The sparkle of Jewel Barrios

Armed with her degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Jewel Barrios, 30, is confident about being a consultant for a hotel and real estate developer in Chicago.   While her studies concentrated on marketing and finance, our 5’4” bachelorette feels that knowing how to create an atmosphere that would lead guests to experience something different is the field that she wants to be an expert in. 

As a child, Jewel’s games of playing hide and seek in her daddy’s PISO bank office in Makati filled her with joy until she would go outside. The poverty of the young children selling newspapers and sampaguita on the streets made her wonder by what right she deserved to be on the other side of the window. 

When her studies took her abroad, Jewel’s memories inspired her to volunteer for the Ayala Foundation in New York. One of her projects was to recruit young professionals to join her in raising funds for GILAS, a public/private-sector partnership that addresses IT access and training in Philippine education.  Over champagne and vodkas, the event raised enough money to build a computer lab for a school in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Here, Jewel reflects on her travels, Google Voice and her diplomatic “do not disturb” headphones. 

My personal style signifier for the past two years has been my pair of gold metallic Chuck Taylor All-Star canvas extra-high tops — a playful twist on an iconic, comfortable shoe. I am now kicking myself for not having purchased several pairs. Converse stopped making them. (Converse, if you’re reading this, please bring them back!)

I work best when I am wearing my Bose noise-cancellation headphones. They block ambient noise and serve as a diplomatic “do not disturb” sign.

The last meal that truly impressed me consisted of a burger at Diner, an inviting, understated restaurant located in a refurbished 1920s dining car in Brooklyn. The secret to Diner’s delicious burger is the meat, which is sourced from mature animals, never vacuum-packed, and ground shortly before the burger is cooked.

One fear of mine is mediocrity. I admire those who strive for and achieve excellence, whether their goals are personal and intimate or ambitious and monumental to society.

What has helped me conquer fear has been the support of mentors. I am grateful to have always been surrounded by encouraging family members, but it resonates differently when people who aren’t related to you support you.

A quality that I have been working to address is my obsessive attention to detail. While it can serve as one of my strongest assets, I sometimes dedicate too much energy to certain tasks or projects, which often only I appreciate.

A recent “find” is Google Voice. When someone leaves you a voicemail, Google sends you an e-mail with the message transcribed. You can also play the message on your computer from a link included in the e-mail. Google Voice is not 100-percent accurate, but it saves time, is free, and is compatible with your existing mobile number.

The thing I’d like to buy next is a Panasonic Lumix LX5, which my brother and cousin, who is a professional photographer, love.   

If I had to limit my travels to one city, I would choose Paris. The six months I spent studying and working in Paris during my early 20s were magical.   I was focused purely on discovery and personal growth: exploring a historic, world-class city, integrating into a foreign culture, perfecting a language I had studied for years. 

A memorable place I have traveled to in the past year is Iceland. I spent a week marveling at the country’s crisp, heart-stopping natural beauty.   One day, we were attached to ropes with picks in hand, climbing up the Vatnajokull glacier and then restoring a trail as park volunteers. The next day, we were soaking in a spring formed by hot water heated by underground lava mixed with ice-cold water from a melting glacier. We ate mouthwatering food at quaint seaside restaurants and ended the trip in Reykjavik, reveling in the capital’s music, fashion, and famed nightlife.

The souvenirs I choose to bring home are lists of recommendations from my travels. Prior to departure, I extensively research destinations, gathering and cross-referencing tips from friends, friends of friends, and countless guidebooks, periodicals, and websites. I love to share my findings with others, so I make it a point to document the highlights of each trip in a file that can be quickly e-mailed to friends bound for places I’ve visited.

The place that inspires me is the Land’s End trail in San Francisco. A short, albeit hilly path leads you through vegetation mimicking San Francisco as it was known to Native Americans, and to expansive views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands. I try to walk or run Land’s End whenever I visit San Francisco. Its natural splendor is simultaneously awe-inspiring and grounding. 

The best gift I have given recently was the classic game Hungry Hungry Hippos. I purchased it when visiting my two nephews and niece, who are respectively eight, six, and four years old. It was nice to see them play together and derive so much joy from the same game. Plus, it captured their attention for days, giving my sister, who is an amazing mother of five, much-needed time to relax. 

And the best gift I’ve received recently was an incredible, three-dimensional, near-life-size birthday cake of me dressed as Lady Gaga. I used to be a huge fan and had a cameo in a school production as the pop star. My friends surprised me with a Gaga cake figure donning an exact replica of my cameo appearance. The cake read, “Happy birthday to our very own Gaga.” It was incredible but more than anything, I was touched by their thoughtfulness and creativity. (By the way, I speak Tagalog, so I know what gaga means!)

My favorite websites are The New York Times and Brizzly for Twitter.  

In business school, I learned the power of networking ... and a handful of “life-changing” Excel shortcuts.  

The “sport” I do the most is Physique 57. Physique is a highly efficient cardiovascular and sculpting “barre” regimen based on yoga, ballet, and Pilates. Physique induces your muscles to burn at unprecedented levels, but it transforms your body. I hear a similar studio called Plana Forma opened in Bonifacio Global City!

The book I am reading now is Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. The book generated outstanding reviews and unprecedented buzz even before it was published. I decided to tackle the book, especially since Franzen has been cited as “the Great American Novelist.” After reading only 40 pages of the 560-page book, I was hooked.   Franzen’s character development is remarkable.

I remember an embarrassing moment, which occurred during my first year in the workforce. I sent an e-mail to my colleagues commenting on a job applicant’s lackluster writing sample and realized I had inadvertently pressed “reply all” and thereby included the candidate on the e-mail. I immediately called the candidate to exact damage control, but I was the subject of many office jokes thereafter.

The way I plan my day is based on my workout. I’m a fitness junkie, so I schedule activities and appointments based on where I am taking a fitness class or what time I am working out.

Some good advice I have given recently is to take an improv class. I had never considered myself a performer or a particularly amusing person, but opted for improv because a colleague suggested it would be beneficial for public speaking. Improv helped me become more confident when thinking and speaking on my feet, but also proved to be a wonderful, über-fun creative outlet. 

The last time I cried was probably yesterday when I saw a baby or cute puppy on the street. I joke that my maternal instinct and internal clock are conspiring against me. I want to be a mother, but don’t think I’m quite ready from a career perspective.  

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E-mail : aurorawilson@gmail.com