Fernando Academia Jr., CDMP, PCM

C&S Cabinets

Full Stack Marketer

Concertina Team

CIIT College of Arts and Technology Inc.

Instructor

Netcore Cloud

Customer Success Manager

TL;DR Digital Marketing

President & CEO

Brand30

Member

BorderBuddy

MoEngage Inc.

Autogrow

Marketing Strategist

Growth Blazers

Full Stack Marketer | Digital Marketing Instructor | Speaker/Trainer

Over the last decade, I’ve worked across FinTech, E-commerce, and SaaS, helping businesses unlock the power of digital marketing and MarTech.

In 2020, I realized that the strategies and successes I’ve helped others achieve could be applied to my own ventures, allowing me to assist even more businesses in my own way.

I took action.

I joined masterminds and business groups, executed campaigns firsthand, and consulted as a marketing strategist and customer success expert. Through these experiences, I’ve built a growing community of professionals eager to learn and apply the strategies I’ve developed.

Now, I’m preparing to launch my newsletter, Future-Forward Marketing, where I’ll be sharing actionable insights that have fueled my success.

My mission: To help you master the complexities of MarTech and digital marketing, turning them into powerful growth engines.

My results:

→ 10+ years of experience driving growth in FinTech, E-commerce, and SaaS
→ Managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, ensuring high retention and growth
→ Educator at CIIT Philippines, empowering the next generation of digital marketers
→ Preparing to launch Future-Forward Marketing, a newsletter packed with actionable insights and strategies

If you’re looking to build a robust, data-driven marketing strategy, I’m here to help.

I almost stiffed a taxi driver in #Vietnam.

Then he taught me one of the most valuable #business lesson of my life.

Here's what happened:

I landed in Hanoi for a trip. Took a taxi from the airport to my hotel.

We didn't talk much during the 30-minute ride.

Language barrier. Different worlds. Just two strangers sharing a car.

When we arrived, he didn't have change for my payment.

I hesitated for a moment.

Then something shifted.

I prayed silently and showed google translate, "Keep the change."

That's when everything changed.

He pulled out his phone. Opened Google Translate.

For the next 10-15 minutes, we had the most meaningful conversation.

About #family. About #dreams. About #life.

Despite the broken translation and scattered words, we connected.

As I stepped out, he looked me in the eye and said through the app:

"Good luck and good life to you, my friend."

That moment taught me something profound:

Generosity isn't about the money you give. It's about the door you open.

When you lead with trust and kindness, even strangers become allies.

When you choose #abundance over scarcity, the universe responds.

The extra money I gave him? 

It bought something priceless:

A reminder that human connection transcends language, culture, and circumstance.

And a lifetime’s worth of a lesson:

That true #wealth isn't measured by what you keep, but by what you're willing to give to a stranger who can do nothing for you in return.

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Helping Brands with Cutting-Edge MarTech & Customer Engagement Strategies that Drive Growth & Retention | Full-Stack Digital Marketing Consultant

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Just wrapped up my International Competetive #Strategy course, and here’s what I wish I’d known before:

Most companies think global growth is about opening more stores and shipping the same products everywhere. But the best brands—like Uniqlo—play a much smarter game.

Here’s what I learned about building a global brand that actually works:

1. Standardize the core, localize the details.

Keep your signature products and brand promise consistent, but adapt the details—like sizing, colors, and even fabrics—to fit local preferences.

This way, you stay true to your #brand but make it feel relevant everywhere.

2. #Partnerships and micro-influencers beat generic ads.

Instead of just buying billboards or hiring big celebrities, the winners team up with local designers, artists, and even wellness communities.

They use micro-influencer #marketing and user-generated content to build trust and real connections in each new market.

3. #Omnichannel is the new normal.

Don’t force a choice between physical stores and e-commerce.

The best brands blend both: stores double as showrooms and pickup points, while online channels use live-streaming and social commerce to reach new customers.This creates a seamless experience, no matter how people shop.

4. Local manufacturing isn’t just about saving money.

Here’s a non-obvious insight: the smartest brands can use local factories as “innovation labs.” They test new features or products tailored to local needs—like climate-specific fabrics or unique designs—and then scale what works globally.

Local manufacturing becomes a source of innovation, not just efficiency.

