JANINE MENDOZA: THE HEART-CENTERED ENTREPRENEUR

JANINE MENDOZA: The Heart-Centered Entrepreneur

Katrina Faith S. Beo

November 30, 2021

It is essential for a woman to have a good heart, a strong will, a passion for what she wants to do, and a sense of purpose in order to succeed – one should always believe that all of us are destined for great things. This is according to a 38-year old psychology major turned mompreneur, Janine Mendoza.

Seeking for time freedom all while being a full-time mom of two could definitely be tough especially if you want to have a job or a business that will provide you with stable income and resources. This is a situation that Janine is facing at the moment. However, even while navigating the challenges of motherhood, she was still able to take up Entrepreneurship Essentials at Harvard Business School online after having a decade-long career as a Marketing Manager for different companies.

Janine ended up quitting her corporate job in hopes of finding both time and financial freedom. However, she has found it hard to figure out how to achieve both things simultaneously, at first. She thought that maybe if she started a business of her own, she would be able to develop a more flexible lifestyle – one that would help her achieve her goals for herself and her children.

Putting up an online clothing shop on Facebook that she called Fashionistamom Online Shop was Janine’s first business venture. She began by offering matching mom and daughter dresses with a starting capital of just P5,000.00. Her beginnings were truly humble as she decided she and her daughter would be the models for the clothes she sells. A lot of opportunities came knocking that made her little shop grow and flourish until she took part in international network marketing.

Janine has always had this potential to be a good leader and with her enthusiasm to create and maintain healthy connections with people in the marketing industry, she was able to build a good reputation and a pool of resources that proved useful in helping her thrive in her own light. Moreover, she was the first Filipino who got the incentive of an SUV and a million pesos in cash under the network venture, and these only made her feel more determined and motivated as she has found network marketing to be a great thoroughfare – she joined another one, introducing her new skincare line that eventually got her the League of Master award.

One of Janine’s top priorities and strategies is being smart when it comes to handling finances. She also encouraged her husband to join in on what she does and such action has proven that two heads are better than one. Janine and her husband are a power couple – together they were able to take their network internationally.

Their hard work and perseverance resulted in increased productivity which did wonders for their business. They handled the ins and outs of their business from doing client meetups to delivering their skin products with their children. It was like hitting two birds with one stone because not only did it help them grow their business but it also helped them form a stronger bond within their family. Janine and her husband envisioned getting a stall of their own where they could meet their clients and store their stocks, at the same time. It was in 2016 when their first skincare hub was built in Lipa City, Batangas – they called it NWorld Shop.

“Whenever things get tough, I just think of why I sought out this venture in the first place and I feel grounded once again. Also, having my husband always beside me to encourage me, support me and challenge me is one of the reasons I stay motivated. We are not just husband and wife, but committed business partners as well, so I am not struggling on my own.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza

Ultimately, Janine incorporated her clothing business with her skincare hub and rebranded to Fashionistamom Gluta Lounge. Not long after that, she also diversified her services further and added facial and slimming machines. They finally called their business Fashionistamom Beauty Lounge (FMBL) that now has five branches and counting – it is a specialist aesthetic and skin clinic where they offer a wide selection of services that are designed to erase the signs of aging and to reshape the contours of the face and body.

According to Janine, they hold the reputation of being the fastest growing, most trusted, most loved, and most visited gluta clinic in the province of Batangas.

“Our brand is for people from all walks of life, all men and women. Our clinic is the most affordable yet the best quality service provider in town. Numerous beauty routine procedures like laser hair removal, gluta drip, facials are realized as part of staying healthy, clean and hygienic. Moreover, it is a social bonding exercise. Many of us feel a need to present a relatively good appearance to the world because it is not just about acceptance, it is about feeling good about ourselves.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza

As highlighted earlier, Janine has always made it her objective to achieve time and financial freedom for she aspires to maintain that balance between work and her life with her family. She regards that she finds a great deal of enjoyment in what she does for a living – that being able to help people feel better about themselves is incredibly rewarding.

