

00:40:22they were rejected.

00:40:24Then they said,

00:40:26I did my best.

00:40:28I had to use this story.

00:40:30Do you know the story of Cain and Abel?

00:40:32Yes.

00:40:34Cain offered to the Lord,

00:40:36the Lord rejected.

00:40:38Abel offered, the Lord accepted.

00:40:40Does this mean that Cain has a bad attitude?

00:40:42No, he offered.

00:40:44Is his attitude bad?

00:40:46God said to him,

00:40:48Cain, why has your countenance

00:40:50fallen?

00:40:52If you do well,

00:40:54if you do well,

00:40:56your countenance will change

00:40:58and you will not sin.

00:41:00What does this mean?

00:41:02Kids get angry

00:41:04when their boss does not accept

00:41:06their best.

00:41:08This is not right for the boss.

00:41:10Right?

00:41:12Butch, you are the boss.

00:41:14When your boss submits to you,

00:41:16it may be his best, but it's not your standard,

00:41:18you still won't accept it.

00:41:20Correct.

00:41:22Children today want the boss to adjust.

00:41:24The question should be simple, Butch.

00:41:26They should ask the boss,

00:41:28what is the importance of being right?

00:41:30If I do what you're right,

00:41:32can you reject me?

00:41:34So what am I saying?

00:41:36People today

00:41:38are not responding properly.

00:41:40Their boss scolded them.

00:41:42They will say,

00:41:44my boss has a bad attitude.

00:41:46You should ask, why did he scold me?

00:41:48What should I correct

00:41:50so that he won't scold me anymore?

00:41:52Now,

00:41:54I was rejected.

00:41:56Butch, self-love is too much

00:41:58nowadays.

00:42:00My significance

00:42:02is the affirmation

00:42:04of other people.

00:42:06If they don't affirm me,

00:42:08they are all toxic.

00:42:10That word is very common

00:42:12in the workplace.

00:42:14They are all toxic.

00:42:16My boss is toxic,

00:42:18because they didn't affirm me.

00:42:20So my question is,

00:42:22is it possible

00:42:24that they are all toxic?

00:42:26If they have the same attitude towards you,

00:42:28maybe you are the toxic one.

00:42:30Maybe you have a problem.

00:42:32If you change your attitude,

00:42:36maybe they are not toxic anymore.

00:42:38What do I mean, Butch?

00:42:40Self-love is too much nowadays.

00:42:42Me first.

00:42:44I still have something to say, Butch.

00:42:46How will other people know

00:42:48how to love me

00:42:50if I do not love myself?

00:42:52Is that okay, Butch?

00:42:54It seems like it makes sense.

00:42:56But it does not really make sense.

00:42:58Why?

00:43:00And I tell these people,

00:43:02have you seen a person

00:43:04who is so full of himself?

00:43:06He only loves himself.

00:43:08Butch, what are you doing?

00:43:10If a person is very selfish,

00:43:12what will you do?

00:43:14Will you love the person?

00:43:16No. You will avoid the person.

00:43:18When the person

00:43:20is so in love with himself,

00:43:22he will avoid the person,

00:43:24especially if he does not affirm.

00:43:26And when you notice this, Butch,

00:43:28especially if you do not notice,

00:43:30right?

00:43:32Yes, that's true.

00:43:34But then on the other side,

00:43:36you see a very kind person

00:43:38who does not think of himself.

00:43:42What will you do?

00:43:44Because of the kindness of that person,

00:43:46you will love the person

00:43:48even if he does not require it.

00:43:50In fact, Butch,

00:43:52I have a story in this book.

00:43:54The greatest salesman,

00:43:56this book does not talk about

00:43:58the technical aspect of selling.

00:44:00It talks about the soft side of selling.

00:44:02In the book, Butch, I have a story.

00:44:04My daughter,

00:44:06you know my daughter, right?

00:44:08She's an artist.

00:44:10One day, we were vacationing

00:44:12in Surigao.

00:44:14That evening,

00:44:16she approached me and said,

00:44:18Butch, you know Papa,

00:44:20I discovered it's more convenient

00:44:22to be nice.

00:44:24Just like 26-year-old Butch,

00:44:26he's a millennial.

00:44:28I was surprised. I said,

00:44:30he said it's convenient to be nice.

00:44:32Millennials are very selfish.

00:44:34I said, what do you mean?

00:44:36He said, Papa, when we were small,

00:44:38you always forced us to be nice

00:44:40to your guests,

00:44:42even if you don't like them.

00:44:44We have to serve them.

00:44:46We have to sing for them.

00:44:48So my children grew up

00:44:50helping my visitors.

00:44:52It's very nice.

00:44:54Whenever visitors are here, Butch,

00:44:56he sells a lot of paintings.

00:44:58I said, Iha, what are you doing?

00:45:00Show us your work.

00:45:02It's bigger than you.

00:45:04Because it's nice.

00:45:06Do you know if a woman,

00:45:08for example, you're at home,

00:45:10you don't have water,

00:45:12you're on the other side of the table,

00:45:14she'll go to you and give you water.

00:45:16She wants to make sure you're happy.

00:45:18So what will people do?

00:45:20The world's response is wrong.

00:45:22The world thinks that

00:45:24by loving yourself, others will love you.

00:45:26Of course not.

00:45:28By putting yourself first,

00:45:30others will avoid you.

00:45:32But when you start

00:45:34to put others first,

00:45:36they will love you.

00:45:38This is what Butch told me.

00:45:40Sir, if I love them,

00:45:42if I put them first,

00:45:44what will happen to me?

00:45:46What will happen?

00:45:48You see?

00:45:50Because if you love them,

00:45:52what will happen to you?

00:45:54We Filipinos,

00:45:56we have a strong heart.

00:45:58We reciprocate.

00:46:00Even if you don't ask,

00:46:02we reciprocate.

00:46:04Butch, I hope you don't mind.

00:46:06Butch, when we met,

00:46:08my goal is to be nice to everybody.

00:46:10I just want to be nice to everybody.

00:46:12Because that's the concept.

00:46:14If I'm nice to others,

00:46:16we're friends.

00:46:18You're also nice to me.

00:46:20Butch, if you're arrogant,

00:46:22we wouldn't be talking right now.

00:46:24That's true.

00:46:26You really avoid it.

00:46:28It's a waste of time.

00:46:30You're talking to somebody

00:46:32who's so narcissistic.

00:46:34Yes.

00:46:36But what about the others?

00:46:38I think that's the thing

00:46:40with the society now.

00:46:42For example, Dong,

00:46:44there are a lot of homeless people

00:46:46now in our country.

00:46:48Or people who are eating pagpag.

00:46:50I'm sure you're familiar with that.

00:46:52That's the reason why

00:46:54when I met this person from Zamboanga

00:46:56who came up with

00:46:58Save the Food.

00:47:00The foodies on the go.

00:47:02They collect from hotels

00:47:04that we can give

00:47:06food to the community.

00:47:08It was one advocacy.

00:47:10But he started it

00:47:12and everybody seemed to follow

00:47:14from there on.

00:47:16He said,

00:47:18we need to love our fellowmen

00:47:20not ourselves.

00:47:22He's right.

00:47:24He's a young man.

00:47:26He said,

00:47:28this is what's missing

00:47:30in our world.

00:47:32For example,

00:47:34when I interviewed him on a blog,

00:47:36he said, it pains me to see people

00:47:38eating pagpag.

00:47:40People who are eating pagpag

00:47:42are not the ones eating their food.

00:47:46Never in my lifetime

00:47:48would I see that.

00:47:50There are people in our country

00:47:52who are eating left people trash.

00:47:54Trash.

00:47:56They're just cooking.

00:47:58It's pitiful.

00:48:00It's pitiful to love.

00:48:02That's the reason why I admire people

00:48:04who really go out of their way

00:48:06to serve first others

00:48:08What do you think?

00:48:10Will you help the person?

00:48:12Of course.

00:48:14That person

00:48:16put other people before him or her.

00:48:18You have this tendency

00:48:20to bless.

00:48:22The children today

00:48:24are so full of themselves.

00:48:26They don't listen to their parents.

00:48:28They say bad things to their parents.

00:48:30Will you help

00:48:32that kind of person?

00:48:34That's my problem.

00:48:36That's the reason why many are depressed.

00:48:38You are responding to life

00:48:40in the wrong way.

00:48:42Your response is always selfish.

00:48:44You compare yourself with others.

00:48:46Why will you compare yourself with others?

00:48:48You have different abilities.

00:48:50You have different resources.

00:48:52You have different training.

00:48:54I really believe you can never compare

00:48:56yourself with others.

00:48:58If I compare myself

00:49:00with all of you in Manila,

00:49:02I will be sad.

00:49:04You have a big house.

00:49:06You have a nice car.

