“Doubts, insecurities, fear, and a lot of adversities in every step. I don’t even remember how I managed to stay sane, then finally I’m here writing this in 2021,” Mark Nicdao shares for the #ZeroToRock Campaign.
Bulgari’s B.Zero1 line gets inspiration from its native Rome, just like all of its jewelry and watch collections. The rings, bracelets, and earrings embellished with pavé diamonds are modeled after Rome’s Colosseum.
The Colosseum is almost 2,000 years old and stands as the largest amphitheater globally; up to this day, the structure symbolizes power and genius. In line with the message of empowerment Bulgari aims to relay with this collection, the Italian jeweler taps Filipino talent to share their paths on social media for the #ZeroToRock online campaign.
Sought-after photographers Mark Nicdao and Shaira Luna, artists John Paul Duray and Yeo Kaa, and entrepreneurs Merlee Jayme and Inigo Dulay are the faces of #ZeroToRock as they share their anecdotes on their paths to success.
The stories of the six talents prove that everyone’s route to achieving their goals always looks different.
Practice and persevere
“Doubts, insecurities, fear, and a lot of adversities in every step. I don’t even remember how I managed to stay sane, then finally I’m here writing this in 2021,” Nicdao shares with a photo of himself 19 years ago, conflicted on what to do with his life after college. “Does this mean I’m admitting I am successful? I think I am.”
Nicdao continues writing about what success means to him. He says that it’s about celebrating even small victories like going to bed with no worries and the ability to manage anxieties at this stage of his life.
Luna also reminisces on the past as she reflects on where she is today. “I have been a photographer for the last 16 years and a wide-eyed daydreamer for thirty—collecting many stories in between,” the 35-year-old shared on her Instagram post. “But perhaps my most interesting story to tell is the one least expected from me: leaving the very safe and straight path that I had been on, to seek my own journey in the creative world.”
Although Luna experienced objections from her family to become creative, she persisted and shot assignments with beginner skills, from birthday parties to catalogs.
“A few years later, I discovered that I could really create images in addition to capturing them, and I think it was this realization that led me to the things I may be capable of now,” Luna adds.
She motivates her 198,000 Instagram followers to practice and persevere because when she looks back, she realizes that her journey was “definitely not smooth, but beautiful in its own way.”
Continual growth
“I couldn’t count the times I cried because I wasn’t great at painting. [I would] cry in front of my canvas because I couldn’t do the idea in my head. It’s very hard,” contemporary artist Yeo Kaa wrote in her post.
Sculpture artist John Paul Duray faced the same struggle as Kaa when bringing his artistic visions to life. “Back then, all I had were ideas and visions—no connections or resources,” Duray shares on Instagram.
Since both artists are now recognized in their fields, they’ve found ways to break through what once limited them. “I just paint what I want to, so even if other people don’t like it, I know I do,” says Kaa.
For John Paul, he insisted on honing his craft, and slowly, the artist produced a body of work that was showcased in galleries both locally and internationally.
Always learning
In the realm of business, entrepreneur Inigo Dulay and advertising executive Merlee Jayme strive to learn more to innovate.
“At work in the kitchen, I practice patience as I facilitate teamwork among my employees. Then I leave time for learning and innovation where I study and research on current trends to stay updated.,” says Inigo in his Instagram post in partnership with Bulgari.
Inigo defines success as the decisions and actions he makes that make up each day. “I always try to manage my time to make sure I get everything I need [to be done],” the 30-year-old shares. “In the mornings, I workout, which keeps me focused and driven. At work in the kitchen, I practice patience as I facilitate teamwork among my employees.”
For Jayme, the passion for doing more stems from her inability to “keep still.”
“I need to keep on moving, observing, learning, changing, and creating. Starting from ZERO, I’m always on the lookout for an opportunity, a possibility, or anything that can turn to magic,” the mom of four shares.
Jayme also talks about the long road from being a fresh college graduate to her current post as the COO for Asia Pacific of Dentsu International. “One day, I just decided to look for the right partners and found my very own small agency with a simple belief that creativity can save the world,” Jayme recalls. “As [a ‘chairmom’], I ate rejections, fears, disappointments for breakfast.”
Each personality relates their unique struggles, which eventually lead to success to Bulgari B.Zero1’s collection.
Nicdao writes, “just like the B.Zero1 Rock collection that is filled with edges, I’ve had my fair share of thumps too. But that doesn’t make life any less beautiful or me any less successful.”
Banner photo from @shairaluna on Instagram.
