Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan

Master in Business Administration

MBA 212 – Development of Entrepreneur

Case Study: Brenda Galilee Rhodes, Sugarbeets Productions

CEO, Actress, Producer, and Mom

Submitted by:

Borres, Angel Nikito

Calubag, Arnel A.
Salud, Hanz

December 21, 2019

Submitted to:

Dr. Genalin G. Benavides

Professor
I. Point of View

The point of view of the case is Brenda Galilee Rhodes, a multi-talented mother of two
daughters who is currently a CEO of a start-up company, an actress, and a producer.

II. Statement of the Problem

Brenda’s capability of working with people and running a large business of 3000
employees has been his greatest achievement by far, but after deciding to pursue her dreams as
an actress, she sold Hall Kinion in 2004 and tried her acting skills. Now she’s building a new terrific
start-up company named InTouch Corporation, an educational and consulting company for sales
professionals, while also continuing in her career as an actress.

As a CEO, actress, producer, and more importantly a mother of two, how can she balance
her work-life activities without compromising any of her priorities?

III. Objectives

• Keep control of her life as she handles all her activities

• Manage her company without having to compromise her time with other matters

• Take care of her kids

IV. Areas of Consideration

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths:

• Strong interpersonal skills: being able to bring people to work together

• Very determined to surpass any challenge life has given to her

 • Great at handling start-ups
Weaknesses:

• Sold Hall Kinion and Associates, a start-up she created who had reached
a $300M revenue in less than 2 decades (1987 - 2004)

• Tight work-life schedule while seeing to it that her daughters are growing
up well taken care off.

• New startup companies would require hands-on supervision

Opportunities:

• Being the owner of the company means you are in control of your time.
You are your own boss.

• A steady stream of income from her startup company means she can still
do her passion as an actress/producer without having to worry too much
on keeping up with the educational and personal expenses her
daughters needs.

• With modern technology, her startup can make us of it to easier generate

Threats:

• At the age of 50, she might not be able to generate viewers for her
acting projects

• New startup company that already has a dense competition in the

market means she has to prove herself again in order to gain clients.

• The risk of losing touch with her daughters, having less time to bond
with them.
V. Alternative Courses of Action

• Set priorities and strictly follow them. Plan and do things in advance. Hire the
best employees who will supervise work when you are not there. Find bonding
Time with her kids. Be there for special moments. Make her kids her top priority.

• Sell her startup company and focus only on acting/producing while getting
complete hands on the needs of her daughters

• Disregard kids. Focus on work and acting/producing career. Her daughters are
old enough to take care of themselves.

VI. Recommendation

We recommend to follow the first course of action. Knowing how tight her schedule is,
balancing her time to all important matters requires a strict daily regimen that she needs to
follow. She should be able to have time management, plan things in advance. Aside from this,
she should hire the best people in her start-up who can work without much supervision. Most
importantly, spending time with her daughters is the most important matter above everything
else.

VII. Conclusion

"Sometimes you have to sink in order to understand what it means to rise. You must fall
apart to understand what it means when you are whole."

We’re raised to believe that some people are born for success while others are born for
failure. But the truth is, everyone is born for failure. And the people who learn how to win with
failure, get to enjoy success. Brenda's case is a story of redemption, a testimony of people who
rise from adversities without anything left to start with.
Discussion Questions:

1. What characteristics of the typical entrepreneur does Brenda Galilee Rhodes exhibit?

• Perseverance: Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in

achieving success.
• Determination: Firmness of purpose; resoluteness.
• Risk-Taker: Being able to discern in high-risk decision making using calculated
methods

2. What traits enable entrepreneurs to start companies when their lives are at a low point?

When entrepreneurs fail, they have the drive to strive even better, proving themselves
that they are capable of standing up again after falling down hard. In Brenda’s case, she lost his
father/business partner and was left with no choice but to step up for her daughters as they are
nearing bankruptcy.

3. Would you describe Rhodes as a success? Why?

“Pursuing dreams, walking thru fear, being nimble in the face of obstacles.” These are her
dominant traits that she wants to pass on to her kids. Yes, her story is an inspiration to everyone
who is starting a company, undergoing difficulties, or even planning to create one. From being
on the verge of bankruptcy, she managed to lift herself up out of the situation and become the
best person she can be both for her career and as a mother. Great people flourish in the face of
adversities, and she has proven to us that as humans as we are, we are also capable of turning
the tides. No problem can never be fixed as long as you have the right mindset to face it. What
doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

4. Develop at least three lessons about entrepreneurship (and life) that you can glean from
Rhodes' experiences.

• Never Surrender
• Find your passion
• Be the best that you can be!