Women at the Helm - Planters Development Bank

unprofessional and amateurish. We showed clients that wecould merge the convenience and speed of digital printingwith the quality associated with offset printing.Merlee: After 14 years in big network agencies, I finally had the ballsto create my own: DM9 Jayme Syfu. It’s an agency with myown rules, my good friends, and clients we actually choose.As DM9’s CHAIRMOM, my role in the agency is not farfrom being a mother to my kids. I try to inspire everyoneto achieve our vision that “small CAN be credible”. Thatwe can dream bigger and accomplish what other agencieshave not. From creating the work process to evaluatingemployees, to making creative benefit bundles, or tosimply transforming the workplace into a fun place.Mylene: I introduced LEGO Robotics for elementary andsecondary schools to encourage students to be our futureengineers, scientists, and inventors for a more progressivePhilippines. I established the Philippine Robotics Olympiadand the Philippine Robotics Society in 1999 over12 yearsago, and the LEGO Robotics program is continuing togrow in the Philippines. FELTA trained Vietnam on Roboticsand Early Childhood Education.Chit: Putting coffee on the national agenda. Next up is putting womenempowerment through social entrepreneurship in coffee.2. Has being a woman been a disadvantage inany way when doing business?Cherry: Women are natural "multi-taskers", we can do somany things at the same time. Being a mother, wife,businesswoman, advocate and leader is a tough act.Women can adjust to business situations, and use ourcharm and grace during negotiations.Merlee: Advertising is still pretty much a man’s world. Locallyand globally. Funny, that there are so many familiar scenesin Mad Men that still happen today—to think that settingwas in the '60s!Even if statistics show a good number of womensucceeding in the corporate world, we still can’t say thatwe had it easy. We had to fight every step of the way. Wehad to prove our worth every single day. There were stillmore top positions being offered to men than to women.Along the way, we also had to face harder choices:professional success or personal fulfilment. People say thatif you want to seriously succeed in Advertising, media, orin marketing, you have to think twice before starting afamily. For me, I decided to have both. A good career anda family.Mylene: Women are generally more “feeling” and moreintuitive when it comes to client relations.Being a woman has been an advantage when dealing withtop clients, who are mostly male. I have found them to bemost helpful especially in referring GA to their businessassociates and friends. Perhaps because I don’t pose athreat to them, clients usually receive me kindly.Also—and this is critical to businesses which involve visualcommunication—women pay more attention to details.Chit: Not at all. Being a woman has been helpful in gettingmen (in male-dominated industries) to listen to new waysof solving challenges.Being a woman helps organizations attend to the "devil inthe details."3. Your advice for aspiring women business leaders.Cherry: Advice #1: First and foremost, you must have a goodbusiness plan—with clear vision of where you want to goand how you want to achieve that objective. Being awareand knowledgeable of the latest trends and movementsare equally important. Making a sound business plan isone of the most difficult tasks of management but, onceset, implementation becomes easier. If you want to seeyour company grow beyond its limited capabilities, ensureputting systems and processes in place.Advice #2: Cultivating, nurturing, and growing a steadybase of clients is a major key to financial stability. Sixty to70 per cent of our clients have come from referrals. Youneed to deliver to existing clients for them to refer you toothers. GA grew from referrals. Maintaining a good nameand reputation makes it easier to get more clients. Alwaysbe aware of your clients’ needs and provide solutions afterlistening to their concerns.Know your business. Use your numbers as your reportcard. The numbers will tell you objectively how you haveperformed. If you have data about your business, analyzeit and use it to guide your actions.Merlee: In all 23 years of my working life as I climbed thecorporate ladder, I’ve learned that:a. You have to believe in yourself.b. Never underestimate your power as a woman.Somehow, there are things you’re good at that menare not. Negotiating skills, self-deprecating humor,multitasking, entertaining presentation skills, and manymore. Hone them.c. As Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook CEO, one of the highestpaid women in the world) would say, “The most importantcareer decision you’ll ever make is choosing your lifepartner”. Find someone who would always be there tosupport your dreams.Mylene: Continue to be passionate with your business. Donot be afraid to enter the "Man's World" as you can besuccessful in that field. Be prayerful and continue to showgood business ethics to your partners and employees. Embraceyour sexuality as women can be the best negotiators andmanagers. Do not lose your sense of humor, laugh and smile,as it prevents wrinkles. Beauty is inside and out.Chit: Live your passion. Have a goal and mission. Let both leadyou to the business you will embrace as a career, as anadvocacy, and as a sustainable enterprise.SME | 9