Standing From Their Shoulders
Miguel Ybañez - If a trailblazing outlier were personified for this early 21st Century’s generations.
The power to call a thousand failures a thousand pieces of informative feedback also allows Miguel to redirect circumstance and reality onto something lucrative.
In his having always been adaptable and relevant, I’ve witnessed a more than promising evolution with almost a decade seated at business tables with him.
September of this year was one of the heaviest and most reminiscent of months thus far. Celebrating and remembering so many lives all within the four weeks.
As I have missed many birthdays this year, owing to having no access online and such, I thought that I’d missed yours too.
Not knowing that what struck the chord in me that week wasn’t the time of your birth (it was a week advanced then), but it was of remembering the passing of your Mum exactly one month after the anniversary.
Looking back, I can’t believe the brevity of everything that happened two years ago was just a month shy of your 30th too. As I know you’ve said, Tita Gina was really the one true paragon of grit, excellence, and selflessness in your life.
So, in celebrating your birth now, I’m sure your loved ones can definitely see and understand her grace in your life. Happy Birthday, Migo! Thank you for being our Sensei, among our vast selection of many faithful ones.
It’s no accident you’ve lived through brushing death, in a very physical manner at that. You’ve also scaled the valleys, seen defeat and shame, also knowing full well that the paths of least resistance were those you’ve negatively and willingly taken.
I could not find too many of our decent pictures because I think we were too busy living life with our friends and business partners, so they’re stored in my soul as core memories now.
Because we had the wildest lag measures, which honestly SO many of us got to achieve, I will not ever forget that one incentive we all had… which was when each member of our team had reached 6-figures/mo of profit in pesos, during one of our biggest projects, we would have the ultimate LOTR movie marathon. I think even the Director’s Cut at that!
I think 80% of everyone reached that goal and because it wasn’t 100%, that epic marathon is still pending. I CAN’T. HAHAHA
Who would’ve known though, of each one’s growth in the team individually and together? From the parking-raged (not even road yet lol) Migo to someone who’d intentionally lead us for an hour or two in our spiritual development weekly. I recall now how I never saw the privilege I actually had of being personally prayed over in voice during the work week was, until I was prayed over this week and I remembered it’s been a while since someone did.
Which was something you haven’t failed in doing these recent years. Two friends of mine were witnesses though, of how every time I had an accountability call with you, I was trembling in nerves because I knew you knew all of my habits and struggles; that in all my transparency, you could scrutinise me EVERY time.
You don’t though, not in a destructive way anyway. My being someone hard on myself too, it was honestly surprising when you’d praised my work ethic and my being consistently accountable, on daily reports then, to others.
I know your father is proud of you even in having gone too early. Our mentors and even your specific father figures are proud of you too.
In the same way that you are patient in my exploration of the canvas in my spaces, I trust their same patience towards you in all of your unconventional and groundbreaking choices.
Data and numbers definitely don’t lie, and with someone as sceptical as you are, I could only be privileged to piggyback on all the efforts you make in building for your business partners.
One of the first things I learned with you and Gabe (senpai!) was communication. Being the lone ranger who would work and not let anyone know there was a problem until after it was solved, I understood that it was okay to ask for help, or at the very least inform others of hiccups. Having been too E/INFP for myself and others – independent to a fault.
I got to apply the way of martial arts more in life, work, and business in the past decade than I ever have in 20 years of formal training. I guess that’s why it was training, to run when rubber hits the road.
And did we hit the road running, so much so that each had their own experience of going fast because we were alone or going far because we decided to go with a pack.
Thank you for even when I am a physically weaker link now, I don’t have shame in being one among a community of entrepreneurs who work with an abundance mindset.
Having greater and greater goals each year could’ve been daunting yet here we all are still fighting on with the tools, time, and places we’re each given.
From the Top 10 Candy Magazine cutest something list and Red Mango model plastered on the wall along the Katipunan branch (I CAN’T FIND EITHER PICTURE), being a college dropout at first, reaching wit’s end… to having been recognised by worldwide leaders and entrepreneurs who don’t have their titles in their bio yet are Forbes Listed conglomerates around the world, who steadily and silently help alleviate issues like hunger and lack of medical treatment regionally and globally.
What a ride it has been so far. You are celebrated.
P.S. If you see some pictures here for the first time, it’s most likely because you haven’t seen some of my messages from other platforms yet or as usual I’ve not posted. ;P
