Alberto Prias (most commonly referred to as Albie) is a classically trained Interior Designer yet a very Contemporary Stylist. Educated in fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas, Albert received Cum Laude Honors and the Manuel Quezon Presidential Award for Leadership – he is currently working as a TAFE teacher and Assessor at the Design center in Enmore as well as a Design Consultant at the Coco Republic. He boasts a long, and impressive resume.
In the past, Albert has worked with many different companies. This impressive resume includes designing for the King and his son Mohammad Bin Fahad, designing various retail shops and Residences in Sydney, including Golden Globe Travel, Bhajune Hair & Makeup, and Mama Lor Restaurant as well as producing, managing, and directing large local and international shows including plays, talent searches, modeling, beauty pageants, and fashion runway shows such as the Rocky Gathercole show in Sydney.
Albert’s many different career successes come from his many talents. He’s a successful emcee, singer, and dancer. In addition to these talents, he can also create performance choreography and admirable paintings and sketches – he is no doubt a Jack of All Trades.
Besides his many accomplishments in life, there is so much more to him than meets the eye. Albert has proven himself to be a talented and caring individual by participating in countless community organizations. Most impressively, he is the Managing Director of FLAGCOM & Friends, a well-recognized and award-winning Gay & Lesbian advocate group. He is also a high-ranking member of the Alliance of Philippine Community Organizations, a consistent promoter of the Department of Philippine Tourism and Philippine Consulate as well as the Aids Council of Australia. He even uses his talents to help different community and charity organizations create, plan, and manage their fundraising events so that they may further their missions and their community outreach.
Albert is no doubt driven by strong ties to his community. He is moved by passion, the happiness of, and an undying love of the Filipino community, no matter where they are in the world. All of his community outreach work is done around a very busy working schedule. He says, “It is an honour to share my talents and time to help others, in spite of my very busy schedule at work.” True love and dedication will never be stopped by work, and Albie proves that day in and day out. Working with the community is something Albert enjoys, in fact, he discovered that helping the community actually helped his business. “I get benefits like free advertisement. Having a number of skills that can help the community has helped my business continue to grow. Being popular in the community has given me a kind of “celebrity” status when I attend these different events.”
When it comes to running a successful business, Albert has one major tip: “Don’t become a slave to your business. You should enjoy your business and the things you need to do to make it succeed. If you can run your business with little to no partners, try and do that. Businesses often collapse when disagreements between partners arise. Keeping this tip in mind may save you time, trouble, and effort in the end.”
Finally, Albert wants future business leaders to consider a few things. He points out that it’s inevitable for you to make mistakes, but you just have to accept that that’s life and business. His biggest regret was not learning to invest when he was younger, as well as not getting his Ph.D. One of his biggest wishes is that he could have a body double so that he won’t need to turn down jobs or invitations. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible. Running a business comes with making sacrifices, and he believes that you need to decide what sacrifices you can live with. Finally, Albert would like to give a few pieces of advice. “Life is too short. Be happy. Make time to relax, unwind, and to thank God for your blessings. Be careful what you ask for, and make sure you only ask for what you can handle. Whether you’re an employee or a business owner, do your job well. Be your best. Be proactive. Allot time to learn new skills, learn from your mistakes, and finally, focus on the positives in life.”
