WBW 5: "Follow your HEART, not your wallet" And the Money will Follow

Love or Money? Wouldn’t it be easier if we could have both? Yet, oftentimes we are forced to choose one over the other. There is a certain notion that you won’t get rich quickly, if at all, you choose what you are passionate about. On the other hand, do you sell out your passion for a lucrative business or job? Reese Fernandez, Executive Vice President of Rags2Riches, shares with us her personal experiences of following her passion and doing what she loves to do - believing the money will come later and with how things look, it already is.

Who is Reese Fernandez?

Despite a difficult childhood and facing failure after failure early in her life, Reese has overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges at such a young age. The breadwinner of her family, Reese, a scholar and honors graduate from Ateneo de Manila University in 2007 with a degree in BS Management, declined lucrative job offers from several corporations to pursue her passion in social entrepreneurship. Today, she is the Executive Vice President of Rags2Riches, a social business enterprise partnering with fashion designer Rajo Laurel to transform “retaso” into high-fashion statement pieces made by women of Payatas. She has indeed gone a long way in effecting positive change in society. She was chosen by YouthActionNet as one of only 20 young social entrepreneurs to receive the Global Fellowship Program. Together with the Rags2Riches team, Reese forges on bravely with grand plans of taking the social enterprise to the international scene and perhaps touching even more lives with her cause.       

When asked what's her greatest failure?

When asked what's her greatest succes?

Show notes:

Childhood experiences

• Lived with little wealth with her mother during her childhood years because of family conflicts
• Had to live in Churches in Quiapo Manila - Quiapo Church, San Sebastian, Holy Faith, etc.
• Moved to Davao because they couldn't afford to stay in Manila
• Got a scholarship in Ateneo de Davao for High School, and scholarship in Ateneo de Manila University

Follow your heart but not your wallet and the money will follow

• Reese is the breadwinner of her family
• She got several offers from big corporations with big compensations, but saw social entrepreneurship & knew this is what she wanted to do
• Currently, the Executive Vice President of Rags2Riches, a social business enterprise (SBE) that helps the women of Payatas
• Rugs become fashion items designed by Rajo Laurel 

Follow your dream

• Very easy to say. But NOT an easy decision
• Difficult to leave your comfort zone
• But, its worth it to wake up every Monday morning excited to work. No more dreading Mondays & looking forward to Fridays.

Belief in yourself is infectious

• When you believe in yourself and believe in your values, people start to believe in you
• If you doubt yourself, how can you expect others to believe you or give you money for it or support you

The lesson

• If you follow what you love to do and follow your heart and what you are called to, it's more likely you'll be successful not just materially, but in other, also important aspects of life, essentially becoming an inspiration to many.

"The Board" message:

An interesting interview

Reese was interviewed in iReport of CNN. To read the article, you can check it out here.

Some accolades for Rags2Riches

Rags2Riches, after only a 2 years of operation, has already won awards from all over the globe. In 2008, The company has won the University of San Francisco Social Entrepreneurship Award, the Body Shop Foundation Grant, Business in Development (BID) Challenge for both local and international outfits.