If you are like most of my readers, you are here not only to look for better solutions to your daily challenges in business and life. You want results. You want breakthroughs.

I help leaders create breakthroughs.

So, we will first talk about ordinary leaders instead of me. Maybe, you are one of them. Then, we will talk about how my workshops, online classes, and training programs bring out the best in leaders.

My Story

I was born in Camotes Island, Cebu. Today, I reside in Los Banos Laguna together with my wife Romelyn (who is a college librarian), and our son Jefferson Carlos (who is six years old and very inquisitive).  

I was a seminarian. I was an activist. In 1996, I became a teacher.

I am a graduate of Political Science. I have 30 units in Master of Arts in Teaching and 9 units in Masters in Public Administration ( I took MPA while having my MAT). I got bored with lectures and class reporting. I opted to rest for a semester. But I did not come back anymore.  I got hooked on real-world learning.

In 2004, I pursued a career in motivational speaking.

Years prior, I was influenced by Og Mandino, Wallace Wattles, John Maxwell, Les Brown, Tony Robbins, and Francis Kong.  

I joined Toastmasters International to polish my speaking skills. During the first three years of my membership, I delivered more than 250 speeches. I got my DTM norm in 2011. I thought I would become the best motivational speaker in Asia and the best Jef Menguin in the world.

Then, I got involved in consulting.  

For the Department of Education. I have trained school principals and teachers.  I designed and implemented a professional development program for The Farm at San Benito.  

Clients started referring me to others. I started facilitating team-building workshops, presentation skills, customer service, supervisory training, stress management, time management, change management, personal development, and many more.

I could have stayed in one lane, but I took whatever landed on my lap.

I was afraid to reject a prospective client. It was not the best way to establish oneself as an expert. It felt like running from one venue to another but not reaching anything.

But I learned something from experience.

I realized I was not called to be another Og Mandino, John Maxwell, or Les Brown.  They are great in what they do — and I could be like them too – but I want to do something else for the people I serve.

My Core Values

Personal values guide us in how we choose to live, even if no one is watching. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds, we can talk about. I choose to get a life and thrive – and these are the values I believe can help me most.

I am PURPOSE-DRIVEN.

I pay attention to my intention. Intentionality works like magic in relationships, businesses, leadership, and in backyard farming.

I value SIMPLICITY.

I keep things simple. I simplify complicated problems, explain them in simple words, and find simple solutions.

I TRUST FIRST.

What you see is what you get. I share with you what I do. I worry not about impostor syndrome because I know my limitations and my talents and skills.

I keep PROMISES.

Not always in the past, but not keeping promises is a yoke on my shoulder. I show up. I persist. I try, fail, try again, and fail again, but I won’t stop as long as I live.

I seek to THINK DIFFERENT.

One can think out of the box, or in the box, of the giant box, or no box. I choose to zag when others are zigging.

I choose to PLAY BIGGER.

No, not because I am ambitious. I am a simple person who does not dream of becoming famous or super-rich. Playing bigger is strategic and practical.