A kabalen woman thriving in the business world

WMaria Luisa “Malu” Medina, a Kapampangan woman, stands as an epitome of this.

Malu, a woman in her 40s, went through a lot due to separation from her husband. But that did not deter her spirit. Instead, that made her stronger and selfdependent.

With three beautiful children to take care of, Malu made a decision six years back, to start a business of her own. She decided to invest her hard-earned money on one of the country’s fastest growing fast food chains, Mang Inasal.

With her entrepreneurial skills and her risk-taking characteristic, she was able to grow the business and expand it further— making her store in Nepo Mall, Angeles City one of the outstanding Mang Inasal branches in the country in terms of sales and ser v i ce. Starting from scratch At a young age, Malu was already into making profit through business. What makes her a true inspiration, however, is her story of going from a mere “tindera” to a successful businesswoman.

She shared that during her early 20s, she was already grinding to support herself in college.

“At a young age, I was already selling Personal Collection and Avon to my friends. I was still studying at the time. And I remember, because I was trying to save money from that little business, I was just eating Hi-Ro biscuits for breakfast,” she said.

From there, she was able to add inventory to her business and make it grow through the help of her cousin, who happens to work in Japan.

“Since I had a knack for getting deals, I ventured into buying and selling clothes and other novelty items. Then, I had the chance to go to Japan and sell merchandise and food for the Filipinos there. Whatever their requests were, I provided them. The most requested were Pinoy specialties like tocino and longganisa,” she noted.

The courage to think differently and take risks opened up a whole new way of thinking for Malu. It eventually led her to see a clear path to success.

“I started from scratch. But I did not give up when circumstances and challenges came. Instead, I made it a lesson. I let my vision guide me. The challenges I faced pushed me and encouraged me to survive and thrive,” she revealed.

She also added that getting acquainted and being mentored by people who know better helped her achieve her goals.

“I shifted my circle of influence and started connecting with those that had the results I was striving for. They helped me raise my standards, and start thinking at a higher level,” she quipped. A model franchisee Aside from investing in residential and commercial units in different parts of the country, Malu took the challenge to acquire a fast food chain franchise in 2011.

“My friend, Arnie Valdez, who is the president of Nepo Mall, offered this Mang Inasal franchise to me. He gave me an eye of what’s Nepo going to be in the next few years. He said ‘We’re going to make this area the Greenbelt of Angeles City’,” she noted.

“And since I had several units in Greenbelt at the time, I had an idea what Greenbelt was. So, that’s the reason why I grabbed this… because I knew someday this is going to be a busy area,” she added.

Fast forward to date, the vision did come to life. And the streets surrounding the Nepo Mall have become busier than ever.

“The vibrancy of the area complements Mang Inasal which is a budgetfriendly go-to ‘kainan’for Filipino families, circle of friends, and students. It’s the reason why I was enticed to acquire this venture, because it serves value for money Pinoy meals which is ‘patok’ to everyone,” she said.

Aside from the quality and affordable food offerings of the fast food chain, Malu’s store seems to be booming more than ever. Malu has some answ er s.

“Apart from renovating the place, we also see to it that our service makes our customers go back,” she noted.

She said that as the head of the business, she always sees to it that the customers are happy and satisfied.

“They are my business and they help me. So, I believe that it is my duty to do my part and assure that they are being served well. Most of the time, I even assist them personally,” she said. As she continued, “I am very hands-on when it comes to serving our patrons. I go beyond the usual. Sometimes, I even clean tables and serve orders.”

Asked what her key to success is, she revealed: “For me, there is only two ways of handling the business: taking care of your people and taking care of your customers.”

When it comes to handling her staff of more than 40, Malu is more like a mother than a boss.

“I like to ask my staff how they are, personally. If they need something, let’s say for their tuition fee or hospital needs of a family member, I make it a point to tend to their needs as long as I can,” she said.

“Because I believe that that if we make their lives easy, they can work easier which will eventually help them perform better. With their improved performance come a better store performance,” she furthered.

Asked what her future plans are, Malu disclosed that she is opening up another Mang Inasal store to provide decent employment for her kabalens.

The latest franchise, located in her newly constructed commercial building in Mabalacat City will soon open its doors this August.

“The reason why I put up this business is to extend the blessings given to me. I want to help others, so they can help others too. It’s like a domino effect. And it feels good to me that I’m making a lot of difference, in my own simple ways,” she said. Getting personal Being a busy career woman does not hinder Malu from taking care of her children. She shared that while her three kids live in the United States, she sees to it that she spends enough time with them.

“A month ago, I was there in Hawaii with them. Whenever I am with my kids, I’m a full time mom. I cook for them daily and share quality time with them. Next month, they will be coming here in the Philippines, and I am very excited,” she said.

As a way of relaxation and a hobby, the outgoing and enthusiastic entrepreneur said she likes to work out and take care of her plants and pet animals.

“I’m a health freak and a fitness junkie. I always exercise and make sure I eat well. Also, I like gardening and collecting beautiful plants and fruit-bearing trees. Moreover, I have many pet companions. I have dogs and farm animals like chicken and pigs,” she noted.

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