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Real stories. Practical lessons. Actionable strategies to
help you build wealth, freedom, and legacy.
Who I Am and What I Stand For
The principles, values, and beliefs behind everything I build. I grew up on a farm at age six, learning one of life’s earliest lessons: the earth gives back only what you put into it. At sixteen, I washed dishes and learned another lesson: no honest work is beneath a man with a dream. Years later,…
From Italy OFW to Entrepreneur: How a Woman From Naujan Built a Business From Five Cavans of Rice
When Leonila H. Flores returned to Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, in 2005 after working in Italy, she decided to use her savings to build a livelihood back home. She started with capital equivalent to five cavans of rice. From that modest beginning, Flores built L.H. Flores Store at the Naujan Public Market and gradually expanded her…
From Waiter to Business Owner: What VJ Estander’s Dubai Journey Teaches OFWs
For many Filipinos working abroad, the journey begins with a simple goal: find a better-paying job, support the family, and save enough money for the future. For Filipino worker VJ Estander, however, his years in Dubai eventually became something more. What started as a job as a waiter turned into years of side hustles, saving,…
From OFW to Entrepreneur: How to Start Building a Business While Working Abroad
For many Filipinos, becoming an OFW is a way to provide a better life for their family. You work abroad. You earn in a stronger currency. You send money home. You pay bills, tuition, loans, and other expenses. But here’s the question more OFWs need to ask: What happens when the salary stops? Your job…
The Most Important Qualities of a Good Chief Cook
When people think about a Chief Cook, they usually think about someone who prepares delicious meals. While cooking is certainly part of the job, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A Chief Cook is also a leader, planner, inventory manager, budget controller, and problem solver. The quality of the food affects crew morale, but…
How to Increase Your Salary as a Ship Cook
One of the questions I hear most often from Ship Cooks is: “How can I earn a higher salary onboard?” Many seafarers believe the only way to earn more is to wait for another contract or hope for a better company. But after working in the maritime industry for more than a decade, I’ve learned…
ABOUT ALLAN
ENTREPRENEUR, INVESTOR, MENTOR
I document my journey in business, investing and life to help entrepreneurs and OFW’s create a better future.