Quina Baterna
Hello! I am Quina Baterna, Co-Founder of Tipsy Tales.
I'm a lover of life and new experiences. While I was initially trained to be a scientist as a scholar under my country's elite high school for gifted children, I chose to pursue a degree in Arts and Design upon [entering] the university. I had my first art exhibit in New York when I was 19.
In my quest to give back, I got involved with several non-profits such as 180 Degrees Consulting Philippines and the World Youth Alliance during my time in university. I made it a personal mission to help socially conscious organizations create a better impact.
After graduating, I became a Management Trainee under Globe Telecom (Philippine's leading telecommunications company) and helped connect Filipinos to the world. Then, I started my company, Tipsy Tales, an immersive experience startup designed to create and share experiences that bring people together.
To help fund my business, I worked freelance by helping create local brands, designing graphics for international clients, writing as a member of the press, and becoming a voice actress. Now, in my free time, I review boutique fitness studios across Southeast Asia, travel with my partner, and spend time with my cat, Grumpers.
Company Name: Tipsy Tales
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines
Operating since: 2018
Company Website: www.tipsytales.ph
Company Instagram: @tipsytales.ph
Tell us all about your company. What services do you offer?
Our company is called Tipsy Tales. It’s an immersive experience startup. We recently produced the Philippines’ first immersive theater and launched our pioneer production "Lambana: Immersive Folklore Experience". Lambana is an immersive theatrical experience set in 12 multi-sensory rooms across 4400 sqft. and the audience is taken on an adventure into the mythical world wherein they are the main characters. It runs 75 minutes and can be done either in English or Filipino. It is highly personalized to the audience members. Before even entering, the set is changed to have their names and cast learn about the audience. They are profiled both by their public persona and their interactions with our performers and get sent to different paths in the world. The endings of our experience also change depending on audience decisions.
Tell us a bit about your co-founder.
Wayne Yeang is my Co-Founder. He holds a Master of Engineering (MEng) Electrical and Electronics Engineering with Management. He was previously a Management Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group. We met during the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (2014) in Boston while we were university students representing our countries.
How did you get the idea or concept for your company? What was your mission at the outset? Was there anything in particular that inspired you to start at the time you did?
There was a moment when I thought my world was going to collapse because of a traumatizing incident of sexual assault. In my recovery, I found joy in the many new and exciting experiences in my travels across the world. It's now my life's mission to create and share more of these experiences and bring people together. I believe in creating moments that people look forward to, remember, and share with the people that matter the most to them.
Growing up, did you always intend to start your own company?
No, I had actually envisioned a career in foreign service or working with a non-profit. I realized though that there are many ways to serve the world and I've chosen to do so through creating entertainment.
How have your past personal & professional experiences helped you to run your company?
My experiences helped me gain an understanding of what people want to know about Filipino culture, how to work with a low budget, [and how to] be flexible and learn new skills fast.
What is the biggest personal/professional obstacle you've had to overcome?
One of my biggest professional obstacles [when I was starting] was that I was young and a woman. I started my company at 23 years old and my co-founder is a man, is older, and has a more established career in consulting. I was constantly underestimated and I needed to work harder and learn faster in almost every aspect of the business to perform. It is a challenge for which I'm grateful for because I feel that I am growing so much from the experience.
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success? If not, when will you?
I define my success by my ability to create things that bring people joy. I don't really count myself successful yet because I know my dreams are always bigger than myself and that I always have more work to do. I think it would be a beautiful thing to leave behind a legacy that reminds people that it's okay to find joy in the process of creating success and not be so caught up in its markers.
Have the women around you helped you to rise? How?
As a woman, I definitely feel like I had cards stacked against me as I started my entrepreneurial career. I have been very lucky to have had several women mentor me, both in my personal and professional lives. [They have helped in many ways], from supporting me through sharing [information] about my company and product, giving me one-on-one lectures on digital marketing, lending me equipment for maintaining our facilities when we couldn't afford to buy new ones, delaying billing so we could manage cashflow, giving me freelance work to help build my capital; to the non-tangible support of female friendships, watching my cat when I need to work long hours, and offering to help me clean up when I am too tired to do housework.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own company/organization?
Your dreams are always going to be bigger than you, so embrace the chaos, trust the process, and accept that you will never be enough for what you want to create. Becoming an entrepreneur is a humbling experience that is meant to make you grow, be a better version of yourself, and teach you how to ask for help.
Describe yourself in ONE word. Joyful
Complete this sentence: "To be a girl or woman today is..."
To embrace being the heroes of our own stories.
If you enjoyed reading about Quina Baterna, you can find out more about her at www.quinabaterna.com, and also follow her on Instagram & LinkedIn.