RR Herrera's science of love

MANILA, Philippines - Are you wishing for that special someone to fall head over heels in love with you? Call RR Herrera! “There’s a science to it, and I can teach you how,” remarked the former child star.

We all know him as of one of the regular hosts of the top-rated variety show Eh Kasi Bata where he sang and danced with other kiddie hosts Aiza Seguerra, L.A. Lopez and Cathleen Gokien.

RR started in the business when he was seven years old. He was in the ’80s hit series Agila and was in the FPJ movies Batas ng 45 and Hindi Ka Sisikatan ng Araw. He also won the FAMAS Best Child Actor award for the movie Rosenda and Metro Manila Film Fest Best Child Performer for Agila Ng Maynila.

He wanted to continue acting even as a teenager, however, his parents decided it was time for him to focus on his studies. “I love performing even as kid. When my parents asked me to stop, I felt so bad.”

After finishing BS Management from Ateneo de Manila, his father asked him to start getting involved with their different businesses. “I worked in our travel agency, also in our insurance company, we have a car detailing company and then I also have my own events company. Ang dami-daming ginagawa tapos I wanted to go back to show business, pa.”

In the midst of the many activities in his life, destiny led him to his girlfriend Carelle Mangaliag, president and CEO of TrainStation, a company engaged in conducting high-impact training for companies and organizations. With his background in show business Carelle asked RR if he was interested to become a motivational speaker.

“I’ve known Carelle for a long time and she has been doing this for 18 years. She told me that I fit the mold, kasi I used to host, I used to act and I still get to perform.”

RR agreed to join TrainStation, but he preferred to stay in the background, maybe to assist the organizers and help out in the documentation. “I never pictured myself as a speaker, but since I was in all the events, after sometime I knew the script na and then I was beginning to enjoy watching people transform. After a few weeks, I started emceeing, and then facilitating half-day workshops, tapos whole-day workshops na.”

RR is one of the country’s busiest motivational speakers today. It was very challenging to schedule this interview because he conducts training sessions every day.

“I like it because it is a lot of fun for me. I enjoy motivating people, I like it when everyone is laughing,” he said.

TrainStation has an entire menu of seminars and workshops. The most popular module is called Powered Up Sales. It aims to discover what makes a person tick and how to utilize the science of conditioning people. It enables one to have the skills to sell just about anything, including themselves. The program teaches subtle techniques to build rapport, advanced persuasion skills, how to handle objections creatively and how to develop a customized approach to match every prospect. Aside from their canned trainings, RR and his colleagues can also design a workshop that can directly address the needs of every company. 

Since happiness is the name of the game, they also conduct seminars on Laughter Therapy, Improvisation Comedy and Stand-up Comedy Training. They can also set up lifestyle and performance workshops like Weight Management and Fitness or Advanced Acting.

Companies like TrainStation primarily deal with the human resource departments of different organizations. However, because of the diverse services that they offer, even marketing firms have started utilizing their unique approach.

“They get us because we can make anyone fall in love. At the end of the day, it’s all about love. It’s about customers loving your product or loving the service you provide or your boss loving you and your co-employees. It’s the same concept of love. If I can make anyone fall in love with me, I make my boss fall in love with my work, I can make customers love my product — it’s all a science,” he said.

How do they do it? All the workshops at TrainStation are anchored on a powerful communication science known as Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). The process explores how we think, communicate and act, so we’re able to get the result that we want. The science determines what motivates the audience to listen and take action during the instruction process.

“It’s all about using models of excellence. For example, if you are not getting the result that you want, then here is a model that works, give it a try. That’s how NLP is used. It tackles the values, beliefs, behavior that enable us to achieve our desired results. A lot of training companies focus on the behavior, kami we focus on the belief. Change the belief and the behavior will follow.”

Although NLP is a multi-dimensional process, TrainStation makes sure that the workshops are “fun and fascinating.”

RR and his colleagues from TrainStation can also design a workshop that can directly address the needs of every company.

“NLP in itself is very technical, but we make it fun, parang comedy. Most of our trainers also work in theater, our workshops are like Sunday afternoon shows, complete with games. ”

His energy and enthusiasm truly confirm his passion to motivate his audience. He never thought that he would enjoy working in such a dynamic industry. And while he misses acting, he is not too keen about accepting movie assignments.

”Right now, there are offers for commercials and video presentations. I still love acting, but I don’t feel comfortable waiting on the set anymore. Right now, I am paid by the hour, companies pay a lot for my time, ’pag ako nasa set, tengga ako. Di lang ako speaker I also sell the company, the hours that take me away from the office translate to lost income.”

Aside from being a facilitator, RR also takes charge of marketing the different seminars that they offer. “I also teach sales, if I cannot sell, how can I teach it, right?”

For now, the former actor looks forward to the dynamic developments in his chosen industry. “We programmed the company like a training hub. Clients are not limited to our trainers, if they wish to invite any speaker outside the company, then that could be arranged. Our advantage is that we are in partnership with an integrated marketing company, events company, digital arm, PR firm and a brand activation company. We can utilize their services for any event.”