#YourPersonalBest: Reluctant Lawyer, Driven Entrepreneur

1 min read By eCompareMo on December 19, 2015

This former dried goods seller turned corporate worker/law student knows that the best lessons in life can only be learned at the worst times.

In college, I had to go to the market by myself and bring dried squid from Masbate to Camarines Sur for my income generating project (IGP).

It was in 2007 to 2009. Within two years of transporting the goods for more than 170 kilometers, I incurred unparalleled loans from banks and cooperatives. I couldn’t help it: there were times when expenses were higher than sales. In the first year of my operation, I couldn’t even reach the break-even point. I had to consider the seasonality of the product and the fluctuating product demand.

I felt so down and almost lost hope every time I opened my bank passbook and saw my deposits slowly turning into a negative number. I was forced to enter the corporate world without my full consent.

Fast forward to 2015, my failed entrepreneurial endeavor has taught me to manage my finances more intelligently. My journey into the corporate world has served as a friendly reminder for me to calculate every financial decision I will make moving forward. Both experiences have made me mitigate the risk of having financial trouble again.

I’ve also taken up law. I dreamt not only of becoming a lawyer; I wanted to be one of the best lawyers. I wanted to be one of the justices at the Supreme Court. But when I started law school, I realized that I’ve actually been studying law neither to practice it nor administer justice. I simply want to supplement my business studies. I learned that my ultimate goal, yet still, was to become an entrepreneur.

Whether I go back to business or remain in the corporate world, I can confidently say that I can beat whatever odds that may come my way.

Danilo Irenea Dillo, Jr., working law student, Cebu City

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