Watch another inspiring #JasSuccess story as Jim "The Farmer" Reyes shares his freelancing journey.

Jim is an IT professional and a full-time employee and has been freelancing for 10 years now but was recently introduced to the freelancing platforms through the VA Bootcamp.

In this interview we talked a lot including:

✅ How Jim discovered online freelancing
✅ How he builds and maintains a network of clients
✅ How planting the seeds now can make him a wealthy farmer in the future and much more.

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Notable Quotes

• Word of advice, trust Jason. Trust what he is saying. Trust what he is doing. Trust his team. They are really here to help you, to help us. They are not in it for themselves. They are in it for everybody. If you are still thinking of enrolling or learning, do it, trust them. Because they know what they are doing. I'm a 46-year old guy and I learned a lot, been through a lot. I know a lot. I have a lot but I learned a lot from his team. So, trust him and be patient. Kapag may tinanim ka imposibleng hindi yan tutubo. Listen to Jason, listen to his team. They will guide you and a year from now you'll remember what I'm saying and you will say “Yeah I trusted and now I'm here”. I hope to hear your good story one year from now. When you do get to where you want to be.
• If you are a farmer dapat farmer din and kasama mo. Hindi pwedeng may kasama kang karpentero, may kasama kang mekaniko, may kasama kang teacher. No offense to those profession, those are good professions also, but for the basis of our illustration, if you are a farmer then you need to be surrounded by farmers. These farmers know what you are going through.  Ako, I saw that in our community. We help each other. We encourage each other. Para tayong pamilya. It’s important kasi ang freelancer hindi dapat nag-iisa. Dapat may mga kasama. Don’t worry about looking at them as competitors because they are not. Yung community natin, I believe is a good crop of farmers. They mean well and they want to help you. They will help you. You've got people who will help you for free, who will be with you, encourage you, support you, sometimes do stuffs for you for free. Kagandahan nga online pa. We just turn on our computers instant boom.
• I think that the greatest value we receive from Jason, we are truly in gratitude. Madaming programs na nasa internet ngayon, alam nyo yan. Pero iba yung program ni Jason. Kasi kapamilyang kapamilya ang dating. We help each other and that’s the greatest value we can have.
• If you are a farmer you should concentrate on what you are. You are a farmer not a networker. I’m a man with a mission and my mission is not to get destructed. I need to do things because I have a deadline also. I know my purpose.  
• Farmer nga tayo. Kapag nagtanim ka, may bunga agad. Ako kinuha ko yung bunga, hindi ko kaagad kinain. Tipid yan, bangko. I know the purpose eh. Kapag kumikita ka na or umaani ka na, you still have to be rooted firmly on the ground and understand why you are doing this and what is for. I know it was God's answer to my prayers. Every earnings, put it in the bank para magkaroon ng substantial interest. I invested a few, and it’s there save for a purpose. First two years is all good. Now I’m working for the next 2 years for my daughter’s college course. After that I’d like to save up for retirement.
• When God answers, God answers completely. I pray for that and I am believing that. He is halfway. May proof na tayo na this is God kasi on time. Saktong sakto. I never planned things will happen this year 2017. But that is His plan. The Lord's plan is different when you pray. God will see and God will introduce you to the right people. God will provide all the opportunities for you.
• You have to pray. You must connect with the Lord. Anything that is not prayed for or not given by the Lord will easily be gone. Money can easily be gone. You should pray; you should connect with the Lord because everything that we do apart from God is nothing. What’s money if it’s not with the Lord, it’s nothing. But if it’s done with the Lord, for the Lord, it will last. And it will outlive you.
• This is the key, while waiting continue planting the seeds. Continue investing in yourself. Dont be afraid to spend in education. If you have courses you can take up online, take it. There are a lot of free courses. Exhaust all the free courses online. If you have exhausted all the free courses, pay for the courses. Invest in yourselves. Ako, I have went on all the free courses online. I spent time watching, listening, input lang nang input.
• Tanim lang ng tanim. Farmer tayo. Mga pinoy, mga farmers yan. At tayo may malasakit tayo. You have to take care of yourself. You must invest in yourself. Second, dapat meron kang tiwala at mapagkakatiwalaan ka din. Kung napagkakatiwalaan ka sa maliliit na bagay, sigurado mapagkakatiwalaan ka din sa malalaking bagay. That’s really the key, just wait. Huwag tayong manghinayang maghintay. Now I know some people may say that I need to earn now, I need to do it now. Then if walang dumadating sa freelance you should make things happen for your family. Do the things you need to do. Magkaroon ka ng regular business or regular job. I am a regular employee. I’m not a full-time freelancer. But when I’m ready, I’m available, I freelance. I need to do things. There is a time when you can’t concentrate in one thing. Being 46, I am just preparing for the time that I can let go of my 9 to 5 because I want to concentrate on my personnal business, my personal self, and that's where everybody goes. I know nothing beats in setting up a business. Setting up a business is always the easiest way to earn income. But right now, if you can’t setup your own self your own business, then get a job and have freelance on the side, like me. There is nothing wrong with that. As long as you can take care of your current job and your freelance job then there is nothing wrong with that.
• And finally, I listened, and that's also the time he opened up the first wave of the 100k class. So sabi ko sige, I'll give it a try. It was hard for me, kasi siyempre gusto ko ng mabilis. But I needed to learn, I needed to really spend the time to invest in myself to get to know the new world that is before me. I needed to be successful, I needed a guide. I am not the super-intelligent person who knows everything. I need someone who has gone before and has all the knowledge, and wisdom to share. And I listened. Doon na naopen yung mind ko. Noong una may mga resistance pa talaga. If Jason would look at all the assignments, I only submitted one - I only submitted the first assignment. All the other assignments I didn't do, but I did it for myself pero hindi ko na sinubmit kay Jason kasi nahihiya ako late na late na.
• After 10 weeks of training and learning, it’s not me and Jason only talking and learning from each other, but it's also the community of students that Jason has built. I am so grateful that I have my group in the 100k class. I learned a lot from them, listened to their stories, learned from their stories as well, shared my stories and hopefully, they have learned from my story also. It's not just a curriculum kasi it's the natural progression of the course. When people get together with one goal even if it’s a personal goal but there is a similarity of goals the inertia builds. When that builds you get a good amount of effort in the right direction. It will produce good results. And that's what happened to me. The inertia pointed in the right direction helped by the community helped me to get to where I am now. Not on the level of Jason or superstars. I can’t do that because they are full time. I am still full time at my work, this is still part-time for me. But I am hoping that when I do retire I’ll have my own set of consultancies and become like a Jason Dulay whoever.
• I'm a farmer, I don't mind waiting. I’m planting now. I don't mind waiting. I want my seeds to grow and when they grow at the right time I know that I will be blessed and the Lord will make me wealthy farmer in the future.
• The final word is share. Don't keep it. You share whatever is given to you. Give. It will be given back to you. Share. The Lord will replenish. It's not a loss. It’s an investment to somebody. As people, have invested in you. Invest on somebody as well. So, share. We are not designed to accumulate. We are designed to share because that is what God is. He's not a hoarder. God is a sharer. I'll see you next year with your good stories.

