The Apprentice speaks

Letran grade school and high school valedictorian. UP economics cum laude and champion debater. Mansmith Young Market Masters Awardee. Jogging addict.

And now, Jonathan “Nate” Yabut is the winner of the first season of The Apprentice Asia.

But that’s only one step closer towards Nate’s ultimate dream: to become president of the Philippines. Or become a restaurant mogul. Or pwedeng sabay sabay. (It can be simultaneous).

In an exclusive interview, “Nate” talks about his winning strategies for the show, his new job at Air Asia, one of the companies owned by Malaysian entrepreneur and Apprentice Asia host Tony Fernandes, and how he likes to talk to himself. 

PHILIPPINE STAR: Nate, here is the number one phone in-question for you from your fans: Are you single?

NATE YABUT: Actually, one of my motivations for joining The Apprentice Asia was because I was coming out of a really bad breakup.

And appearing on Apprentice Asia was a) a way to let people know that you’re back on the market; or b) to get revenge on your ex?

Revenge. I hope they watched the show and know what they lost. (Laughs)

Your ex will never board an Air Asia flight ever again. The number two phone-in question is: Totoo ba ang salary mo? (Is your salary for real?)

(Laughs) I have to dispel (the misconception). It’s not US$100,000 per month. It’s US$100,00 a year (or roughly P5 million) and other things that I cannot divulge. 

Can’t we at least share in your success? Walang bang balato diyan sa mga fans mo (Won’t you give away some of your fortune to your fans)?

Yeah. Magpapa-ice cream ako. (I’ll treat you to ice cream) (Laughs)

So how did mild-mannered marketing maven Nate Yabut find his way onto Apprentice Asia? Your fans, future biographers, and the BIR want to know. 

While I was still working for my previous employer, I saw (the ad for Apprentice Asia) on TV last November. I was jumping up and down and called my brother in Singapore, “May Apprentice Asia! I have to do this!” I took a sick leave the next day to fill out an application form and start doing the script of the video.

I got called for an interview with the top 100 (out of 30,000 applicants) via Skype in December. When they had narrowed down the field to 30, we were flown to Kuala Lumpur for final casting. After that, the 12 of us who appeared on the show were flown back to KL to tape for the show from February to April. When (I first learned I was qualified for Apprentice Asia) I couldn’t tell anyone, so I told my officemates that I was going on sabbatical leave. So when I came back in two months, they were surprised that I was on TV and they were very proud of me.

What a sabbatical that was.

I knew by April that I had won the show but I had to pretend that I didn’t know the results of the show. If I resigned when I returned from the taping, people might think that I had already won the show. So the producers ordered all of the 12 finalists not to resign, if possible. I was under contract not to tell anyone that I had won or else I would suffer a US$6 million penalty. Because of this, I resigned from my former employer in July. To the speculation, I told them I had to resign because we needed to continue taping for the show and I couldn’t afford any more vacation leaves.

Of course, they’ll never find out what happened unless they watch TV. Well, it’s a good thing that you won because other people would probably want to keep a steady paycheck instead of chasing after a slot on a reality TV show.

Losing wasn’t really an option for me. Even if we woke up at 5 a.m. and slept at 11 p.m. (Contrary to what you might think) we weren’t treated like VIPs. If we wanted to win this, then we had to do what the producers wanted us to do. They reprimanded us if we didn’t finish our tasks (for the evening) because they needed (the material) for editing. And, while doing the show, I had trouble eating all of the spicy food that gave me almoranas (hemorrhoids).

Thank God they didn’t put that in the show. Were you guys paid to be on the show?

Not at all. It was all or nothing. But they took care of everything else like the food and the toiletries. If you ask me, I wouldn’t do it again. (Laughs) But I knew I had to win it. If I lost, then fine. At that time, my plan was just to back to work (after my “sabbatical”), then tell my officemates to “just watch and see it.” Pero ewan ko, ‘di ko alam kung saan ko pupulutin ang sarili ko (I wouldn’t know how to pick myself up) if I lost.

On the brighter side, no need to worry about almoranas anymore. Judging from your reaction when you first saw the Apprentice ad on TV, I’m guessing you’ve been a big Apprentice fan?  

Being on The Apprentice was something that I had to cross off my bucket list. I told myself that I had to do The Apprentice before I die. You name any episode of The Apprentice — US, UK, Ireland, Czech Republic, Italy — I’ve seen them all. 

