Zerothreetwo Conversations: Interviews With The Creative Class

It's clear that one of the industries that will need to evolve immediately is food. So much about how we enjoy this industry falls directly against the social distancing mandate. Restaurants/cafes/bars/etc. tend to encourage people to crowd in small spaces. What can businesses in the food industry do to evolve in this new normal?   I talked to Meyan Lim Young, Creator and Managing Director of Bubble Tea Station and Cebu Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneur of The Year 2019. Considering the width of her business, she gave the many challenges of the new normal some thought. Her perspective proved valuable and helped set expectations while we don't have treatment or a vaccine yet for the virus.   In this episode, we talked about what to consider in the new normal, what to keep in mind for delivery services, financially surviving the pandemic, and milk tea vs the yogurt craze.   Enjoy the podcast.       SHOWNOTES Mozart Reina Doomsday Scenarios episode Italian Food Specialists   Where can people get Bubbletea 

One possible future brought about by this pandemic is a future of unemployment. It's a possible reality that no one wants to hear, but it's a very real thing for some people at this very moment. As a society, we should start thinking about the different measures to make sure these people have a semblance of normalcy. Part of that normalcy is making sure they eat.   Fortunately, I found the opportunity to talk to the face of The Rice Movement, Albert Padin, also the co-founder & CTO of Symph. The Rice Movement started as an initiative to help Filipinos survive as they stay home during lockdown, but it became clear that this need will continue well after lockdown. When industries will be forced to change, that change has many consequences.   In this episode, we talked about the reasons for unemployment, the need to feed people, the need to rethink the structure of our system, and how that restructuring can hopefully give people more jobs.         SHOWNOTES Streamyard Mozart Reina and Mark Cortes

Talking about the worst possible scenarios is not being negative. It's about being prepared for the worst, doing what you need to do to come out of it the best you can, knowing that you've done that work, and setting it aside to resume the rest of your life without having to worry.   Considering the little problem that the world is experiencing right now, I think it's only right to have an idea of the many issues that could possibly bubble up because of this pandemic. With that in mind, I rang up two of my very smart friends, Mozart Reina (my cousin actually) and Mark Cortes. Then we just riffed on what is the likely/unlikely things that could happen because of COVID-19.   In this episode, we talked about where we are now, the problem of feeding people, the state of banks, the medias role in all this, and the possibility of Universal Basic Income.   Enjoy the episode!   SHOWNOTES Italian Food Specialists Nassim Taleb Andrew Yang Joe Rogan   Where to find the guys? https://www.instagram.com/moza

The new normal is a real thing. There are going to be many things that we will have to rethink once total lockdown is over and while we wait for the vaccine. It's not going to be the same for a lot of people.   This is what I wanted to address when I talked to Doctor Claire and Pierre Mella. How would it affect the practice of the many doctors in Cebu? How do we adapt to the situation? Fortunately, I also had John Jay Yuvallos and Rich Arnold Tuadles on the call. They are the folks who created CloudMD and CloudPx. These applications will allow patients to get in touch with their doctors in a remote fashion.   In this episode, we talked about the current state of medicine, an introduction to telemedicine, how CloudPx can help, and what to expect in the new normal.   Enjoy the episode!             SHOWNOTES Doctor Pierre Mella Doctor Claire Mella John Jay Yuvallos Rich Arnold Tuadles Spine and Orthopaedics Cebu group practice CloudMD CloudPx Mayor Christina Frasco     Where can you find

Our future is more uncertain than ever. No one has an idea of what the next year is going to look like. A few things are certain - Covid 19 will be here a while, the vaccine is probably a year away, and we're all going to have to cope with this somehow.   This got me thinking. What about our kids? How can we expect to parent them in the next few months? I thought it would be a good idea to call one of my good friends, Jason Almendras, he was the first of my friends to have kids, so I was wondering what he has been up to, and how he has approached the "new normal".   In this episode, we talked about parenting in quarantine, homeschooling for the kids, what the future of school might look like, and a few funny stories about our chidren.   Enjoy the episode.         SHOWNOTES edmodo.com Bill Gates Stephanie Villarica Bill Simmons Jimmy Kimmel Life in Jars The Slow Mo Guys Ants Canada Khan Academy Casey Neistat Blue Cuevas   Where can you find Jason? https://www.instagram.com/jasonalmendr