Jim’s Journey to Freelancing

• An IT professional and a full-time employee.
• He is a full-time employee of CBN Asia. They are the producers of 700 club, a television program that is on air everyday from 12midnight to 1 am on GMA and GNTV.
• They are also the producers of Super Book, The Flying house, and Oyayi. Those are the shows shown on Channel 2 (ABS-CBN). All Christian focus.
• He does freelancing as his sideline doing it at home, during weekends or whenever he has time to do it.
• His foundation before is to serve friends and give them good service and give them essentially what they need.
• He has 10 years of freelancing and has handled several international clients - direct clients that endorsed him to their networks and network of networks and grew for the past 10years.
• His clients mostly revolve in the media industry, radio, and TV in other countries such as Australia, UK, New Zealand. From the UK to mainland US, North and South America.
• For the past 10 years that he has been doing direct freelancing work, he started with small jobs that his clients cannot maintain by themselves. Then shared with them how best to do those things. Later on, he made him in charge of big projects.
• He has been to Upwork for the past 11 months. Last year, he saw Jason’s ad which introduced him to Upwork as the platform for freelancing. He concentrated on Upwork and saw good potential employers.
• He is also teaching pastors how to handle the ministry's finances.

Q&A Highlights

What kind of job are you doing for your offline clients?

I am managing their websites which includes CMS system development, maintenance, and management.

How did your client refer you?

