Author of the Month: Yeng Remulla

Yeng Remulla, Pinoy entrepreneur and book author of Productive Pinoy, is the blog's author of the month. Remulla writes with humor and wit. Extracting real life experiences as a young entrepreneur, he shares life lessons gained along the tough path of building and sustaining a business. What I like about his book is the way he tells these real life experiences in bits of stories, like vignettes that pinches the heart and punches the gut. In the end, Remulla puts family on top of the list and how important it is to take care of one's well being. Indeed, one can only share what he's got. At the end of the day, it's not work or career who would warp its arms around you.

Read on Remulla's back story in writing Productive Pinoy.

What inspired or motivated you to write Productive Pinoy?
It's a compilation of what I've learned throughout the years. I became a dad at 19. I didn't know how to raise a family. All I knew was the typical advice you'd usually get, 'Study hard and work hard'.

At that time, I also started a business. I experienced it first hand how difficult it was to run a business and at the same time raise a family. I wanted to do my work remarkably well, but I also wanted to go home to my family still smiling.

I learned it the hard way.

Now, the reason why I wrote this book, is that I believe, many Pinoys are in the same dilemma. They want to excel in what they do, but at the same time, they don't want 'WORK' to suck the life out of them!

Can you describe your creative process in writing the book
It's a combination of discipline and inspiration.

1. Inspiration

a. I asked myself the following questions:

"How can I help my Kababayans change for the better?"
"How can I inspire change without putting the reader down?"
"How can I help them find the work their gifted to do?"
"What are negative mindsets that needs to be flipped into positive ones"

b. I used my day-to-day experiences to trigger ideas.
Ex.
– Waiting for someone late
– Financial behaviors of some people I know
– "Takaw Mata"
– "Freepuchino"

2. Discipline

a. I sat down and wrote at least one page a day – with or without inspiration. I basically wrote the book while in Starbucks or Seatle's Best.

b. I realized that writing is editing. I didn't stop rewriting until I got the exact words or phrases that will make the ideas clear.

c. I asked my friends to read my work before I published it, they gave me their 'honest' opinions, and revised from there.

d. I asked my editor to comment and point out areas of my writing that needs improvement. That took a lot of 'pride swallowing', but I trust my editor.

Where do you go from here -- after Productive Pinoy?
There's another book that I'm currently writing. It's the continuation – It's designed to help Pinoys start and finish the work their good at. But for today, my goal is to be able to spread out the ideas written on the book.

We are searching for ways and looking for partners who will help us give away the book to our fellow Pinoys in need of support.

Email Yeng Remulla at productivepinoy@gmail.com. He blogs too at www.productivepinoy.com.