Glutalipo makers Leo Ortiz and Jeff Tan exude ‘great thing about partnership’

TWO heads are higher than one, as an outdated adage says. This holds true in enterprise partnership.

Rising Dragon Magnificence & Wellness Buying and selling Corp. Founder and CEO Leo Ortiz and Co-owner Jeff Tan are among the many success tales of entrepreneurs-in-tandem which have made Glutalipo one of many formidable slimming and whitening manufacturers within the nation right now. However theirs is a enterprise fashioned past the same old settlement between two or extra people to hold on an entity as co-proprietors. They’re actual life companions.

The previous, who’s a nursing cum laude graduate, but unemployed after ending his research, ended up promoting magnificence and wellness merchandise. From becoming a member of a advertising and marketing group, he established his very personal enterprise JLo Normal Merchandise in 2013 that, ultimately, grew to become Rising Dragon in 2017. 

Eight months handed by, their paths had crossed when the previous met the latter by means of a courting app. Each coming from a six-year relationship heartbreak, they formally entered right into a romantic relationship. Initially, the couple continued with their chosen careers: Ortiz single-handedly ran his enterprise, as Tan labored as a advertising and marketing govt of Bellevue Lodge.

“Leo and I talked that we are going to by no means go into enterprise collectively for worry of preventing. However the pandemic occurred. So I had no selection however to go and do enterprise along with him. In order that’s the time we collaborated,” he instructed reporters in a current interview of their newly constructed property in Antipolo Metropolis. 

Describing himself as being “not the enterprise sort individual,” Tan was grateful and blissful that his associate didn’t assume twice to introduce him to his enterprise, which was striving again then.  

Together with his skilled background, he’s concerned into the branding, design and format of their merchandise, in addition to buying. Ortiz, however, is extra palms on the advertising and marketing facet of the enterprise. “It’s a blessing in disguise that it occurred as a result of each of our strengths blended nicely. Our collaboration made the corporate higher,” Tan mentioned.

Thriving enterprise

AKIN to its namesake legendary creature, Rising Dragon’s ascent was phenomenal as a maverick in detox drinks.

“We began the enterprise with the Glutalipo juice. Later, we launched the espresso and milk tea counterparts. Then, the remainder was historical past,” Tan recalled.

Rising the enterprise to what it’s right now isn’t like a stroll within the park, based on the originator. Ortiz conceded that he additionally had a share of challenges at a start-up part, particularly in relation to establishing the agency and constructing its credibility.

“Its arduous to introduce a product to the folks. So No. 1, in fact, is making certain the standard of the product. Second is elevating consciousness and advertising and marketing. Third, irrespective of what number of opponents you have got available in the market, don’t look left and proper, or be pressured. Give attention to rising the enterprise by sustaining high quality merchandise, good customer support, and good relationship with distributors and others,” the founder and CEO elaborated.

Doing so has made the Rising Dragon a market chief in direct promoting and distribution house. From its slimming drinks, its line up of merchandise expanded to incorporate skin-care merchandise (serum, lotion, underarm cream and soaps), in addition to glutathione and melatonin capsules, and so on. primarily focusing on the Class B or the working populace.

Upon discovering that there are some who desire a cheaper various, the corporate got here up with one other skincare model for the mass market—Lumina Glow By Magnificence Vault.

That is related however at a lower cost than the best-seller Magnificence Vault Rejuvenating Set, which incorporates a Kojic cleaning soap, toner, evening and morning lotions.  All these merchandise are produced for Rising Dragon in compounding and toll packing preparations with their associate with manufacturing crops in Quezon Metropolis and Marikina.

Alternative from disaster

UNLIKE most companies within the nation that have been briefly, if not completely, shut down through the Covid-19 disaster that hit the nation and the remainder of the world in early 2020, it boosted up their enterprise to better heights.

“We aren’t blissful that the pandemic occurred. However fortuitously, we benefited from it as a result of everyone at house has nothing to do. Everyone seems to be like very stagnant, in search of some methods to slim or tone down. By some means, it’s a blessing in disguise for us. Our gross sales elevated within the latter a part of 2020,” Tan shared. 

The well being disaster additionally had the corporate’s community of distributors and resellers peak to twenty,000. Amid the glut of competing manufacturers in its enterprise class, they now depend at kind of 5,000. 

Good factor their foray into the web commerce by means of social media platforms like TikTok and Fb, in addition to marketplaces Lazada and Shopee, to not point out their tapping of superstar endorsers and influencers, has Rising Dragon nonetheless managed to thrive amid competitors.

“We can not say that our gross sales is tremendous rising since we’re already well past our peak up to now current years. However it’s regular that we’re aiming to develop this yr and subsequent yr. Hopefully, double than final yr,” Ortiz bared. 

Past numbers, what’s bringing pleasure to the LGBTQIA+ couple in as far as their enterprise is anxious are the constructive phrases they obtain from the enterprising new era of millennials they encourage.

“The earlier endorsers that we now have, as an example, they obtained impressed with us to the purpose that once we requested them to resume their contract, they respectfully declined as a result of they’ve their plans of making their very own model. We’re blissful as a result of we additionally turn into as evangelists for different folks to turn into businessmen,” Tan mentioned.

Future plans

BULLISH on what lies forward of their enterprise post-pandemic, Ortiz revealed they plans to remain related and on par with others. 

“Our brief time period aim is to take care of our current customers and distributors. In fact, preserve the standard,” he mentioned, referring to merchandise within the pipeline in two to a few years time that embody a foaming face wash, cosmetics, and well being dietary supplements. 

“Lengthy-term, hopefully, we are able to accommodate extra and get many individuals conscious of our merchandise and enterprise mannequin and, on the similar time, increase overseas,” he added. 

In actual fact, the couple has simply gained a brand new distributorship proposal in Indonesia. Anticipating this to be a accomplished deal this yr, this can add to their present markets overseas equivalent to america, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. It is a new abroad location for the model. 

“Wherever we go to totally different locations [in these locations abroad], there are Filipino shops that cater Glutalipo. Similar to what the advertising and marketing marketing campaign that I do says, ‘It’s proudly Filipino for the world,’” Tan emphasised.

Domestically, the duo, additionally intend to create new manufacturers for Watsons and Mercury Drugstores in order the brand new breeds of Glutalipo will turn into obtainable to widespread cabinets or over-the-counter of such pharmacy-cum-convenience shops.

“We’ve been within the on-line world for like six years or longer. Widespread Filipinos, their concern is extra on pores and skin—pimples, melasma, darkish spots remover. So we’ll closely make investments extra on skincare and whitening merchandise as a result of these are the same old considerations of the Asian market,” he mentioned.

What’s extra, they need to diversify to different verticals like meals and actual property within the subsequent three to 5 years. Ortiz careworn: “Hopefully, we are able to enterprise into these industries sooner or later.”