In an interview with Camille Prats on her YouTube vlog, #CamCookWithMe, Lovely Abella Manalo shared her humble beginnings working as an extra, to becoming the successful business owner that she is now.
“Naging dancer ako ni Kuya Wil dahil kailangan niya ng bayong girls. That time may anak na kasi ako ‘te, syempre kailangan ko lakasan loob ko. Kaka-pirouette ko ‘te, ume-exit na pala ako ng studio. Dun siya natuwa. Sabi niya sa akin, “Mukha kang tanga sumayaw, pasok ka na,” Lovely recounts.
Lovely reveals that her primary source of motivation for working hard then was her daughter, Crisha Kaye, whom she had when she was 20 years old.
“Kasi wala akong experience, wala akong family na nasa tabi ko, kasi ang nagpalaki sa akin grandpa, grandma ko sila tumayo na nanay at tatay ko.”
Eventually, Lovely shares what has been pushing her to overcome failure after failure. “Aside sa anak ko, gusto ko maipakita sa sarili ko, kasi hindi mga taong nakapaligid sa atin ang kalaban natin eh, sarili natin.”
She explains, “Kailangan kung meron tayong kailangan pakitaan ng galing, sarili natin yun. Kailangan may bilib ako sa sarili ko, na in time, narealize ko, na yung galing na yun, hindi ikaw yun, bigay ni Lord yun, hindi yun yung galing mo na ‘Magaling ako!’ Gift yan ni God sa’yo.”
The 35-year-old entrepreneur shared how she started venturing into the field of business as a single mom who was raising her daughter on her own.
“Nagtayo ako ng water refilling station, abonado pa ako. Nagtayo ako ng nail spa, at nag-aral ako mag-footspa, magaling ako mag-nail extension.” But these failed.
How she met her husband Benj Manalo
She then tried her luck again in showbiz, until she met her husband, Benj Manalo, who was one of their backup dancers when she joined a dance competition. Benj also has a child of his own, and Lovely said, he was barely earning as a dancer.
She recalls asking God, “Ito ba yung lalaking sasamahan ko habangbuhay? May anak ako, andun pa yung mamang ko, paano kami mabubuhay? Lord, ito ba yung lalaking ibibigay mo sakin? ano magiging buhay namin?”
But Lovely said, what made her so sure of Benj was when she saw how, like her, he is determined to be successful in life.
Eventually, her daughter also found a dad in Benj. “Nararamdaman ko si Ikay, hindi siya yung walang tatay. Meron akong katuwang sa pag-aalaga.”
How she entered the world of live selling
Lovely shared how she discovered live selling by accident. “Bumagsak yung [mga] bag ko, sobrang punong-puno na. Sabi ni Benj, “Bakit di mo na ibenta, di na kaya ng lagayan mo.”
“On that night, pinatong ko cellphone, nag-live ako,” and the rest was history. Read how they bought a new house through online selling here.
Now, she’s the CEO of two companies: BenLy’s online shop and 7 Long Table.
She added, Benj and her are in the process of seeking God, and it sure brought changes in her life that are beyond what she prayed for.
“May van akong kakabili lang, automatic, humihigang ganun, tumataas ang paa. Sabi ko, “Totoo ba, may van ako? May van na ba [kami] ng asawa ko, may nag-da-drive na ba para sa amin?”
“Lahat ng yun, every day na-a-amaze ako kung paano siya kagaling ‘te. Kung paano Siya nagbibigay, hindi mo lang yun hinihingi pero sobra-sobra yung binibigay Niya. Hindi imposible ang imposible, posible talaga siya.”
Advice to other live sellers and entrepreneurs
“Ang ma-a-advice ko lang sa inyo simulan niyo. ‘Wag matakot mag-take ng risk kasi yung iba, marami akong kilala na ang tagal na nilang nasa showbiz, wala pa ring investment. ‘Pag nasimulan nila, kasi dun sa [failure] na yun, dun ka matututo, di ka naman mafafailed na wala kang matututunan.”
“Nag-fail ako sa water refilling station, sa nail spa, ibig sabihin hindi yun para sa akin. Ibig sabihin, “Lovely, kailangan mong tutukan ang negosyo mo,” she said.
