Former gasoline boy turned millionaire: Reynaldo Carpio’s secret to success

 

Reynaldo Carpio has everything a person his age could want: a grand Monaco-inspired house, a collection of cars, and a real estate company of his own. Life, however, has not always been this kind for the successful businessman. Rey actually started out as a farmer, a parlor sweeper, a gasoline boy, and a car mechanic.

 

What is the reason behind his success?

 

Starting small

 

Rey’s road to success started when he went to Manila to pursue a degree in Engineering. Coming from a family of farmers, he thought that his financial needs must not be shouldered entirely by his parents. To make ends meet, he became a working student. He helped out in his uncle’s upholstery business and slept under the stairs of his aunt’s salon.

 

“Pagka may pumapanhik doon sa hagdanan, medyo may pumapatak pa na mga dumi,” he said. “Ang sabi ko parang taliwas ito sa aking naririnig. So nangarap ako na hindi ito ang gustong buhay ko.”

 

With a clear goal in mind, Rey strived to do everything he could to overcome poverty. Unlike some who dream big and expect instant results, he did not hesitate to take menial jobs however low-paying those might be. For Rey, what mattered was that he would earn money to support himself and then learn something in the process.

 

“‘Yung mga [nasa] palengke doon, kinaibigan ko. Nagvo-volunteer ako na magtinda o kaya magkargador,” he said. “Ang punto lang, kailangan mong gumawa ng paraan at dumiskarte sa buhay para ika’y mabuhay sa Maynila.”

 

Eventually, one of Rey’s lawyer aunts saw how hardworking he was and offered him a job in their law office as a messenger. His classmates used to tell him that the job was irrelevant to what they were studying in school, but Rey thought it was a good learning experience.

 

“Engineering ‘yung kurso ko eh legal documents ito. Basa ako nang basa kahit hindi ko naiintindihan. Halimbawa, affidavit. Parang importante ito, ise-xerox ko. Pina-file ko.” he said. “Sabi ko, ‘yan ang nagbibigay sa akin ng pampa-aral kaya kahit irrelevant ‘yan, puwede na.”

 

The same philosophy convinced Rey to work in a gasoline station even after graduating and getting his license as a civil engineer. His reason is simple: “Nahihiya na akong humingi.”

 

Striking gold

 

Not long after, Rey got a job in a construction company that took him to Ilocos, where he spent three years as a surveyor. It was not until the company’s instrument man got sick that he got the chance to take on bigger responsibilities. His hard work did not go unnoticed as it only took him a year to get another promotion.

 

His experience in construction exposed Rey to the possibilities of opening his own business. His starting capital was small but he was no stranger to taking chances no matter how little its success rate might be.

“Wala naman akong balak mag-negosyo,” he said. “Nangahas ako. Kumuha ako ng forms, nag-fill up ako. Una kong ginamit ‘R.A. Carpio Construction.’ Wala naman akong pera. Five thousand lang.”

 

Once his business was registered, Rey started building doors, windows, and other smaller parts of houses. His first clients were his classmates from his graduate and doctorate classes.

 

“That time, nagsisimula pa lang sila, halos ako lahat gumagawa ng mga branches nila,” Rey explained. “‘Yung mga ka-eskwela kong mga bank manager, naire-refer nila ako na mangontrata ng mga branch expansion.”

At the age of 27, Rey earned his first million. From then on, he was able to expand his business and reap the fruits of his hard work.

 

Staying grounded

 

 

From being a gasoline boy, Rey is now the proud owner of a real estate company. The teenager who used to sleep under the stairs and work as a car mechanic now has a house and a collection of cars.

 

Even so, Rey believes that the people who work with him are the ones who keep him grounded. They serve as his motivation to work harder. “If I don’t work at nag-collapse ang organisasyon, maraming magugutom. Kaya patuloy akong nagsisikap na palakihin at palaguin pa para mas lalong marami pa ang matulungan.”

 

How can other messengers, car mechanics, and gasoline boys be like him?

 

“Hindi dapat nawawalan ng pag-asa. Ang kailangan lang ay ikaw ay mag-sipag, magsikap, mag-aral kung may pagkakataon. Habang ikaw ay kumikilos, ang Diyos naman ay hindi natutulog,” advised Rey. “Dumiskarte ka lang sa buhay mo, tiyak ‘yun magtatagumpay ka.”

 

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