So you’re the one who’s been subsidizing Donald Trump’s real estate projects?

And, believe me, many of the tasks on Apprentice Asia were recycled tasks from Apprentice US and UK that were just given an Asian flavor. So it really paid to watch all those episodes. I even knew what exactly would be the “script” in the boardroom. For example, every time the dossier came out, I could tell my teammates that this exact task came from Season 4, Episode 3. Then I would tell them what we had to watch out for, why we can’t afford to do this, etc. 

Whoa, so it was like The Apprentice Asia had been pre-programmed into your brain.

I’m not sure if should share this because I don’t want to give tips to future participants. (Laughs) But in between or after the tasks on The Apprentice, there is an hour-long “confessional” that happens between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. For me, the confessional is the most important time (of the show) because it gives you an opportunity to “massage” what the editors will submit to Tony as the synopsis of the entire episode. In my case, I felt that the confessional was where you could “interpret” the (processing) of the task. If the editors were convinced (by your version of the story), that is the version they would relay to Tony. For me, that was key. 

You would make an excellent government spokesperson.

The second (thing I learned) was picking the contestants for the final task of the show (to organize a charity black tie fundraiser for Air Asia foundation. Each finalist was allowed to choose three among six previously fired contestants from the show to be part of their team.) In my opinion, this was my bravest and proudest moment. People who followed the show asked why I chose Celina (fellow Filipino and food and beverage consultant) as my last teammate. It was because I knew Andrea (the other finalist, a civil and commercial litigation lawyer from Singapore) hated her and (that she would never choose her). So I snatched up Sam (an IT infrastructure company vice-president from India) first, because Sam and Alex (an Asia-Pacific director in a liquor company from China) were best buddies and they would do well together if they were both chosen for Andrea’s team. Nazzer (a financial coach, trainer and entrepreneur from Malaysia) was my second choice because he knew every politician and celebrity attending the charity ball. Then finally I chose Celina because she was a food and beverage expert.

And all the time I thought it was as simple as bato bato pick. Having worked in the brand management field at both Globe and GSK, what were the management techniques that informed your own strategies on the show?

When you enter GSK, you take a test called Strengths Finder. You submit your top five strengths from the test to your boss and vice versa so that you know how to manage yourself in the company. Based on the test, I knew that one of my strengths was communication. For those who watched the show, Tony would always tell say, “I think you’re fake, Jonathan. I think you’re manufactured.” It’s true. I would always have some speeches prepared for the boardroom “encounter,” especially if I knew that I was in the bottom three (of a task). I prepared my speeches in the shower room, which was the only place where no one could hear me talk to myself.

Are you sure that the producers didn’t have a one-way mirror in the bathroom?

Before I entered the competition, I also watched all the videos I could find of Tony Fernandes and had an Excel Statistical sheet that counted the number of times he mentioned his “buzz words.” The top words he uses in all of his videos are “integrity” and “people.” I needed to find a way to “surface” those words out in the boardroom because I wanted to show him that we were alike in those (attributes). For example, there was a session when I really thought that one of my teammates had lied to me in a task where I was the project manager. She told me a folder was missing when, apparently, it was with her all the time. She was fired from The Apprentice.

If only the government were that decisive.

And my number one strength is competition. The difference between an achiever and a competitor is that an achiever is satisfied when he has achieved the objective, period. But for the competitor, even if he has achieved his objective but he’s still number 2 or number 3, he’s still not satisfied with it. Back in high school, I told my mom, “I want to be a president of the Philippines!” She told me, “You won’t be able to do that. You have to either come from a prominent family or you need to a newscaster to be able to run for office.” So I thought to myself, I have to achieve something really, really brilliant for me to become known. That’s when I thought about Apprentice Asia. This could be a platform for me! (Laughs) And this is what motivated me to win the competition. I don’t like the idea that I am at the bottom of the pit.

Sige nga, you take the Philippines, I will take the rest of the world. In your previous interviews, you have referred to your “humble beginnings” as having shaped your own management style and strategy on the show. How so? 

