Watch another #JasSuccess episode as host, Anna Soriano, interviews another VA Bootcamp and Road To 100k Masterclass student, Diana 'Dea' Panganiban.

Dea is a mother of 5, and a college undergraduate. She also worked as Promodizer, service crew, cashier (supermarket & department store), supermarket bagger, and call center agent. Her last corporate job was a Helpdesk Support for an Australian software company.

In this interview Dea will talk about her freelancing journey including;

✅ How she became an Executive Assistant for a US-based Non-profit organization, even she didn’t finish her college degree
✅ How she managed to become a mother of 5 while working online
✅ How she handled 5 clients from different niches

And much more interesting story.

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Notable Quotes

• You are an able body for today but you’ll never know that one day you will become differently abled kasi you’ll never know baka ma disgrasya kayo or something or dahil sa sakit or whatever. Even you won’t become differently abled you will still become an older person unless you die young.
• That is why we also need to care lalo  na dito sa Philippines which is kapag differently abled ka you are not worth anything so it’s not that , they still have the ability they just need. They just need to be included, they don’t need a  help kunyari wheelchair user sila they don’t need you to push them around they just need to have their place accessible para sa sarili nila magawa nila yon.
• We are not saying na you take for granted yung mga freebies na nakikita nyo online, it will help you. I'm not preaching but it’s really true na mas madali kasi magtanong kesa magbasa. Yun kasi ang usual problem wala na kasi tayo sa corporate, kapag nag freelance ka you are technically on your own.
• Ang freelance may manual na kasi, ang dami ng groups na nag provide ng info. You don’t need to do a google search you just need to back read minsan nasa mga pinned post.
• Ang kaibahan lang ng freelance sa corporate is location, please don’t get mad kasi sa freelance hindi ka dapat humihingi ng work. Kasi sa labas humihingi ka ba ng work? Guy’s lahat tayo may mga pinagdadaanan. It's not really bad to ask help but you must differentiate asking help after you done your good diligence or research, differentiate it from spoon feeding you gonna help yourself here.
• Additional tips lang din please I’ m not preaching, alam nyo naman na yong freelancing industry, especially yong rates as I ’ve mention earlier nag start ako .56 dollar kasi part-time lang naman nasasabi kasi ng iba na medyo mababa yun. But I just recently saw a message, a comment ,a reply may isa post kasi masyado mababa kasi 1.6 per hr lang, may iba Pilipino na tumatanggap non kasi wla sila sa metro manila, yung gastos nila iba sa gastos natin.
• Sabi din ni coach Gen Reonico “huwag natin I compare or wag natin sila I judge kasi may mga taong wlang kinikita pero ngaun may kinikita na, meron maliit lang ang kita dati pero noong nag freelancer sila mas lumaki ang kita nila. Pero sa standard  natin na hindi pa rin sya malaki sa standard nila malaki na, journey nila yon”.
• Kung kaya mo ma I depend sa mga low baller kung bakit ka kailangan ng bigyan rate kasi marami kang value maiibigay sa kanya and kung I  compare niya kung siya nag gumawa non makukuha nyo din yon.
• Ang tips ko lang sa inyo since nakakuha ka nang great client,” Great clients comes with great responsibility”. If you, believe it or not, I already pledge or I already promise to this non-profit client that I will never ever leave the non-profit client. May forever kami,
• Additional tip din, please do your research, research will get you there, you ask when you don’t understand after you do your research, and then if you do ask you talk politely and nicely so that you can be heard. Admit mistakes and appreciate yourself, Give back when you can and then thank God for whatever or everything that his given.
• Sabihin man natin hindi ka pa nakaka kuha nang client, take it into a different perspective. “What can I improve para maging better next time, malay mo the next time will be the first.
• Quote from Jim Rhon “You will be successful if you help other people get what they want”. Subscribe kayo sa mga motivational like goalcast. “If help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want”.
• Sa freelance talaga meron ka talaga opportunity to go places, because internet lang talaga kasangga mo, basta may laptop ka at internet lumayas ka na wag ka na mag stay sa bahay.
• Final words “ Sa mga newbies, either may previous work kayo o wala if youll go to the freelancing world, para ka lang din nag apply ng work sa business establishment ang kaibahan nga lang you are working at the convenience of your home.
• Kung talaga gusto nyo mag freelance, its either mag read kayo ng mga post sa facebook groups or mag enroll kayo sa vabootcamp. Meron kasi magsasabi sa inyo huwag ka mag take ng mga ganyan course may free naman. Yes, may mga free pero ang kaibahan kasi ng pag enroll sa course may mag guide sayo may mag mentor sayo mag coach sayo ayun ang kaibahan nya when you do the research.

