The RJ Ledesma Podcast

Hosted by entrepreneur and bestselling author RJ Ledesma, this podcast interviews the Philippines’ top business minds. Learn startup strategies, growth hacks, and personal stories from leaders across industries. If you’re looking for a Filipino business podcast packed with insights, humor, and entrepreneurial inspiration — this is your playbook. Thanks for tuning in! You can help support our podcast by doing the following: TAP the FOLLOW button and NOTIFICATION BELL here on SPOTIFY! RATE this podcast with 5 STARS! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS via the Q&A and POLL via the SPOTIFY app! (Scroll down the Spotify app and find it there!) Follow us on social media: RJ Ledesma Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjledesmapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjledesmapodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therjledesmapodcast3542 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rj.ledesma?lang=en and The Pod Network on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepodnetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepodnetwork/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePodNetworkEntertainment Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_podnetwork If you're interested in collaborating with our podcast through brand partnerships, advertisements or other collabs, please send an email to our management: info@thepodnetwork.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 21H AGO

    From Founder Chaos to Business Clarity

    Many entrepreneurs build their companies with grit and instinct — a lot of “ready, fire, aim.” But as your business grows, that same energy can also create confusion, bottlenecks, and misalignment inside the team. In this episode of The RJ Ledesma Podcast, I sit down with my co-founder and wife Vanessa Pastor-Ledesma, and EOS Implementer Haraya Del Rosario Gust, founder of Satori Consulting, to talk about what it’s really like to bring the Entrepreneurial Operating System into our company, Mercato Centrale. Known as the country’s pioneering food market and incubation platform for small food entrepreneurs, Mercato has helped launch and grow hundreds of food businesses across the Philippines. But like many founder-led organizations, growth also brings complexity — and EOS is helping us create clearer vision, stronger accountability, and better execution across the team. Vanessa and I share candidly about the leadership challenges that surfaced as we began implementing EOS — from founder dynamics to decision-making tensions — and how its practical tools are helping us align the organization and scale more sustainably. Watch this episode of The RJ Ledesma Podcast to get an honest, behind-the-scenes look at what happens when founders commit to installing the right operating system for their business — and why that structure might be the key to turning entrepreneurial chaos into sustainable growth. For any collaboration, brand partnership, and campaign run inquiries, e-mail us at info@thepodnetwork.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 7m
  2. FEB 27

    From Potato Corner to Partner ng Bayan: What’s Next for Jose Magsaysay Jr.?

    What happens after you build one of the most iconic homegrown food brands in the country—and successfully exit? In this episode of The RJ Ledesma Podcast, I sit down with Jose “Jomag” Magsaysay Jr., best known as the co-founder of Potato Corner, the flavored-fries phenomenon that scaled across malls and global markets before its acquisition by the Shakey's Pizza Asia Ventures. But this conversation isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about reinvention. Today, Jomag has stepped into a new role—as “Partner ng Bayan”—helping entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses using the hard-earned lessons he learned from decades in the trenches. An award-winning entrepreneur and now Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Asian Institute of Management, he has also captured a new audience online through his widely shared Facebook series, Business As It Really Is—where he breaks down the raw, unfiltered truths of building companies, leading teams, and surviving the realities of entrepreneurship. If you’re an aspiring founder, a scaling entrepreneur, or someone navigating your own “what’s next” chapter, this episode is packed with battle-tested insights you won’t find in textbooks. This is Jomag like you’ve never heard him before—reflective, strategic, and deeply committed to building the next generation of Filipino businesses. Listen in. Because sometimes, the most important chapter comes after the exit. For any collaboration, brand partnership, and campaign run inquiries, e-mail us at info@thepodnetwork.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min
  3. FEB 16

    From Ancient Charts to Modern Strategy: Feng Shui, BaZi & Business in the Year of the Fire Horse

