Few people are really able to succeed, as the masses of Millennials settle for the job that pays for the needs of today.
The aspiration therefore, is to live in the median: not to compromise passion for purpose but to fulfill all facets of the persona. Entrepreneur, foodie and philanthropist Harvard Uy de Baron, seems to be living the millennial dream.
We delve into the many hats he wears to get a picture of what it takes to be walking the talk.
Philanthropist
MOST people plan to give back when they are old and aged.
“Kuya Harvard”, as his staff and the thousands of children call him, has already made 959 events in the last eleven years, to help the less fortunate. Uy de Baron has accomplished this through his group, U Happy Events.
The organization provides a platform for sponsors and volunteers to provide support and teach values to marginalized children in Metro Manila. These are done through art and dance workshops, field trips and visits to museums.
It’s difficult to grasp when you are doing fine and your surroundings are struggling, Uy de Baron said. He believes that living is not just about how one lives, but how one makes others live theirs.
When strangers can benefit from us, and then we extend our circle of influence, together we ultimately contribute to the progress of our country, he added.
U Happy Events activities are dotted with fun and are always engaging both for the kids and volunteers. The writer knows because she has organized and gone to a few of them herself.
Entrepreneur
UY de Baron is a part owner of a spectrum of favored and upcoming restaurants nowadays. These restaurants include Sankap, Splice, Sasa and Sobremesa.
He is part of The Menu Group, which also manages a host of other restaurant brands, like Ryu Ramen and Curry, Peri Peri Cebu and Brasas Latin Street Food.
What do all these restaurants have in common? People go out of their way to try them.
Uy de Baron credits the secret of these restaurants’ success to the concept.
“It’s something familiar done differently” and customized to market preferences, he said.
“Location is not as important as concept,” Uy de Baron explained. “If your concept is good, they will come to you.”
An insurance broker for almost 20 years now, Uy de Baron went into the restaurant business with his brother, Chef Him.
In bed before with Nomama and I Am Kim, Chef Him currently consults for Makansutra, Ping Pong Diplomacy, Cocina Peruvia and East Café restaurants.
Uy de Baron said although the restaurant business is considered complicated with staffing, marketing, inventory management, customer service and everything in between, it still has one of the fastest turnover rates. He added the key elements to addressing this include having a good network with which to build a base market, a good chef to make delectable and noteworthy dishes, an experienced staff and a tireless dedication.
“Don’t compare yourself with a lot of successful businesses. Start first your own segment and those with the same size or scale as yourself,” Uy de Baron said. “When you can use the strengths of your competitors and get it for yourself, then you grow. When you study their consumers and use that [knowledge] to your advantage, you will grow more.”
He is also a food-lover-turned-food-blogger. Uy de Baron is currently the number one content writer in Zomato, a site that reviews restaurants and number three in the world.
His site went online in May last year and now has almost two thousand restaurants, events and food product reviews. With the growth of his popularity on the web, Uy de Baron will soon pilot a foodie segment in television.
Believer
UY de Baron credits his success to doing homework and good time management.
“Doubt is a human element. Take the time to study and learn your craft,” he said. “It should decrease your worries.”
He emphasized the importance of preparation for any endeavor.
“Just like taking a test, if you are well-prepared, it will show your success. When you are excited with your work, you want to be catapulted forward,” Uy de Baron said. “You can’t wait to show the world what you have.”
He also emphasized the importance of time.
According to him, time can be a good resource if “you delegate what you can and manage your time in a way where everything is scheduled”.
“Major events are scheduled three years before, while others are scheduled a year before.”
This is a popular method of breaking down your goals into chunk-sized pieces, which you can now tackle every month or week to lead you to the bigger successes along the way, Uy de Baron said.
He also chose to live near his workplace to save him a lot of time.
“Acceleration is not key; efficiency is.” He cited U Happy Events as example.
In our first seven years, we saw only 159 events, Uy de Baron said adding the group’s activities only grew traction in the last four years having as much as 800 events.
“I think this means it doesn’t matter how fast you get to your dreams. What matters is when you focus on being effective in the process of reaching your goal,” he said. “The big success just comes eventually.”
Fulfillment
UY de Baron is the milennial man fulfilled. “Fulfillment is when you strike an equilibrium between business and an impact on the community,” he said.
For entrepreneurs-to-be, he encourages “start learning early”.
“You don’t have to make the same mistakes someone already did.” He also noted the importance of not going through the employee stage.
“Money is not a deterrent—ideas and dedication are more important than that.”
Uy de Baron added that if one has a powerful idea and follows through, he or she can be unstoppable.