businessboomer…ahh!

My full name is Arabella Marie Santiago Ongjoco, and to make what to call me even more complicated, my nickname is Abbie. I’m an immigrant girl whose quest for the American Dream became an unpredictable journey through a myriad of jobs, cities and self-realizations.

You see, my “road less traveled” went through an unforeseen wilderness of trials and tribulations with spots of fauna that tease with delusions of wealth and grandeur and suffocating weeds of no guarantees and prickly bushes of outrageous bank fees. (Can you tell I love poetry?)

But forging this path has strengthened my love for business and entrepreneurship. And this love has materialized into a personal business blog.

I was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised by a Filipino village. Seriously, I’m the oldest of 17 grandchildren just on my mother’s side. When I was a kid, I remember putting on puppet shows, lipsynching to Madonna and setting up a stationary shop in the family carport where I tried to “sell” sheets of paper (imported from Hong Kong) to the even poorer kids in the neighborhood. I don’t think that first business ever made any money, but if I were a counselor, I’d say judging from my childhood activities that I would be happiest in a career in (a) entertainment or (b) business.

I immigrated to America at the age of five where I lived in Los Angeles with my grandparents. I couldn’t speak a word of English and don’t know how I managed through kindergarten. After first grade, I moved to New Jersey where I decided to assimilate into the American lifestyle. How did I do that? I watched “The Wonder Years” religiously and figured that the best way to be American is to make childhood best friends. I’m proud to say that I’m still best friends with two of my fifth grade math group peeps, Chrissy and Frankum.

I went to a very small Catholic High School called Bayley-Ellard in beautiful Madison, New Jersey. Unfortunately, Bayley is closed now, but I rocked that school…graduating valedictorian out of a whopping 43 kids. But hey, I still got to quote T.S. Elliott’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” in my valedictory address.

My college years were spent at Rutgers University (RU! RAH! RAH!), where I made more lifelong friends. At Rutgers, I double-majored in political science and English. Like in high school, I filled my plate up with activities and joined a bunch of clubs, including Gamma Phi Beta sorority. I was in the Panhellenic Council, which is the governing council of all the sororities, first as Vice President of Recruitment then as President. I must say that looking back now, I learned a lot from my involvement in sororities. Some may roll their eyes at me, but currently, all three of my clients are businesses run by women.

At Rutgers, I was a busy co-ed, balancing books with a social life and numerous internships including a summer at ABC “The View” and a semester at “News 12 New Jersey.” I thought I was going to be another Asian Anchorwoman, but I ended up getting a job my last year at school as an obituary clerk and part-time reporter. That’s where I learned valuable journalism skills.

When I became a full-time reporter for a weekly newspaper, I quickly realized that I didn’t really love writing about school board meetings while living at home and earning less than $25,000 as a salary. So, I moved to New York City and dabbled in some acting while cocktail waitressing at “The Supper Club” in Midtown Manhattan. It was fun and liberating, and I spent a lot of time between auditions trying to produce a talk show pilot that was supposed to be on both the Internet and on TV. We shot the pilot, but ran out of funds to edit it. But what came out of that were more friendships and professional relationships that I still have to this day.

Soon after my short stint in New York City as a struggling actress/producer, I decided to move to Los Angeles. Jobless in LA — actually, in the OC — I started cold calling newspapers. To my luck, The Orange County Register just had a Web Editor resign that very morning. I went in for a couple of interviews, and within two weeks, I was working at the paper’s Santa Ana headquarters. Now I’ve realized that I tend to get hired quickly. So finding a job has never been a hard thing…it’s wanting to stay at the job is my problem.

It was a great job because The Orange County Register treated its employees very well when I was there. I met such talented and genuine professionals, and since I had the night shift, it was laid back. But I was young and naive at 23-years-old. I wanted to shine, and the work was more monkey than it was creative and dynamic. I tried giving the Executive Editor, Ken Brusic, and his Deputy Editors some ideas. And they listened. But only as much as they could listen to a bright-eyed girl bursting at the seams with ideas. Antsy and wanting to move up quickly (although I wasn’t sure what “up” meant), I left The Register and took a two month hiatus in Miami.

Bienvenido a Miami. The first three weeks were amazing. I covered fashion week for my friend’s global fashion magazine, Lucire, and felt like a superstar with one of my best friends, stylist and designer, Indashio. I even got Press credentials to an event where I interviewed Sir Richard Branson and Jane Pauley backstage for 20 minutes. I was the ONLY reporter there with a videographer. But then Hurricane Wilma came and swept my fairy tale up and left me in a city in shambles. My bank account dwindled to an all time low and my spirits soon followed.

I came back to Los Angeles in time for the new year of 2006, feeling very defeated. Quickly, I brushed aside my thirst for adventure and got a 9 to 5 job at an Online Advertising network. I learned how to do media buys and the business side of the Internet. I also started a Webcasting company called URGenY.com with a few young people in LA.

Here I was, starting another endeavor! We almost made it, too. But twelve twenty-somethings trying to run a company for the sole purpose of being in front of the camera caused problems that are obvious enough. With this endeavor, I definitely learned that I had a lot to learn about managing people and egos and my own shortcomings.

And then, things started to come around. I started working for a small Los Angeles law firm as a Client Development and Web Marketing consultant. Then got another client, a boutique in Beverly Hills. In between, I started publishing blogs and producing videos for nonprofit organizations. And in February, I landed a big client, which has enabled me to incorporate my business, MediaGuns, Inc. — I’d link my website, but it’s still under construction. In between earning a living, I try to find time to participate in the Drucker Society of Los Angeles, train for the Hawaii marathon (my second one!), study for the GMAT’s and enjoy what this city of angels has to offer. Don’t ask when I sleep. And in case you didn’t notice, I value the people in my life. I also love salsa and swing dancing, doggies, ice cream, flowers and pretty dresses. And of course, I love leading presentations and board room meetings.

My journey as a business woman has pretty much just started. So I feel it necessary to remind myself every day of everything I’ve learned thus far.

I believe that to succeed in both business and life, you’ve got to take all your experiences, all your failures, all your skills and talent, all your strengths and weaknesses and all the people you know. Mash them up. Throw away the bad apples (as soon as you recognize them!). And don’t forget to introduce the good apples to each other.

But above all, practice business with both your mind and your heart.

Then, you can’t ever lose.