    As we head into the Year of the Fire Horse, I sat down with Sofia Relosa—a Philippines-based Feng Shui and Chinese metaphysics consultant known for combining tradition with a practical, results-focused approach for clients. Through her work, Sofia helps individuals and business owners align their environment and decisions using Feng Shui, BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny), and Qi Men Dun Jia—not as “lucky charm” superstition, but as tools for clarity, timing, and direction. We talk about how Feng Shui applies to business in a grounded way: how space affects momentum, focus, and flow—think layout, entrances, workstations, and the subtle “friction points” that can drain energy the same way messy systems drain a company. Sofia then connects that to BaZi, which reads your strengths and cycles like a personal operating manual, and Qi Men Dun Jia, a strategic timing framework often used to choose when to launch, negotiate, hire, or make big moves. Fire Horse energy is bold, fast, and volatile—great for growth, but unforgiving if you’re misaligned. If you’re planning expansions, pivots, or key decisions this year, this episode will give you a fresh lens on positioning + timing—the same fundamentals we already know matter in entrepreneurship, just viewed through a different (and surprisingly strategic) system #TheRJLedesmaPodcast #Entrepreneurship #FengShui #BaZi #QiMenDunJia #YearOfTheFireHorse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  4. FEB 12

    From Wedding Planner to Industry Builder: How Kutchie Zaldarriaga Turned Passion into a Platform

    On this episode of the RJ Ledesma Podcast, I sit down with one of the most respected names in the Philippine wedding industry — Kutchie Zaldarriaga, founder of Getting Married Bridal Fair and the force behind Getting Married Wedding Coordinators & Event Planners. What began as a passion for helping couples plan meaningful celebrations evolved into a full-scale enterprise that not only executes beautiful weddings, but also creates opportunities for hundreds of wedding entrepreneurs through one of the country’s most established bridal expos. In our conversation, Kutchie shares how she built credibility in a highly competitive industry, how she transformed her event planning expertise into a scalable business platform, and why the wedding space continues to offer strong opportunities for suppliers, creatives, and aspiring entrepreneurs. She also gives practical advice for soon-to-be-weds — especially on crafting a smooth, engaging reception program that truly reflects the couple. If you’re in the events industry, planning your wedding, or looking to build a niche business with real staying power, this episode is packed with insight from someone who didn’t just grow a brand — she helped shape an entire industry. 🎙 For any collaboration, brand partnership, and campaign run inquiries, e-mail us at info@thepodnetwork.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min
  5. FEB 3

    From Poverty to Property Developer: Renold Verano’s Rise

    Not all entrepreneurs are born into business families—some are born into struggle and choose to rise anyway. On the RJ Ledesma Podcast, I sat down with Renold Verano, President and CEO of InvestPHIL, whose journey from poverty to property development is both raw and deeply inspiring. Renold began his career as a real estate broker, learning the business the hard way—without a family enterprise to fall back on and with no formal business background. A History and Political Science graduate from UP, he learned through grit, experience, and relentless self-education. That hunger to grow eventually led him to earn a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, helping him turn instinct into strategy and hustle into systems. Today, InvestPHIL develops affordable single-family homes across Negros Occidental and Palawan, while entering its next growth phase with one of its newest projects now rising in Lipa—one of Southern Luzon’s fastest-growing cities. With around 50 housing units sold monthly, InvestPHIL is now one of the most active property developers being sold by Filipino Homes. This episode is a powerful reminder that where you start doesn’t have to define how far you go. 🎧 Catch this episode on the RJ Ledesma Podcast. For any collaboration, brand partnership, and campaign run inquiries, e-mail us at info@thepodnetwork.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min

About

Hosted by entrepreneur and bestselling author RJ Ledesma, this podcast interviews the Philippines’ top business minds. Learn startup strategies, growth hacks, and personal stories from leaders across industries. If you’re looking for a Filipino business podcast packed with insights, humor, and entrepreneurial inspiration — this is your playbook. Thanks for tuning in! You can help support our podcast by doing the following: TAP the FOLLOW button and NOTIFICATION BELL here on SPOTIFY! RATE this podcast with 5 STARS! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS via the Q&A and POLL via the SPOTIFY app! (Scroll down the Spotify app and find it there!) Follow us on social media: RJ Ledesma Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjledesmapodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjledesmapodcast/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therjledesmapodcast3542 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rj.ledesma?lang=en and The Pod Network on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepodnetwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepodnetwork/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePodNetworkEntertainment Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_podnetwork If you're interested in collaborating with our podcast through brand partnerships, advertisements or other collabs, please send an email to our management: info@thepodnetwork.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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