Believe in your brand
Although many doubted the viability of her business, this woman had confidence in her vision.
KUALA LUMPUR: Six years ago, when Anabelle Co-Martinent quit her corporate job to venture into business, naysayers questioned the viability of her product. But she believed in her brand, and the importance of taking care of one’s health.
“With our busy lives, it is easy to rely on fast food and processed food because they can be very convenient.
“We forget how important it is to feed our body with the right type of food.
Drinking juice made from veggies and fruits will make us,” said Co-Martinent, founder and managing director of La Juiceria.
She held to Chinese magnate Jack Ma’s philosophy, that budding entrepreneurs should sell to strangers instead of family and friends.
“When strangers buy your things with their hard-earned money and keep coming back, you know you’re on to something good. Focus on churning out good stuff, and the rest will follow,” says the 43-year-old Filipina who has been living in KL for three years.
Today, she has six La Juiceria bars and six La Juiceria Superfoods cafes across the Klang Valley with a staff strength of 200. In 2017, she ventured into the restaurant business, with Vietnamese food chain, Super Saigon.
Co-Martinent believes budding entrepreneurs should take a chance when opportunity knocks.
“Don’t let opportunity pass you by. But if you have the urge to run a business, you must be fully aware of the risks and hardships involved. Then, keep calm and just focus on getting things done every day,” she says.
Co-Martinent will be sharing the story of how she created a winning brand at the WOW! Fiesta on March 16 at the Starling Mall in Petaling Jaya. She will join the founders of fashion brand Mimpikita, sisters Nurul Afidah, Amirah Hanis and Fatimah Ani in the talk on Living Life On Your Own Terms.
The Wow! Fiesta, which will take place on March 16 and 17, is part of Star Media Group’s WOW–Women do Wonders campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day.
On March 17, there will be a panel session, What No One In Business Will Ever Tell You, featuring women entrepreneurs who will share frank insights on the challenges of starting and running their own businesses.
They are founders of social enterprise The Picha Project - Lee Swee Lin, Lim Yuet Kim, Suzanne Ling; co-founder of The Accidental Bakers, Ee-Lyn Tan and founder of fitness apparel brand Ash Be Nimble, Hui Matthews.
Don’t miss the talk by celebrity entrepreneur Chui Ling on March 16 who will share tips on how women can build their wealth in her session titled, Unlocking Your Financial Power, sponsored by Bursa Malaysia Bhd.
There will also be two health talks: Keeping Abreast of Breast Health by consultant breast and oncoplastic surgeon Dr Tan Gie Hooi and the Screening Preconceptions and Beyond by Dr Jaspal Singh Sachdev, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, both from ParkCity Medical Centre.
Visitors attending the talks will be eligible for lucky draws.
To support and recognise women’s abilities, The WOW! Fiesta will showcase over 80 entrepreneurs selling a wide range of products from categories such as beauty, fashion, food, education, wealth and household appliances.
Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care and Bursa Malaysia Bhd are the campaign sponsors of The Star’s WOW - Women do Wonders campaign. For details, go to http://Bit.ly/thestarwowfiesta.