This April, we’ve been following the story of our gorgeous Calyxta Girl, Amanda Fernandez. We’ve learned her rise from an awkward teen to a confident athlete – thanks to the sport that has become her life: football. We’ve seen her answer beauty questions, grace the advertising campaigns of top brands such as Globe, San Miguel and Lactezin (Myra-E) as well as watched her host sports shows for Solar and GAMEPLAN. Best of all, we’ve been inspired by her rollercoaster experience in building SPARTA, the indoor sports facility that is the fulfillment of her life-long dream to have her own football field.
Among all the facets that make up Amanda, being a sports woman and entrepreneur surface as the major factors that dominate her time. She starts her day usually at 10am (she hates waking up early – read our Play to Live story to learn more), eats breakfast, walks to SPARTA, works till 3 p.m., works out, showers, goes back to work, then plays football from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Because of this, we delved into one thing that she’s barely asked about: an active #girlboss.
Caught by surprise, Amanda tells Calyxta, “I’m happy you asked that. It’s interesting for not a lot of people ask me about my style as a boss. To be honest, I’m strict and particular – I want things done a certain way. But I always make sure that my team understands that I am not above them, and that without them I wouldn’t have a company to run.”
Speaking like a true leader, the CEO of SPARTA continues to explain her management style. She says, “Although I’m particular, I also allow my employees to deviate a bit. I want them to be confident enough to handle decisions without me. I believe that when you limit your crew, and you just want things to be the way you want it, then they’re never going to grow. They will learn how to follow instructions like a dog, and you don’t want that. I want to build a team. I don’t want to build a play pen of minions.”
To be able to develop a team of experts, Amanda makes sure she knows the people she works with and that they know she values them. She knows a lot of details about the SPARTAn employees, like what their parents are doing, or where their moms are at, down to the smallest things like the allergies of the sister of one of her staff.
She also tries to influence her team to get on board with her active lifestyle. “I encourage them to live healthier lifestyles, even in the littlest thing like monitoring their water intake. I tell them to drink at least 4 liters a day. Most of them are sickly because they don’t drink enough water,” she quips.
The stunning entrepreneur wraps up in sharing her business acumen with these words, “My grandfather who used to head Central Bank back in the day would always tell me, ‘You keep what you can defend’. So if you’ve dreamed of something, do your best to defend it, to chase after it. If you’re passionate [about] something – entrepreneurship, sports, anything – to the point that you’re obsessing about it, then you will get all the power to make it work. But, in the end, don’t be afraid to fail.”
Moving forward, Amanda sees herself in three years to finally enjoy the fruits of her hard labor, and free from the debts she incurred in financing her business. Aside from these fulfillments, “I’m still playing football. I’m still going to be in front of the camera, and still influencing people to live better quality of life,” she concludes.
Text by: SHERRY TENORIO
Photography: DIX PEREZ
Videography: TWO FOLD MEDIA
Makeup: JEFFREY CABRAL
Hair: RON ROS
Special Thanks to: FATWAVE SURF RESORT LA UNION & PINK SUGAR MAKEUP
Calyxta Spot: FATWAVE SURF RESORT
Tucked in the heart of the scenic town of San Juan in La Union, Fatwave SURF Resort is a wonderful haven for active lifestyle enthusiasts. A five-hour drive from Manila, beach-goers can enjoy the resort’s main offering: surfing the strong waves. What’s more, Fatwave SURF Resort is filled with groups of young men and women who find delight in lounging by the beach, enjoying a good swim, tanning under the sun, and just simply having fun. In its modest rooms, the sun-kissed visitors find retreat, while its bar and restaurant give ample choices for food and drinks.
Fatwave SURF Resort served as the stunning background to our cover story for Amanda Fernandez, the gorgeous Calyxta Girl for April 2017. Check out how we had fun at the resort in our stories and videos.