  Considering what we are all going through, it's important to spend time with people you really care about. We're still fortunate to live in a time when we can easily access our friends and family through the internet.   I've never done so many video conferences in my life, but I'm happy they exist! I can't imagine what it must be like going through the world without connection right now.   In this episode, I hang out with my friends from Rescue a Hero. We talk about nothing in particular. Ok... Sometimes when you get us together, we have a tendency to talk about things that are a bit controversial. This is usually Mcoy's fault. But it makes for fun content.   Enjoy the episode.       SHOWNOTES Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Jeremie Lim Jason Almendras Winter Comes by Rescue a Hero Godzilla Resurgence Carlo Indoor training vlog Lessons from the Screenplay WhatCulture Comics Explained Bill Burr Binisaya Erik Tuban (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Wernher von Braun

These are uncertain times. We have to hold on for the long run. Best case scenario is that the Coronavirus quarantine will be lifted in a few weeks (although unlikely), but after quarantine, we will experience a culture of physical distancing. Who knows how long that will last? A vaccine is at least a year away so we will be living with this virus for a while. What kind of future does that look like? What to do?   This is something I wanted to talk about with my mastermind group, a peer group meeting where we discuss the progress, goals, learnings, etc. for our personal lives, careers, or businesses. This is a recording of our mastermind and how we are dealing with uncertainty. You will hear from Kahlil Corazo, Johnn Mendoza, Mark Cortez, Jonas Pacific, and Mozart Reina.   We talked about our fears, our plans, our strategies with dealing with an uncertain future because of Covid 19.   Hope all is well.     SHOWNOTES Johnn Mendoza Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Kahlil Corazo Jonas Pacif

This past year, I've noticed more and more people doing podcasts. It's great! The more the merrier. People realize that podcasts are a great medium for sharing thoughtful insights, learning directly from people and recording fun conversations.   This episode with Alphecca Perpetua was a fun one. She's the host of Podcast Historias - a comedy and interview podcast about music, arts, sciences, sex ed, and health. It's one of the most unique sounding podcasts out there. It may sound like there was an agenda, but really I was just happy to have her on and talk to her about whatever.   In this podcast we talked about radio in the 90's, looking ahead, radio vs. Podcast, reading the fine print, and being a creative.   Enjoy the episode!     SHOWNOTES Rescue a Hero (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Sefyla Cortz Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Paulo Varela (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Jessica Zafra Jeremie Lim Francis Brew This A

Quarantine can be tough, it is for me. Every time I've listened to this episode, it has put a smile on my face. So I thought it might be a good idea to rebroadcast it. You will not learn anything from this episode, but maybe it'll cheer you up.   Also Rescue a Hero might not be an active band anymore, but we've got something coming up. Secret announcement in the episode.   Cheers!     SHOWNOTES Room Eleven Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Jeremie Lim Carlo Villarica Jason Almendras Rescue A Hero Bethany Alphecca Carl Lopez at Hush Hush Bethany at Hush Hush Rescue A Hero at Hush Hush The Outpost Winter Comes by Rescue A Hero Ian Zafra Sandy Kiamko Sheila and the Insects Yellow by Coldplay Shak Mancao (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Mickey Llido To My Dearest by Rescue A Hero Steph Villarica Carlo Rodriguez (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Rage Against the Machine Magic the Gathering Blue Cuevas Mozart Reina Dance with me Kris Dim Faspitch Powers

Whenever we look at someone successful, there's a temptation to think, "I could do that." Or to say, "He just got lucky." Or to wonder why seemingly successful people fall into the usual traps that you would never fall into.   This was a surprising topic with my conversations with Job Penalosa aka Cookie$. Most people know him as a rapper with huge music hits - Bogo, Snatcher Rap, Beplop and countless others. He found plenty of success in his music career, but that success didn't come with a price. When he came back to Cebu and his music career shot up, he succumbed to the seven deadly sins. This hampered his ability to make music and to take full advantage of his opportunities. What did he do to regain focus?   In this episode we talked about how to handle fame, how music has a real impact, his work ethic, his origin story, and how he approaches writing music.   Enjoy the episode.             SHOWNOTES Atlanta Virus Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit Shuffled Drop Decay The Magic of Thinking Big

