After proving his mettle in the world of professional direct marketing, this fast-food-crew-member-turned-entrepreneur is now sharing his secrets to inspire others.
An entrepreneur and salesman at heart, Billy dela Fuente – who was USANA Health Sciences’ top income earner in the Philippines from 2013 to 2019 and its youngest “Million Dollar Club” earner – believes in professionalizing direct marketing, not just as a corporate sales strategy for wider distribution of products, but also as an opportunity for enterprising Filipinos to make the most of their talents.
It is for this reason that Billy and wife Josephine established XTRM 1-11 (pronounced “Extreme One Eleven”) 13 years ago. The company, which is present in eight countries – namely the United States, Germany, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Italy – is reportedly comprised of more than 400,000 associates who sell USANA products to its growing number of customers.
As a business leader, he inspires fellow entrepreneurs by going beyond selling. He helps them understand their purpose and guides them on how to find success in both their careers and personal lives. “Everyone has the potential to succeed. The challenge is how to turn that potential energy into kinetic energy,” says, Billy who wears his humble beginnings like a badge to this day.
“Earning money is different from managing money,” he further shares. “You have to know both to achieve your personal ambitions.”
A rebel, a waiter and an engineering student
The third among the four siblings, Billy’s father was an entrepreneur who made money selling chemical supplies. This business meant that the Dela Fuentes were constantly moving across the country. Billy hopped from one school to another, until he entered the chemical engineering program at the University of Santos Tomas.
While in college, Billy witnessed his father’s business close down. As the family went bankrupt, he was asked to momentarily stop his schooling so that he could focus on selling soft drinks for a living. Disappointed, Billy rebelled. He packed up his things and left home, angry with the unwelcome turn of events.
“It was a difficult period in my life to be alone, broke, hungry, and trying to keep up with my academics. I remember being in debt with almost everyone I knew, and I even sold my SIM card for 50 pesos just to have something to eat on one particular day,” recalls Billy.
He found work as a waiter at a popular cake shop. It was there that he discovered his love for selling and interacting with people. He was so good at upselling cakes that he was frequently rewarded at the end of his shift. He was made a cashier as a result. From waiting tables as a working student, Billy says that he eventually entered modeling, before realizing that life in front of the cameras wasn’t for him.
In 2009, Billy and his then-girlfriend Josephine tied the knot. The two found success in direct selling for health and wellness brand USANA, where Billy became the Philippines’ first two-star diamond director (and eventually its first 10-star diamond director). His successive climb eventually reached Asia Pacific; for four years from 2011, he was among the 25 fastest-growing direct sellers in the region. For two consecutive years, Billy was also awarded as part of USANA’s Fortune 25, a recognition reserved to top global income earners. He was the first Filipino to be included in this group. In the U.S, Billy received the USANA True Health Ambassador Award, a recognition for associates who support USANA’s True Health Foundation through charity, service and promotion.
Paying it forward
An important ingredient to Billy’s success is his ability to form a great team. Having founded XTRM 1-11 in 2010, he, Josephine, and his core group of leaders expanded the organization internationally to nearly 400,000 associates. At one point, he enrolled the most number of direct associates to USANA in Asia Pacific.
Billy’s personality and outlook have made him a popular inspirational speaker, giving 60 talks each year before the pandemic. This record included speaking engagements in Mexico and South Korea, for 15,000 and 10,000 guests, respectively.
He has also founded and invested in several businesses, including a digital marketing agency called Infinitemedia Corp., and an IT company that provided automatic delivery systems for SMEs dubbed as an IT company that provided automatic delivery systems for SMEs, among others. He also invested in a food business (House of Bilao) and was a franchise store owner of a Technomarine shop in Uptown BGC.
“People often ask me: ‘How do you become driven?’ I acknowledge it can be difficult to push oneself. We are often drawn to settle and take the short route. One should learn or find out about their “Deep Why”. There will be a lot of tests and hardships ahead, but when you know the things that will push you to do greater things in life, you will become unstoppable.”
“Successful people are disciplined. They become winners through consistency,” he concludes.
