The team at MNLGrowkits has shown that you can definitely 'seed a difference'! As one of Manila's advocates for simple urban solutions to organic gardening, they are educating everyone how you too can grow a plant! Today, I am lucky to converse with the team over at MNLGrowkits who are not just passionate millennials but also amazing people. Take note of their collective wisdom and be inspired from their individual perspective on branding, marketing and living a good life.
Here's the team at MNLGrowkits!
Alpha: Tell us who you are and what you do!
[JESS] We are MNLGrowkits. MNLGrowkits is an agricultural services start-up spearheaded by a team composed of Millennials inspired to create vital changes in the urban gardening scene. The team also went through a process. The brand’s growers went through from the excitement of seeing a sprout from newly sowed plants until the time to harvest and use the plants in daily cookouts or just an additional design to their humble abodes.
What makes the team more awesome is the set of different personalities and ideologies gearing toward a same goal, to seed a difference one plant at a time:
•Carlo Sumaoang - CEO / Founder
•Anton Panajon - Chief Branding Officer
•Ariel Lim - Chief Digital Officer
•Vianka Amurao - Chief Events Officer
•Jess Lauchengco - Lim - Chief Marketing Officer
•Abe Hernandez - Product Officer
Please say hi to us and we can show you how to start seeding as well - hello@mnlgrowkits.com
Alpha: Tell us the story of your company?
[JESS] MNLGrowkits started as a project by CEO and Founder, Carlo, as a way to marry agriculture and modern lifestyle. Being involved in their family business, Novatech, which is in the agriculture industry, he wanted to find an outlet for his creativity. After presenting the idea of "agriculture in a box" to some friends, he started designing the packaging, talking with suppliers, and eventually started selling.
As he went through with his entrepreneurial journey, a time came when he realized that he needed more hands to expand MNLGrowkits. From being a sole-proprietor business it went to a complete turnover as a Corporation.
Along with the transition of the business outlook, product, branding and marketing initiatives also got their respective overhauls. The company now has added two new brands (Grow Eats and Plant Food) to its existing lineup. Sow & Gro and Dirt & Dung.
The Sow & Gro line has been extended, further adding more plants and variations. It now has six product lines, namely the Herb Kits, Vegetable Kits, Ornamental Kits, Seedling Kits, Tree Kit and the Garden Kits.
Alpha: What is your why in starting it?
[CARLO] At first, i have to be honest, it’s because there’s something lacking with my current job at that time. Before starting MNLGrowkits i’m very much involved with our family business. I was (and currently is) the Marketing Manager of Novatech, a fully filipino-owned family business that is engaged in manufacturing and distributing organic fertilizers in the Philippines.
For almost four years before I started MNLGrowkits I’m usually in the rural areas trying to talk to farmers, dealers and distributors. Basically just pushing and developing the market for our products.
The problem is, I’m a self-confessed city dweller, add the fact that my inclination is really geared towards advertising and the arts. But as we’re all aware of, farmers care less about packaging and how you advertise an organic fertilizer and care more about its price and how effective it is.
MNLGrowkits started as a personal project, basically for me to just have an outlet for my creativity. And for three months it served me its purpose. I was having fun and enjoying designing the box, the packaging. I was happily choosing label colors, fonts and coining words and phrases that are pleasing to the ears.
Initial why, was basically just that. But it all changed when I got hold of the first Plant Kit prototype. It was Basil. I planted it and on the fourth day it sprouted. And every time I tell MNLGrowkits’ story, I always go back to this moment, March 23, 2016 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon.
Seeing something grow from a seed is, well, very magical experience for me. And as the saying goes the rest is history. Since then on, we’re trying our very best to replicate that magical feeling I had growing my first plant.
Alpha: What do you think is the most important components in starting a company?
[ARIEL]: The most important component in starting a company are people and trust. As the saying goes, “it’s all about people.” It may sound cliche, but without the right people at the right “jobs,” any company would end up mediocre at best.
Finding the right people is hard enough, but putting them in positions where they can maximize their talents is even harder. As what was shared earlier, by himself, Carlo couldn’t do everything by himself. He realized that he has his own limitations and needed more people to further grow the company. That’s where we all come in.
If you look at everyone here right now, we were chosen not only because we are friends with Carlo; rather, it’s because of what we had done in our previous jobs and can do for MNLGrowkits.
Then, the second part comes naturally. Trust that these people will do their jobs properly. Of course, that may sound simple. But it’s never that easy. As long as you are dealing with people, it’s going to be messy. Clash of ideas, egos, personal biases, and many more. You can’t avoid all these. The only way to surpass the issues is to have that common goal which you talk about constantly. Let results do the talking whenever there is are grey issues.
The startup phase is one of the most crucial moments in any company’s lifespan. Culture, work ethics, systems and procedures are formed in this stage. If these are mediocre, it can be pretty difficult to change in the future.
Alpha: How are you able to achieve sustainability throughout this time?
[ANTON]: With regards to MNLGrowkits, sustainability is the challenge we face and are currently working on to keep us relevant. We’ve been looking into integrating ourselves into the farming industry first and foremost, with supporting the
farmers and their need for fertilizers as a stepping stone. We are also currently working with Enderun and their sustainability department with the use of our kits as educational tools for their students. In line with that, we’d like to integrate our kits into the education sector for the relevant grade levels that may appreciate the need for our kits. We’re also working on being
relevant with the food industry in the aspect of literally bringing farm to table closer.
Alpha: Who are your inspiration in building your company?
[CARLO]: My parents. They’ve always been my inspiration in any venture that I do. When I look at them I am always reminded that good and great things are achieved with hard work and patience.
I am forever inspired by the success story of my father. He always calls us “anak ng anak mahirap” (son of a poorman’s son) And would always remind us how he struggled and worked his way up to be where he is right now.