I don’t really advertise that I can do services. Sila mismo nagkukusa. Siguro nagustuhan nila yung resulta ng work and natuwa sila. Iningatan lang talaga natin ng mabuti ang relationship natin sa client. Hindi masisira yung pangalan nila at yung relasyon nila sa kanilang kaibigan.

What do you think is special about you that many of your clients referred you?

Nothing special really. Kapag Filipino iba talaga ang dating sa trabahao.

Malasakit. Ang nagustuhan nila is yung matinding alaga sa projects nila. Na feeling natin is project din natin yung project nila. Filipino kasi is may malasakit. Yung malasakit na ito, ito yung nararamdaman nila.

Masinop. Hindi maaksaya. Matipid. Masinop sa anung yaman at oras na pinagkakatiwala sa atin.

Mapagkakatiwalaan. Yan yung mga iningatan natin sa relationship natin sa mga clients.

If you have those three hindi ka na mahihirapan sa pag unlad.

Just like pagtatanim. Dapat maingat sa trabaho para ang tubo ng buto ay maganda. I think part ng culture natin is ganung klaseng pag-iisip na marunong tayong magtanim ng mabuti and when we do that we reap in the long run. It’s the law of seed, time, and harvest. Walang madali. Hindi pwedeng madaliin lahat ng bagay. Talagang pinagtitiyagaan.

How was your transition from offline freelancing to Upwork?

Hindi naman 100% transition. But it's a diversification because I still have offline clients.

When I went to Upwork, it was really new to me and I was scared because you are competing globally with a lot of really good people.

The key that I learned from Jason is positioning yourself. Do not pretend to be somebody else. You have to be you. When I intimated that it in my mind things became more smooth for me.

I learned a lot doon sa 100k seminar ni Jason kasi immediately the first few lessons were about the freelancer. The freelancer must understand and must know who he is, what he can do and how he would wish to use those basic ingredients to do those freelancing works.

I came to realize during the 100k class that I needed to focus on what I can personally identify with; how I can personally communicate myself and my skills as a freelancer.

Weren't you successful with Upwork right away?

Yes. The first 6 or 7 months was a love and hate relationship between me and Upwork kasi nga bago pa lang. And gusto ko kasi minamadali ko kaagad siya. Nung kakapasok ko pa lang sa Upwork, hanap kaagad ako ng trabaho. Kasi I have so many skills to give, so many services to offer. So hanap kaagad ako. No plans at all. Apply left, apply right. Habol dito, habol diyan. Apply ng apply. Kapag may kumukuha tanggap ng tanggap. I ended up burning myself, napagod ako at hindi pa naging masaya. Iyan ang mahirap dun, napagod ka na, hindi ka pa masaya.

I even got suspended sa Upwork and I was ready to give up. Alam ni Jason yan kasi I always chatted with him during those times. And I ask him, wala na bang iba aside from Upwork. Then I think we have a very good teacher, whose also patient with the students. And he knew what I needed to hear. And he said it at the right time. Sabi niya you have to be patient, you have to exercise wisdom also.

What kept you going despite the difficulties you have encountered?

I didn't give up because I knew I planted a seed. And it’s the natural course of life. If you plant something you can’t stop it from growing. You just got to believe that the seed is down there, it's waiting to emerge. I am talking about hope. I planted hope and I know that hope will not return to me empty. Ganun din sa kalikasan. Kapag nagtanim ka ng buto imposibleng hindi tutubo yan. Tutubo yan. and how it grows, when it grows depends on how good you wait. You've got to be professional at waiting. You have to be professional at waiting because things will happen. You can’t stop it.

If you plant something you will get it. Tayo nag aral tayo, imposibleng wala tayong makukuha sa pinag-aralan natin. Imposible. Nag aral tayo. Nagtanim tayo ng mga bagay sa isipan natin about freelancing. Oo andiyan lang yan gamitin natin yong tinanim natin and then wait. Don't be afraid to wait for a long time. Bata pa kayo. Ako nga 46 na ako, kayo ang average ng mga freelancers ngayon nasa 20s na. I'm 46, I'm an old person, nasa mid 40s na ako and I'm still doing it. And I am still willing to wait. Compare the amount of years I have to the amount of years you have. You have more years as a freelancer. I have, maganda na yung 20 years as a freelancer. Kayo you have 30 or 40 years. Dont be afraid to wait. You can.

Why haven't you quit your job when you are earning well in freelancing?

