I have known Rose for quite a while now. We initially started working together on a collaboration when I tapped her for a product sponsorship four years ago. Since then, we have helped each other reach milestones and have fostered a great friendship. 

Rose, who currently works as an analyst at a private equity firm, founded the Philippine brand HULL & STERN, which she manages as a side business. “After trying to do both, I realized there is not a big difference in which side you are on. When you are employed, you can, of course, get fired by an employer. However, when you are self-employed, the customers can fire you too,” she shared.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE | Even if she juggles both, Rose still finds a balance in her work and life responsibilities. She uses her weekdays for full-time work and her weekends for other duties. After starting her own business, she (swallowed her pride) moved back in with her family, who she’s super grateful for, for their support. “They were already using my old room for something else back then. But I’m grateful we could divide some housework at this point in my life,” Rose said.

With the lockdowns due to coronavirus, the days seem to disappear into each other. So Rose tries to use tools like Pomodoro and a tracking sheet (like a Changelog) for work. She shared, “it’s important to exercise the ‘trust’ muscle. I’m thankful I’ve been able to find other people – friends and previous customers – who could help me with some other parts of managing HULL & STERN. They’re the real MVP!”

SUCCESS HABITS | Rose picked two factors that have helped her become successful: systems thinking and perseverance.

Systems thinking helped her get to the root of things, and it helped her understand why something is happening. “I think that’s why I enjoy building financial models because it helps me see dynamically how one factor can affect another,” she shared. Perseverance also helped her because a lot of the things she had to learn on a job, or just to get to the next step, weren’t really taught much in school.

She is a success in what she does because she also believes in forming a habit of showing up and being present, literally and figuratively. She shared, “there are days when I’m down or don’t feel all that great. Or days when I’m on my period and having aches all over. Or days when I want to sleep instead of wake up early for a bazaar. I try to show up and take it one step at a time in those moments and try not to let my weaknesses get the best of me. I think playing soccer in high school helped develop that in me. Our coaches would always announce to play on when someone falls or makes a mistake. And we would continue training whether it was sunny or rainy.”

A STRONG FEMALE LEADER | For Rose, there were moments when she got judged for her gender and age. “I found certain parts of some industries to be very male-dominated. There’s usually nothing wrong with that. But sometimes, I found they shut myself and other women out from certain social happenings. Industry gossip would revolve around women (their looks and relationships), which were probably made as just casual conversation between men. But unconsciously, I think these things could demean women’s professional status and accomplishments. There was one time an (older) woman asked me about my age and couldn’t seem to believe I’m in a management position. I didn’t mind as it’s a question I get asked a lot. But I’m still grateful for my then-boss (a man) who countered that it shouldn’t be a problem.

But I think the most significant barrier has been internal and in my mind. I would like to think the cases above were one-off, and it’s only as harmful as I let it. The occurrences above are external, and I have no control over them. Internally, I fight doubt, fear, anxiety, and negative self-talk. 

I think I’m still fairly lucky to have many people – men, women, and queer alike – who have mentored and supported me. My bosses, superiors, and colleagues always kept the focus on work and learning. In almost all cases, it was a man that recommended me to my next position or role, and I’m truly grateful for them,” she shared.

Rose is also grateful for her friends and family who’ve supported her in various ways and leadership positions. She thinks growing up in a supportive community helped her be more resilient in this respect and helped her build a better ‘shield’. Her dad never looked at her gender as an issue and would encourage her to do the manliest things like checking the water and oil in her car. Her mom, too, is like a superwoman in overcoming barriers and getting things done. And her playing soccer in high school with male coaches was empowering. Plus, growing up in UP Diliman with such open-minded and supportive peers was very liberating for Rose. It always gave her hope for the best in humanity.

Rose is learning the world is still a big place, and there’s always an opportunity to find your spot and your tribe. And it’s important to reframe each challenge as an opportunity.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES AND HAVING NO REGRETS | Rose thinks that the hardest decision she’s ever made was quitting from one of the first companies she worked for. There were a lot of factors that went into the decision. It was a hard one for her to make, as she felt like she was leaving family. A part of her does not like quitting at all.

She’s made a lot of mistakes along the way. There was even a time when she bought too much of a wrong stock item, which immediately became an inventory risk. There was also a time when she didn’t get paid by a retailer despite making all the sales already. She believes that these could have been avoided with better processes in place.

When asked if she could start all over again, Rose said that she would have separated her personal bank account from her business bank account right from the onset. “It is such a newbie mistake! It’s a mistake I’m especially embarrassed about coming from the investments industry. The thought process that led to it was I thought the business would mainly be a side hustle, and I kept thinking to myself that I was logging all the transactions anyway (albeit in one combined account),” she shared.

From here on, she learned that it’s important to keep things separate even if it will only be a side hustle. That way, there’s no room for self-delusion if the business is working out or not. If the side hustle will be subsidized by a separate source of income, then at least it would be an informed and conscious decision instead of a blind one.

She particularly identifies with this one quote from James Clear: “you do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

WORDS OF WISDOM | Rose wants the next generation of young women to succeed in the workplace or business and imparts some brilliant advice for all the ladies who are dreamers and achievers like her. “Try to listen more. Whether it’s listening to a boss, a customer, a friend, to data, our gut, or our heart, it’s important to open our minds, eyes, ears, and senses to what is being presented in front of us before we form an opinion, before we speak, and before we act. It’s a great way to learn and to grow.”