5. Build risk management into your strategy.

Global expansion comes with supply chain hiccups, regulatory surprises, and even IP risks. 

The best companies build in redundancy: multiple suppliers, backup distribution centers, and real-time data #systems.

They plan for what could go wrong, not just what they hope will go right.

Bottom line:

International expansion isn’t about being everywhere—it’s about being everywhere that matters, in a way that feels both local and consistent.

If you’re thinking about going global, ask yourself:

- Are you balancing global consistency with local flavor?
- Are you building real partnerships and leveraging digital marketing, not just buying attention?
- Are you using your supply chain for innovation, not just cost cuts?

Take it from someone who just finished the course: the brands that win are the ones that adapt relentlessly, learn fast, and never forget the power of local insight.

Most people #quit 50 steps too early.

Looking at this breathtaking view from Ha Long Bay, I'm reminded of why the hardest journeys often lead to the clearest perspectives.

2.5 hours on a bus from #Hanoi.
Another hour navigating the bay.
100+ flights of stairs carved into ancient rock.

Most people would have turned back.

But here's what I discovered at the top:

The effort wasn't just about reaching this cave.
It was about earning the right to see clearly.

When you're grinding in the trenches—whether it's your current role, building something new, or figuring out your next move—you lose perspective.

Everything feels urgent.
Every problem feels massive.
Every decision feels permanent.

But distance changes everything.

From up here, I could see:
• Paths I never knew existed
• Islands that looked impossible to reach from sea level
• Routes that only become visible from elevation

The same thing happens when you step away from your default mode:

Take that #sabbatical you've been postponing.
Have that conversation you've been avoiding.
Explore that #opportunity you've been dismissing.

Sometimes you need to climb 100 flights of stairs to realize:
• Your current situation isn't your only option
• What felt like a dead end was just a limited view
• The landscape is way bigger than your current vantage point

The best decisions I've made came after I stopped optimizing my current position and started seeing the entire terrain.

Clarity comes not from working harder within your constraints, but from climbing high enough to see beyond them.




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You know that feeling when your phone battery is at 1% and everything suddenly feels urgent?

That’s basically how our minds work when we’re stressed about decisions.

I was chatting with a friend yesterday about why some of my best life moves came after I stopped trying so hard to make them.

Like that time I was overthinking my career direction for months, creating mental maps that looked like spaghetti.

Then I ended up in #Hanoi for a week-long trip. Brought my laptop, fully planning to squeeze in work between exploring.

Spent the first few days lugging that thing around the Old Quarter like some kind of digital nomad wannabe. 😅

But plot twist: Telegram got banned while we were there. The rollout was happening that exact week, and suddenly half my work communications just… vanished.

👉Three days of being forced to leave the laptop at the hotel.

👉Three days of just wandering around Hanoi without the weight of “productivity” on my shoulders.

👉Watching locals play chess on tiny plastic stools, sipping coffee that costs less than my usual Starbucks.

That’s when it hit me.

Not some brilliant work strategy, but clarity on where my #career should actually be heading. 

It’s like everything slowed down enough—this momentary step back—that I finally got to see the bigger picture I’d been missing while staying so busy.

Here’s what I’ve learned: 
Urgency is often just anxiety wearing a business suit.

The decisions that feel like they need to be made RIGHT NOW? Usually don’t.

The ones that actually matter? They become crystal clear when you give your brain permission to chill.

So here’s my Sunday challenge for you:

Pick one thing you’ve been overthinking this week. Just one.

Now… do absolutely nothing about it today.

Watch a movie.
Take a nap.
Call your mom.
Reorganize that drawer that’s been bothering you for months.

Let your subconscious do the heavy lifting for once.

Trust me, the answer will still be there tomorrow. Probably clearer than ever.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is absolutely nothing at all. ✨

What’s one decision you’re giving yourself permission to pause on today?

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Photo by Nes Zeus Matias 
#SundayReflections #DecisionMaking #Mindfulness #Leadership #SometimesDoingNothingIsEverything

Just wrapped our Enterprise Risk Management presentation.
One more term left in my EMBA journey.

But tonight's Governance & Risk Management finale taught me something profound about decision-making.

Here are 3 takeaways that changed how I view risk:

𝟏. 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐞
We identified 15 risks for our digital lead generation project.
Traditional scoring would prioritize them by impact × likelihood.