Whenever things get tough, and days long and arduous i always go back to his story, and it kinda puts everything in perspective for me.
Alpha: Can you share some strategies in telling your brand story?
[JESS]:
•Be Shareworthy
We make sure that our stories are share worthy and something that can be remembered. We share it through great visuals and copy that are fun to read, to share and keep.
•Maximize Social Media and Events
Our major channels where we share our stories are Social Media and Events.
•Seeding the Difference
One of our best assets as a brand is that there is a personal connection between our products and our market. By personal connection, we mean that as they grow their own plants, they develop that certain connection while they take care of it. It becomes part of their everyday lives.
Alpha: What do you think was your favorite time in sharing your brand to people?
[VIANKA]: I remember how we participated in a Christmas Bazaar in Ayala Alabang, and met a lot of people of different ages, from different walks of life. We get to meet a school owner who brought her daughter and I was explaining how our brand also aims to educate youth: how our simple product trains the kids the value of patience, good habit, discipline and consistency.
Metaphorically, having a plant that grows nowadays gives them a unique experience: the sense of pride and joy. Basically, the product grows with its planter in various aspects.
P.S. Her 9-year old daughter insisted to buy our Pizza Garden Kit, really excited about growing plant and using them into pizza that she can share with her classmates. Such a happy thought.
Alpha: What would be your advice for people who are just starting out?
[ARIEL]: My advice for people who are starting out is to never assume. Throw everything you think you know about the market, about your products, how to do certain things, etc.
One of the phrases that captures this concept perfectly is taken from the digital marketing world -- “Move from ‘I think,’ to ‘I know.’”
While this principle can apply to those who aren’t startups, this will definitely benefit them more because wrong assumptions can lead to huge losses.
What that means is it is best to move fast and small, test your idea / theory, analyze the results, then adjust. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because you are guaranteed to make them. It’s up to you, then, to use the information you gathered to your benefit.
Here’s a specific example where I applied this specific principle. I used to think that all ads are created equally. Create an ad, spend all your ad money on it, then wait for the results to come in. So, applying this principle of never assuming, i tested this in our advertising by segmenting our audience. The results -- for every peso spent on advertising to a specific audience, we get PhP 8.5 return in revenues. That’s a sale of 8,500 per 1,000 ad spend.
By challenging my assumptions and testing my hypothesis, I found that this audience segment gives me that much return.
Alpha: Lastly, what makes a good life? (Anton)
[ANTON]: A good life is relative, but for me and relative to this point in my life, a good life would be being able to enjoy every aspect of your time, be it work, play, family, relationships or whatnot. Really just making the most of what you have and not making a fuss whether it will be a success or not. If i’ve learned anything from the past few years of my life, it’s that mistakes are essential in helping mold the good life you want.
Alpha: Would you like to share your thoughts on these other questions?
Alpha: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
[VIANKA]: There are no failures, only feedbacks. :)
Alpha: If you could recommend just one book for our readers what would it be and why?
[ARIEL] : If I can recommend just one book, it would be Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive. It’s one of his earlier books and talks about what effectiveness means, who an executive is, and what does an effective executive look like.
As a quick recap, an executive is someone in-charge of producing certain results. Using that definition, in today’s world, everyone is an executive. In the book, he describes several habits these executives do that make them effective.
Perhaps the most important lesson in this book is the argument that effectiveness can be learned. Effective executives aren’t born. They don’t have specific personality traits nor biased towards any race, gender, political and religious affinity. Effective executives are effective because of the habits they do. Period.
Finally, as someone who studies management and businesses, it’s one of the books that people don’t usually read, much more think about. Peter Drucker wrote this in the 60’s and are still very applicable in today’s world. I have read the book 4x already and every single time, there is a new nugget of knowledge i gain. That’s how rich and deep the book is. It’s definitely a recommended read for anyone who wants to become effective.
Alpha: When did you consider yourself a success? Why do you think you are successful?
[ANTON] : I can definitely say, that I’m not a success yet. I’m still learning, committing mistakes in life which need much correction and sage advice. We’re still growing into our own and have yet to hone certain skills and experiences before I can say I’m a “success”. I’d like to think that since MNLGROWKITS started and had a great reception from the public that that in itself is successful but it shouldn’t end there. I think the group would agree that if we were able to ignite an enthusiastic interest in planting, farming, greenery, or in general the environment they live in, would we be able to say we are successful.
Alpha: What are your success habits?
[ARIEL]: This one is very simple. Read. Never stop learning. Everything we know now about a single product, methodology, or industry is old news within 24 hours.
I suggest at least two categories: the industry you’re in plus current news. This forces you to stay on top of what is happening.
For example, agriculture. If you don’t read up on new technology, application of these innovations, developments on studies, you’ll definitely fall behind. Someday, a new competitor will just spring out of nowhere with ground-breaking technology that you aren’t aware of. From being the first, you suddenly become the underdog.
Now, current news always affects us -- no matter what they are. Political, environmental, and social aspects have to be always at the back of your mind. Issues with the local government, the storms, rallies and the like. All these affect the business and the industry in one way or another.
Then as an added bonus, if you really want to be on top of your game, read about the things that you do or want to do. For example, mine is management and digital marketing. So I read about these stuff. I subscribe to certain sites and read them on the RSS reader on my phone.
Alpha: How do you start your day?
[CARLO]: Listen to good music. I guess that’s what keeps me energized throughout the day. Immediately after waking up, i listen to light music to perk me up and set the mood for the day.
And coffee. Yes coffee!
Alpha: What makes you happy?
[VIANKA]: Quality time with loved ones and listening to stories. Thoughts, experiences and stories of other people bring me to different worlds and widens my perspective. These constantly make me realize how good and beautiful life is and that, always makes me happy. :)