Making things happen

"Having a high emotional quotient in my line of work is very important." – Joel Callao of Media Pool

Early on I found out I had a knack for winning people over, and that led me to a career in sales. I worked for the big companies like Abbott Laboratories, Mead Johnson, and Mitsubishi Motors, but in 2002 I took a big gamble and set up Media Pool.

It meant giving up a steady income and the perks and benefits that came with working for a multinational company, but I forced myself to think positive. And we were fortunate because we came in at the right time, when billboards were still few and EDSA wasn’t as cluttered.

Our first break came when Duty Free Philippines picked us for a very small project. It was worth P250,000, but the company sliced its advertising budget when the Asian financial crisis rolled in, so I had to go out and scout the offices in Makati and Ortigas for potential clients. My search paid off when an advertising agency, Jimenez D’Arcy, gave us a project worth almost P13 million, and our hard work paid off because that project got us a lot of attention.

Later, we got another break when we did two billboards for Unilever Philippines and eventually 11 more, including the Close-Up photo mosaic in 2004 – the largest ever in the country and the Philippines’ official entry to The Guinness Book of World Records.

Now our clients include other big names like Smart Communications, HSBC, Rustan’s, and United Laboratories.

I’m a very emotional leader. I know it’s not an ideal quality to some people–they say a good businessman must be firm and stiff–but having a high emotional quotient in my line of work is very important. EQ plays a very important role in understanding the needs of clients, who are often discontented but must be understood to know what they need.

The same thing applies in dealing with your people: You must understand their needs, ambitions, and hopes so they’ll be happy and productive.

Media Pool started with just two people–me and a secretary–but we now have 48. I’m pleased to say that many of them have been around since the beginning, and I’m pleased at having partners who helped me realize my dreams – people who helped me produce photo mosaics, mobile billboards, and other innovative advertising materials that please clients.

To all you employees who want to become entrepreneurs but are afraid, my advice is to believe in yourselves. You’ll face a lot of problems, but if you believe in your ability and have this passion to succeed, then you can make things happen. –Interview by Jaclyn Lutanco-Chua

* * *

Media Pool Inc.

Telephone: (02) 687-0503

Fax: (02) 687-0766

E-mail: [email protected]