NPF
Non-Prose Forms. Making the numbers do the talking: rebuilding information as tables, graphs, and figures instead of paragraphs, each one titled and labelled so a reader gets the point at a glance instead of hunting for it in a wall of text.
Career e-Portfolio · Entrepreneurial Communication · DLSU
A founder
learning to speak.
I did not come into this course to learn business. I came in already building one. I run Cabana Club, my events company, and WEEBIE, my marketing and web studio, while finishing my degree in Entrepreneurship at De La Salle University, where I earned the Silver Best Practicum Award. What I needed was the language to make it all land: in writing, and out loud. This is the record of that term.
Silver · Best Practicum
00
Show yourself · talk · move
The film
Three and a half minutes on camera: who I am, the lessons that changed how I communicate, and the proof of how far I have come. This is me doing exactly what the course taught me to do.
01
Conciseness · quality
Summary of every lesson
Six lessons, and where each one now lives in my real businesses.
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01
The 8 Cs of Effective Communication
A message only works when all eight are true at once: clear, complete, concise, concrete, considerate, correct, courteous, and coherent. Drop one and the reader misreads you.
How I apply it. Every WEEBIE proposal and client email now runs through the eight Cs before I hit send.
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02
Grice's Cooperative Principle
Conversation works because both sides cooperate, by four maxims: be exact (quantity), be truthful (quality), be relevant (relation), and be clear (manner).
How I apply it. It is the line between sounding confident and being trustworthy. I cite what I claim, stay on topic, and respect the reader's time.
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03
Business Storytelling · Kelly Parker
Facts and figures tell, but stories sell. Open with a problem and a pursuit, paint it in vivid imagery, then close with a call to action.
How I apply it. I stopped listing what a Cabana Club event includes and started telling the story of the night.
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04
Nonverbal Communication · Joe Navarro
Around eighty percent of communication is nonverbal and largely subconscious. You read clusters of cues, not a single gesture, and you influence people mostly without words.
How I apply it. How I stand and hold eye contact is part of every pitch. It is why I chose to be on camera here, not behind a document.
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05
Business Theories for Data Commentary
Naming the right framework turns a raw number into an insight: SWOT, the 4 Ps, break-even, Maslow, the Ansoff matrix, Porter's Five Forces, and more.
How I apply it. I can justify a decision to an investor in their own language. A revenue lift is product development on the Ansoff matrix, not just a good month.
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06
Social Media & Entrepreneurial Intention
Vesci, Crudele, Feola and Parente (2022) found that social media dependency genuinely raises entrepreneurial intention, mostly by shaping attitude and perceived control, not peer pressure.
How I apply it. Proof of why the platforms I build on actually matter, and practice at trusting real research over online opinion.
02
Completeness · quantity
Everything I made
Every output this term, individual and group. My contribution is called out on each.
Data Commentary
The partner to NPF. Once the data is on the page, the commentary reads it: saying what the figures mean and why, drawing a conclusion, and backing it with the right framework, from SWOT to the Ansoff matrix, so the numbers become an argument, not just a chart.
Self-Introduction & Pitch Video
I had to sell myself on camera: introduce who I am and pitch. It built my confidence, made me a clearer speaker, and taught me how to communicate with corporations.
Mock Cover Letter
My first ever cover letter. I never planned to apply for a job because I was building my own companies, so this made me put my own story into words.
Group Work · Quiz 1
My contribution. I brought ideas to the table, gave my time, and delivered every part that was assigned to me.
Panaderia Delight
My contribution. On our Panaderia Delight project I shared ideas, gave my time, and worked hard on my assigned parts to help the team deliver.
Communication Analysis
Analyzed a real Cabana Club merchant message against the 8 Cs and Grice's maxims. Read it in full below.
Read the reflectionVerbal & Nonverbal Cues
A Visual, Verbal, and Vocal self-analysis of my self-introduction video: what worked, what to improve, and my promises.
Read the reflectionThis e-Portfolio
Designed and built by me as a live website. The one piece that proves everything at once.
03
Coherence · relevance
Reflections on my growth
Two pieces where the learning became real: one written, one spoken.
Communication Analysis · a Cabana Club merchant message
"Clear, complete, and courteous gets results, even in a busy group chat."
Looking back at the communication experiences I have had, the one that stands out most is the communication I had to do during the planning of one of our Cabana Club events. I posted in our merchants' group chat because I wanted to let the participating brands know about my concern with the booth layout. I also offered a solution, suggesting a different booth position I thought would work better because of the foot traffic I believed would be more beneficial. I was one of the Cabana Club event organizers, and my focus was on the convenience of the merchants.
I think my message was clear and to the point. According to the 8 Cs of Effective Communication, I did a good job of making my concern clear. I accurately summed up the issue, especially for a busy group chat, because I was direct and polite and I considered the merchants' interests. My message was logical and made sense to them, which is also the point of the 8 Cs. One area I could improve is completeness: I could have offered a short summary of the relevant details and the possible outcomes.
The message also followed Grice's maxim of quantity, because I did not go overboard and included just the right amount of information. It followed the maxim of relation, and it was clear, following the maxim of manner. I believe I followed the maxim of quality too, though I could have strengthened it by including actual data or observations rather than relying only on our team's experience.
The message achieved its purpose: the merchant understood the recommendation and was open to considering the new location. The communication principles helped avoid confusion and let us address the concern quickly.
How my writing improved
I learned to lead with the point and keep it courteous, so a single message could carry a concern and a solution at once.
What I will do next
Provide supporting data or evidence with recommendations, and anticipate the merchants' questions in the first message so fewer follow-ups are needed.
Why it matters to my business
Every event I run depends on merchants trusting my judgment quickly. Clear, complete communication is how that trust gets built.
Verbal & Nonverbal Cues · self-analysis of my introduction video
I graded my own self-introduction video across the three Vs: Visual, Verbal, and Vocal. For each I named a strength, a point to improve, and a promise to myself.
Visual
Strength. I looked at the camera most of the time and seemed comfortable, which made the introduction feel natural and confident.
To improve. I looked away a few times while remembering my next point, and my expression stayed mostly the same throughout.
My promise. Practice my main points beforehand to hold eye contact, and use more expression and body language to keep the audience engaged.
Verbal
Strength. My introduction was easy to follow because I spoke about myself in a clear, organized way: who I am, what I study, and what I am involved in.
To improve. Some ideas needed more explaining. I moved to the next point too quickly without enough detail or examples.
My promise. Develop my ideas further, add specific examples, and prepare a simple outline so I cover everything I want to say.
Vocal
Strength. My voice sounded friendly and conversational, so the video felt personal rather than read from a script.
To improve. My voice got softer when I was thinking, and I spoke a bit too fast in places, making a few words less clear.
My promise. Speak a little louder, slow down on the important points, and practice speaking with more confidence.
04
Credibility · manner
How far I have come
Where I started
- No cover letter, because I never planned to apply for a job.
- Stiff on camera, second-guessing every word.
- Moving through ideas too fast, without examples.
- My voice dropping whenever I stopped to think.
Where I am now
- A cover letter, and a live e-portfolio I designed and built.
- Confident on camera, choosing to speak straight to the lens.
- Writing that leads with the point and runs on the 8 Cs.
- Able to communicate with corporations, not just customers.
The one lesson I am taking with me
Communication is not a talent you are born with. It is a skill you build, one output at a time.
Every piece I submitted this term made me clearer than the last.