Maggie mentors entrepreneurs in Project GO

MANILA, Philippines — Maggie Wilson is the host and chief mentor in the upcoming TV reality series titled Project GO, a content collaboration between GoDaddy and AXN. Yes, the former beauty queen won’t give tips on walking or question-and-answer interviews, but will only share insights on starting up a business and, following the show’s tagline, making an entrepreneur’s idea real.

“Honestly, when I was asked to mentor (the entrepreneur contestants), I was a little bit scared,” said Maggie, the person behind Acasa Manila, in a recent virtual media call, “because me, I’m still in the learning stage as well of my business. I was extremely happy to share, you know, my experiences like what mistakes I made and how (the contestants) can improve (their) business. I think sharing your knowledge is so important. I feel sometimes (that) people don’t want to spill on, you know, the mistakes they made. So it’s good to be vulnerable, it’s good to share your experiences as well. I felt that I got to do that for the teams, for the entrepreneurs. Again, it’s extremely fulfilling, it’s extremely humbling as well.”

Premiering on Nov. 19 at 8:25 p.m. on AXN in the Philippines and the other Southeast Asian territories, Maggie will also be joined by fellow mentors Bea Cupin of Rappler; the Tung Brothers Mikko, Macky and Mark of Ligo and GoDaddy marketing director for Asia Tina Shieh. They will mentor a group of Filipino entrepreneurs in a boot camp, help clarify their vision and make things happen. The winning business idea will get a P1M funding.

“Like the other mentors, I felt that I also learned a lot from them as well,” Maggie said of the show’s “learning curve” between mentors and mentees. “I mean being in business is a continuous learning process. And so, being on the show as well has taught me a lot.”

What Maggie and fellow mentors can offer is a “very exciting show” that makes people consider doing a business and understand the importance of beefing up a brand’s online presence via a website and an online store. Brands and businesses must be resilient in the new normal or in any milieu they are set against with.

Maggie said that the show “is so timely” and she is excited about it. “Again being able to host and mentor and listen to other people’s ideas is so fulfilling,” she shared. “When I was first starting out, I really didn’t have any mentors apart from my husband. So I think, you know, being a part of the show is such a great opportunity.” This is another platform for Maggie to showcase her talent and experience in hosting (like Philippines’ Next Top Model) and joining a reality show. Maggie and fellow beauty queen Parul Shah won The Amazing Race Asia in 2016.

As for filming a content in the new normal, Maggie said: “It’s so different shooting a TV show in the middle of a pandemic. AXN made it work, technology is amazing because of technology we can produce and put up a show just like this one. I’m really excited for all of you, guys, to see what the show is all about. You know there are some great ideas that pop up. I can’t wait for you all to meet and see our aspiring entrepreneurs as we take them through the boot camp and all that stuff and make their ideas real.”

Like what Pinoy viewers showed in her Amazing Race Asia stint, they will watch and cheer Maggie on, this time as Mentor Maggie for Project GO. She is definitely ready to guide entrepreneur-contestants.