“Alright, let me start over in a world where I don’t know what ‘offset’ means,” Nikko Ramos, Editor-in-Chief of Slam Magazine and Director for Brand Content of Titan, laughed.
Leaving your comfort zone can be jarring. After all, as humans we are naturally avoidant of uncertainty. Rather, we crave comfort and stability. You may have already heard it multiple times before, but amazing things are rarely borne from playing safe and coloring within the lines. Ask any successful entrepreneur, artist, or personality, and they’ll most likely tell you that they had to take risks at least once in their lives. And most of the time, it’s in taking these leaps, in leaving comfort zones, that one finds what they’re searching for — may it be success, fulfillment, or, ironically, stability. Often in life, you need to take big, bold moves, and Nikko Ramos is no stranger to that.
You most likely know Nikko as a radio guy. You’ve probably sat through traffic on the way to school or work at least once and heard him on the Magic 89.9 morning show. Or maybe you’ve heard him commentating or hosting UAAP games. He was a ten-year radio veteran, a notable hosting personality — all the age of 29. But early this year, Nikko made the bold move of leaving all of that behind to start over and work full-time in Titan.
“I honestly think it’s funny when people say, ‘Oh you left radio to work in a corporate job. That’s such a big move!’ because I’m always just like, ‘I sell sneakers for a living; that’s nowhere near as bold as what other people are doing on a daily basis,” he said.
Photos — Zaldine Alvaro
For him, it wasn’t the fact that he left radio or even the career change of going corporate that’s bold. It was being in such a good position in Magic 89.9 already and leaving all of that while he was at the peak of his career. “It was knowing all there is to know about radio and knowing how my next ten years would look like there — that they were going to be great, fun, and exciting — and having to leave all of that and start doing something I’ve never done before at 29.”
The history of his big, bold move can be traced all the way back to four years ago — when he was first invited to join the company as Slam Philippines’ Editor-in-Chief. He knew it was an offer he couldn’t resist so he agreed to do it part-time — on top of radio and hosting. That went on for a while, but in 2017 — after a trip to China for the NBA Games with Dennis Tan, CEO of Titanomachy, and Raul Reinoso, Managing Editor of Slam Philippines — things began to level up. He was invited to join the retail side of the company, Titan itself, as Director for Branded Content.
“I never worked in an office before. The radio booth was my office. Some crappy table where I can write was my office. In front of the camera or courtside was my office, but it was a great opportunity, so I decided to try it out,” he told us. Over time, he began to realize that was putting more and more of his time to his work at Titan. From going to the office three to four times a week and staying for a couple of hours, he found himself going to the office every day and staying there from 9AM to 6PM. “We take our work very seriously, and I like spending time with the people there.”
Not long after, towards the end of 2018, he was offered to be part of the company full time. “I think the most surprising thing about it was my mind was made up from the first day they asked me,” he admitted. He found himself saying, “I’m going to give up radio and enjoy this job a whole lot more. And I’ve been an office dude since.”
When asked what the most difficult part about the decision was, Nikko shared that he was never truly terrified about making it, but there was just a whole lot of uncertainty, uneasiness, and anxiousness. After all, he was about to do something that he’s never done before. But he found comfort in being able to say, “I’m giving up something — which is the only thing I’ve done — yet it still feels like I’m making the right decision.”
And he just knew that he had to follow his gut. Now, he’s leading the Branded Content Team of Titan — which to him is every bit of challenging, exciting, and satisfying. He shared that although it is a tightrope everyday — balancing sales targets and authenticity in what they put out — he’s in a much happier and contented state. “I enjoy being just another guy walking to lunch. That’s so much closer to my personality.”
When asked what’s next for him, he simply responded, “I point to our team, our brand, our company. What’s next for me is whatever small or big thing I can contribute to that… and hopefully nothing as big or bold in a while (laughs)”
If there’s any key takeaway in his big, bold move it’s this: try. “If there’s something you really want to do, you should do your absolute best to give yourself a really good try at it,” he said. “I think that just because you’re doing something now doesn’t mean you can’t want to do something else later on. I wanted to do radio; I tried and worked hard enough that I was there for 10 years. Later on, I realized wanted to do this, and I did. Who knows if be I’ll good here as I was on radio, but whatever happens, I’m at peace with it because this is a good, honest, all-in try by me. Whatever happens, I can live with myself.”
Known as a big personality in Radio and Hosting, Nikko Ramos chose to give an all-in try in a completely different field. He boasts of authenticity and uniqueness — in his approach, chosen path, and noticeably with his impeccable style. Complimenting him is the newest silhouette of Swatch, the Big Bold model. Made for all individuals with big ideas and big personalities out there ready to take on a crazy ride, the new Swatch BIG BOLD Collection is now available in Swatch stores and online.
