Ep 357 - Carl Orale - The Hustle Behind Ticketnation Philippines
EPISODE INTRODUCTION
In this episode of Hustleshare, we explore the story of Carl Orale, a repeat founder and CEO of Ticket Nation Philippines—an innovative platform helping venues and event producers deliver seamless ticketing experiences. Carl takes us through his rollercoaster journey: from running his first internet café as a college student, to building a 50-person BPO, to enduring three bankruptcies—including a crushing collapse during the pandemic. He opens up about how his upbringing fueled his hustle, how gaming sparked his passion for tech and entrepreneurship, and the tough lessons learned from financial missteps, scaling too fast, and bearing the responsibility of dozens of employees. Most importantly, Carl shares how he found the grit to rise again—launching Ticket Nation in 2020 and generating over $1.4 million in ticket sales in under a year.
Episode Timeline:
[00:03:07] – Carl shares his current hustle: Ticket Nation Philippines
[00:08:32] – Lessons in discipline and resourcefulness from his parents
[00:14:21] – First pitch: convincing mom and sister to fund an internet café
[00:16:40] – Early wins & struggles: shop, cash flow, repairs
[00:19:05] – Hard lessons: family loans, repayment pressure, and rising costs
[00:24:54] – Entrepreneurship as a humbling teacher
[00:30:09] – Skipping social life but gaining independence
[00:34:24] – How the internet café grew from 20 to 50 units before closing
[00:41:14] – Entering ticketing through a VA role
[00:51:45] – First million earned at 20; delegation lessons
[01:01:18] – Joining The Final Pitch and over-leveraging before the pandemic
[01:05:09] – Depression and self-doubt after shutting down; moving back home
[01:11:05] – Finding grit to bounce back and rebuilding confidence
[01:15:39] – Recovery path: rebuilding through consulting & skills
[01:21:49] – Founding Ticket Nation in June 2020; selling $1.4M in 10 months
[01:25:35] – Going solo; training friends into programmers during the pandemic
[01:28:31] – Scaling Ticket Nation with 18 engineers; competitors soon copy the model
[01:31:27] – Key lessons: importance of investor relations, town halls, and startup culture
QUOTES
”When you hire someone, you’re not just responsible for them—you’re responsible for five people in their family who depend on that income.”– Carl Orale
CONNECT WITH CARL:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-angelo-orale/
Website: https://ticketnation.ph/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ticketnationphilippines/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ticketnationphofficial
X (Twitter): https://x.com/ticketnationph
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