5 Things Martine Ho Learned In Pursuing Her Passions

5 Things Martine Ho Learned In Pursuing Her Passions

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Martine Ho is a woman who needs no further introduction. Coming from a family of artists and creative individuals, it was only natural that Martine pursues a creative path of her own. Her bright and innovative mind lights up the beauty and fashion landscape of the Philippines.

As the Creative Director of the Sunnies brand, which includes Sunnies Studios, Sunnies Face, Sunnies Specs, and Sunnies Cafe, Martine is indeed a visionary. But building a lifestyle brand from the ground up is no easy feat and Martine recognizes this. This month, MEGA puts the spotlight on this trailblazer and creator as she shares the important lessons she learned in her creative journey.

Do the actual work

Six years ago, Martine and her partners had a vision. That is to create a local brand that they can take to the global stage. Keeping in mind this vision, they created cool and fun products that are accessible to Filipinos. The brand identity of Sunnies has seamlessly crossed over from different product formats: sunnies, specs, café, and even beauty. This can be attributed to Martine’s creative vision who has been hands on since day one.

She prides herself in being hands on with every execution of the brand. She constantly sketches up graphics, finalizes the logo after dozens of iterations, and always checks up with her team. Martine recalls how she was present during the set-up of their kiosks during the first year of Sunnies –being in charge of visual merchandising and aligning with the store renders. “You never forget where you started, and I think that is one of the most valuable advice of business anyone has ever given me.”

Build your A-Team

Martine knows that creating something amazing requires a collective effort from individuals who share the same vision and passions. She surrounds herself with a team that brings out her passions and she can proudly work with. “Nothing makes me feel more proud than working with such an amazing team—seeing how they grow and learning from them,” she explains without hesitation.

Connecting with her team is paramount, becoming more convenient and accessible through the Galaxy S10. Martine’s favorite part of the phone is the camera. “I’m always snapping stuff and sending photos of things that I think are cool to my team,” she said. If she wants to produce quick, beautiful content, she takes beautiful videos, edits them, and shares them through the phone. This collaborative mindset is something she sees vital for the success of any business woman or young creative in the industry looking to be innovators of the next generation.

Network with like minded people

Networking has had a bad connotation because it feels like a chore to some especially within the professional context. But the girl boss believes that this is an important skill to have especially for startups and entrepreneurs. The key is to be more intentional about building connections. “It’s about meeting people, expanding your social network, learning from a lot of different people, always being humble, and always being someone that people want to work with,” she adds.

Constantly exchanging contacts and congregating with multiple parties can get chaotic, but Martine remains confident in the Galaxy S10. “One of the biggest draws for me is that it’s great with the organization. If you’re starting out with your professional life, [this phone] is great; it’s very easy [to use].”

Know your values

Right from the start, Martine has always been clear about the role of Sunnies Face in the beauty industry. Part of the vision is to highlight a more inclusive definition of beauty to the global audience. This became the guiding light of the brand that lead to its successful launch back in August 2018. But Martine doesn’t intend to stop there. “The role that I hope to be in, and I think I’m there, is just continue creating and developing products that speak to women,” she shares.  

Find a reliable partner

No day is ever the same for Martine and that’s what makes it exciting for her. Even during crunch time, she’s confident that she’ll get the job done because she has another reliable partner she could count on which is the Samsung Galaxy S10. She recently flew to Miami for two weeks to shoot three different campaigns. She was able to test out the power of the camera during this hectic time. “In one of the shoots, we didn’t have a videographer available, so I pulled out the phone and we were able to shoot these incredible behind-the-scenes shots. It’s so crisp; the video quality is beautiful, ” she recalls.

Martine Ho is here to dominate the next generation of beauty and fashion. While the future looks mighty bright for this visionary, there is a greater thrill in the present. Clearly, Martine doesn’t have to wait because as it stands, her future is now.

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