00:49:08You have a big salary.

00:49:10Now I compare myself

00:49:12with myself.

00:49:14I realize I'm lucky here.

00:49:16I don't have pressure on food.

00:49:18Our life is cheap here.

00:49:20If I want to go play golf,

00:49:22I can play golf every day.

00:49:24They can't do that.

00:49:26You have clean air.

00:49:28There's no pollution around there.

00:49:30Whereas here,

00:49:32it's bad.

00:49:36Are you into solar now?

00:49:38Or are you into...

00:49:40No, not yet.

00:49:42We're fun.

00:49:44Our electrical consumption

00:49:46is very low.

00:49:48We're fun.

00:49:50In fact,

00:49:52when I go to the grocery store,

00:49:54I basically don't buy anything

00:49:56because I grow my vegetables.

00:49:58I grow my meat.

00:50:00That's what's good for you.

00:50:02That's what others should compare you to.

00:50:04If there's a World War III,

00:50:06will I have food?

00:50:12Final thoughts, Dodong.

00:50:16I always ask people

00:50:18I interview,

00:50:20what are the at least three nuggets

00:50:22that you can share,

00:50:24especially for people now

00:50:26making a New Year's resolution,

00:50:28a New Year's start.

00:50:30In what way can a person...

00:50:32Because I always believe

00:50:34a person can change

00:50:36no matter what.

00:50:38It doesn't mean you don't have to start

00:50:40on January 1st

00:50:42to start again.

00:50:44But it's never too late.

00:50:46What are your insights, Dodong?

00:50:50I'll just share my attitude

00:50:52based on a story.

00:50:54Many years ago,

00:50:56I got invited by

00:50:58Bo Sanchez to share my

00:51:00story in one of his wealth summits.

00:51:02Rex Mendoza

00:51:04is part of his

00:51:06mastermind group, right?

00:51:08Correct.

00:51:10After I shared

00:51:12my story, one of his

00:51:14mastermind members

00:51:16asked me,

00:51:18I like your story, I like your principles.

00:51:20How do you see

00:51:22yourself three to five years from now?

00:51:24I was happy,

00:51:26I smiled because I haven't heard

00:51:28that question for a long time.

00:51:30That's a very corporate

00:51:32jargon, right?

00:51:34So I told him,

00:51:36Sir, I hope you will not be offended

00:51:38but I've really stopped thinking

00:51:40about three to five years from now

00:51:42because I do not control

00:51:44three to five years from now.

00:51:46There's no COVID yet, right?

00:51:48Who can predict that there's COVID?

00:51:50None of us predicted that, right?

00:51:52Exactly.

00:51:54In fact, when we were together in Dubai,

00:51:56everybody was bullish about the economy.

00:51:58We will grow so much, right?

00:52:00Correct.

00:52:02So I told him, Sir, this is my attitude today.

00:52:04My attitude is

00:52:06I want to make sure I have done

00:52:08my best today.

00:52:10Whatever I can do, I have done my best today

00:52:12because I know that

00:52:14if I do my best today,

00:52:16tomorrow will be okay.

00:52:18Tomorrow will be good.

00:52:20Maybe I can dream about tomorrow.

00:52:22But if I don't work on my today,

00:52:24that tomorrow will never

00:52:26come true.

00:52:28I'd like to share that attitude with everybody.

00:52:30When I say I have

00:52:32done my best, I do not say

00:52:34I have done my best based on my standard.

00:52:36I have done my best for my people.

00:52:38I have done my best for the Lord.

00:52:40I managed our business

00:52:42properly. We learned

00:52:44from our mistakes.

00:52:46I fixed the problem today.

00:52:48Because if I do that,

00:52:50tomorrow will definitely be good.

00:52:52In fact, tomorrow may even be

00:52:54bigger than my dream.

00:52:56So,

00:52:58I wish, because I want

00:53:00to teach people

00:53:02to simplify life.

00:53:04We sometimes say,

00:53:06there is

00:53:08a practice that people

00:53:10always follow.

00:53:12Stephen Covey said,

00:53:14begin with the end in mind.

00:53:16There's nothing wrong with that.

00:53:18I believe it's just a butch.

00:53:20Because when you only begin with the end in mind,

00:53:22you forget where you are

00:53:24and what you have already.

00:53:26Where you started.

00:53:28You should always start where you are today.

00:53:30That's why we think,

00:53:32maybe there's something better there.

00:53:34If you just think about

00:53:36where you are today and start to improve it.

