MANILA, PHILIPPINES — More than just another business workshop, The Maude Method: Blueprint Sessions for Strategic Brand Growth proved to be a masterclass in clarity, identity, and vision. Held on June 30, 2025, at Launchgarage, the sold-out gathering convened business owners, creatives, and brand leaders for a day of high-level learning and unfiltered, founder-led dialogue.
Curated by boutique strategy agency Maude Labs, the one-day intensive fused data-driven brand strategy with creative intuition. But what truly set it apart was the depth of conversation and the intentional space it held, for participants to ask hard questions, rethink their brand foundations, and walk away with renewed direction (and refreshed professional headshots to match).
“It’s rare to attend a workshop where every question actually hits. I walked away with more clarity than I have in months,” said one participant, reflecting on the real-time mentoring and intimate breakout discussions.
The morning opened with Tin Santos, CEO of Maude Labs, whose decade-long background in digital marketing and global brand campaigns set the tone for a day rooted in strategy with heart. She shared the agency’s mission to build purpose-driven brands through mentorship, access, and community, reminding attendees that “strategy isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are when you lead.”
Next came Erika Aquino, global strategic advisor, angel investor, and co-author of Unreserved, who challenged the room to rethink personal branding as a business imperative, not an accessory. Drawing from her work with ventures such as Create & Cultivate, Cherub, and Gritty in Pink, Erika emphasized the power of leading with values and crafting a founder story that builds investor trust and global visibility.
“People who align with you, tend to just show up at your door and the opportunities come.” Erika shared during the first panel regarding authenticity, which sparked a powerful round of questions from women founders navigating pivots, rebrands, and product launches.
In the afternoon, Jay Fajardo, technopreneur and founding partner of Launchgarage, took the stage with a session focused on pitch precision—reminding guests that how you talk about your brand matters just as much as what you’ve built.
“If you can’t explain your startup or your business in two or three sentences, you don’t know what you’re doing and there’s a lot of people who are struggling with that.” Jay said, prompting heads to nod and notebooks to fill.
Capping off the day was Jared Dillinger, Let It Fly CEO and 9x PBA champion, who shared the hard truth about an athlete’s short career span—and why building your network early is key to lasting success beyond the game.
“As soon as you start playing sports, what people don’t talk about is the average shelf life of a professional athlete – for basketball it’s less than five years. So imagine you’ve spent your whole life preparing and training to be a pro-athlete where you only have a five-year runway and that’s it and you’re done, you’re off to the real world, and you have no experience because you’ve been doing your sport your whole life. So just utilizing being an athlete – starting as soon as you can and building your network [because] your network is your net worth.” Jared said this in reference to the short shelf life of athletes and the need to build your network early to prepare for life beyond sports.
Attendees also enjoyed curated moments throughout the day—from custom workbook sessions and Q&As to coffee by Let’s Meet Café and headshot portraits taken with intention. For many, it was the first time they’d paused to step back and look at themselves as the brand.
Those who completed the full session and post-event survey received exclusive tokens from Pili Ani, alongside gifts from sponsors Engkanto, Sip PH, Nutrifizz, Craft Planet, and Daredevil Media. The event was made even more special with support from media partners Metro Edit, Metro.Style, Try Local PH, and others.Maude Labs closed the day with a teaser for its next workshop, Polished and Powerful: The Art of Business Presence, happening on September 6 at Manila House, BGC.
