Filipino Entrepreneur – Albert Tranquilino

I’m Albert Tranquilino, founder of Darcey Flowers. My journey started as a young 12 year-old, trying to make ends meet as a helper in a funeral and flower shop. I learned to make flower arrangements and fell in love with floral designing. When I moved to Dubai after college, I landed as a junior florist and salesman before venturing into business. My love for the craft has propelled me to build my own company, now Darcey Flowers.

As an entrepreneur, please explain what your business is about (what you provide, how you do it or how it works).

Darcey Flowers has been in the business for four years and, suffice to say, is becoming one of the leaders in premium and luxury flower delivery in the UAE. We take pride in providing our customers with world class service and top quality products. I have seen the growth of my company from having two employees to a strong and competent 32-man team today. I firmly believe that our passion and love for our work keep us pushing forward toward our goals.

What was the goal you have for your business? Did you see a need in the market to be addressed? Or was it a labor of love? What problem do you intend to solve?

Just like in any other businesses, we also set short and long term goals to know we are heading to the right direction. Taking the company to a higher level is always on top of the agenda. One of our goals is to open two new locations early next year.

What is a typical day in your life like as an entrepreneur?

My morning routine includes a workout before I head out for work. Setting priorities is what I do to manage my time. During the day, I’m occupied with finding effective ways to make sure we are always ahead of the game, enhance the business and at the same time connecting with my team members. My day ends with devoting quality time with my family.

What makes entrepreneur’s life different from that of an employee? What do you do differently and what sacrifices/compromises did you have to make?

Being an entrepreneur is a challenging endeavor. As an entrepreneur, you the liberty to do what you want, when you want and how you want to do it. You also have the opportunity to grow your business and make an impact on others in your community. I had to sacrifice many things and put a lot of time into my business. I also had to make compromises in the beginning, but that was just because I didn’t have the necessary resources. The sacrifices I made were worth it because now I am able to work on something that I am passionate about and enjoy every day.

What are some of the learnings you’ve had as an entrepreneur? What advice and wisdom can you share?

Think about what kind of business you want to start, what kind of work you want to do, and how much you are willing to put into it. Know what you are passionate about. It’s important to love what you do. I would advise them to be patient and persistent. It’s not easy to start a business, but it’s worth it in the end.

What are some of the things you do to manage being an entrepreneur? Do you rest, unwind, pursue a side hustle, etc. What keeps you motivated and moving forward?

When you’re feeling discouraged, try to focus on the good things in your life and do something that brings you joy.

What advice can you give to Filipinos looking to become entrepreneurs abroad?

As an entrepreneur, there are many challenges that you face. One of the most difficult ones is to find your niche, and there are many different ways to go about it. Ultimately, though, if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you need a lot of courage and patience in order for things to work out in the end.

What’s your hope for Filipinos as a business owner moving forward?

I hope that Filipinos will continue to work with excellence and prove that we can be at par with the rest of the world when it comes to world-class talents.

Filipinos have a reputation for being hard-working individuals. Let’s show that we are more than capable of doing great things.