What if a problem you experienced on national television became the beginning of your business?

In Episode 12 of Beyond the Hustle, I sit down with Brian Gabriel Corella, creative professional, entrepreneur, and founder of The Maverick, a Filipino men's grooming brand built around one simple idea: Confidence Through Hair.

But The Maverick didn't start with a business plan.

It started with a problem.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Brian was a creative professional and freelancer. He also became a contestant on It's Showtime, one of the Philippines' most popular noontime shows.

Being in front of the cameras meant looking your best. But Brian couldn't find a hair styling product that gave him the look and hold he wanted.

So instead of simply looking for another product...

He decided to make one.

That simple problem eventually led to experimentation, product development, branding, and the birth of The Maverick.

What started with a personal need became a business, and Brian's creative background became an important part of building a brand that speaks to men's grooming, confidence, individuality, and self-expression.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Brian's journey from creative professional and freelancer to entrepreneur
• How becoming an It's Showtime contestant led to the hair problem that started The Maverick
• Why he decided to create his own hair styling product
• How a personal problem can become a business opportunity
• The early days of building The Maverick
• How creativity, design, and branding can become a competitive advantage in e-commerce
• The transition from working for clients to building something of your own
• What freelancers need to understand before making the leap into entrepreneurship
• Why a great product needs more than just good packaging
• Building a brand around identity, emotion, and community
• The meaning behind The Maverick's “Confidence Through Hair” philosophy
• The realities of running an e-commerce and consumer brand
• Lessons Brian learned from growing The Maverick
• And what creatives can learn from turning their skills and experiences into a business

Brian's story is a reminder that entrepreneurship doesn't always begin with a business idea.

Sometimes, it begins with a problem.

Sometimes it's simply:

“Why can't I find something that actually works?”

And sometimes, instead of waiting for someone else to solve it, you decide to solve it yourself.

A creative professional became a product builder.

A freelancer became an entrepreneur.

And a simple hair problem became the beginning of The Maverick.

If you're a freelancer, creative professional, designer, content creator, entrepreneur, e-commerce founder, or someone thinking about turning your skills into something of your own, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes, the next opportunity isn't something you find.

It's something you build.

The Maverick Philippines:
www.themaverick.ph

Show your support by liking, sharing, and subscribing! We'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from this conversation in the comments.

Follow me: @shansebastianty

For inquiries and guesting requests: podcast@shansebastian.com

Visit: www.shansebastian.com/podcast

#BrianGabrielCorella #TheMaverick #BeyondTheHustle #ItsShowtime #Entrepreneurship #Freelancing #CreativeEntrepreneur #Ecommerce #MensGrooming #FilipinoEntrepreneur #BrandBuilding #CreativeBusiness

Connect with Brian & The Maverick

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In Episode 11 of Beyond the Hustle, I sit down with Richard Pines — a young entrepreneur, CEO and founder, creative, filmmaker, and multipotentialite who built his career across technology, digital, and creative industries.

Today, Richard is the Managing Director of Web Powerhouse, an enterprise web development agency headquartered in Singapore and serving clients across Southeast Asia and internationally. He is also the Host & Founder of Filmmakers Connect, bringing together people from the filmmaking and creative community.

But Richard's journey to where he is today wasn't exactly a straight line.

At a young age, he became heavily involved in crypto, experienced significant losses, and took on investments for crypto projects that ultimately failed to deliver. The consequences were serious. He accumulated debt, faced immense pressure, and was even threatened with death by one of his investors.

Instead of running away from the problem, Richard decided to rebuild.

He discovered freelancing, worked relentlessly, learned how to land premium clients, and slowly used his skills and income to pay back what he owed.

