JAKARTA – Retirement is often seen as the end of one's professional career, but for Jojo Apolo, it was just the beginning of a new phase in his life. Jojo founded his own consulting firm that has clients in the Philippines and Indonesia. Since 2017, he has been running his own business, focusing on his passion for helping others succeed.

 

Jojo's five children are all employed professionals with their own businesses. Two of them live in Melbourne, while the others reside in the Philippines and Indonesia. His success story began when he moved to Indonesia in 1991, where he quickly moved up the career ladder. Jojo started in the paint industry and later moved to the pharmaceutical distribution industry before ending up in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.

 

During his time as a president of three different companies, Jojo learned a technique called neurolinguistic programming that he used to build his sales team. His success was noticed by other business owners who asked him to teach them the technique. After seeing the positive results from the teaching, Jojo decided to start his own consulting firm.

 

Retirement was not an option for Jojo, but rather a time for him to focus on his passion for helping others succeed. Jojo's story is one of hard work and dedication, working his way up the career ladder through various industries. His success in the business world led him to share his knowledge with others and start his own consulting firm.

 

Jojo's story shows that retirement is not necessarily the end of a career but rather a new beginning. It's a time to focus on one's passions and help others succeed. Jojo's dedication to his craft is a testament to the fact that one can achieve anything they set their mind to, regardless of age or experience. With hard work and dedication, anyone can achieve their goals and make a difference in the world.

 

Importance of Giving Value and Continuous Education in Business

 

Starting anew in a foreign country can be a daunting task for anyone. Looking back after 25 years, one successful businessman identified three big things that have helped him succeed in his career: giving value, continuous education, and the ability to connect with others.

 

Giving value is about putting in constant effort to improve the work of employees, shareholders, and employers. It's about finding ways to make the company more productive and increase sales. Sincere dedication to giving value is a key aspect of any successful business.

Continuous education is also crucial to achieving success. Even after earning an MBA, this businessman invested more than $25,000 annually in seminars and training. He identified NLP and digital marketing as two areas that have helped him connect with his customers and grow his business.

 

Digital marketing is an area that many business owners and corporate executives overlook. Understanding digital marketing can be a significant advantage in today's world, but many do not know how to connect it to their businesses. This businessman invested over $10,000 to learn about digital marketing and bridged the gap between digital marketers and business owners. He even created his own simple formula to help businesses understand the impact of digital marketing on their profitability.

 

In business, speaking the language of the business owner is crucial. It is about understanding how digital marketing can affect profitability and communicating it in a way that makes sense to them. This businessman wrote a book on this topic, which has become a bestseller on Amazon. He believes that his approach is simple and can help businesses improve their digital marketing strategies.

 

For those struggling with digital marketing, getting help from experts like this businessman can be a game-changer. The ability to connect with others, learn new skills, and give value are key aspects of success in business. These values are especially important for those starting anew in a foreign country, but they can also help anyone looking to improve their career.

 

Career Growth and Answered Prayer

 

In April of 1991, Jojo found himself in Indonesia, a mere two years after graduating. Now, 32 years later, he is still there. When asked why he decided to stay in Indonesia for so long, Jojo cites financial stability and enjoyment of being a catalyst for change as the primary reasons. He enjoyed the opportunities to develop and implement processes based on the theories he learned in school, and his bosses gave him the latitude to try new things. As a result, his career moved up quickly, leading to 30 years in Indonesia before he knew it.

 

Jojo’s classmate, Georgia, also still lives in Indonesia, and Jojo believes that he should stay there for life. He views his time in Indonesia as an answered prayer and believes that being active in the Catholic community, specifically the Couples for Christ movement, was a game-changer for him and his family. Placing faith at the center of his marriage and career was the turning point, and he believes that if he hadn't joined Couples for Christ in 1995, he would have returned to the Philippines in 1998.

 

In 1996, Jojo had a career decision to make. The company he was working for was in trouble and asked him to list people to cut from the company. He prayed for help and the following day, someone asked him if he would like to join a logistics company. The new position was a step down from assistant director to department head with little salary increase. However, Jojo's boss assured him that he would become the logistics director the following year. Jojo prayed and received a message telling him to leave the company. Against his friend's advice, Jojo left the company, and in 1998, the Asian financial crisis hit, and the logistics company he would have joined closed its doors.

 

Jojo's decision to follow his faith and leave the company was not an easy one, but it was the right one. Jojo has spent 32 years in Indonesia and has experienced incredible growth in his career and personal life. He credits his faith for providing him with the strength and guidance he needed to make tough decisions, and he is grateful for the opportunities that staying in Indonesia has provided him. Jojo's story is a testament to the power of faith and the importance of being open to new opportunities. He attributed his moving to Indonesia to divine providence, stating that it was not a logical decision but rather one that was guided by a higher power.

 

Overcoming Challenges in a New Environment

 

Moving to a new country is never easy. It entails a lot of adjustments and overcoming challenges to adapt to a new culture, language, and way of life. The first significant challenge that Jojo encountered was the language barrier. Indonesia has a vast majority of its population who cannot speak English. It was tough for him in the first six months to communicate and understand the locals. But after six months of being there, Jojo was already fluently speaking their language.

 

The other big challenge was being alone in Indonesia for the first eight months. His family was still in the Philippines. It was the loneliest moment of his life, and he would often find himself looking up at the ceiling, imagining his wife and children dancing. However, he realized that he had to adopt and embrace the culture of the Indonesian people, who tend to work in groups. It was different from his Filipino upbringing, which tends to be individualistic.

 

Jojo also recognized that he could be too hard on himself, setting standards that were too high, leading to a struggle in achieving them. He would often give himself four days a week to accomplish something, which he found manageable. This helped him avoid getting too hard on himself and to stay connected with God.

 

Jojo's story highlights the importance of being patient, adopting the culture of the people, and setting manageable goals. These are vital factors in overcoming challenges in a new environment. It's essential to embrace the culture, language, and the people. It helps to connect with the locals, make friends, and seek their guidance in navigating the new environment. Having manageable goals and being kind to oneself is also important to avoid getting frustrated and burnt out.

 

About hobbies, Jojo shared his love for birds, specifically their calming sound of chirping in the morning. He had a passion for birds since he was 13 years old and currently have three big cages housing different bird species. DSY was impressed and suggested to Jojo of writing a separate article on the hobby, indicating that it would be an interesting topic to explore. When it comes to sports, Jojo also shared that he plays tennis to stay healthy and strong.

 

Adapting to a new environment can be overwhelming, but it's essential to take one step at a time. With patience, determination, and an open mind, overcoming challenges in a new environment is possible. Jojo's experience is a testament to this, and his story inspires those who are in a similar situation to keep pushing and never give up.

 

The Three Keys to Success: Adding Value, Continuous Education, and Faith

 

Jojo Apolo’s firm philosophy is that success is something that everyone wants, but it's not something that everyone can achieve. Achieving success requires hard work, determination, and a good strategy. Moreover, adding value, continuous education, and putting God in the center of one’s life, both personal and professional, are essential.

 

Adding Value

 

One of the keys to success is adding value. This means that you need to find ways to add value to your work, to your customers, and to your stakeholders. By adding value, you can increase your profits, sales, and overall success. However, adding value is not easy. It requires creativity, innovation, and a deep understanding of your customers' needs and desires.

 

Continuous Education

 

Another key to success is continuous education. Many people make the mistake of thinking that education ends after graduation. However, the world is constantly changing, and there is always something new to learn. To be successful, you need to keep re-educating yourself and stay up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and ideas.

 

Putting God in the Center

 

The final key to success is putting God in the center. When you put God in the center of your life and your work, you can enjoy his protection and guidance. This is especially important during difficult times when you are facing challenges and obstacles. By having faith, you can overcome any obstacle and achieve success.

 

An Example of Success

 

To illustrate the importance of these three keys to success, let's look at the example of a company that was on the verge of bankruptcy. The company had lost 30% of its business when a major partner suddenly left. The new chief operating officer was faced with the daunting task of turning the company around. He had to fire 15 out of 25 branch managers for corruption, two out of three vice presidents, three out of four regional managers, and one HR manager. He also received threats and warnings about his safety.

 

Despite these challenges, the new COO was able to turn the company around in a year. He attributed his success to the three keys: adding value, continuous education, and faith. By adding value to the company, he was able to attract new partners and customers. By continuously educating himself, he was able to come up with new ideas and strategies. And by putting God in the center of his work, he was able to overcome the challenges and achieve success.

 

What Success Requires

 

To recapitulate, success requires hard work, determination, and a good strategy. Jojo emphasized that with the three keys to success - adding value, continuous education, and faith - one can increase his or her chances of achieving personal goals. “Remember to be creative, innovative, and always keep learning. And most importantly, put God in the center of your work and your life. With these keys, you can achieve success and fulfill your dreams,” Jojo declares.