00:53:38Right?

00:53:40If you have something,

00:53:42it will also be good.

00:53:44There's nothing wrong with

00:53:46imagining the future,

00:53:48but always take care of your today.

00:53:50For me,

00:53:52if I can leave something with you,

00:53:54that's the only thing I want to leave.

00:53:56Yes, yes.

00:53:58Because they always say,

00:54:00I want to get rich.

00:54:02That's their end goal.

00:54:04But again, they never take inventory

00:54:06of who they are and what they became of.

00:54:08I always use the word

00:54:10introspect.

00:54:12I want to get a job or I want to get in business.

00:54:14I said,

00:54:16introspect first.

00:54:18Take inventory of what you can do.

00:54:20That's right.

00:54:22They always say,

00:54:24I don't have money to start a business.

00:54:26I said, it's not money.

00:54:28It's actually the value that you have in your mind.

00:54:30That's right.

00:54:32That's right.

00:54:34Many of us started.

00:54:36I started.

00:54:38I failed in my retirement.

00:54:40That's why I failed.

00:54:42But again, always failure is a wake-up call.

00:54:44It's not the end of it.

00:54:46For me,

00:54:48it's just a failure.

00:54:50You say, you did something wrong.

00:54:52Change that.

00:54:54Failure doesn't mean you're a failure.

00:54:56It just means what you did was wrong.

00:54:58Change it.

00:55:00Take two.

00:55:02I guess also the discernment.

00:55:04To me, discernment is so important nowadays.

00:55:06People make decisions

00:55:08rash decisions

00:55:10without thinking of what the consequence is.

00:55:12I always believe

00:55:14discernment is so important.

00:55:16But Butch,

00:55:18can I also add to what you said?

00:55:20Discernment.

00:55:22How do you get discernment?

00:55:24Do you get discernment like that?

00:55:26Discernment is taking some time.

00:55:28I like this story

00:55:30that I always share.

00:55:32Manuel El Quezon said to his driver,

00:55:34Manuel El Quezon is the president.

00:55:36I just heard it.

00:55:38Manuel El Quezon said to his driver,

00:55:40Boy, boy, boy,

00:55:42don't rush because we're in a hurry.

00:55:48Ironic, right?

00:55:50You rush us,

00:55:52you're wasting time.

00:55:54Don't rush because we're in a hurry.

00:55:56Most of the mistakes you make

00:55:58happen when you were rushing.

00:56:00I like what you said, discernment.

00:56:02But for you to have discernment,

00:56:04you must slow down.

00:56:06You're right.

00:56:08Assess your situation

00:56:10so that you can make

00:56:12better decisions.

00:56:14Finding silence in you.

00:56:16You said the world is full of

00:56:18distractions now, right?

00:56:20From the time you wake up,

00:56:22there's a lot of noise.

00:56:24You open social media,

00:56:26there's a tsunami.

00:56:28But the thing is,

00:56:30finding that silence in you.

00:56:32You have all the silence you need.

00:56:36I'm not jealous of you.

00:56:38You don't have a quiet time.

00:56:44Your sound is like the wind.

00:56:46The sound of the wind,

00:56:48the sound of the trees.

00:56:50This is God's gift to me.

00:56:52That's what's important.

00:56:54How much silence can you absorb?

00:56:56A lot of people are afraid of silence.

00:56:58If it's just a silent night,

00:57:00they're already afraid.

00:57:02Remember the time when Facebook

00:57:04had a twitch?

00:57:06Everybody said,

00:57:08it's a pity, it's the end of the world.

00:57:14It's like they got scared

00:57:16and all of a sudden, they disconnected.

00:57:20That's the reason why I've talked

00:57:22to a lot of people and they do

00:57:24social media timeouts.

00:57:28I've heard that they

00:57:30disconnect on weekends.

00:57:34They turn off their messenger,

00:57:36their cell phone, nothing.

00:57:38To give them time and space.

00:57:40That's what's important.

00:57:44I really look forward

00:57:46to those two books.

00:57:48I'd really like to make

00:57:50an interview with you on a series of that book.

00:57:52I'm sure a lot of people

00:57:54really learned.

00:57:56You've been teaching so many people.

00:57:58You've been so happy.

00:58:00I guess I can see the face

00:58:02of happiness in you.

00:58:04It's like you're not getting old.

00:58:06I think Godong has the

00:58:08fountain of youth.

00:58:10My answer to that, Butch,

00:58:12I don't stress myself.

