Modern Homemakers
Carmen Teves-Lhuillier: All Hopes Invested
Carmen Teves-Lhuillier counts her blessings amid a global pandemic, and in living through the experience, finds comfort in her most valuable assets—family and hope
Managing four businesses—Cala Laiya in Batangas, Camp Olli in Siargao, The Good Stuff by Karton in Alabang, and lifestyle brand Willow and Springs—kept the entrepreneur in Carmen busy pre-pandemic.
Unprecedented events of 2020, however, stirred the steady albeit packed schedule of the wife, businesswoman, and mother of two. She’s had to quickly lead a pivot not only for four businesses but an entire household as well. “Our life, just like everyone else’s, has changed drastically the past year,” admits Carmen. “It was a tough adjustment, but we were very aware that we had it easier than most people in the country and world.”
Time to change strategy!
Apart from pivoting business strategies, she and her husband Andre (Senior Executive Vice President of the P.J. Lhuillier Group of Companies) focused on creating an adapted home for children, Luc and Amelie. “We knew the pandemic was a scary time for not just us, but our children,” she explains. “They didn’t understand the full gravity of the situation, but they knew there was something off with this new life that we had to get used to. So with that in mind, we wanted to integrate stability and positivity in their lives.”
Yet even in the middle of citing the uncertainties involved, the consequential self-questioning, and the micro-anxieties of living through a pandemic, hope emerges from Carmen’s musings. “I felt like so much was happening, and it was beyond my control. But through this, I realized that we were so lucky to be able to stay at home with our family, to be able to work from home, to be able to have people who helped us, as well as having an amazing support group of friends and family.”
Looking towards a better world
There was one upswing, according to Carmen, that held the promise of better days for both entrepreneurs and heads of families. “I also saw that humanity was very much alive in the world, the way nations came together to help one another…I looked for the helpers and saw an endless number of them, even within our community. It was beautiful to see,” she recalls.
As a wife, businesswoman, and mother wholly invested in her family life, this was the only spark of hope she needed to keep everything together.
As seen on Modern Parenting: The 100 List Anniversary Print Issue available on OMG Newsstands on Lazada and Shopee. Digital copies are also available through Magzter, PressReader, Readly, and Zinio.
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