Ep 381 - The Hustle Behind Dito CME
EPISODE INTRODUCTION
This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with Donald Lim, COO of DITO CME, to unpack his journey from selling lighting products in Binondo and cleaning toilets at Burger King to leading digital transformation across agencies, media giants, and the country’s third telco. From building Yehey in the early internet days to shaping strategy at ABS-CBN and beyond, Donald shares why humility, hunger, and hard work remain the real secret behind long-term success.
Ep Timeline:
00:00:00 – Intro: The father of Philippine digital media
00:04:00 – Growing up in Binondo: Family business and early hustle lessons
00:08:00 – Chinoy values: Frugality, savings, and business discipline
00:12:00 – Ateneo culture shock: Failing subjects and commuting grind
00:16:00 – Burger King beginnings: Operations, humility, and frontline learning
00:20:00 – Rising fast: Marketing insights from kitchen layouts to POS systems
00:24:00 – Philippine Daily Inquirer: Selling obituaries and job ads
00:28:00 – The call center boom: Turning recruitment into opportunity
00:32:00 – Entering digital: Yehey, early internet struggles, and selling websites
00:36:00 – Building IMMAP and partnering with global agencies
00:40:00 – ABS-CBN: Driving digital transformation and content innovation
00:44:00 – Leading multinational networks: Managing multiple agencies at scale
00:48:00 – Joining DITO CME: Taking on the third telco challenge
00:52:00 – Leadership philosophy: 3H – hardworking, hungry, humble
“There’s no secret to any success. It’s just simple hard work. It’s just simple humility. It’s really just doing the grind.”
Links/Sponsors:
OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/
Resources:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-patrick-lim-b359b52/
Website: https://ditocmeholdings.ph/
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