Dea’s Journey in Freelancing:

• She started working 4th year high school as promodizer, college in 1997, McDonalds service crew partimer 4-6 hours. Downside for her is when she worked as service crew she need to stop schooling not because she forlorn her study but she is already earning.
• Her work journey as service crew: Greenwich, Jollibee, French Baker receptionist/usher fine dining restaurant. Cashier SM Supermarket, SM Dept. Store Makati Branch, Shopwise, Pasongtamo, Rustan's Rockwell.
• She tried to go back to college 2nd-year college BSBA Management.
• In 2003 she got hired in the Landmark Makati as probationary foodcourt cashier, then got regular in supermarket as a cashier,she even work as bagger and stay 3 years in Landmark then study English proficiency.
• After landmark transition to call center world year NOV 2006. 1st call center job Allorica Ortigas.
• She met her husband month of December after he asks her supervisor to introduce her. And found out that he was her interviewer.
• She is tagged as call center hopper, she manages the interviews so well and able to land a job whenever she wanted to.
• Due to the toxic life of a call center agent, in able to de-stress she develop a bad habit of smoking but stop already.
• She found Australian environment a small company and she works a helpdesk support for 5 years, before that she has been employed in Teleperformance, Sykes and Dell in graveyard shift.
• In last few years working in a call center, she overhears about freelancing in her co-worker and stumble upon O-desk now Upwork.
• Feb 2013 She started in odesk then her rate is .56 $/ hr.
• She also took a captcha as part time job while working but note as a bad task so don’t take it.
• She transitions her corporate job to work from home when someone contacts her on her LinkedIn account.
• She resigned with work from an Australian company to become fulltime work from home CSR, take note it’s an 8 to 5, 8 pm to 5 am job.
• In July 2014 she is invited again for a English tutoring work. Her student didn’t do any assignments that are when she asks the employer if she can do other jobs for him, and that’s when she hired as a VA. The employer is her long-term client for 5 years this August 15.
• She really loved the client from non-profit organization and promised not to leave them.

Q&A Highlights

Kwento mo naman pangyayari yong Maganda nagyari sayo this year with your client?

Dahil kami ay almost 5 years na this year, its been a good year for me.  Feb of this year, 1st time naming magkita sa Kuala Lumpur Malaysia ng attend kami ng Isang international event doon, then recently nitong June I got approved for my US Visa and nagkita ulit kami sa US para umatend kami New York sa Isang United Nations event. All expense paid

Anong nangyari doon sa ibang bansa? ano yung attend-an mo?

United Nation attended ng ibat ibat countries to discuss about inclusion ng person with disability, so ano na ba nangyari sa country na to may progress na ba may nira-ratify sila  mga na laws , international laws regarding  persons with  disabilities  , exchange of ideas nagkakaroon din ng bago kakilala for non profit partnership. Kung ano mga  projects ang pwede I take katulad ng next year na Olympics sa Dubai for person with disabilities and then mga ganon klasing  event . Revolving talaga sa persons with disabilities Which is I really would like Philippines to catch up.

Ilan client mo s Upwork, bukod sa non-profit. ?

Yes isang client sa Upwork, 5 clients ko Sabado lang pahinga, work and mommy duties

5 CLIENTS, non-profit org. technical customer support, Shopify customer service free up, digital marketing agency VA  direct.

Paano mo nalaman kaagad kung ano gagawin mo ? Kung papano mo sisimulan ? 

How did you easily find your niche?

Basically, connected sa dati ginagawa sa call center, may technical training.

Noong gumawa ka ng profile sa odesk may guide ka ba?

Odesk is really simple back then,wala sayang restrictions kailangan mo lang talaga maipasa yung odesk readiness test. un lang requirements nila noon before, wala restrictions approval wala din connects, sawa sa pag apply.

May FB group ka ba na sinalihan as a freelancer? Wala Kang friends na freelancer?

Wala pa , since marami na rin tayo freelancer ngaun nagiging tulong na din sa iba na ayaw ng mag work sa corporate or pagod na mag work  ss corporate or nag resign for whatever reason na meron na freelancing it’s a good thing na may mga season or tenured na rin freelancers  wherein makakapagtanong yung may mga balak or newbie which before wala talaga.

Tapos na ba ang kwento sa journey mo? Hanggang sa US client?

Monday to Friday nag wowork ako ng starting from, kasi meron ako diverse sa client may Australian ako meron US, meron Canada which is followed eastern time, US central time and US Pacific time.

So Kailangan mo I follow your time zone Nila? Kailangan andoon ka sa specific timezone Nila?

If customer service ka YES , kapag sa VA naman maganda din na tulad dito sa non profit ko executive admin ako doon kailangan talaga naming mag usap.

How many hours as CA to NGO?

Cut ko sya ng 6 hrs per day

May time zone din?

Ang schedule ko sa aking non profit  is 10 pm -1 am manila  matutulog ako non, gigising ako  7am -10am manila para mag work ulit sa non profit.

Usually how much rate a newbie bookkeeping?

Tanong mo sa sarili mo yong value ba na maibibgay mo okay client is worth 10$? Sure kaba na matatapatan mo ng value yong 10$ . Basta mabibigyan mo sya ng value.

Masasabi mo ba na reach mo na yung six figure na income?

Sa current ko na 5 clients, yes na reach ko siya monthly nag 100k ako, however, if you will analyze it may room for improvement pa.

Paano mo inaalagaan ang health mo para hindi ka magka leukemia sa kakapuyat?

Pwede ba mag plugged , vitamins ko po ay USANA , mabisa sya.

In demand ba ang graphic design artist?

Yes, if you just look with the right places.

What is the market for bookkeeping?

Basta may business alam ko if they need a bookkeeper they get one, non-profit org ko din may bookkeeper.