00:58:14When I'm stressed,

00:58:16I say, why would I think of that?

00:58:18I'm just stressed, I can't do anything.

00:58:20Exactly.

00:58:22That's the attitude.

00:58:24It's like you said,

00:58:26can you conquer and put a solution

00:58:28to the world?

00:58:30I think it's hard.

00:58:32Not even the president.

00:58:34It's like Butch, people

00:58:36ask me my opinion

00:58:38about politics.

00:58:40I give my little opinion.

00:58:42I don't worry about that because it doesn't affect me.

00:58:44Why worry?

00:58:46Exactly, that's right.

00:58:48That's right.

00:58:50In today's world, if you want

00:58:52to be beautiful and delicious,

00:58:54enjoy God's gift,

00:58:56lessen your stress.

00:58:58Yes.

00:59:00Also, don't be a

00:59:02Marites.

00:59:04Don't spread rumors.

00:59:06You're just creating

00:59:08havoc among people.

00:59:10Dong, I really

00:59:12appreciate so much this

00:59:14time with you.

00:59:16Thank you, Butch.

00:59:182025 that we are having now.

00:59:20I'm sure

00:59:22we will get in touch more.

00:59:24I want to

00:59:26promote those books

00:59:28with our viewers.

00:59:32What's your Facebook page? Dodong Kakanando?

00:59:34Dodong Kakanando.

00:59:36You're also into YouTube,

00:59:38right?

00:59:40Dodong Kakanando.

00:59:42I share

00:59:44principles.

00:59:46In fact, when it comes to us,

00:59:50what I'm doing

00:59:52for the next one year,

00:59:54Butch, is all my training

00:59:56in business, all my training

00:59:58in creating wealth, leadership,

01:00:00are now being put in video form.

01:00:02Then I will share in YouTube.

01:00:04I'm hoping, Butch, this is my dream.

01:00:06Before I die, I can

01:00:08leave all of them to the people.

01:00:10He will become a blockbuster.

01:00:12Dodong

01:00:14Kakanando,

01:00:16really, I admire you because

01:00:18you come up with such deep insights,

01:00:20stories that really

01:00:22are relevant nowadays.

01:00:24People can relate.

01:00:30I really appreciate this time.

01:00:32I'm sure people will get word.

01:00:34We want to connect

01:00:36and watch your videos,

01:00:38learn from it,

01:00:40and read all your books.

01:00:42How many books do you have?

01:00:44You said five.

01:00:46How many books?

01:00:50I'll send it to you.

01:00:52They're all selling. Are you selling them?

01:00:54They're all selling.

01:00:56They're in Lazada and Shopee.

01:00:58They can also buy from our foundation.

01:01:02If you want me to sign,

01:01:04then we have different promos.

01:01:06We have this promos.

01:01:08If you buy

01:01:10the five books,

01:01:12they're actually worth

01:01:14P2,200.

01:01:16For P2,000,

01:01:18shipping is free.

01:01:20What's the name of the foundation, Dodong?

01:01:22Similya sa Kinabuhi.

01:01:24Similya means

01:01:26seed of life.

01:01:30Similya sa Kinabuhi.

01:01:32Life.

01:01:34That's the foundation.

01:01:36How long has it been?

01:01:38We started it in 2005.

01:01:40It was based on a facility.

01:01:42People would come here to stay

01:01:44for two months, one month.

01:01:46Immersion changed life.

01:01:48We have a lot of people

01:01:50who changed their lives.

01:01:52Today, people are not

01:01:54willing to stay one week

01:01:56in a training center.

01:01:58Everybody is rushing.

01:02:00I just don't have the energy to do that.

01:02:02That's why I will convert them

01:02:04to video form so that people

01:02:06can access them.

01:02:08That's good.

01:02:10Dodong, continue

01:02:12doing your good work.

01:02:14I'm sure you have so much

01:02:16credits up there.

01:02:18The big guy

01:02:20up there has so much credits

01:02:22that he's watching you and

01:02:24guiding you.

01:02:26Dodong

01:02:28created a lot of

01:02:30where he is now

01:02:32because he listened to the

01:02:34messages. He's tuned.

01:02:36He's not out of tune.

01:02:38You're always tuned

01:02:40to your prayerful life.

01:02:42That's something

01:02:44people should follow.

01:02:46Thank you, Butch.

01:02:48Again, thank you very much, Dodong,

01:02:50for this interview

01:02:52for January 2025.

01:02:56God bless you.

01:03:08Music

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