Way before the post-graduate degrees, the trucks, freight terminals, and lecture halls full of students who came to know him as Mentor Mike, there was a boy in Batangas who had no one to turn to for guidance.
“Kung anuman ang nangyayari sa buhay natin, naniniwala akong inallow ni God,” the main man of the media conference shared. Dr. Michael V. Maranan looked back on his youth at a time marked by confusion and poor choices. It was a difficult period, made even harder by the absence of someone who could point him in the right direction.
“I was lost when I was young. So, dumaan muna ako sa sugal, sabong lahat ng bisyo, sigarilyo, except drugs. So ang hirap. Ang hirap dumaan pa sa ganon. Noong bata ako wala rin akong matanong sa lugar namin, mga sunog-baga. So sabi ko pag ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon so I uttered a prayer pala na, ‘God, tulungan mo naman ako. Hindi ko ‘to pagdadamot sa iba,'” Maranan shared.
The absence of a trusted figure would later become the driving force behind the life he chose to build. Before he became a mentor to thousands, he was simply a young man wishing someone had been there for him. He promised he would not deprive others of his help once given the chance.
Decades later, he is still honoring that promise.
The Résumé Was the Least Interesting Part
Today, Dr. Michael V. Maranan, LCB, MMLSM, DBA, DHUM, serves as President and CEO of Windfreight Express Total Logistics, Inc. and 88 Sunfreight Express Corporation, companies he built through decades of work in logistics, customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and supply chain management.
He earned his Doctor of Business Administration from Thames International University and his Master’s in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Philippine Christian University. United College of Brazil conferred upon him an Honorary Doctor of Humanities for his contributions to entrepreneurship, education, and humanitarian service. He was also recognized as an Outstanding Alumnus by Lyceum of the Philippines University–Batangas.
Yet those credentials were never the accomplishments he talked about first.
Instead, Maranan always returned to the promise he had made years earlier. He believed God had entrusted him with the ability to teach and guide others, and he considered it his responsibility to use that gift rather than leave it unused.
Two Kinds of Mentors
Maranan described having two kinds of mentors, a distinction that also explained the heart behind his books.
The first came from experience. Throughout his journey, he had been documenting lessons learned through successes, setbacks, and everyday encounters long before there was any intention of publishing them.
The second consisted of actual people who shaped the way he viewed learning and leadership, including Atty. Ferdinand Nague.
What stayed with him about his mentor had little to do with titles or professional achievements. Maranan remembered that when Atty. Nague first mentored him, he had not yet become a lawyer. What impressed him instead was the clarity with which he explained difficult concepts and the genuine joy he brought to teaching.
That lesson stayed with him. Effective mentorship, he believed, was never about authority but about making knowledge accessible to others.
The same philosophy shaped the advice he consistently gave young professionals. Rather than encouraging them to pursue the highest salary immediately, he urged them to focus first on the quality of learning they could gain from their employers and mentors.
Even after building successful businesses, Maranan continued to see himself as a student. He often shared that he learned constantly from his business partners, his Bible study group, and the people around him. Remaining humble, he believed, allowed him to continue growing because there was always something new to learn from everyone.
Failure, Redefined
Somewhere along the way, Maranan quietly redefined what failure meant.
To him, failure only became real when a person decided to give up. As long as someone continued moving forward, every setback simply became another opportunity to find a different solution.
That perspective shaped the way he approached both business and life. He believed every problem carried a solution waiting to be discovered and that every difficult experience eventually produced either a lesson or a reward.
Whenever plans failed or circumstances became challenging, he reminded himself that life always offered something valuable in return. One either learned or earned, and every experience carried a lesson worth keeping.
Four Books, One Mission
Those beliefs eventually found their way into four published books.
From Eight to Infinity: Secret Stories and Lessons from the Life of Dr. Mike Maranan serves as his inspirational memoir, tracing his journey from humble beginnings to entrepreneurship, teaching, and business leadership. More than recounting milestones, it reflects on the values, decisions, and setbacks that shaped his life.
Confessions of a Licensed Customs Broker offers readers an honest look beyond passing the licensure examination. Drawing from decades in the profession, it explores the realities of customs brokerage, the opportunities within the industry, and the challenges faced by professionals working in logistics and international trade.
The Business That Fits You encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to think beyond trends and profitability. Through practical frameworks, self-assessments, and mentorship insights, it helps readers discover businesses that align with their strengths, personalities, available resources, and current season of life.
Its Filipino counterpart, Ang Negosyong Swak Sa’yo, delivers the same message to a wider audience by shifting the conversation away from asking which businesses simply make money toward discovering the kind of business that genuinely fits one’s own abilities and purpose.
A Launch With a Larger Purpose
The four books were officially launched on July 21, 2026, during an event that celebrated more than a publishing milestone.
Selected 88 WeServe products were also introduced, reflecting the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem Maranan had built over the years—one where education, innovation, and business complemented one another.
Even so, the books remained the centerpiece of the celebration because they represented something larger than publishing. They embodied Maranan’s long-standing advocacy of making practical, experience-based knowledge more accessible while creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, students, educators, and industry leaders to learn from one another.
All four titles are now available through the official Mentor Mike book website, with TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada also carrying the books. Purchase links and QR codes are shared through Mentor Mike’s official social media pages.
To the Boy Who Had No One to Ask
When asked what he would tell his younger self, Maranan’s answer reflected the same hope that ran through all four books.
He wished he could reassure that young boy never to give up or abandon the course his life was meant to take. He believed even seasons of financial hardship deserved to be appreciated because, in time, they would lead to growth, joy, and purpose—especially when endured with faith.
He could never send that message back to the boy he once was. Instead, he wrote four books and sent the message forward.
