To make it to the top, one must start from below. For 36-year old Wesley Tyrone Yap, running W-Industries as the head of the company also entails working as its salesman.
It’s an 8 to 5 job for Wesley, starting the day at the office followed by visits to his clients and checking on the job sites. Work extends to dinner meetings when required.
“I am the company President but at the end of the day, I consider myself very much a salesman,” said Wesley.
Running W-Industries
Established in 2011, W-Industries is a design and construction company. It specializes in interior finishing and fitouts, steel fabrication, aluminum cladding supply and installation, and visual display merchandising for commercial and residential applications.
The company has done projects for malls like SM and NCCC, mall-based stores like National Bookstore, 7-11, companies like Teleperformance, MTS and Mega Harbor.
Having all these brands and establishments in W-Industries’ roster of clients is quite impressive for a young company— and the list is growing. For all these projects, Wesley is grateful, most especially to NCCC Mall.
“I would like to say that the projects we did for NCCC best define what W-Industries can do. They gave W-Industries our first break. I will always be thankful that they gave the ‘little guy’ a shot,” confessed Wesley.
Relationships Are Important
Perhaps the other key to success this “little guy” employs is how he values relationships with clients.
“I deal with the company’s clients directly. Most of them become friends. Relationship is a top priority for me,” said the president-salesman, who takes charge of projects from sales pitch to after-sales service.
Respect is essential in making relationships work and for Wesley, being well groomed before a client counts as a very important element.
“How essential is grooming for me? Very. How you are and how you present yourself to anyone shows how you respect them. Plus, it does not hurt to look good,” he said as he flashed his winning smile.
Wesley runs to Rocky’s every three weeks for grooming, and when asked when he started patronizing Rocky’s, his reply was, “Holy cow. I can’t even remember exactly, but I know my suki barber was Toni in Victoria Plaza when it first opened, after which, I have Mario cutting my hair for several years now.”
“What I like about Rocky’s is the environment. All its shops are clean and simple, and I feel like I’m visiting a friend when I visit my barber.”
Bonding Time With His Son
The friendship between client and barber now involves his son, Kal-el (named after Superman). “Kal-el had his first haircut at Rocky’s. He goes regularly, too.”
Wesley admits that the visits to Rocky’s is also one of their bonding moments and somehow has become a tradition.
“Kal-el and I just shaved our heads together last summer. We were laughing the whole time,” the dad said.
Yes, for Wesley business is good but his greatest accomplishment is his being a father.
“I take my son with me as much as I can even on client calls or to meet up with my friends. I’d like him to experience new things first hand with me. Everyday is an adventure us.”
Wesley’s Definition of Adventure
On his personal adventures, “I am always up for anything that gets my adrenaline up. I have been blessed with friends who have crazy toys for big boys—fast cars and motorcycles. They let me join them all the time. I’ve started to learn to fly ultralight planes three years ago and working on a schedule to get in all my hours and be able to do my first solo.”
Wesley’s escapades best describe the essence of Rocky’s new fragrance, Adventure. Its scent perfectly embodies the young modern Rocky’s Man— daring, fresh and full of optimism. It bears a light and fresh citrus, woody marine fragrance with lime and bergamot for top notes, cedar wood for middle notes and grey amber and musk for base notes.
What would Wesley’s ultimate adventure be?
“I’ve always dreamt of flying a MiG 29 (a Russian fighter Jet). There is a tour offering trips to the edge of Russian airspace. It’s not cheap but I will have to work really hard to make this adventure happen,” said the adventurer.
Adventure perfume, from Rocky’s new fragrance line, is available in all Rocky’s Barbershops at Victoria Plaza, Abreeza Mall, GMall, SM City & SM Lanang Premier in Davao City, and Centrio Ayala Mall and SM City in Cagayan de Oro City.
[Information from Rocky’s Barbershop]
