MAKATI CITY, April 13 (PIA) — Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay recently announced the winners of the Search for Ten Outstanding Students of Makati (TOSM) during the awarding ceremony held at the Session Hall, 22nd Floor of the New Makati City Hall.

2012 Ten Outstanding Students of of Makati City, Philippines

“This annual undertaking is our way of recognizing exceptional students whose talents, skills and achievements show great leadership potential. It also signifies our best efforts in providing our students opportunities to strengthen their capability to lead others by example and encourage them to be active participants in nation-building,” Binay said.

This year’s TOSM awardees are as follows: Erica Pebbles Fleras of Makati High School; Estella Dhel Villamiel of Colegio de Sta. Rosa-Makati; Minette Faye Rolle of San Isidro National High School; Jennievave Marie Elimanco of Pitogo High School; Jacquelyn Michelle Hernandez of Saint Paul College of Makati; Jeorgia Allison Baluyot of Guadalupe Catholic School; Jacel Vanessa Villarda of Guadalupe Catholic School; Katrina Anne Tiambeng of Colegio San Agustin; Krixia Zhienelle Subingsubing of Saint Paul College of Makati; and Sabrina Melissande Tamayo of Colegio de Sta. Rosa Makati.

Lloyd Luna with Makati Mayor Junjun Binay

The mayor also acknowledged the support of the Junior Chamber International Makati (JCI-Makati), a civic organization, which has been the program partner for the past 35 years. JCI-Makati is headed by Noel Galvez while this year’s JCI TOSM Project Committee Chairman is Anthony Dy.

The city-wide search was headed by the Youth and Sports Development Department of the city government and the judging took place last March 20.

Nominees to the Ten Outstanding Students of Makati were judged based on academic excellence (40%); school extra-curricular activities (20%); extra-curricular activities (outside the school-20%); talent presentation (10%); and leadership (10%).

The Judges were Raymond Arcega, University of Makati VP for Administration; Marilou Pepaño, Social Welfare Department Officer; Imelda Espinol, DepEd-Makati; Albert Alday, University of Perpetual Help Rizal JONELTA Foundation School of Medicine; and Luciano Quilapio of Speech Communication Center. Event sponsors were CIIT, CreatiVoices, Lloyd Luna, CreatiVisions, Meister, Rex Book Store, and Astech Australian Led Innovation.

Those who vied for the search were fourth year high school students from public and private schools in Makati who are consistent academic achievers, with good leadership skills, of good moral character, and with outstanding achievements in school extracurricular activities that helped promote the good name of the City of Makati. (ICRD/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)

(A valedictory speech delivered before the graduating class of 2010 at the University of the Philippines—Diliman with assistance from speechwriter Lloyd Luna)

Wow. What can I say? We’re all here. And we’re all for one thing: that diploma.

Thank you.

University of the Philippines Graduation Speech Diliman

But it won’t interest us today, right? What I mean is, there’s much more important thing than talking about the environment. I think today, it’s much more important to feel what seems to be a miracle that we’ve all got here:

We’re now called UP graduates!

We’ve been hearing “congratulations” here and there. My suggestion is for you to reply like this: Greeting is good but we need jobs. “Congratulations” would come and go but the memories of us being here at least once in our lifetime is something that surely sticks to the mind and heart of every Iskolar ng Bayan.

My remark for today focuses on only one thing, certainly not about the environment. Many times, people have blamed the environment for their misfortune. It’s going to focus instead on being in the environment.

I say this because I don’t think people understand really when they read: “Keep off the grass.” (They love stepping on it); “Don’t pick flowers.” (They do especially during cost-cutting Valentine); “Post No Bill.” (Wala palang bayad ang pagdidikit dito e); “Don’t throw your garbage here.” (Oh, where else do I put these trashes?); or “Bawal umihi dito.” (Tingin sa kaliwa, tingin sa kanan at kapag walang tao, just do it.)

Believe it or not, I find it boring to talk about the environment or to even listen to whoever lectures about it especially when I’m ok with my subjects or my boyfriend or girlfriend still loves me and there’s no third party yet or my parents still do send me my allowances.

Perhaps it’s true: If it isn’t raining, you don’t have to fix the roof. If it’s raining, how can you fix the roof?

