Meet Michelle Pagtakhan | Founder, Visionary, & Philanthropist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Pagtakhan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risks is a part of the growing process. Many times we’re afraid of trying something new or outside the box fearing that we might fail or things are going to change. If we never took the chance, we may never know the greatness we have in ourselves.

I think when I was younger, I was very hesitant to take any risks, always taught to stay in the safe zone and to follow our peers. Then realizing that I would never be able to achieve my dreams if I didn’t just go for it. Taking a risk, whether I win or fail, the best part was at least I tried.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
You Run This Town Foundation is my labor of love. I volunteer at the foundation, and it’s my baby to see it grow. On a day to day basis, I oversee a marketing and real estate/hospitality portfolio.

What sets me apart and this might sound crazy, but I am blessed for a busy schedule. Besides giving my 100% at work, I give 100% to my foundation, and 100% to my family. I am most proud that I can wake up everyday, go to sleep everyday, no matter how tired I am and how busy life can be, I love what I do and the people that I work with, and always still find time to enjoy the moment.

It’s the risks, the failures, the judgements, that got me to where I am today. I always say, you have to fail 100 times to get that 1 success, and once you succeed, you found the formula to do it better each time. Running a business and organization is definitely not easy. It makes you become this mad scientist trying to find a clever way to put the pieces and team together to help make it happen.

What helped me overcome the challenges was to train my mind to keep trying and not giving up. If one avenue doesn’t work, let’s try a different route. As hard as it can be, I try to stay positive in my mind, soul, and attitude. Being around peers who keep you going, to tell you what you’re doing wrong, to listen, and to get me back on my feet. It takes a village.

I learned that you can’t always have it your way. It’s ok to sometimes fail and lose out on opportunities. Life’s not perfect and these are times you get to think back, own up to the mistakes and try again.

I would like the world to know that everything I’ve done up until now is from my heart, truly is. I put a lot of love in my work and give a lot of love to the people around me. When things go wrong, take a deep breath, smile and figure it out.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a fun question. If my best friend was in town for a day in the great city of Long Beach, this will be the best day ever!

Starting with:

– DimSum breakfast in Cerritos
– Visit the LB animal shelter to say hi to all the cute animals
– Rent a surrey bike at El Dorado Park
– Lunch at Ballest Point
– Kayak in Naples
– Drinks and snacks on 2nd St
– Haunted tour on the Queen Mary
– Shopping and ice cream at the Pike
– Steak dinner at 555 Restaurant

And the best thing about this day, is making memories, reminiscing about memories, and making each other laugh.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is to my Dream Team at the foundation. Martha, Esther, Naomi, all our Board Members & Advisors, and all my friends and family who believed in me and the foundation’s service to the community. Having the opportunity to work alongside such wonderful people, inside and out, has been amazing. This foundation is a team effort and everyone has contributed to making it the success it is today. We all learn and grow together with the foundation. And the best part is that we all work with our hearts.

Website: www.yrttf.org

Instagram: #yrttfla