When Bella TED-talked

Last week, I went to San Juan to listen to my youngest daughter, Bella, give a TED Talk.

- JOEY CONCEPCION

TED Talks are apparently a big thing in her generation. When before the topics would be confined to technology, entertainment and design (thus the TED), the topics now extend to anything under the sun, as long as it’s engaging, informative and insightful.

I watched Bella practice for a whole month to give the 12-minute talk to an audience made up of mostly young people like her. Needless to say, we were all very proud of her.

She was invited to speak about The Bazaar, a business she started with her friend Johan a few years ago. Bella always had an entrepreneurial streak, likely because she grew up surrounded by people who are in business. There’s her dear old Dad, her grandfather, her great-grandfather, her uncles and her cousins. When she was younger, she sold lemonade to neighbors and charged a toll for entry to the house. Of course, she’s come a long way since then. Like many in her age group, she’s mastered the digital world, sold merchandise on Shopee and built her own following on TikTok by creating Get Ready With Me (putting on makeup, putting outfits together, sharing her daily routine, etc.) videos. She’s earned her own money through brand collaborations and affiliate marketing. She joined her cousins in their Bon Voyage perfume business and today, she has transitioned from the online space to the world of brick-and-mortar popup bazaars.