In the end, we are all affected by what happens outside and so let me share with you my one and only question about this environment thing—no rhetoric, just a plain question and a sort of analysis.

Why do we have to spend 12.9 billion pesos a year for our Environment Department?

Generally, I think the answers are:

One, our government officials needed to get more money that they think they deserve. Government service is business and in business, they need to profit.

Two, illegal logging is one easy way to make money. Just bribe your local officials and you’re good to go.

Three, we are never responsible with our own garbage and we don’t know the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegrable therefore we mix them up.

Four, we don’t fix our cars and we don’t go after smoke belchers (oppps, I’m sorry. Our government goes after them and then get some bribe and let them go.)

Five, we throw our trashes anywhere we want to (the easier and faster you get rid of it, the better).

Six, we solve our traffic problems by damaging our marine environment.

Seven, we don’t care about turning the power off when an appliance isn’t in use.

Therefore, we pay for our own irresponsible actions—all of us. Because we don’t care (and why would we?), we spend our own money for fixing “the environment.”

It’s unthinkable—unthinkable for a summa cum laude like me, unthinkable for any member of the Philippines’ best university (no, not the best state university. I said, the best university. No argument.)

Unthinkable? Yes. Listen up.

Instead of putting more money in education, we are forced to allot 12 billion pesos just to fix the environment, which we have destroyed and have been destroying, whether we are conscious about it or not.

This graduation isn’t about that diploma alone. I don’t think it’s only about marching and taking that fake scrolled paper. I think the challenge really is for us to go out there and start working to be in the environment.

Environment subject is a boring subject. It’s really boring—a waste of time, even.

But it makes some sense when we realize that it’s affecting every step that we make and every path we take. It makes sense when we go out on the streets, inhale polluted air and drink treated water. It makes sense when we can’t go out to work because every street is hip-deep flooded.

It makes sense when we are no longer sure about our food safety. It makes sense when you see your future children struggling to breathe, longing to touch real trees, and asking for fresh water and you don’t know where to get them.

It’s boring but it makes sense.

As we leave this institution for good, my prayer is for each one of us to also leave with nothing but a caring attitude. Many people won’t care about the world where they live in for many reasons—they have never cared and they probably will never.

But I believe we can or maybe we should.

Thank you and God bless.

It’s OK to jump in to social media marketing frenzy or attend a search engine marketing seminar but without knowing the principles behind it, you’ll find your self lost when these technology giants change everything you’ve learned.

This is the summary of my one-hour speech during the Philippine Internet Congress and Expo on Saturday at SM Megatrade Hall. The event is produced and organized by Powermax Consulting Group, which I happened to be a consultant for the event. I know how challenging this major event is for Rene Espinosa, Powermax president (a good friend of mine) but I also know how rewarding it is for him and his team later.

More than anything, I guess the most basic and valid question is “How do you survive in this always-changing Internet marketing landscape?”

My simple answer to that is, you must understand the governing principles of Internet marketing more than the techniques and tools presented to you at the moment. Here’s why: because in this Internet age, principles are more powerful than the tools.

Tools, as we know now, can change in any minute. But the principles stay longer. They are the basis of launching newer and more innovative tools.

I’d like to briefly take the case of Google, when it rolled our Panda in February last year. I’m sure most of Internet marketers today or social media managers may know little or nothing about Panda but it’s interesting to note that it somehow changed the old Google algorithm as far as web page ranking is concerned.

When Google finished Panda’s rolled out, “inactive websites” lost its golden rankings. By “inactive” it means those web pages which are not “shareable” or in other words those web page which are therefore not “credible.”

Panda determines whether your website is credible by measuring the number of times it is shared through social media (especially using its own Google Plus One). How does Google do that? Well, I’ll share that in my one-hour speech during the seminar.

When you know little about search engine marketing and the principles by which website authority is measured, compared, and graded by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, then you’ll find your self in a difficult situation. Therefore, on Saturday, March 10, I’ll tell you exactly the principles behind Search Engine Ranking.

If you are interested about this, please let me know. Text me 09277562777 and let’s meet on Saturday at SM Megatrade Hall.

Now, secondly, if you are a “social media manager” which means that you manage social media of a particular brand or company, then posting updates and promotions are not enough. You can’t survive by trying to kill and shy away your followers by consistently hard-selling to them. Facebook and other social media networks are not advertising tools. They are put up to give people a personal social experience. Every advertisement in your Wall (even you you tell me it’s yours and I’ve nothing to do with it) gives your more bad impression than good.

