By his early 30s, Tommanny Tan had already done what many entrepreneurs dream of: run a business, earn comfortably, and enjoy time with his family. “I was semi-retired,” Tan recalls. “I had inherited my parents’ import and wholesale business and it was running smoothly. I was supplying to SM, Uniwide, Rustan’s—all sorts of products from toys to linens to hardware. Everything was on autopilot.”
His daily routine was far from stressful. “I was at home most of the time,” he says. “When I wake up, I just go to the next door and I’m already in the office. I tutored my kids, played with them, drove them to school. After that, I had nothing to do.”
He tried to fill the hours with errands. “One day I’d get a haircut, the next day a manicure, the next day a pedicure. I wouldn’t do them all at once so I’d still have something to do the next day,” he laughs. “That’s how bored I was.”
But that quiet life was disrupted when a former acquaintance from the real estate industry paid him a visit. She had worked in sales and remembered Tan from his property investments. Now, she was starting a direct-selling company and was looking for partners.
“She came to my warehouse, saw all the products I was supplying to major retailers, and said, ‘Tom, you’re my perfect partner,’” he recalls. The concept was simple: take his product inventory, create a catalog, and launch a direct-selling company.
Tan was skeptical. “Sabi ko, ‘Ano bang negosyo yan? I don’t have any idea about direct selling,’” he says. But her response stuck with him: “Tom, marami tayong matutulungang yumaman dito.”
Intrigued by the potential for impact, Tan attended the investors’ meeting. Everyone pledged capital—and to his surprise, he ended up being the largest investor. “Bigla akong naging chairman of the board,” he says. “I was the youngest. I must be the dumbest guy here. That’s why I became the majority shareholder.”
The company launched under the name Fern Incorporated, later expanding into iFern. But the first year and a half was rough. “After it started, parang one year and a half lang, ubos na yung capital,” he recalls. His partner decided to leave and suggested he take over if he still believed in the business.
Unsure of the next steps, Tan attended a seminar on network marketing. That seminar would change everything. “I came out with a realization,” he says. “I want to go out and make a difference in the world. Those who have more should share more.”
That moment reshaped his vision. He realized he had the capacity not only to earn but to empower others. “I had a lot, but I was only sharing it with my four kids. I needed to do more.”
From that point on, Tan dedicated himself fully to transforming Fern into a purpose-driven enterprise. Today, iFern is one of the country’s most successful direct-selling companies, offering health and wellness products and giving thousands of distributors a pathway to financial freedom.
For Tan, the real payoff wasn’t in profit—it was in helping others succeed. What began as a way to pass time in semi-retirement became a mission: to create wealth not just for himself, but for anyone willing to dream big and do the work.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
