FEED YOUR FOCUS

As a CEO navigating the business of convenience, there is a distilled defiance, quiet confidence, and pervading sense of calm in Ben Wintle that essays his method to the industry madness

- KRISTOFF SISON

“I am disciplined. I am focused. I am healthy.” Confidently written in a journal entry one Thursday morning last March, these self-affirmations were much-needed pick-me-ups for a then troubled Ben Wintle. And why wouldn’t he need all the positive reinforcement he can muster during that time–his wife, Iza, was about to be admitted into a hospital; his phone was buzzing with messages of concern from friends and family; his company, Booky, was carefully navigating around the shifting food and beverage industry. But amid the emerging trials and tribulations from all aspects of his life, Ben manages to achieve a state of mental clarity all throughout.

Honestly speaking, it’s rather surprising for a man like Ben to be able to keep a headspace free from the constant internal oohs and ahhs. Being primarily solution-oriented in actions, one would expect his thoughts and imagination to be flaring up with situationers and what-ifs. But this notion could not be further from the truth. “My mind is generally relaxed and free-flowing. I think a relaxed mind is actually a prerequisite for the best creative ideas,” explains Ben. I shouldn’t be surprised–his effortlessly dashing appeal, not to mention his suave tone, makes this very apparent.