WBW 37: Invest in Yourself, You are Your Greatest Asset part 2 of 2 with Harry Hawson

Light is integral to human life. In ancient times, all our ancestors had to rely on was the sun, to get things done during the daytime. Once it sets, productivity ends, socializing stops. But mankind will not be a slave to how astronomy and creation have ordained things. And so he discovered fire, and after thousands of years, electricity, to ensure that even though the sun has set, the world will still be illuminated, and life needn’t come to a standstill. See how the power of both light and the entrepreneurial spirit come alive in Harry Hawson and his firm, Maverick By Design, in this part 2 of 2 special.

Who Is Harry Hawson?

Harry Hawson is co-founder and CEO of Maverick By Design, an innovative entrepreneurial company specializing in electro-luminescent fiber lighting and LED technology on shirts, caps, bags, dog tags, car stickers, posters, and other customized designs. These are paper-thin strips or panels that can be applied on virtually any surface, and can save up to 90% of electricity consumption compared to traditional forms of lighting. Their revolutionary business idea has been featured on several publications which include, but not limited to, Entrepreneur Magazine,  FHM Magazine, Sense & Style, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star & Manila Bulletin. and various ABS-CBN shows.

But before all the publicity, and before they got orders from all around Asia, France, Italy, America, Canada, Spain, Portugal, etc., Harry was a normal boy who attended earlier education at Xavier School and took undergraduate studies at De La Salle University. Like most middle children in a traditional, middle class Chinese Filipino family, Harry had to both thrive and struggle with an independent and unique dream to live in his own terms. Having worked for 15 years in various multinationals, this dream became a constant itch but never realized with several failed entrepreneurial attempts. Until in 2007, in one of Harry's trips abroad enabled him to visit a trade show that landed him this goldmine of an idea - thus born Maverick By Design.

Show notes:

The birth of a Maverick

• I like traveling, so I wanted a business that would make me travel a lot. I would always attend trade fairs, to see what’s the next big thing that I’d be interested in. I think that’s an important thing in business. To do something you really want.
• I’ve been a jack of all trades, master of none. I know I have an eye for creativity, but I can’t draw. I’ve worked for many industries, Japanese companies, but I felt bad that I was making other people richer – but what about you?
• I always felt that I couldn’t do it. So when I found an idea, I approached a lot of people about it. And many of them said, no, it won’t work. That’s how we Filipinos think.
• But I wanted the world. I wanted to do something online, small overhead but big exposure. I was able to ride that wave, telling people of our combination of quality and creativity. And luckily, we’re selling to so many countries already. I recently got back from America, and we’re going to have two more American investors.
• I think people like to know about us because it’s not about me telling you to buy my stuff – not everyone may want a shirt or poster that lights up – but everyone has a dream.
• We always have this idea of wanting easy money. The reality is, if you want to make things happen, it has to start from you. It means that sometimes you won’t be sleeping because you have to do so much things. But because it’s your own business, you’d do everything, and you’d do even more than what your people are doing for you, because you really love your idea.

Characteristic For Success

• Lakas ng loob. We’re only a year and a half old, and we started only with P350,000, and now we’re so much bigger.
• It starts with a goal. I want to be the rare company that doesn’t have a retail store in the Philippines, and will have a store first in another country.
• We’re doing this smartly. This is a third world country, and it’s hard to push this product idea here in the country. Part of my plan is to get American investors to come on board and market our brand as an American brand. It appeals more because there’s a perception of better quality.
• One of our partners knows Hollywood celebrities because he’s a make-up artist there. And then eventually, when they learn that our products actually started out as an idea from the Philippines, then we can inspire other third world countries.

Lessons

• Everyone has a dream.
• If you want to make things happen, it has to start from you.

"The Board" message:

For part 1 of 2, click here.