That chapter eventually became the foundation for the entrepreneur he is today.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What really happened behind Richard's crypto journey and the losses that followed
• What it feels like to carry debt and face threats at such a young age
• The moment Richard realized he had to take responsibility and rebuild
• How freelancing became his way back from financial failure
• How he learned to attract and work with premium international clients
• The lessons he learned from failing people who trusted him
• Why failure early in life doesn't have to define your future
• How Richard built his way from freelancing into entrepreneurship
• Building an international web development business from Southeast Asia
• The realities of running an agency and serving global clients
• His journey from creative work and filmmaking to technology and business
• Why being a multipotentialite can be an advantage instead of a lack of focus
• The different interests, skills, and businesses that shaped Richard's career
• How young entrepreneurs can recover after making serious financial mistakes
• The importance of taking responsibility, rebuilding trust, and doing the work
• What it really takes to build wealth after you've experienced failure
• And why sometimes, the lowest point in your entrepreneurial journey can become the foundation for something much bigger

Richard's story is a reminder that your biggest failure doesn't have to become your final identity.

Sometimes, you have to lose your way before you figure out what you're actually capable of building.

And for people like Richard and me — multipotentialites who refuse to fit into just one box, the journey isn't always linear.

Sometimes, the different things you're interested in eventually connect into something bigger.

Today, Richard leads Web Powerhouse, an enterprise Webflow agency headquartered in Singapore and operating across Southeast Asia, while continuing to build communities and creative initiatives around filmmaking and digital work.

If you're a young entrepreneur, freelancer, creative, founder, filmmaker, agency owner, or multipotentialite trying to figure out your path — especially if you've experienced failure, debt, or a major setback — this episode is for you.

Connect with Richard Pines:

Instagram: @richardvisuals
LinkedIn: Richard Pines
Web Powerhouse: www.webpowerhouse.net

Connect With Us:

Show your support by liking, sharing, and subscribing! We'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from this conversation in the comments.

Follow me on social media: @shansebastianty

For inquiries and guesting requests: podcast@shansebatian.com

Visit: www.shansebastian.com/podcast

#RichardPines #BeyondTheHustle #YoungEntrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Crypto #Freelancing #AgencyOwner #WebDevelopment #Webflow #Multipotentialite #PersonalBranding

In Episode 10 of the podcast, I sit down with Cap Hernandez, The Sales Introvert — a sales coach, strategist, entrepreneur, and one of the Philippines’ notable voices in LinkedIn, personal branding, and sales.

But Cap’s story didn’t start with LinkedIn.

As a former HORECA sales leader at Unilever Philippines, Cap was once told, “You’re too quiet! How can you sell?” Instead of seeing introversion as a weakness, he turned it into his competitive advantage — developing a different approach to sales built around listening, authentic conversations, trust, and quiet confidence.

Today, Cap helps introverted founders, executives, and experts build their LinkedIn presence, create meaningful business relationships, and turn their personal brand into real revenue.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why being an introvert doesn't mean you can't be great at sales
• How Cap turned his quiet personality into a sales advantage
• The connection between LinkedIn, personal branding, and revenue
• Why founders need to build authority before they need more leads
• How to sell without becoming someone you're not
• The Silent Approach to LinkedIn and authentic selling
• How Cap went from zero speaking engagements in 2023 to 30+ in 2024
• Building a personal brand as an introverted entrepreneur
• Why meaningful conversations can be more powerful than aggressive selling
• How AI, automation, LinkedIn, and digital strategy are changing modern sales

Cap is also the author of Quiet Confidence, Silent Approach, and UnCapped Potential, and the creator of the Silent Approach: LinkedIn Mastery Workshop, which has been delivered across 22 batches and reached thousands of participants through workshops and community-led sessions.

If you're an introverted entrepreneur, freelancer, founder, sales professional, coach, consultant, or business owner who wants to use LinkedIn to build authority, generate conversations, and grow revenue — this episode is for you.

Connect with Cap Hernandez and learn more about his work through his social channels and platforms.

websites:Uncapped.asia

https://caphernandez.com/

socials:

FB: http://facebook.com/TheSalesIntrovert

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caphernandez/

Connect With Us:

Show your support by liking, sharing, and subscribing! We'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from this conversation in the comments.

Follow me on social media: @shansebastianty

For inquiries and guesting requests: podcast@shansebatian.com

Visit: www.shansebastian.com/podcast

#CapHernandez #TheSalesIntrovert #LinkedInPhilippines #LinkedInCoach #LinkedInMarketing #PersonalBranding #Sales #SalesCoach #IntrovertEntrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #LinkedInForBusiness #SilentApproach #QuietConfidence