I had a whole other podcast planned for today, but considering that we are at a weird/pivotal juncture in human history, it didn't feel right to publish the usual interview.   So in this episode, I found the closest COVID-19 non-expert I could find, my wife Stephanie Villarica. She's tasked with keeping our little household happy and healthy. She's much better at keeping up with current events than me, I asked her to carve out time from her very busy schedule to have a conversation about the Coronavirus.   Hope this episode was helpful.   Where to find Steph? https://www.instagram.com/stepak/   Three ways to support the show: Become a Patreon subscriber, click here. Buy Zerothreetwo Merchandise at the Assembly Online Share this episode on social media. Music is Piano March by Audionautix  

There are an infinite number of aspects to deal with when running a small business, proof that it is an art in itself. One of the most important aspects is dealing with people. Dealing with customers is one thing, but what about the people who work with you. How do you motivate them to do their best everyday? How do you have them share the same passion? How do you share your why with them?   This was my main takeaway when talking to Chime Bell Osabel, one of the partners of Diet in a Box - a meal subscription box that caters to about 500 customers daily. They've managed to do that because the people in the company share the same purpose. If you can get people in your company to buy into what you are doing or what you want to achieve, then managing becomes so much easier.   In this episode, we talked about the origins of Diet in a Box, on making mistakes, on instilling purpose to the people who work with you, and growing because of purpose.   Enjoy the episode!   SHOWNOTES Room Eleven Ahmed Durano F

There are a ton of people who love music. Just go to any gig and you can find them there. But I haven't met many people who love watching shows like Jerros "Jai" Dolino.   Most people know Jai as an amazing drummer. Rightfully so. He's played for countless bands. I'm most familiar with the rock stuff like Urbandub, Sheila and the Insects, Read Between the Lions, and countless other bands. But what people don't realize is that Jai really loves going to gigs. Not to play, he loves watching gigs.   In this conversation, we talked about favorite moments of going to a gig, playing in a gig, having a life in music, the different music scenes, and listening habits today.   Enjoy the episode!         SHOWNOTES Life is a Video Game—Here are the Cheat Codes Joaquin Quino McWhinney (Big Mountain) Aaron Spears Caught Up Tony Royster Junx Muana (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Carlo Rodriguez (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Irie Sunday Sister

Prior to this interview, I did not have a sense of abstract art. I couldn't grasp the idea. As per all my podcast interviews, I was looking for a way to learn more about it.   When I first heard about Sio Montera, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk about abstract art. In this episode, it becomes clear quickly that I don't understand that kind of art. I wanted to learn more about it, I wanted to find a way to gain an appreciation for it. But after talking to Sio, I learned so much more than just the mere definition or history of abstract art. I learned about the questions artists need to ask themselves in order to have a long term career.   In this episode, we talked about getting a sense of flow while doing art, an understanding of abstract art, comparing art students today and yesterday, what top artists from Taiwan and the Philippines do, and a lot more.   Enjoy the episode.   SHOWNOTES Cebu Music Stories Forgetful Bob Dominic Dosdos National Commission for the Culture and the

Wellness.   That's a word that is thrown around a lot, but I really wanted to get to know what that really meant. Is it self care? Is it finding healthy habits? Is it  finding better ways to think? Is it finding practices that cultivate the mind, body, and soul?   I've always wanted to have a conversation about this. So when I saw that Kymberly Maitland-Smith opened Soul Sierra, a wellness and holistic hub, I knew she was the person to talk to. There have been many times that I've put too much focus on the day to day stresses of life, I've forgotten about what makes life worth living. How do we open ourselves to those experiences?   In this episode, we talked about the difference between mind, body, and soul, meditation, cacao ceremonies, veganism, vulnerability and her personal experience in discovering the world of wellness.   Enjoy this episode!   SHOWNOTES Happy Bday Steph Jon Ahmed Durano Kahlil Corazo Flowstate Food Inc. The Game Changers Cafe Georg Planet Vegis Wellness Land LiveLife Lun-ha

