The entertainment industry was among the many sectors that took a heavy blow when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. When the production of their shows was put on pause, Lovely Abella was one of the first celebrities to jump into the world of online live selling.
How Lovely got into live selling
During the media conference for the 25th anniversary of GMA-7's Bubble Gang, where Lovely is a mainstay, the mom of one shared with PEP.ph how she started to sell items online.
With the uncertainty of her job as a TV comedienne, Lovely knew that she can't afford to stop working as her family's breadwinner. Aside from her one child, Crisha Kaye, Lovely is also supporting her siblings.
"Breadwinner po ako, eh. So, hindi lang ang sarili namin ni Benj yung iniintindi ko. Marami kaming iniintindi," Lovely said.
Lovely started live selling to supplement her income during the pandemic. Little did she know this racket will totally change her life.
If you also got hooked watching live selling online, you'll know that thrift and pre-loved items are all the rage now. That posed a perfect opportunity for Lovely and she started banking on her connection of friends in show business to build her inventory.
"Gumawa ako ng paraan na makipag-usap sa ibang artista kung mayroon silang gamit na ipapabenta, pero hindi naman ako nagsasabi kung sinong artista 'yun, pero baka lang gusto nilang i-dispose yung gamit nila na ako yung magbebenta," Lovely shared.
Her perseverance paid off. With the help of live selling, Lovely and her husband, Benj Manalo, are now living in their three-story dream house. (Click here to read more about the couple's life achievement)
Having a go-getter attitude
The mompreneur admits that there were times when she would feel "hiya" every time she would reach out to other celebrities to ask for their pre-loved stuff. She would ask herself, 'Tama ba na gawin ko ito, na artista ako, pero I’m doing this?'
As a breadwinner, Lovely was able to easily burst these negative thoughts.
"Ang naging focus ko is kailangan naming mabuhay. Ang dami kong kapatid, ang daming naka-ano sa akin, na parang kailangan ang tulong ko. 'Yun ang inisip ko," Lovely told PEP.ph.
It was safe to say that apart from her products, a good internet connection, a go-getter attitude, there's one more thing that helped Lovely achieve success in live selling — "kapal ng mukha."
"Naniniwala po ako na minsan na ang mukha po natin kahit manipis, kumakapal pag kinakailangan. Ako po, makapal na po pero mas mukhang kumapal pa po lalo dahil po dito (live selling)," she said.
Lovely's story is proof that with hard work, support from family, and just the right amount of "kapal ng mukha," no dream is impossible.
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