When most kids were busy playing after school, Rejoice Ferrer was already learning how to sell.
Growing up in a family that successfully ran a business for more than five decades, her childhood looked very different from most. At eight years old, she was already helping her parents promote and market their products—long before she even understood that “marketing” was an industry of its own.
She didn’t know it yet, but those early experiences would define the rest of her professional life.
“I come from a family with a strong entrepreneurial background,” she says. “Helping my parents market our products at a young age ignited my passion for business.”
What began as simple exposure became the foundation of her confidence, communication skills, and instinct for understanding what customers want. As she grew older, she represented their business—locally and internationally—meeting businessmen from different industries and cultures. Those encounters sharpened her ability to negotiate, persuade, and build meaningful business relationships.
But everything changed during the pandemic.
Their family made the painful decision to close the business after more than 50 years. It was a turning point that forced her to rethink her direction. “Even in the face of adversity, we chose to adapt,” she says. Instead of viewing the closure as an ending, she treated it as a chance to rebuild—this time using new models, new opportunities, and new markets.
That mindset led her back to her other passion: education.
Today, Rejoice is a full-time Associate Professor, researcher, book author, and business mentor—careers she built through years of discipline and continuous learning. She pursued both her master’s and doctorate degrees, passed multiple professional examinations, and presented research in international conferences.
Her academic experience gave her the chance to integrate real-world business lessons into the classroom. What makes her stand out as an educator is her ability to break down theory using stories from her own journey—planning and staffing from real distribution operations, customer behavior from conversations she had during product expos, and strategy from firsthand experience dealing with market shifts.
“I guide my students by connecting theory with actual practice,” she explains. “Understanding consumer behavior and market demand is essential for long-term sustainability.”
But she also hasn’t abandoned her entrepreneurial instinct. Even after the family business closed, she and her family started exploring new passive income opportunities—this time aligned with today’s consumer trends. “It was challenging, but it was also full of growth,” she says.
Her philosophy on marketing today is straightforward: customer satisfaction is non-negotiable. She constantly reminds her students that in today’s competitive environment, customers aren’t just buying products—they’re buying the full experience. And the businesses that understand that will always win.
Technology, she says, is leveling the playing field, especially for small entrepreneurs. Digital payments, analytics, automation, and e-commerce give even new business owners the chance to compete with larger brands. But she is equally cautious about the pace of AI and automation, especially in fields that rely heavily on the human touch.
That’s where her Certified Marketing Professional (CMP) certification comes in. For her, it’s more than a title—it’s an affirmation that her years of experience align with global standards. The certification strengthened her credibility and gave her the confidence to handle major marketing subjects while mentoring future entrepreneurs.
Her advice to aspiring marketers is simple: stay hungry.
“The world is changing fast. Continuous learning, adaptability, and real market awareness are more important than ever.”
For someone who started selling at eight years old, rebuilt her path after losing a family legacy, and now shapes the next generation of business professionals—Rejoice Ferrer’s story proves that resilience, curiosity, and purpose-driven work can carry you through any season of change.