Tagging someone for a particular advertising or promotion image is irritating. Therefore, you don’t do it.

So, how do you go about managing your social media effectively? I will speak about that as well. Let me know if you are coming to my learning session.

During my seminar, I will also speak about some hard facts about Internet marketing. I might also give my predictions for this year, 2012. There will be a lot of things to happen and I can only encourage every marketers online to make sure they understand the principles behind every tool that they use including Facebook (which recently rolled out Timeline for Brand Pages). This changed the game again. How do you maximize Timeline for your brand? What do you do with your just-obsolete Facebook application or applications?

You can ask me as many questions as my speaking time will allow.

So, I’ll see you on Saturday. I’d like to thank Powermax for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the Philippine Internet Congress and Expo. This is indeed another great experience for me and my Internet marketing consultancy brand, Gravity.

The Philippine Internet Congress and Expo also features exhibits, not only seminars. Please feel free to go around and explore the latest technologies in the market.

First, you fall in love with the place. Second, you fall in love with its lovely and accommodating staff. Third, you fall in love with their massage and spa services. Lastly, you’ll go home with a question: Where can I possibly go back here and fall in love again?

Lloyd Luna visits Nurture Spa in Tagaytay

As a personal development teacher, I always tell people to nurture their mind, feed them with knowledge, and train them to function so much so that it brings them to where they want to be and what they like to achieve. While the process of creating and recreating the framework of one’s mind is challenging and equally rewarding, a powerful mind cannot do it alone.

You will need a powerful spirit and a relaxed body.

I don’t usually go for a massage or spa. Oh well, every once in a while, after a heavy and exhausting seminars and training, I do. But it was not until Nurture Spa in Tagaytay City invited me to check out the place that I said, you see, I should be doing this regularly.

With the demand of life continuously piling up giving us headaches on how to make ends meet with too little or no time anymore to pamper our spirit and physical self, I agree that going for a spa or a massage or anything else that has something to do with wellness can be, for most people, the least priority.

There are issues of financial constraints, transportation, schedule, and many more. We just don’t run out of excuses. Whether they are valid or not, the truth remains the same: We seldom go out to refresh our spirit and body.

Writing this blog, I asked do I really have to specifically mention Nurture Spa Village in Tagaytay as if I’m selling the company for a favor it gave me? Really, I’m not into endorsing specific brands or place but this case is an exception.

The reason I speak about Nurture is because I’ve got a brand new experience with them. This spa experience is something I didn’t experience elsewhere and I think it deserves some attention so people can learn about it, too. Simply put, I’m just sharing my personal experience with them.

Nurture your body and spirit. Lloyd Luna for Nurture Spa in Tagaytay.

Back to my discussion, it’s always easy to just forget about wellness. For one, it doesn’t directly or instantly affect us as a person. Why would someone spend for something that seemingly has a little effect on our individuality? Why would I go for a relaxing massage if it only means expense on my part?

They are valid questions and I guess most people will agree that indeed, there’s not much benefit you can get from pampering your self. But life is not only about what we make and what we spend. We spend for CDs and DVDs. We spend for movies. We spend for liquor. We spend for cellphone load. We spend for clothes. We spend for many things that are, yes, necessary. But how much have we invested in nurturing our body or at least get a relaxing, soothing experience way far from our exhausting, tiring work life?

Nurture Spa Village, which is strategically located in Tagaytay, is such a wonderful place to relax. It’s a place where you can try to reconnect with your self, get a peaceful experience, and pamper your body, which by now may better get the attention it deserves.

Proper mindset and perspective, values, life philosophies, financial wisdom, social inclination—these are all fabric of a well-founded well-being. But let us now forget that we have a spirit to nurture and a body to continuously nourished.

It’s not a daily necessity but every once in a while when you get a chance and feel like retiring for a day or two just to relax and reset your self because of external stresses and toxic life demands, go out and get a Nurture experience.

The website is http://www.nurture.com.ph

After yet another long wait, I’m writing my first blog for 2012. As much as I’d like to make it a personal note, I decided to speak my mind on sales since it also this time of the year where companies and organizations mostly stage their sales kick off events.

