This season’s Christmas lights and tinsel are taking on new meaning, especially after the months that have marked an incredibly stressful year. No one realizes this more than entrepreneur Anna Margarita “Meg” Amat of Incandescent Creatives, whose sparkling installations have begun to adorn some establishments around Metro Manila.
She says: “Christmas means so many things to different people. In my experience, it’s always been about the anticipation of good things to come, whether it’s the return of a family member, who’s been away on assignment for a while or time off from work so we can spend more time with our loved ones.”
The business, set up by Meg’s parents Beth and Alvin, started out of a small flower shop in a hotel basement. Besides providing blooms and greens, the couple also organized weddings and birthday parties. However, Meg never imagined she would be heading their company one day. “I was a straight-A student, but [only] got a grade of 84 in arts and crafts class. I took a drafting elective in high school, and couldn’t even draw a straight line,” she chuckles.
Due to an affinity with numbers, she went on to complete a degree in computer science, majoring in computer engineering at De La Salle University. “I’ve always excelled in math. My mom kind of nudged me into it, and because I didn’t have a strong inclination as to what I wanted to do with my life, I went along. I have no regrets. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without that experience,” she says.
Meg did post-graduate studies in financial engineering at the same institution, and then entered the work force via information technology (IT) firms UniSys and SAS. UniSys even deployed her to Malaysia and Singapore for a project. “The management skills, processes and tools that I learned working at big companies proved invaluable to how I run things today at Incandescent,” she says. “The promise, ‘deliver or die” that we made to clients, was a significant take away for me, and is something I apply in my company.”
Meg eventually felt the urge to become her own boss. “I saw the potential of the company [Incandescent]. When I was still at my IT job, I would tell my officemates about the latest project we were working on, like those weddings of [certain] actors and actresses. I knew I was passionate about the business when I found joy in telling them what I had been up to during the weekend.”
The young professional finally joined Incandescent full time in 2010 and worked to migrate their competencies towards corporate clients. “It made more sense for us to have repeat business rather than woo [new] customers every single time,” she says.
Constant innovation
“A lucky second-generation COO (child of owner),” is how Meg describes herself. “My parents planted so many seeds of goodwill, the benefits of which I’m reaping now,” she declares. “They provided services to clients, many times at a loss.”
Her first challenge as Incandescent boss was convincing clients to give them business despite the absence of a solid portfolio. “We were so bad with documentation,” she admits. “I believe our brand work started really taking off when we were able to present our ideas with second and third renders [drafts] and actually implement them.”
From there, Meg and her team slowly persuaded the market to trust their creative talents and reliability. “With new clients, you always have to prove your worth,” she says. “But when they see the kind of work that you produce, the succeeding projects are a lot easier to obtain.
“At the same time, you can’t rest on your laurels. While our track record gets us a seat at the table, it’s our delivery and intergrity that allow us to stay there.”
To succeed in the styling game, Meg’s advice is “to always keep in mind that no one is irreplaceable. So, remember to be lovely to work with and always innovate. Make the people you work with look good in front of their bosses. They’ll take you wherever they go.”
Meg believes her company’s priority is to bring their client’s vision to life on a large scale. “Actually, what we do is called ‘experiential marketing,’” she explains. “At Incandescent, we tell brand stories in very engaging ways. We believe that the more senses you can involve using our mixed-media approach to design, the more memorable something will be. That’s what you want in a campaign.”
“While some people can design really good things on paper, if it doesn’t translate in real life or if it isn’t executed flawlessly, then it may not work out too well. Through the years, we’ve gained the track record of being able to deliver what we promise. To sum up, we are masters of the art and science of show and tell. That is how we add value.”
Before the unveiling of any installation, Meg is a bundle of nerves. “Until I hear our client telling us that they are happy, I’m in knots,” she confesses. “I can’t sleep or eat. It’s funny because we have 3-D [three-dimentional] renders and prototypes that have been approved to give an idea of what to expect. But there’s always something that can’t be communicated digitally, especially with the scale of our projects.”
Some of Incandescent’s memorable projects include an installation for a prestigious hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka and a display for Makati City hotel, stuffed with bears that suffered from eager hotel guests, who could not resist pilfering the toys for their children.
Meg says she is delighted and proud to be part of people’s happy experiences. “Sometimes, I visit our installations just to watch their faces light up with joy and wonder at what we have set up. You see it in their eyes or sometimes, you hear them verbalize their approval. Now, that’s gold,” she says.
ABOUT ME
ROLE MODELS
One of my favorites is Sarah Blakely, founder of Spanx. She seems so unguarded and authentic. Same with actress Jennifer Garner. I love how she shifted into agriculture and organic baby food. Despite their tremendous success, they don’t take themselves too seriously and can laugh at their mistakes.
GOAL
Call me an idealist, but my life goal is to build companies that aren’t just concerned with profit, but the impact that they have on society, this generation and the next.
FIRST PAYING JOB
My parents taught us how to make businesses early on. The earliest I remember were these friendship bracelets made of plastic called “gimp” that I sold in fourth grade.
MORNING RITUAL
It’s our peak season now, so as soon as I wake up I’m answering messages and emails nonstop. But on sane days, it’s a morning run and quiet time when I read my Bible and journal.
SPECIAL SKILLS
I’m very very resourceful. We didn’t grow up rich, so I’ve been trained to find alternatives and substitutes. It serves me well at work and when “there’s no food in the kitchen.”
TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Too much! My screen time app says it’s about 1.5 hours on average.
cooperative forex bloggers 