Michelle Aguilon Buenaventura

Facing life with a new perspective

  By Nico Erle Ciriaco

Driven by varied and eclectic pursuits, Michelle is a woman of many hats. She’s a realtor, entrepreneur, model, pianist, and pet lover all rolled into one. She can accomplish any of the aforementioned with just a drop of a hat!

A self-made woman, Michelle started early on, doing the ropes of adulthood, even before being a debutante, by managing the family-owned enterprise, Fastbreak Auto Center, under the mentorship of his father. The said business was into buying/selling of American and European cars.

After gaining ample business acumen, Michelle transitioned into the highly competitive world of real estate business. And got herself to the topmost rung of the industry’s ladder after being named “Best Real Estate Broker" in 1999. Eight years later, she founded her own realty firm, M1.

With her realty firm in place, she diversified in 2011, into the luxury items business through her Net Ginza Ltd. undertaking, by supplying jewelries like diamonds, wristwatches, and high-end handbags to her clientele.

“When I’m passionate about something, I give it my one thousand per cent focus,” she confided. In 2013, she started a ‘build and sell’ venture with trusted construction companies like Mundo and Arellano One, among others. The following year, she launched a collection of sportscars in a fabulous car show.

A very driven entrepreneur, she stops at nothing and never wants to be left behind by others similarly situated. She’s always ahead of the race and of herself.

Aside from being a model, Michelle is also an accomplished pianist and aficionado of classical music. After finishing her third level in just ten months, she went on self-study and embarked in two recitals thereafter.

However, her many ventures took a downturn when the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in numerous quarantine protocols. The rentals from the commercial spaces she leased to her tenants started to dwindle until they started to close their businesses, one by one. The luxe items ventures followed suit, necessitating a new look in life.

“The pandemic changed the way I saw things. I realized materialism is not everything. It gave me time for my family as well as some needed introspection,” confessed the former socialite.

From realty and luxe brands, her passion was now channeled into her family and pets. Michelle acquired, with some friends, ten American bully (bulldog) species. The lovable canines now take most of her time, and are very well taken cared of in their kennel, Bulldoze Camp.

Family oriented to the core, the determined single mom is blessed with a brood of two: Jan Jeremiah (22) and Mia Chanelle (2). Her company name, M1, says everything in a capsule: Michelle has been and will always be No. 1!