Motivational Sales Rally Speaker in the Philippines

Can sales rally really rally your people?

The answer is both a yes and a no. And based on my personal experience, sales rally can and cannot make a big difference in the coming year.

Sales rally can rally your people behind whatever goal you set for this year if your resource person during the rally shares the sentiments of your sales people. I believe in the power of connection—the ability to touch the heart of people for the purpose of inspiration and motivation.

Whenever I speak on sales rallies, I usually don’t talk about sales. One, sales people have probably more experience in selling than I have. Two, they have been hearing the term “sales” for the entire year. I think sometimes, it doesn’t sound sweet to the ears anymore especially during off-peak seasons where sales is down.

What I speak about is the very essence of selling. Personally, I’d like people to understand that selling is beyond the exchange of value like in a buyer-seller relationship. It is about understanding the value so that both the seller and the buyer can create a fair, satisfying environment.

Selling is about giving people something that can improve their quality of life. Somehow, it means a seller has an opportunity to help and make a difference. I’d like to highlight the importance of this part. How many people get a chance to help others as direct as a salesperson can? Not too many. Salespeople are any organizations touch point and they can make or break your group’s mission to accomplish the goal.

Great salespeople don’t sell because they need something, in this case monetary return. They sell because they have something to offer. Needless to say, this process automatically give them the money they need.

This difference mind frame can make a huge difference in the way salespeople look at their work in the coming year. When people realize that they are in a mission (not in sales), they will perform four times as hard not only because you are able to rally them through an effective sales rally speech but also because they understand now that they are not salespeople but people who have personal mission.

By nature, people love to help if they get an opportunity. When your organization provides such a venue and that you’re able to make them understand what selling is about, you’ll get the job done way better than before.

Sales rally doesn’t really rally the people. It does, when people realize that they are not just your organization’s another resources but stewards of mission to improve the quality of your customer’s life.

Is it true that 2011 is expiring soon?

Well, if you’ve been hearing Christmas songs over the radio or seen television networks playing their Christmas videos, then you got it. Indeed, the year is closing and there’s nothing much that we can do but to face the holidays.

Last year, I really got a great time having been invited by different companies (yes, big and small) to give speeches on sales motivation and marketing success. While I did share some thoughts on what might have transpired in their business or career, I think it’s important to note that that was last year.

Give your organization an entirely new Christmas party experience by bringing a dynamic motivational speaker on stage.

Those changes were drastic and dramatic. If gave some business people close their business or sell it or simply declare bankruptcy. Sure, there were exit strategies for the company owners. Truth be told, some workers are caught unaware and got surprised by some immediate announcements. With or without preparations, nobody could have changed anything.

And then some are turning their heads to the 2011 calendar only to be reminded that a month from now, a certain baby Jesus’ birth is to be celebrated, which is another way of saying that, “You need to prepare something for your god children and spend some for Noche Buena…”

Here comes another pain. Oh, wow!

Have you ever wondered why so many of us seem to stay in this cycle for years? Sure, we are not bad people. We don’t kill for a living, or steal, or do something bad, to deserve this!

Or we probably assume that by simply being good, we get a good life.

Unfortunately, the truth is not all good people have a good life. A good life can’t be achieved by being good. It can be achieved by being good and being careful at the same time. In my upcoming book. Why Good People Fail, I summarized many reasons people fail. I arrived at one word: CARELESSNESS.

Next month, your company might be doing your annual Christmas gathering. It’s OK. I think every man and women in your organization deserves a glass of wine and a toast for another year of ups and downs, joys and tears.

But why don’t we make your celebration more exciting by putting a motivational keynote in your program. It’s like a 60-minute dynamic, funny, and inspiring speech just to help you recap the entire year? What about a one final look at what happened this year and how we can make the coming year better?

Here’s the thing: We want to help you get better this year. We want help you rally your people behind your leaders. We want to make your Christmas party different from the rest. We want to help you create an entirely new experience for your employees. We want to be there to inspire and motivate your sales and marketing team, including your many other departments in your organization.

Let’s talk. We can help. We have been helping a lot of companies out there. Why don’t we explore what we can do together. I know there’s more out there. What it is, we will find out.

Call (632) 846-1089 or (632) 505-5336 or text us (63) 916-474-6513 should you need us to speak in your event.