“Lots of people have low self-esteem, and a visit to my clinic where they can be pampered and treated without overspending can really help them feel more satisfied, more beautiful, and more confident.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza

Janine holds that motivation comes from within and for that reason, she always reminds herself of the reason she started. Essentially, she appreciates having the liberty to set her own schedules flexibly so that she can still be able to spend some quality time with her family. She values her business and she takes pride in how it helps her clients, employees, and the greater good of the community altogether. These things are what keep Janine grounded.

“Purpose for myself also. Life is too short and too important to simply punch a time-clock, even if I'm the business owner. At some point, there will come a morning when I'm awake asking myself, "What am I really doing?" It's at this point that earning money by making/selling whatever will no longer be motivation enough, it goes deeper. But for my employees too I want to help them and make them feel that they are contributing to a greater good.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza

What sets Janine’s brand apart from others is that she does business while uprooting kindness. She’s known for her good heart and her generosity extends not only to her clients and staff but most of all, for the people in need.

She has also established a great online presence by posting creative and unique content daily and exhibiting the products and services that their skincare hub offers. Another thing is that she makes it a point that their company gives back to the community, one way or another.

Janine extends support to certain charitable institutions such as Sagip Buhay Foundation Tahanan Inc. This is important to her because it gives her a sense of gratification and she finds it very humbling, as well.

“Convey assertiveness by being fearless, speaking with authority and purpose. Adopt a confident manner, deal with any criticism rationally and be calm, cool, and considered. Successful women must also be confident, brave, persistent, hardworking and with humility. Granted, there will be days when you feel like sticking your head in the sand. But when you're feeling down, remember your goals and purpose in the first place. Remind yourself of all the things you've achieved. Stick at it because the next best triumph could be just around the corner.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza Tweet

Janine believes that starting a business is a challenging endeavor but being able to pull it off and maintain it would be such a significant and fulfilling achievement. Hiring the right people is a very crucial part so one has to be thorough and careful during that process, especially. Strengthening a company’s reputation is indispensable, too, which is also why she regards that a business owner should always be mindful of external factors such as competitors.

It is important that you stay true to your brand and always stay rooted in the core values you have set for your business. According to her, taking care of your employees and developing a healthy and harmonious working environment is just as pivotal as driving sales.

Over the course of her career, Janine received recognition such as Most Innovative and Outstanding Female Entrepreneur by the Golden Globe Award for Business Excellence, Gawad Filipino People’s Choice Award, Golden Dragon Awards for Excellence, and Philippine Social Media Award, among others.

In her words, gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. She is immensely grateful for she feels as though she is currently at the peak of success as her business is continuously expanding. Fashionistamom Beauty Lounge now has five branches and counting. On top of that, she is also a franchise owner and partner of a restaurant, a gasoline station, and a drugstore.

It makes her proud that she was able to make things happen even though she had to start all of it from scratch. Janine’s greatest influences were her parents, especially her dad – growing up, she was surrounded by people who worked earnestly for their dreams – and that inspired her to be as driven as they were when she got older.

“Be of a good heart. Be kind. You will enjoy your entrepreneurial ride much more and your stakeholders will follow you through the flames. To become an entrepreneur, you must be determined and ambitious but don't forget to carry a good heart. Being a successful businesswoman really comes down to personality. I've always been fiercely independent, confident, and determined to succeed. And whenever I meet other female entrepreneurs, they share similar characteristics. There’s no “magic pill” to success, it may seem self-explanatory, but kindness and compassion are more than just good life skills.. These traits also make for good business. For some, the dream to be your own boss grows for a long time, even years, before it finally comes to fruition. The truth is, great success in business grows from just one, tiny seed. There will be naysayers who will doubt you, and if you don’t have a good motivation and you don't know your purpose, it could be hard to push through, but most of this perseverance will come from within. You'll know in your heart that you’ll become successful.”

Janine Carpio Mendoza Tweet

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Katrina Faith S. Beo

Kaye is an accountant and a freelance wedding and events singer. She is passionate for the arts, especially theater art. She is a writer and an editor of online English reading content. She loves music and aspires to produce her own soon. Connect with her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariakatrinafaith