Lessons I Learned From Louie

He’s the man I wished I could become, when I was growing up.

My father’s father.  The patriarch of the family.

He provided for the family, knew how to take charge, and was able to rally people around him.

He gave us every opportunity to succeed.

He was never the type to preach, or to tell.  He taught by doing.

I’ll miss him.  He was such a role model to me.

And still is.

 

Don’t Discount The Wild Ideas.

Louie never told a lot of stories about himself to me, but other people sure did have a lot of stories about him, and how he started out and did business.

He made his first fortune after the war.  As an employee in his relatives’ distribution and trading company, he learned the basics of business, and got to know people and life-long friends.

How did he make his first fortune?  By taking surplus, secondhand, and discarded, but useful, stockings for women, filled up a whole container with it, and from the Philippines, sold it all in China.

Now, this might not seem such a spectacular move, but this was right after World War 2, where luxuries were in scarce supply, and people’s demand for them sky high.  He made a killing with the surplus and extras that the Americans and other donating entities brought into the Philippines.

Another story I remember, was that he actually thought up of the idea to package and sell bottled water.  In the 1980’s.  I’m not sure what happened and why he didn’t follow through on his idea.

But that just showed me how far ahead of his time he was, and how he saw opportunities, even though common logic flies against the face of that possible success.

He thought differently from his peers, and saw possibility and opportunity in the wild ideas.  As a young child, he encouraged me to think creatively, and to always keep on learning and experiencing new things.

Somehow, all those dots would connect, and lead you to better and better answers.

 

The Value of Learning

During the summer vacations as a young child, I’d actually join Louie to the office.

While he was working, he’d actually give me tasks to do, letters and papers to deliver, and messages to convey to the staff in the office.

I thought of that as a game.  And Louie made it fun for me.

He would buy me books, and then encourage me to read them and share what I learned.  He wanted me to speak to the other people at the office, and to find out what they were doing.

You learn best by practice.

You learn best by doing.

You learn from other people.

You make the effort to learn on your own.

He sent me to the different departments, and had me do what they were doing.  Had a taste of the different tasks and processes that made the company tick.

I learned very quickly that it took people to make a company come alive, and that it was important to communicate well with people.

He’d tell me to learn all that I can, and study well.  Even when he was mostly stuck to his bed, he was still urging me to study and learn.

Learn from experiences.  Even the smallest, simplest ones.

 

Generosity Builds Bridges

One defining trait I noticed with Louie, was that he was very generous.

He gave to charities and donated to worthy causes.  That wasn’t what impressed me, though.

What impressed me was how generous he was with his time and his money, especially to his family.

I felt, deep in his heart, he wanted a strong and united family, and he kept providing opportunities to do that.

He would have his sons, and their families, for dinner every Saturday.  For a long time.  Growing up, that Saturday dinner was a fixture on my schedule.  And Louie would look for us, and take attendance!

It was important to maintain and keep on building relationships.  Especially with family.

Climbing up to the summer capital, Baguio, was a summer tradition for him and the family, for a lot of my years growing up.  He was very generous, especially if it meant having the whole family together.

What also impressed me, was how generous he was to people he didn’t really know.

He would offer advice, and help connect people to people who would help them.  He was a member of socio-civic organizations, and an active member of his school’s alumni association.

And he would tip the waiter who would be serving us ahead of time, before we even ordered our meals at the restaurant.

He was generous with his smile, and his handshake.  He knew how to work the room.

It was like he knew everyone, and everyone liked him, in return.

He was very generous, and that generosity, attracted generosity from others, in return.

 

Have a Sense of Humor

This is one of Louie’s understated qualities, and one that I felt and saw, firsthand.

He lived through tough times and challenges, and didn’t exactly have everything laid out for him.

There were the ups and downs in business, as well as numerous personal and family dramas that came along the way.

Despite all of that, he still managed to face them with a sense of positivity.  That he also didn’t take himself too seriously.

Maybe I just saw this because I only got to know Louie when he was old and mature.  But I’d like to think that he had that same sense of humor, even when he was younger.

Besides, no one grows old with that kind of smile, if they didn’t smile a lot during their younger years.

 

His Legacy Lives On

Through what he has left, what he has done, and who he has touched and inspired.

You’ve left big shoes for us to fill, Louie.  We can only do our best.

Please continue to think of us, and pray for us wherever you are.

People might remember you as Louie, Aloysius, ATL, Sir, Boss, 101, or Mr. Lipio.

But I’ll always remember you as our beloved angkong.

I’ll miss you.

 

Who has made a big impact in your life, and how?  Please share in the comments below!