It's surprising how you can find parallels from two things that on the surface share nothing in common. But you never know what you can learn from other disciplines. This was never more true in this conversation.   This interview was surprising in many ways. First of all, I've never met Phil Bawasanta aka Philtomato, a talented and hard working artist. Phil drew parallels where I was not expecting it. We even talked a little about sports. But as expected, he was delightful.  In the episode, we talk about how to become a better artist, gestural art, when validation from others is useful, finding flow, and much more. Enjoy the episode.       SHOWNOTES Sakimichan Fred Moore Zeke Sullano (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) In Your Element RedHabagat Joe Rogan Bernie Sanders Joe Rogan interviews Bernie Sanders Gary Vaynerchuk Jiro Dreams of Sushi Norman Rockwell Alphonse Mucha Andy Warhol Jean-Michel Basquiat Bob Ross Shadman John Singer Sargent Kobe Bryant Old man and the Mermaid James Je

When I was a kid, I used to play a lot of video games. In fact, it was a problem, I couldn't focus on other things. It felt like the best way to waste time. It was so much fun, but at the back of my mind, I wasn't sure I was getting anything out of it.   Fast forward to today, video games is a real industry. There was even an Esports category in the recently concluded Sea Games. I was curious about this new industry so I talked to the Starcraft II Sea Games Manager, Jess Joaustine “Jack D Reaper” Tamboboy. He's been participating in this sport for years, as a gamer and as an organizer. So when the opportunity to take part as a manager for Team Sibol, it was a no brainer.   We talked about how he got that role, how gaming is today, and how to get those opportunities in Esports.   Enjoy the episode!     SHOWNOTES Junx Muana (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Rescue a Hero (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Paolo dela Victoria Room Eleven Gama

The Cebu Culture is one of the things I hold dear. It's not perfect, but there are so many individuals making our culture a better place. Of course, when we speak of culture, it's an umbrella term that speaks of many things.   As far as I'm concerned, Sir Junx Muana is one of the OG's in Cebu's cultural landscape. He's had a very important hand in Cebu's music scene. Backyard Studios made a name for itself by recording prominent bands and musicians like Urbandub, Franco, Max Surban, and many many more. He's also had a huge impact on the Cebu outdoor adventure scene. Everyone who has spent time in Cebu knows the brand Habagat - the original Cebu outdoor brand that has made it's mark all throughout the years.   Not many people can say they've had a hand in shaping two distinct aspects of Cebu life. So I was delighted to have Efren "Sir Junx" Muana in the podcast.   Enjoy the episode.       SHOWNOTES Habagat Sheila and the Insects Slapshock Max Surban Franco Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversation

You might be tired of reading this, but it's worth mentioning again and again, the main purpose of the podcast is to learn from other people. Especially those who have been in the creative trenches. That's why I've continued to reach out with the intention to learn something.   During my interview with Myka Arnado, it became clear that she thought a lot about her work. She's a graphic designer who has had the good fortune of working with notable clients. But was it really good fortune? Or was it a matter of figuring out ways to get her work and her name out there? Or was it about focusing on the craft of graphic design and becoming better? Likely a mixture of all these factors?   Let's see.   Enjoy the podcast!             SHOWNOTES Mark Cortes (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Carla Adlawan (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Music Makers Hack Lab Tropical Futures Forum (Zerothreetwo Conversations episode) Royal Club Shanghai Cebu Design Week Exhibition Siamese Rat Mark Deutsch (Ze

When I first started the podcast, it was an excellent avenue to help listeners learn from other people. Most of the interviews in the beginning were about trying to extract knowledge from guests, but later on, I realized that the podcast was a perfect way to share a piece of our history.   I approached my interview with Ceasar Nimor with the hope of learning something new about our culture. He was one of the original dancers of Sinulog, and on top of that, has dedicated much of his life to the study of Philippine folk dance. This allowed a unique perspective on the festival which we all know and love, Sinulog. I've always wondered how Sinulog started, what was the inspiration for it, and how our ancient traditions somehow melded into Filipino Catholicism.   In this episode, we talked about the origins of Sinulog, the stories of what the dance means, how our ancient traditions continue to show today, and how our culture is important.   Enjoy the episode!             SHOWNOTES Game Changers Fra