Andrea Brillantes' advice to fellow Gen Z entrepreneurs: 'You can start now'
MANILA, Philippines — The pandemic has taught actress Andrea Brillantes that time is important, and it made her realize that starting one's business can be done "anytime, anywhere."
Andrea is a popular figure onscreen, but the 21-year-old is also carving a name in the beauty industry.
She has many endorsements, one of which is Dear Face Beauty Milk, which she recently renewed with a longer contract. She has a stake in the Filipino-owned luxury jewelry brand LVNA by Drake Dustin. Last year, she put up her own cosmetics brand Lucky Beauty, which recently launched its new scents.
Here are a few lessons actress and budding entrepeneur Andrea learned in pursuing her business ventures:
1. Pursue your passion
Andrea has been consistent in professing her love for makeup. In several past interviews, the young actress said she is a self-confessed makeup enthusiast. In fact, it was one of the reasons why she was immediately drawn to her role in "Drag You and Me," a show where her love for makeup and skills for it was put to good use.
"Mahilig po kasi talaga ako sa makeup. Simula nu'ng three years old po ako, nagme-makeup na po talaga ako. Besides acting, makeup is something that I'm really passionate about po.
"So, na-feel ko na kung meron akong papasukin na business, gusto ko pong pasukin ang isang bagay na confident akong ibenta kasi mahal ko, alam ko, ginagamit ko araw-araw," she told reporters after the renewal of her contract with Dear Face last week.
2. Start your business now
Andrea acknowledged that it is always good to have plans, but if there was one thing that the pandemic taught her, it was to start acting on one's dreams.
"As a Gen Z, I think ang dami po kasing nagsabi sa akin na parang ang bata ko pa or meron pa akong laging hinihintay. Lagi po akong may sine-set na goal before na dapat ito 'yung makuha ko para ma-start ko 'yung business ko. Ang dami kong ma-reach na level para ma-start ko siya, and it's nice naman. Nice 'yung meron tayong kini-create na goals or set a goal for us, pero super unpredictable po kasi ng life.
"Hindi ko expect na magkakaroon ng pandemic at lahat tayo noon ay naapektuhan sa pandemic. Hindi ko alam kung ano 'yung mangyayari sa akin noon. I was 16, 17 when that happened. So, for me, you can always start anywhere, anytime. Like, you don't need to reach this certain level of success to be more successful. You can start now," the young actress said.
3. Be hands-on
She might be busy as someone who acts on TV, especially since she has an ongoing teen thriller drama "High Street," but Andrea said she makes it a point to know the tiny details of her businesses.
"Tutok po ako sa pagpili ng bagong ilo-launch, sa pag-iisip kung ano 'yung ilo-launch, pag-iisip kung ano 'yung bagay for the brand, sa pag-iisip ng shade names, colors, packaging. Lahat po ng creatives [like] storyboard, campaigns," she said.
Andrea said she has yet to learn more about the technical aspect of business, such as dealing with numbers.
4. Make good use of social media
Andrea is a believer of the powerful influence of technology, and as a Gen Z, she is surely adept at promoting herself as an actor and businesswoman just by looking at her social media accounts.
"Gamitin natin itong era natin bilang Gen Z kasi sa simpleng post lang natin, we are making (a) change," she said.
5. Explore and enjoy
Her youthful spirit is still palpable as she said that while pursuing a business is a serious matter, she still emphasized its fun aspect. She credits it to their youth, which can afford one the time to commit mistakes and learn from them.
"Tayong mga Gen Zs, let's not forget, bagets pa rin tayong lahat. We have all the time in the world. We have all the time to make mistakes pa. Ito 'yung best time to learn and explore so enjoy natin ito," Andrea said.
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