Jude Kennedy Fazon is the seventh of eight siblings. Growing up in a large family taught him the challenges of life, like having their electricity cut. Despite the difficulties, he learned to persevere and believe that nothing is impossible. His parents worked hard—his dad was a small contractor and fisherman, and his mom managed a hollow blocks business. Unfortunately, when three of his siblings went to college, their parents couldn’t afford it. To make ends meet, Jude sold ‘balut’ at night and drove a pedicab on weekends. Eventually, his parents closed their business and turned to rice farming. After finishing college in 2013, Jude joined his brother’s construction business in Cebu City. He weathered challenges, started a family with his wife Danica, but the pandemic in 2020 forced them to close their business temporarily. To recover, he tried online ventures like selling computer-gaming chairs, but it didn’t work out. They also tried selling personalized tactical bags and beauty products, but those ventures faced challenges too. Despite these setbacks, Jude and Danica learned valuable lessons and decided to enter the food industry. Danica, familiar with Calbayog City’s ‘tinapa’ or smoked fish, saw a gap in the market in Cebu. In June 2021, with Php 50,000 and two employees, they started La Fazonita Tinapa, offering locally sourced smoked tinapa, mackerel, pompano, sardines, and labtingaw. Despite early struggles, they gained traction through social media. Jude joined a business program and became a supplier for a local resort, expanding their reach. In the past year and a half, Jude acquired equipment, implemented efficient systems, and established a physical store. With courage and dreams, Jude and Danica aim for La Fazonita to be the go-to smoked fish for consumers.