'Being in the family business doesn't mean you'll lose your soul'

MANILA, Philippines - Heiress,” ”scion,” “child of owner (COO)”  a few words that we often hear in society circles these days. Indeed, many established business owners pass their trade to generations after them. However, with all the new career options we have today, and many success stories of people who turn against tradition, more and more people are less excited about inheriting a family business. This is especially the case when you have other dreams and aspirations in sight.

Divine Lee teaches us how to deal with the cards:

Having a family business doesn’t have to be a burden. Many kids these days think that inheriting a trade is automatically a hassle, even forced onto them. “If you think about it though, this is what put food on your table, what put you through school. That alone should give you reason to look into it,” she explains.

Don’t slack off. “A lot of people think that just because your dad is part of something, it’s easier for you. They don’t realize that you’re on-call 24/7, pag pinapagalitan ka, to the max kasi anak ka naman niya.” In fact, even as the daughter of the boss, Divine still had to exercise her savvy ways. She admits having found ways to get insider info within GA. “He would have never given it to me!” she quips.

You don’t have to limit yourself to one thing forever. “You know, it’s all about perspective. In some ways, family ventures are convenient because the groundwork is laid down already. Do things on the side, which is what I do.” Aside from her work in real estate, Divine is also owner of clothing store Luca and Mansion club in Pampanga.

You can have it all, you just have to work hard for it. Being in the family business doesn’t mean you’ll lose your soul and become miserable, and Divine is the perfect example of this, rolling business, pleasure, and social work into one carefully crafted ball, balancing everything with the help of support groups.