But after playing with MarTech and AdTech for more than a decade.
I know that misses reality.

We added implementation complexity and ROI to our formula.

Result?

Some "high-risk" items dropped in priority because they were too complex to fix effectively.

𝐿𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑛: 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑘 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦.

𝟐. 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬
→ Our analysis revealed 5 risk clusters.
→ Budget overruns trigger ad spend issues.
→ SLA failures cascade into lead quality problems.
→ Personnel departures amplify everything.

We mapped these interdependencies.
Now we know which risks are lone wolves and which hunt together.

𝐿𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑛: 𝐹𝑖𝑥 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑠, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑠.

𝟑. 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
Our #1 risk (integration complexity) wasn't just severe.

It was a gateway risk.

Solving it would automatically reduce 40% of downstream risks.

We allocated 45% of our risk budget to Phase 1.
Front-loaded the hard stuff.

𝐿𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑛: 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑒𝑠.

Five terms down, one to go.

Every term-end output brings us closer to being more effective as executives, not just managers.

What's the most counterintuitive risk management lesson you've learned?

P.S. Thanks prof John Francis Diaz, PhD, RFP, CRMC for your patience in getting us through the ERM process.

P.P.S. Shoutout to LT1 for bringing this home 👊
Eir Antig Francis Tan Rhemal Tamboboy @Iris @Ocean


#EMBA2025 #RiskManagement #Leadership #ExecutiveEducation #LeadInspireTransform

Just wrapped up my final Fintech and Innovation class at AIM.

Walked in thinking #Fintech = payment apps.

Walked out with a completely different perspective.

Here's what changed my mind:

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲. It's about inclusion.
→32 million Filipinos are still unbanked.
That's not a tech problem.
That's a human problem that tech can solve.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬. It's immediate ROI.
→Fraudulent transaction detected? Stop it instantly.
→Customer behavior changes? Adjust #personalization in seconds.
→Risk pattern emerges? Intervene before losses compound.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭. Not just banks.

My classmates found applications in:
→ Manufacturing supply chains
→ Agricultural payments
→ Construction lending
→ Government transparency

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?
Customers don't need banks.

They need financial services.

Whoever delivers those services best wins.
Regardless of whether they're a startup or a century-old institution.

Three months ago, I saw Fintech as disruptive #technology.
Today, I see it as #inclusive #innovation.

The future belongs to those who use technology to serve everyone. Not just the already-served.

Technology becomes transformative when it reaches those who need it most.

Grateful to Professor Jose Vicente Camus for challenging our assumptions and expanding our understanding of what's possible when finance meets innovation. Including a more thorough appreciation of #blockchain and #AI

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#LeadInspireTransform #LifeAtAIM


P.S. If you can't find me in the photo, I'm on-screen, second row attending this class online. :))

Group photo of EMBA students with Professor Jose Vicente L. Camus after completing their final Fintech and Innovation class at Asian Institute of Management. Students and professor are smiling and gathered together in a classroom setting, celebrating the completion of their course on financial technology and its applications across various industries.

5 hours early to the airport.

Check-in counters still closed.

We’re clearly way too early.

Then it happened.

Someone started shouting at us, angrily pointing toward some makeshift line we apparently missed.

Classic amygdala hijack.

Their brain’s alarm system fired.
Logic went offline.
Emotion took the wheel.

Here’s what I learned watching this unfold:
In high-stress moments, we have 3 choices:
• React from emotion (most people)
• Pause and respond strategically (effective leaders)
• Help others regulate their emotions (exceptional leaders)

The person shouting? They chose option 1.
Their stress became everyone else’s stress.

As leaders, we face “airport moments” daily:
• Tight deadlines
• System failures
• Difficult conversations
• Unexpected changes

The question isn’t whether stress will hit.
It’s how we’ll respond when it does.

My framework for staying strategic under pressure:
	1.	Notice the emotional surge
	2.	Breathe for 6 seconds (gives prefrontal cortex time to engage)
	3.	Ask “What outcome do I actually want here?”
	4.	Respond from strategy, not emotion

The most successful executives I know?
+They’ve mastered this sequence.
+They turn chaos into clarity.
+Pressure into performance.

Leadership isn’t about avoiding the storm—it’s about keeping your compass steady while others lose their way.

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