March 2006
You may remember him dancing the traditional dances with the Sinag-Tala. You may even remember him break-dancing, which was the rage in those days. Or, you may remember the dance troupe he started in 1990. Then again, if you're a reader of Kansas City Home and Gardens magazine, you may have caught the article about his current home remodeling business, which he has successfully operated for over ten years. I'm talking about Ralph Ko, whose affiliation with the Filipino Association in Kansas City goes back to 1983. I had a chance to sit down with Ralph to discuss his business and the potential to advertise in our Tambuli, and in the process, I learned that Ralph is a self-made man with a personal history full of good stories.
Ralph's boyhood was spent in the jungles of Bicol in the Philippines, where his great-grandfather taught him to build homes with bamboo - an early start at learning a profitable trade. When Ralph was 16, his family immigrated to the United States, and at the time, he spoke no English. However, he soon adjusted to life in the States. For a time, Ralph lived with Manny Pecana, who was like a father to him. He attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, just down the street from Manny's house, and he was also a member of the Sinag-Tala. He remembers dancing with Gemma, Celeste, Julie and Emily. Being a son of the 1980's, he was also an accomplished break dancer.
Ralph was multi-talented as a young man and especially gifted in fine arts. Because of his ability in painting portraits, he was offered a scholarship at the Kansas City Art Institute, but he turned it down in order to pursue a major in ballet at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. Ralph also worked part-time in building and construction for Martinique Company; this is where Ralph learned the skills for his future trade. He worked six hours a day for Martinique and then took classes at UMKC. Ralph had high hopes of becoming a professional dancer, which was further inspired by the offer of a dance scholarship from a school in New York. However, a back injury changed his plans and his focus turned towards business.
Surprisingly, although Ralph had strong skills as a tradesman in construction, his first business involved dance. In 1990, Ralph started the dance troupe with male dancers. Not only was Ralph the business owner, he was also the choreographer of all the dances. As Ralph and I discussed this time in his life, I was unsure whether Ralph would want to include the dance troupe in his printed story. Ralph simply replied, "Hey, this was my life." In one short sentence, he expressed confidence and genuineness. Unfortunately, the dance troupe lasted just two years.
In 1993, Ralph returned to construction, starting his business with a niche in interior trim work for homeowners. His client base was built by word of mouth, as Ralph noted that he didn't have to advertise. A couple years after opening his business, Ralph was asked to undertake the remodeling of an old 1887 Queen Anne Victorian Home. It was this project that landed him a feature in a 2004 article from Kansas City Home and Gardens magazine. Photos from that project attest to his excellent skill, and he is highly recommended by his clients.
Ralph told the writer of the article in Home and Gardens, "I didn't know anything about Victorian homes. But if you're good, you can do anything." Having spoken with Ralph, I get a strong sense of how he never questioned his ability, only his experience, and even that did not deter him. Today, Ralph's business continues to boom, keeping him busy throughout the weekdays and even weekends. He and his wife Sharon have been married for 17 years, and it was Sharon who first suggested that he put an ad in the Tambuli. In going to prospect for advertising from Ralph, I found something more - a good story and a good person.
Visit Ralph Ko Remodeling, Inc.