Facebook Marketing

Lloyd A. Luna
President and CEO, LLOYDLUNA Corporation

Internet Marketing and Social Media Consultant
November 23, 2011 | SMX Convention Center

About the event:

Facebook Marketing Plus is a session for corporate and business people who’d like to understand deeply the ins and outs of social media, the challenges they pose in the area of corporate branding, sales, marketing, customer service, and social responsibility, and the opportunities to create a community of Internet enthusiasts.

Exposure and presence on social media such as Facebook isn’t enough to achieve something noteworthy in the cyber space. Creating strategy is therefore necessary. The process involves understanding fan or customer behavior, engagement pattern, and following or creating trend.

Reasons for putting your business on Facebook

People on Facebook

• More than 800 million active users

• More than 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
• Average user has 130 friends

Activity on Facebook

• More than 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events and community pages)
• Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
• On average, more than 250 million photos are uploaded per day
• Average Facebook User Spends 55 Minutes Per Day; Other advertising or marketing media only give you about 3 to 5- second attention window

Nearly 200,000 Sites Using Facebook Connect

Having your own Facebook Login and Facebook Comment Box, for example, integrated in your website

Facebook Fan Box

Facebook Fan Box, a simple tool for enabling your website visitors, YouTube video watchers, or email newsletter recipients to become a fan of your brand—without even having to go to Facebook.

Only 4% of Pages Have 10,000 or More Fans

It’s always better to have a smaller crowd that is targeted than a larger crowd who have nothing to do with you or your product.

Posts on your Wall

A Mix of Relevant Contents including photos, links, and videos can impact your popularity

Customized News Feed

Facebook’s recent move to an algorithm-driven news feed means that just because someone is your fan does not mean he will see your Wall posts or status updates (true for both individuals and brands). Instead, the default news feed is now comprised of content that Facebook thinks you’ll like, based on your interactions with content from that author in the past, and interactions by your friends with that content. This puts a tremendous premium on posting engaging content that will get comments and likes and shares. If you’re not paying attention to your content engagement scores within your Facebook analytics, start doing so now, and testing content types to see what works best for your brand.

Real-time Search Changes the Game

Facebook is now making most content available publicly, unless you tell them not to via your privacy settings. Twitter opened their data stream to anyone (not just big developers). Google and Bing are incorporating this data into search results, in real time. This has tremendous implications for search engine optimization and reputation management, because a negative status update about your brand might now show up on the first page of Google search results for your company name (at least temporarily). The shakeout is still happening, but someone in your company needs to be on top of real-time search. Today.

What is Facebook?

Facebook, the product, is made up of core site functions and applications. Fundamental features to the experience on Facebook are a person’s Home page and Profile. The Home page includes News Feed, a personalized feed of his or her friends updates. The Profile displays information about the individual he or she has chosen to share, including interests, education and work background and contact information. Facebook also includes core applications – Photos, Events, Videos, Groups, and Pages – that let people connect and share in rich and engaging ways. Additionally, people can communicate with one another through Chat, personal messages, Wall posts, Pokes, or Status Updates.

What happens when you are not on Facebook?

• People will talk about you or your brand and you’ll be the last person to know what they say about you.
• Your competitors will be there and the places you behind them.

Facebook in Building, Sustaining, or Developing Your Brand

• (Listening) Feedback mechanism
• (Speaking Up) Responses
• (Forum) Community engagement

Why build your own community in Facebook

• Cost-effective way to build a community
• Easiest and fastest way to target your market
• The best way to learn more about you and your brand

How to build a community using Facebook

• The vision and what you are about
• Strategy based on desired output
• An effective mix of activities like games and raffles
• Integrate your Like page in your websites

Customer Service using Facebook

• Always check your Like page; one you’re on, anyone can post anything anytime they want on your Wall; If it’s detrimental, then people will see it.
• Your fans expect you to address their concern instantly. It’s like a reception in your office. There should be a person in that station.
• Engage but don’t sell real hard. Facebook is a personal experience so you have to make the conversation personal, too, and simply consider the public a spectator.
• Under-promise and over-deliver. Don’t give a word that can be taken against you or your company. Remember, they can always screen-capture, post the photo on their Wall, and tag you!

How to sell without selling in Facebook

• Identify (or assume) your fans’ needs (and reasons why they “Liked” your page)
• Posts solutions (as if hints how to solve) to their problems leading to your product or service, without dropping your products name.

