A Startup Founder Shares a Heartbreaking But Uplifting Story to Encourage Others to Pay it Forward

When it came time to pick a keynote speaker for the eighth anniversary event of Endeavor Philippines, the local chapter of the organization that provides access to a global network of successful and high-impact entrepreneurs, the organizing committee picked ER Rollan, co-founder and CEO of Growsari.

He’s a fine choice, for sure. In March this year, the company that helps sari-sari stores directly procure their goods digitally raised $77.5 million (about P4.5 billion) in a Series C funding round, which brought its total funds raised to $110 million (P6.4 billion). But even Rollan questioned why he was chosen to speak in front of some of the country’s biggest and most high-profile startup companies, venture capital firms, and traditional businesses.

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“But I was told my job here tonight is to inspire all of you to help pay it forward,” Rollan said during his speech, which capped off a night of festivities at the Ayala Museum on Wednesday (November 9). “So I’m going to tell you a story.”

ER's story

Rollan’s story began with a Filipino couple who both had cushy jobs and had a comfortable life in Singapore. But they soon decided to relocate back to the Philippines so the husband could start a business.

ER Rollan is the co-founder and CEO of Growsari 

Photo by Endeavor PH.

As anyone who has ever attempted to become an entrepreneur will tell you, the process wasn’t easy. After some time, it became evident that the business wasn’t taking off, and the couple started to wonder if they had made the right decision. Around the same time, they found out that the wife had become pregnant. During a routine check-up, they discovered that the fetus had complications: the skull did not fully close, and its brain was exposed. The doctors said the baby was “incompatible with life.” 

Understandably, the couple was upset, and most people they asked, including their close friends, believed it would be better if they aborted the baby. At one point, after asking another couple who went through a similar experience with their own baby how much it cost them in medical fees (P20 million), even the husband gave up and told his wife he didn’t want to have the baby anymore.

But the wife refused. Even after learning that the other couple’s baby only lived 11 months, she was determined to push through with the pregnancy and deliver her baby. The tension between the couple eventually led the husband to leave his wife and spiral down an emotional pit that included alcoholism, and an unfortunate, self-indulgent lifestyle. 

Eventually, the husband realized the error of his ways and tried to reconnect with his wife, who showed him nothing but a seemingly endless supply of patience and understanding. When he asked if she would ever take him back, her only condition was that they both attend mass together. He agreed and they reunited.

Their baby was eventually born and ended up living for 14 months before succumbing to an infection. Rollan flashed photos of the infant and it was evident everyone at the event was moved. 

Towards the end, Rollan revealed that he had actually been talking about himself and his own life. He said that his wife became pregnant again and he flashed a photo of his family today, showing the couple with a beautiful baby boy.

What success really means

“What does this story have to with this evening?” he asked. “In fact, what does this story have to do with anything?”

Rollan explained that he wanted everyone to realize that success isn’t just about the effort they put in, but the chances people are given when they least deserve it.  

“You are not successful accidentally or because you are m—magaling,” he said. “You are successful because someone gave you a chance you did not deserve. Someone gave you a chance you did not earn. And I want you to remember that time when someone gave you that chance. I want you to remember it the next time someone calls you up and asks for your advice, but you have five other meetings in your calendar. And it feels impossible to set up a coffee chat with that person.”

Photo by Endeavor PH.

Endeavor Philippines, which was set up in order to encourage and help entrepreneurs scale up and then pay it forward by mentoring and helping others, seeks out companies and founders that possess what co-founder and managing director Manny Ayala calls the 3Ms—magaling (skilled), matino (principled or ethical), and mapagbigay (generous).

“As an Endeavor entrepreneur, I’m supposed to be those three things,” Rollan said. “But I have not always been those three things. Maybe I started with magaling. The problem is if you’re magaling, you’re also mayabang. And masiba,” he laughed.   

“But I realized that for you to be matino and mapagbigay, you have to receive something,” he added. “And I think we can all agree that every single one of us here are recipients of undeserved love and undeserved support. And because of that, we have become matino and mapagbigay.

Earlier, Ayala talked about how much Endeavor has accomplished through the so-called multiplier effect—or how high-growth entrepreneurs that are part of the Endeavor network have committed to helping upstarts and newer entrepreneurs in order to transform industries and create entrepreneurial ecosystems. In other words, that success isn’t just measured by how big the company gets, but just how much of a positive impact it has made in others.

“So my prayer for this group is that, as we think about this ecosystem, this multiplier effect, before you can give an arrow to someone, there was an arrow that was given to you,” Rollan said. “Don't forget that. Because that's the only way you can continue to give arrows everywhere. I am hopeful that the next eight years are going to be nothing but continuous multiplier effect—business after business, entrepreneur after entrepreneur.”