I am a firm believer in calling. Siguro ang layman’s term for calling is God's time / God's purpose. I think the Lord is still calling me to stay in whatever I am doing now. I know that the Lord called me to serve Him as an IT person in this company. Because of that, I am obeying the Lord to stay here for this season and until he releases me and says, “Jim I had another guy to do the job that you are doing”. Until I hear that from the Lord I am here to stay. I am pretty sensitive with the Lord's direction of my life. I know that I could earn  a lot but I have never wanted more that the Lord cannot give to me now. So, I feel na because I am obeying the Lord, God is looking at all I need and providing for all that I need. With or without freelancing I know that the Lord will provide everything that I need. And He has done so.

Now with freelancing, I remember one year pa lang ako nagstart sa freelancing, the Lord has given me few bonuses. Hindi na nga need, want na din. Noong wala pa yung freelancing, God is giving me what I need. So whatever it is, there it is provided for. With freelancing, the Lord help me to address what I want. So that is my story in choosing to be fully employed. When the Lord tells me to move, I’ll move.

One of the philosophies that I have relied on is whatever I do out of the past 46 years of my IT career, whatever I do every day, I always work myself out of the job. I don’t build my own kingdom. When I leave, I know companies will survive. I’m building it that way. I work myself out of the job every day. That’s why I’m flexible. So, when the Lord tells me to move I know  the department I am holding now will continue to operate. I’m very dispensable. So whatever God leads, I will follow him. Now he is saying stay ka muna, enjoy freelancing. Sweetheart deal nga. Then when I’m ready, I’ll just listen and I’ll just follow. But for now, I know it’s a sweetheart deal for me.

I don’t need a fat bank account because I've got things being provided by my Provider. My provider is God. And I’m telling everybody na pag ang provider mo ay si Lord kahit na zero ang nasa bank account mo you won’t have fear because zero is never in God's bank account. All you need to do is ask. Sabi sa James chapter 4, you don’t have because you don’t ask. Subukan mo, you ask from the Lord. Whatever is in your heart ask from the Lord, "Pwede po ba". Then take a note, kailan mo hiningi yun. So, that is your seed. After that you wait, maybe a month or two months, three months. Ako after the 100k class sabi ko, “Lord pwede po ba my daughter is going to college already”. I don’t have any college plans for her because in the past, there were so many uncertainties with college plans and preneed plans so I chose not to get any preneed plans. Rather I ask the Lord "Lord you are my pre-need plan. When I need it I ask and you will give it to me because I needed it." So I was having that conversation with God. I was praying, “Lord my daughter is going to college, alam mo yan. I need this 1,2,3”. I was very specific. When you ask don’t ask in general, you do the math. Kahit na alam na ni Lord yung amount, you still do the math because you need to. It was January or December this year that I started praying that, saying Lord I need 300,000 a year when my daughter goes to college. Because that is how much it cost. On top of all we need I need 300,000 for my daughter's college. Hindi ako nagsawa, basta pray lang ako ng pray.

Tanim lang ako ng tanim ng buto sa Kanya. Then I take note of the dates. Then on April I heard from the Lord to took the 100k class and I learned a lot. Then two months pa inantay ko. Kasi, I applied all the learnings and hindi tayo nagmamadali. Because there is a structure in the 100k class. Talagang sinunod ko yung structure, hindi ako nagmadali. I took to heart all the lessons, all the assignments. I really took time the structured learning from somebody who has done this before.

After two months I fixed my niche. I do how to effectively do a cover letter. I learned how to effectively communicate proposals, counter proposals and negotiation. I learned how to position myself. I did an environment scan. Hindi mo basta basta iadvertise yung sarili mo. You look at what’s going on around you, you do an environment scan. There’s a lot of people doing this, there’s a lot of people doing that, there’s a lot of experts doing this. And finally I saw an area, oh there’s a few people doing that. After nun cge, I’ll concentrate on that area. Trying to learn what I can on that area. Trying to build my portfolio on that area. When I did that, offers started to come in. Contracts started to engage. Past 2months, I started with good contracts with good people. People will suddenly make you an offer. Hindi na interview. Sasabihin nalang nila sayo offer. I learned that from the Masterclass. One contract after another. For the past 60 days, August and September, I made the substantial earning that covered siguro first or two years of my daughter’s college.  In two months working!