What to do with Facebook comments about your brand

• Respond in a very, very personal manner. While you are in a public space, you will need to take the comment personal.
• Assess both the opportunity and threat that go with the comment. Is it going to hurt your brand or will you make something out of it?
• Mention the name of the person who inquired by using “@” before you type the name. You do this so that your answer can appear on her Wall.
• If there’s a good comment, reply and reward the person in forms of say, gift certificate
• If there’s a bad comment, apologize at once and tell them what you’re doing to address their concern.

About the speaker

LLOYD ABRIA LUNA is an international motivational speaker, business and career consultant, television host, and social entrepreneur. He is the author of Is There A Job Waiting For You?, The Obvious Reasons for Success, Why Am I Working?, Alphabet of Achievement, The Internet Marketing Handbook, and Why Good People Fail. He is President and CEO of LLOYDLUNA Corporation, Campus Paper Publishing Corp., and Superfood Makers International. His inspirational books has brought him to various speaking engagements in Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Singapore. He lives in Makati City, Philippines.

For a keynote speech on building or developing an organizational culture for a popular microelectronics company based in Laguna, I did a couple of notes. These notes comprise my 60-minute keynote on shared culture and values.

What kind of organizational culture does your company have?

The same company developed an abusive culture because of the company owner’s generosity. Members were demanding more than what they deserve to get, which is a big blow on the company’s financial health. It’s like taking the financial part hostage. What members don’t realize is they what they are taking hostage of their their own job security in a very foreseeable future.

Culture has the power to change the game.

A garment company I consulted to developed a culture of a one-man leadership, everything and anything goes through one person for nearly three decades. The result is a weak, disorganized, and fearful manpower and a boring system; nobody has the right to say anything; everybody was mum; there was no meeting, no team strengthening activities, no nothing purely work.

Thus, the company developed a culture of “no-care” or “why care?” We changed it and glad to know that they posted an incredible profit during the last quarter of 2009.

The world’s most valuable company, Apple, developed a culture of A-players; everyone was made to work and pushed to the limit to the point where many didn’t endure and left the company; the result is being the world’s most admired company.

The set of beliefs that people believe shapes the kind of culture they make together.

What culture would you want to develop for your group? A culture of excellence? Love? Care? Empowered human capital? Or a culture that is centered on one’s personal interest and ambition? Or a culture of neglect? Or “What’s-in-it-for-me?” Or “as long as they pay me, I work.”

Unfortunately, no amount of memos and posters can instill the kind of culture we make.

It is made as we do our individual works, every single day of our working week.

It is built through interactions, sharing, and engagements.

It is developed over a cup of coffee when your best friend a work is opening up something; culture is more personal than most intelligent people might admit.

It is mostly about our shared principles and views on life, on love, on professional careers.

The company I started in 2005, I was 23 years old, with literally no financial capital to start with coming from a middle class family with my father only driving a tricycle and my mother teaching in primary school has grown into a major player in personal development industry not only in the Philippines but also in Asia and the Middle East.

The culture of care; that’s all we have.

Something isn’t working? We care and make it work. Someone is having a hard time? We care and we support. We simply cared; we just wanted to do so.

From one company, we now have a total of seven companies in the last 6 years not because we are a group of intelligent people, we all have a share of its level; but because we care.

The values we share together defines our value as an organization.

We can live with a little, stay together, and still be happy about what we have; the same as when we get a huge deal.

We compromise our professional fees and service fees sometimes especially when we feel they are important to organizations who can’t afford us; but we never compromised our values and character.

We don’t live to please other people. We tell them what they don’t want to hear, which nobody has never told them upfront before; we don’t patronize our clients; we do what we must do even if it costs us a deal or cancellation of contract.

We only have a very limited time so we make sure we work with companies with almost the same values and character.

We don’t need much money; we need more partners to help make our world a better place
We have ambitions, too. But they are legitimate ambitions; ambitions become legitimate when it is designed to serve the many instead of the few.

The challenge to develop a culture is both hard and easy depending on how you look at it. Some may find it hard to share the vision or mission because probably it’s not part of who they are and they don’t see themselves fit in the picture. Some may find it easy because it’s really their direction anyway.

