Most businessmen have their unique attributes that make them a success and looked up to by others to reach their full potentials.
Francisco "Paco" Magsaysay, the man behind the success of the beloved ice cream brand Carmen's Best and head of Asian Vision Cable Holdings, Inc., had the powerful legacy of his grandfather, former President Ramon Magsaysay Sr., which are honesty, hard work and integrity as pillars of his success.
His father, former Senator Jun Magsaysay, showered him with guidance based on the lessons of life from his late grandfather, who Filipinos consider as the "champion of the Filipino masses."
Mambo Magsaysay, a song which was used as a jingle for the presidential campaign of then-candidate, Magsaysay Sr. may have not been a familiar tune for Paco but its message of simplicity and virtue rings loud for Paco.
"Growing up, my dad would always talk to us about my lolo, whom I didn't get to meet. He would always talk about the virtues of honesty, hard work, and integrity. It kinda stuck with me," Paco recalls.
He said that goodwill, care for others and human kindness fuel his success, which is clearly evident and deeply ingrained in the Magsaysay clan.
Perhaps, he says, he inherited his grandfather's most famous trait, that of being the champion of the underprivileged and oppressed that became the benchmark for his brand of leadership.
"I don't follow guys who are so wealthy or so successful. Because sometimes they put too much premium on money, when in fact a company's true success lies in its workforce, the employees," he said.
"You don't fool people; you treat people well. Plus, you work hard, and you do an honest living."
Valuing simplicity
Even before Carmen's Best hit it big, he reveals, "People would see me serving ice cream to them or bringing them water or talking to them. So for me as long as you're doing an honest living, it's a great thing. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
Paco was a rookie in the entrepreneurship sphere when his brainchild Carmen's Best broke into the market.
As a man of integrity and determination, he recalls checking out renowned restaurants, hotels, and malls in search of a reliable ice cream buyer.
Paco attributes his tenacity and sense of leadership in business to his experience as an employee at different companies where he came across various leadership philosophies.
He also worked for different firms in the United States while completing an Ice Cream Short Course at Penn State.
"I did a lot of different jobs. I think that's all part of the journey. You are exposed to different people, cultures, and styles of management," he recounts.
Looking back, he proudly imparted that, like an ordinary employee, he had to overcome trials and hardships.
"You know, being an employee you see things from different perspectives. I was an excellent follower. I have always been very diligent in my work and I have always been hardworking, even when I was young," he recalled.
With an admirable resoluteness, Paco battled leukemia in 2013, when Carmen's Best was just taking off.
"One of the things you have to embrace is acceptance. When I went to the US, I had to leave the company for the first round of treatment. The sales, of course, were somewhat affected since nobody was pushing the product. Because I was the one primarily selling."
"Maybe if I died at the time, Carmen's Best wouldn't have grown," Paco indicated.
Unfazed by the struggles of the life-threatening illness, Paco refused to give up and persisted in operating his ice cream business.
"I felt that if I did not do that, I was letting Carmen's Best down."
The premium ice cream had its exotic flavors that include Madagascar Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Salted Caramel as an advantage against competitors.
"We have to continue this. We cannot stop making Carmen's Best ice cream," he remembers telling his humble team, initially composed of only five persons.
In many of his previous interviews, Paco reiterated that he would never compromise the quality of his ice cream as it wouldn't give justice to his "unica hija," another source of inspiration.
Paco said during his guesting on Daily Tribune's online show that he would not sacrifice the quality of the ice cream since it bore his daughter's name.
Quality can't be compromised
"After all, we want the best for our children. The ingredients have to be of the highest quality and never mind if they are expensive. If we scrimp that would not do justice to my daughter's name. We may as well name it something else," Paco said.
Ultimately, the ice cream mogul battles his highs and lows with remarkable perseverance and robust determination.
"After all, I have to pour my heart and soul into it," he said.
One thing though, he confided that he had no taste for politics like his father and grandfather, that may just be a great loss to Filipinos.