MEGAWOMAN
Rhiza Pascua leads MMI to a new frontier
It was a sweltering hot summer in 2013, and I was at the beach listening to Rihanna’s album, Unapologetic. From the confidence-inducing beats of Phresh Out the Runway to the gut wrenching lyrics of Stay, it definitely my summer album of the year, and it continued my forever love for my #1 diva. It was great listening to her on my phone, but wishful thinking made me imagine how cool it would be to see her live. And as if the heavens were listening, news
just broke out that MMI Live was bringing Rihanna and the Diamonds world tour to the Philippines. With no hesitation, I dug up my savings account and got myself a ticket on the first day of selling.
Just like many of us fan girls, Rhiza Pascua, MMI Live’s head honcho, started just the same. “I have always been a music lover and fan girl who starved herself to be able to watch concerts,” she shares. “I was in high school when I spent allowance to watch Depeche Mode, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Madonna, and U2.” This passion for music and love for the magic that live concerts bring might just have been the catalyst for MMI Live to be born. Armed with her graduate degrees in both UCLA and Harvard, she made MMI Live the Philippines’ premium talent provider and concert promoter. From legendary divas like Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Ariana Grande, to our favorite bands such as Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, and Maroon 5, MMI Live has disrupted the live concert industry in the Philippines.
This year MMI Live is putting another star in its line up as U2 is set to perform at the Philippine Arena on December 11, 2019. What was once the go-to concert city for old-fashioned artists has now become the mecca for only the best pop artists of our time. And its all because of the team that works tirelessly behind the scenes and of course, Rhiza’s won’t-takeno-for-an-answer attitude.
Rhiza admits that she was once a micro-manager, but it has now been replaced with trust and confidence for her core group. “It’s safe to assume that MMI has been established and our structure as a well-oiled machine is something I’m very proud of. Now, I have focused mainly on innovation,” she says. “There’s never a day that I don’t read, consult, study, and analyze data that is useful for our company.” Though she admits math and numbers are quite a challenge for her, she has a solid team that backs her up every step of the way. As CEO of the company, Rhiza handles everything from making sure the company’s vision is implemented to creating new strategies, analyzing the market, the artists and the landscape, while developing leaders out of everyone in her team. In the midst of it all, Rhiza never forgets that rest, health, and taking care of herself and her family is just as important as being CEO. On the daily, Rhiza is either in London, Los Angeles, or Manila, where she starts as early as 6:00 A.M. to beat the jetlag, workout, go to mass, and handle family affairs before all the work calls and emails come in. This balanced lifestyle creates a success that is not just business-minded, but is all encompassing in Rhiza’s life. And as if she didn’t already have it all, Rhiza continues to innovate and learn as she goes back to school this 2020 while her leadership leads MMI Live to a merger this year, as well as a new venture involving her children.
STYLE TALKS
WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST FASHION MEMORY? Of course I went through the usual trying-on-mom’s-clothes moments when I was 4. I remember my favorites were her (then Christian) Dior shoes and navy blue Lanvin dress.
WHAT IS YOUR FASHION
PHILOSOPHY? I’m quite adventurous when it comes to fashion and style. The last thing I want is to look boring. I’m very open to trying new things whether it be with color, cut or silhouette. I think people shouldn’t be scared to try anything once, if it works it works, if it doesn’t then move on.
WHAT ABOUT FASHION INSPIRES YOU? I love how you can say a lot with fashion without using words. You can command a room and declare your presence through clothes. Fashion is a very powerful tool if you know how to use it.
ARE YOU A SHOE OR BAG
LOVER? I’m more of a bag person to be honest. With my job, bags are more essential and I just gravitate towards them for some reason. For bags, Hermès is definitely a fave. For shoes, I don’t have particular brands in general, but I have been fond of Dior and Altuzarra lately. I’ve also been finding myself obsessing over sneakers this season.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS, BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL? Locally, I love John Rufo and Anthony Ramirez. John is my go-to person for anything and everything from casual to formal. He gets what I want without much conversation. Anthony also makes my dresses and gowns and really knows how to make clothes for a woman’s body. I wear their creations with confidence. Internationally, I go for Gucci for casual wear, but for more dressed up occasions, I go to Givenchy and Balenciaga.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON TODAY’S FASHION? It’s a good time for fashion because style today is very diverse, maybe because there are so many brands and designers to choose from. From high-end to fast fashion, people have access to a lot of options, and with the advent of social media, it’s so easy to find something you like and be inspired. So, the key is finding a signature and making the trends your own.
INNER REFLECTIONS
WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? It doesn’t take a lot to make me smile. I smile when the fans, the artists, and our team are all happy; when I’m with my kids, when they are happy, when they open up about their relationships, when they love my cooking, when we plan our vacation, when I get sweet text messages from my husband, and other small things, but the one thing that makes me smile the most is when I get to help other people without them knowing it was me.
WHAT IS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE THUS FA R ? In this business, you are only as good as your last show, but you can always leave a legacy. For me however, I know that there will always be someone younger, better, more intelligent, more creative, and more innovative that will come along.
Also, the realization that my children grew up to be the kind-hearted, spiritual, levelheaded individuals I prayed for them to be, is a defining moment more than anything else.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SECRET TO A HAPPY LIFE? The secret to staying happy is being healthy. When you’re healthy, you tend to have a more positive outlook, when you’re positive, you don’t stress out, you smile more, you don’t sweat the small stuff. Your positivity rubs off on other people, thus inspiring others and bringing out the best in them. You end up being happy and making others happy at the same time.