James Benedict: Fashioning the good life

When it comes to interviewing trailblazers, leaders, icons, there is that inevitable question: What would you advice your 21-year-old self?

Quite plausible as 21 is a good age. It's the majority age, the legal age for doing anything — within permissible boundaries.

And so, it's hopeful to come across young people — 21 years old and thereabouts — who try to make something out of their talents and skills early on in their adult life.

One of them, James Benedict Gamboa-Cuesta, has excelled in his college studies and is, at the same time, doing well in finance and fashion.

He said he wasn't really an unusual student. Instead, he was just as normal as everyone who struggled to be their best selves. Nothing comes easy, said James Benedict, who has won international competitions tackling invention and innovation.

He said, "I treasure them the most because I can't imagine how creative and smart I have become due to that. I thought everything can be learned through books, but with inventions, we create knowledge, we shape innovation and eventually ease the lives of the people. Translating ideas into a functional reality is really a forte of mine, I could say."

A product of public education, James Benedict studied at Claudio Sandoval Elementary School and Ramon Magsaysay High School, then attended the University of Santo Tomas for his Senior High School and De La Salle University for his ongoing double-degree in Economics.

But behind his successful academic life is a story that moved him to continuously seek growth. James was already 16 when his parents just finished their studies. The brief explanation here is that his parents were only teenagers when they got married and gave birth to him.

The young entrepreneur saw his parents' drive to finish school despite being comfortable in their economic status. Yet, his parents showed the firm resolve that yes, they can still get their respected degrees because they wanted to.

He said, "(Seeing) my parents strive hard to finish their schooling (inspired me to also) finish mine, and achieve it with flying colors. People should take education seriously because education doesn't teach us just the knowledge that could be found in books; it teaches us the skills we need to cope with the environment and its fast transformation through the years."

James Benedict is the CEO of JC Trade, an investment and trade company he founded, which gives sound money advice to young professionals, including young celebrities who are earning big bucks for their appearances in commercial, film and TV productions.

Just as James Benedict is mindful about the things he puts his heart and mind into, investing in good clothes and accessories are also part of what makes him tick.

A particular pair of Gucci shoes, for instance, is part of his wardrobe.

He said, "It's something that I treasure because it reminds me of my humble beginnings as a financial aficionado. My favorite pair of Gucci shoes is useful for most outfits I wear because it is easy to incorporate into my formal and casual ensembles."

He also loves the works of Filipino fashion designer Francis Libiran. He said, "Francis, aside from being a very humble and good person, is a genius and wildly creative. I just told him vaguely what I want, and he gives more than what I could actually imagine."

Happy with the life he's in, and comfortable in his own skin, James Benedict gives this advice: "You can be fashionable even with cheap or thrift store purchases. It's not about the brand or the price tag of the outfit you are wearing, but about how you feel when you wear this and pair it with that. As long as you are comfortable, happy."