It began decades ago with several pads of stickers bought from the Blue House, a tiny store just outside the premises of STEFTI.  Each pad came with one big sticker and several small stickers, which 6-year old Kyla would group according to size and design.

Scary First Try

With much trepidation, she began secretly selling these stickers to her friends and classmates, careful not to get caught by her teacher, whom she was so certain would scold her. Alas, one day her teacher found out about her side business and, much to her surprise, bought stickers from her too!

“She supported my little ‘business’ and also encouraged students from the other sections to buy from me,” Kyla recalls with a laugh. “With the stickers selling so fast, I had enough funds for capital for other school supplies like pencils, scented erasers, and pencil cases before I transferred to Cebu.”

The experience left such an indelible mark on Kyla, that even when she finally went into other more serious ventures, she points to this as her ‘first and most important business experience.’

“This was where my love for business started, and it’s all because I was surrounded by very supportive people who not only wished for my business to grow, but also supported and helped promote it.“

Role of STEFTI in Her Career

For this young entrepreneur, STEFTI played a great role in molding her to become what she is now.

“The STEFTI family encourages careers beyond that of the medical or legal field. On conversations about the future with other people, we would never hear anyone say “Go be an entrepreneur!” because that’s too risky and uncertain. But in STEFTI, that definitely is not the case. Back in school, we were taught to give our best shot and to bloom wherever we may be planted in Daddy God’s garden.”

As a leader in group activities back in high school, she was exposed to facilitating brainstorming sessions and producing collective solutions to problems.  She learned to be accountable at an early age.

“To be accountable  is essential in the world of business. While I still had so much to learn about becoming a leader, I was fortunate to be taught the basics and the unspoken responsibilities thereof. In that way, I was already a step closer towards the person I hoped to become.“

Birth of Dynatac Sports

Seven years after she graduated from STEFTI, and after she finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Ateneo de Manila University, she found herself slowly immersing into realities beyond the classroom.  She got lost a couple times— deciding whether or not to help out in her family business, go corporate, or build something that she could call her own.

“During the height of the pandemic, I found myself needing a pastel pink yoga mat for my home workouts. I’ve gone around Tacloban and Palo looking for a pastel pink yoga mat but I’d always go home empty-handed. Since shipping fees were so expensive during that time (around 300 pesos for one yoga mat), I took the risk of buying 20 yoga mats and selling them to close friends and family. In less than 10 minutes, they sold out. I started ordering more and selling more; Dynatac Sports was born.

As easy as stickers and scented erasers, right?“, she says, a wink to that pivotal experience in 1st Grade selling stickers to her STEFTI teacher and schoolmates.

Within a few months, Dynatac expanded its product list and started offering jump ropes, resistance bands, ATVs, and activewear. Six months later, Dynatac Sports garnered the title of being the sole authorized distributor of fitness supplements in Region VIII. A year after launching virtually, Dynatac Sports found a home on the second floor of Robinsons Place Tacloban.

Kyla also wears another hat as co-founder and Finance Director of The Virtualley, an online platform launched in 2020 that allows local businesses in Leyte to promote and sell their products safely amidst the pandemic. This year, they have widened their reach to accept merchants from Luzon and Mindanao.

Tips to Future Entrepreneurs

To students who would like to follow in her footsteps into the business world, she quotes one of her mentors:

“Don’t take your time. Plan ahead. Stay ahead.“

She adds, “This, too, has helped me throughout my entrepreneurial journey. It is brief, and far from the usual quotes we hear, yet is impactful. It is practical. It is one that demands action. It is one that is appropriate (to say the least) in this very competitive world. Don’t take your time. Plan ahead. Stay ahead. Your future self will thank you thereafter.”

Furthermore, she gave this as an advice to high school students: