First-World Philippines with Mike Grogan author of "The Rise of the Pinoy"

Louis Faure was looking for a new and challenging environment during his gap year in college. Not knowing what to expect, he chose the Philippines and became a social entrepreneur in Gawad Kalinga, Angat Bulacan. There, he raised native chickens and truly fell in love with the country's people and culture, and decided to stay for four years now.

Author of the best-selling book The Genius of the Poor and founder of Mad Travel, Tom Graham, ditched his suit and tie, and decided to live and work with the poor communities of Gawad Kalinga.  There, he discovered the genius of the Filipino people and fell in love with the country. 

Jocelyn Pick, President of Profiles Asia Pacific, Inc., was overseas for 17 years but what made her come back? She talked about why she decided to return to the Philippines for good despite having an excellent job abroad. And how she defines it as one of the best decisions she made in her life.

With this episode, Grace De Castro, a Management Consultant Expert, imparts her idea of what success really is for her and the journey that got her there. She also talks about how being a single mother can be a blessing and a change catalyst of her story.

In this episode, the CEO of TalentView, Anj Vera, shares her insights and tips on how to select the right candidate for your company. Anj also talks about questions you should be prepared for in a job interview.

Join us in this podcast episode where Mike sat down with Danny Moran in his very successful restaurant,  Amici. They talked about the journey in his venture and what made him decide to leave his promising professional life behind to become an entrepreneur. Also find out how Philippine Mango helped Danny in one of the most challenging parts of his business life.

The Philippines has a long history with colonizers. From the Spaniards in the 16th century to the Americans after the Philippine Revolution to the Japanese in World War II. So while we're welcoming to foreigners who come to visit the country for a holiday, we're wary of those who decide to stay and explore opportunities in the country. It's inevitable to think that they're here to exploit our resources and get rich off our backs.

Such is the challenged faced by English journalist Tom Graham when he decided to extend his stay in the Philippines. Inspired by Gawad Kalinga Founder Tony Meloto, Tom ditched the shirt and tie and spent a few months living and working with poor people in various GK communities. There, he discovered the genius of the Filipino people and fell in love with the country.

Now, Tom is a social entrepreneur and is the co-founder of a Mad Travel, a social tourism company with a mission to help end poverty in the Philippines by 2024. At a time when Filipinos are leaving the country to migrate and work abroad, you're probably wondering what keeps Tom here. Why does he keep coming back to the GK Enchanted farm every week? What does he see that millions of OFWs don't? Let's all find out in this interview.

You know at least one person like this. This may even be you.

A person who's going through the motions of living. Waking up every morning, dragging himself/herself to work, coming in late most of the time. Someone who's so unmotivated that work becomes a prison he/she seeks to escape from the moment that secondhand declares it's 5PM. Someone who finds no sense of fulfillment or happiness from their career.

Our guest for today, author and motivational speaker JB Borromeo, was such a person. He used to have a lucrative job as an IT professioal working for one of the top companies in the country. It was a job that offered security, stability and luxury. By all appearances, he should be happy and content.  

But JB was not happy. After five years of working 8 to 10 hours a day in a a high-stress environment, he felt that he has had enough. He needed to break free from the daily humdrum even at the risk of going broke. He left his job in search of a mission and found it in the underrated world of the academe as an educator. Now, he's purpose is to help his fellow Filipinos break free from the chains of convention that bind them so that they can become the best version of themselves and live their best life.

What's it like to take to make that career change? How did JB deal with the negativity that surrounded his decision? Let's find out in this interview.

For Filipinos, a diploma holds a certain kind of power. It opens up a lot of opportunities and is considered key to a good, if not better, life. That's why when Alvie Benitez informed his grandparents that he will be dropping out of college after failing his thesis, he heard the longest string of Spanish bad words in his life. To say that he encountered strong opposition from his close family and friends would be an understatement.

A man with weaker conviction would have caved in and pursued the path that countless others have followed before him. But not Alvie. Despite the naysayers, he dropped out and searched for a purpose. It led him to Gawad Kalinga's Enchanted Farm in Bulacan where he is now raising ducks with other poor farmers under his social enterprise One Hundred Ducks, Inc. The company produces and sells 100% premium, healthy, and ethical duck products that are not only delicious but world class.

What made Alvie trade his diploma for ducks? Where does he find the inspiration to continue pursuing his purpose despite all the challenges of being a social entrepreneur? Listen and find out in this interview.

Picture this. You’re in your 30s living in San Francisco in an apartment that is your source of pride and joy. You have a supportive network of family and friends around you as well as a dream job with great employers. There’s really nothing else you could want. You love your life.

Now, think about giving all of these up. Would you?

Our guest for this episode Marie Cavosora, founder and CEO of CalaBoo, did. She sold her apartment to live in an urban ashram with just a tent and a yoga mat to sleep on. She then decided to go on a prolonged leave from work and went on a quest for spirituality and self-discovery.

Why did she do it? What did she find in her quest? What has she learned in her journey? Let’s find out together in this interview.