There were people who say that I am milking and exaggerating that part too much. I told them, “I’m the kind of person who hates people (with an attitude of) ‘Galing kami sa mahirap, wala kaming maggaawa’ (We come from a poor background, there is nothing that we can do about it).” The only reason why I brought this out in the boardroom was because I wanted to show Tony where the passion was coming from. All three contestants were claiming competent, competent, competent and good, good, good. But it all stopped there, there was no differentiation from a brand standpoint. I had to put a different dimension to the “Jonathan” brand. So how do you elevate the discussion? Aside from competency, I told Tony that it’s about heart — I’m inspired my family, I’m inspired by my country.  

Pang-Gilas ka na, Nate (You belong to Gilas, Nate).

Even during college, I wanted to prove that you didn’t need all these (additional “luxuries”) to do well. I knew I had to go the extra mile, but I would get there. That’s why my favorite movie is Gattaca, where Ethan Hawke fooled the system into letting them think that he was a “valid” who could join the space program. 

What a coincidence! You like Ethan Hawke’s movie and my three female readers say I look like Ethan Hawke. I also noticed that you used the term “diskarte” to describe how you approached the challenges on the show?

 That’s right. An example of diskarte would be studying at UP. As a freshman, there’s no freshman handbook, nobody tells you where the buildings are and some seniors make you loko pa (fool you) and give you wrong directions. It’s organized chaos and you have to get through the entire thing. Similar to the typical Pinoy who doesn’t have any resources, he has to use ingenuity or “diskarte” — from the passing of fares on the jeepney to squatters who live on top of the Pasig river. That kind of “diskarte” brought out the best in me in the competition. For most of the contestants, when there doesn’t appear to be a solution, then it’s “wala na” (nothing else). They will complain to the producer that the task wasn’t designed properly. But I always told them that there was a way to do the task. There is always a way.

Magaling talaga ang mga Pinoy sa My Way (Pinoys are really good with My Way). People who followed the show say that Pinoys can succeed when they are provided with an enabling environment outside of the country’s cultural and socio-demographic confines. Do you think this is true? 

Yes.  I think that The Apprentice Asia is a testament to that.  If you put a Pinoy in an environment where there is a fair process of how things are managed and where resources are equally divided with each other, the Pinoy will succeed. We already see this in the corporate world. In the multinational that I used to work for, Filipino talent is the best talent and one of the most expatriated ethnic groups to other subsidiaries abroad. It’s not just because Filipinos are good in English. It’s because of a lot of factors, among them is that we are ma-diskarte and we are palaban (fighters), we will fight until the end.

We have a little Pacquiao in all of us. So what exactly is your new position in Air Asia?

It’s chief-of-staff of Tony, so dakilang taga-timpla ng kape. (Laughs)

That’s an expensive cup of coffee.

Basically everything Tony wants me to do. For example, he’s asking me to do PowerPoint presentations for him before I even start the job. He’s also giving me some ad hoc projects.  Air Asia is known for having the best share of ancillary revenues (food, souvenir items, etc.) in its industry, and they are really looking at that. It is that kind of innovation that can improve their revenues.

After your contract with Air Asia expires after a year, do you plan to stay with Air Asia? Or will you be jockeying with Tony Fernandes for his job?

If I do well (in Air Asia) and enjoy (working with) the company, I would want to pursue a long-term career with them. But as I’ve always said, I do want to have my own business; I want my own kitchen empire. I’m writing a book as well as I’ve also wanted to become a writer. I was even the editor-in-chief of my high school paper. I also want to pursue a career where I can motivate people. In fact, I’ll be doing a round of motivational speakership tours with Celina in several Manila schools.

This next question is part of my media requirements: balak mo bang mag-showbiz (Do you plan to enter show business)?

Showbiz is not for me, definitely.

Mag-presidente? 

That’s what I want.

I want that kahit (even if just) mayor ng Manila. I really want to clean up Manila.

Sige, mag-action star ka muna (Become an action star first). And finally, the Miss Universe question: What is your advice to the next Pinoy Apprentice Asia hopefuls? Aside from watching all the Apprentice Asia epsodes, diskarte, and hemorrhoid ointment?

My tip? Be yourself. That’s what I demonstrated in the show.   My fellow contestants were scared that their “real self” wouldn’t come out on the show because they were pretending to be someone else. 

You can save world peace for when you become president of the world.

* * *

For comments or suggestions, please email ledesma.rj@gmail.com or visit www.rjledesma.com. Follow @rjled on Twitter.