How you set a standard among your ranks will define the very destiny you’ll all share in the future. And that your successors will have to live by before they so decide to change it, again.

Have you ever met a good person—kind, humble, lovely, loving, generous, sweet, caring, hardworking, thoughtful, patient, open-minded, dependable, reasonable, haven’t committed any crime, haven’t stolen anything, haven’t cheated anyone—but either financially, spiritually, socially, physically, or psychologically broke and exhausted?

Written by motivational speaker and author Lloyd Luna

They are everywhere, too. Chances are you work with them as well. Some of them are your friends, your classmates, your associates, your seat mate, or your golf buddy.

The truth is we see these people everyday. And in several occasions, they have approached us for some advice. Whether we are the best person to counsel or not, we try to appease them and share some words with them. That’s why you are friends. Where those words are coming from doesn’t matter. We are there to comfort them.

However, we also know that in some cases, we are on the same place as they are thus facing the same set of problems, sometimes even harder.

Whoever is asking for an advice from whom isn’t as important getting an advice itself. Most of the time, we get them for free over lunch or coffee.

Despite those wisdom you get from people you talk with, the goodness that you have in your heart, and the countless opportunities out there, something seems to always go wrong.

Why is that?

Is it because one is just luckier than the other? Is it because one was born with riches while the other with ditches? Is it because one has a complete education and the other is a high school dropout?

Why is it that regardless of our status in life, we sometimes find ourselves hopeless and helpless? While money can solve many problems, it can create problems which it can’t solve. While popularity matters to most people, it can’t guarantee anything. There were celebrities who opened up a business only to get bankrupt after a while. There were politicians who also put up their own but failed. We know of people with PhDs and masters degree who ventured into something and suffered the same fate.

How can you connect the idea that many people fail despite their goodness?

So the question now becomes, “Do we even have to be bad to succeed?” Unfortunately, bad people, like the good ones, fail, too.

So what’s the deal here? What do you need to be to succeed? Do you need to be good or bad?

While the answer to the question, “Why good people fail?” seems to be complicated, I found a simple yet profound answer. Surprisingly, the answer doesn’t suggest that you need to be bad to succeed because they are many bad people who fail, too.

Good people fail because they are careless.

I’ll tell you a story in my next blog.

Yesterday, the Philippines made yet another strong stand as far as faith is concerned.

Ms. Philippines Shamcey Supsup took the center stage and competed for the Ms. Universe crown. Whatever happened inside the competition became less important for me. I’ve heard about cheating and political biases. I’ve heard about Oprah’s statement saying that if the competition boils down to Q and A, it should have been Shamcey getting the title.

Regardless of the turnout, being crowned as the fourth most beautiful woman in the world, I think we made a very good impression, not to mention inspiration, to the global community.

Shamcey's answer may not get her the crown from the world; but I'm sure heaven celebrates her faith, and that of Filipinos.

Do you realize how powerful the statement was?

Here’s what I’ve learned from such a brave heart.

First, Shamcey’s answer embodied our faith as a nation. It proved that regardless of how much is at stake, Filipinos will stand by its faith. No matter how much money or prestige is at stake, we will put God first. Whatever it is that we do, wherever we are in the world, whatever competition we get into, God is there and we always do our very best for His glory.

Manny Pacquaio does that, too. We know that.

Second, Shamcey’s answer isn’t something that she has to think about. What does it mean? It means, Filipinos, have a God-loving nature, no matter how frequent we fall short of His love and grace. Our faith is founded deep inside our hearts. It’s not artificial. It’s not fake. It’s not falsified. Filipino champions speak from the heart. We do that because it’s built in in our very system.

The way she carried the Q and A is nothing short of a natural approach to a seemingly complicated question. Such natural beauty with a natural way of answering such question in front of millions of people watching is really something.

Third, her answer gave us the bravest representation on stage, thus, women empowerment. It tells us that Filipinas are courageous. After Shamcey’s incredible answer, Filipinas can no longer be called cheap! They can no longer be called second-class citizens! They can no longer be called maids! They have the power to take a stand and they have the grace to do just that.

Fourth, and my final take, Shamcey’s answer may not get her the crown from the world; but I’m sure heaven celebrates her faith, and that of Filipinos.

Shamcey isn’t only beautiful outside. She has what it takes to symbolize what Filipinos are. She is an inspirational beauty queen.