Stock investing.

Network marketing.

Crowdsourcing.

You name it.

Our JasSuccess guest has tried all of these to earn extra income.

Pero freelancing lang pala ang sagot.

She works as a software engineer and still manages to work with a client as a social media manager.

And this Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30 PM, she'll share with us her journey from zero to hero.

Paano nya nakuha yung retainer client nya?

Paano nya napagsasabay ang work at freelancing?

Join us to find out how she did it on this replay.

INTRODUCTION

Find out how a software engineer continues her life after all her struggles from investing in the different stock markets and getting scammed, also being an online seller to a  freelancer.

Discover how Abeljane finds herself in having an extra income in freelancing.

Notable  Notes

• Alam ko na marami pa akong pagdadaanan na struggles sa sarili ko, sa client, pero I'm trusting the process.
• Nakita ko yung opportunity sa freelancing, fineed ko kasi yung sarili ko na mag basa ka nang testimonials yung parang i wish mo na maging ganon ka. Parang determined ako na i try mo yun, give it a try. And then tingnan mo kung ok sa yo kasi, opportunity yan.
• Sa mga aspiring freelancers when I was a newbie, gulong gulo ako kung saan ako mag sisimula kung ano ba dapat kong aralin, actually ma go google mo lahat, mapapanood mo sa youtube pero ano yung uunahin mo? Baka ang mangyayari ma information overload ka lang. Parang thankful ako kasi nandyan yung VAB, created kasi siya para sa newbie talaga. I’m not advising na mag enroll o magbayad kayo kasi they have a FREE COURSE.
• I would say invest in your knowledge. Kasi, it pays the best interest. It could be investment sa money or investment sa time. Just have to take time para matuto.
• And then struggling to look for new client? Siguro medyo gasgas ni di ba? but don't give up.
• Kung marami kang natanggap na rejections, kasama talaga siya sa ating mga freelancers. Makakatanggap ka nang maraming ganyan. And may time na kagaya ko fluctuating ang emotions, excited,  hindi excited, hindi. But siguro Ang ispin mo what is your biggest WHY? Bakit mo to tinry? Siguro enough na yon para ma motivate ka to start again. 
• Build a habit. Siguro kahit hindi ka motivated basta may habit ka gagawin mo pa rin di ba?
• Believe in yourself, medyo gasgas na siya di ba? Pero foundation kasi siya ng sarili natin.
• Challenge yourself like yung pag share ko ng story ko ngayon, kanina sobrang kinabahan ako, pero I challenged myself na i accept mo yung challenge na yan. I try mo mag salita kahit hindi ko man kayo nakikita nakaka kaba pa rin, kasi alam ko in the long run mag be-benefit ako sa experience na to. And I know in some ways mag i - improve ako dahil dito.
• Be thankful for the big and small things, like, I'm thankful kasi may day job pa rin ako that sustains our needs, kahit na mahirap yung panahon ngayon dahil nga may pandemic. On the side, thankful kasi may freelancing; may extra source of income, nadadagdagan ang savings. And yung simple na thank you Lord, kasi healthy yung family ko. Isa na yun sa sobrang ipagpasalamat ko.

Abeljane Fondevilla's Journey to Freelancing

• A graduate of  BS Electronics Engineering.
• She was also a scholar in her school in college. A board exam passer.  In her first year of work, she is enjoying it, because they all have the same age as co-workers, she already knows how to save because her fear is to lose money.
• She invested in the stock market for five years until she was scammed.
• She also tried online selling but didn't work.
• Then she found out about working from home as an extra income. Making a freelancing platform account, trying sending proposals but then no one noticed her cover letter for months.
• Until she discovered VA Bootcamp and joined Flip Facebook Page, then she wanted to pursue freelancing. She was chosen as one of the mentees of the Flip Program that is Adopt a Newbie Program by Mahar Pedral. That is the time she decided to enroll at VA Bootcamp.
• She also joined the Guided Hustle Challenge and landed two short-term clients.
• At the fourth week of the GHC, she found her long-term client and up until now, they are still working together. She also has the chance to meet her VA friends or her Co-workers in her current client.

Q&A Highlights

What's keeping you from proceeding to freelancing?

Una, yung in-invest ko yung nilabas ko na pera so target ko talaga siya, na kailangan maibalik ko yun, sayang naman diba? And then the people around me, namo motivate ako sa kanila. Ok na kasi, na surround yourself with positive people or with people na same kayo ng interest like sa freelancing. May nakilala na din ako dito sa FLIP or sa VAB, nagka kwentuhan kami, yung story nila parang gusto ko din na ganun ako. Na mo motivate ako sa kanila it keeps me going din. Plus, knowing na may client ako, ayaw ko naman bigla sabihin na ayaw ko na. Commitment ko na din na kinuha mo ako, I will do my best. Regardless kung tinatamad ako.

What did you do to keep going on?

Sinimulan mo. Ituloy tuloy mo yan kasi sayang naman ang ginugol mo na oras sa VAB wala ka pang result. Kaya ayon tinuloy tuloy ko siya.

Were you able to get back what you spent?

Yung sa VAB na ininrol, nabalik ko naman na siya. Yun sa laptop, almost!

Are you still going to continue your freelancing journey? o tama na kasi nakapagbayad ka na?

Oo, itu-tuloy ko siya kasi, opportunity siya for extra income. Aside from my day job meron pang side hustle for extra source. And medyo kabisado ko naman ang first parts as a freelancer. Why stop? Itu-tuloy ko pa rin siya.

What do you think your future would be in terms of your day job versus freelancing?

For extra income talaga siya for now. Nag enjoy pa ako sa company ko. And then iba din kasi sa company namin. Meron mga activities na nag eenjoy ako. And yung work namin hindi siya nakakapagod talaga. So blessing na sakin na doon ako napunta na company na napapagsabay ko yung freelancing. And syempre doon sa mga benifits, alam naman natin sa freelancing na we have to provide our own. So extra income lang talaga siya sa akin for now.

How do you find yourself now that you are a freelancer?

Fulfilling siya. Kasi yung day job ko kasi is very different from my work as a freelancer. Yung ginagawa ko kasi as SMM yung paggawa ng post, graphics, enjoy ko siya. So pag nagagawa kong output and give it to client fulfilling kapag nagugustuhan niya. Plus na enjoy ko siyang gawin.

Was this intentional na ginawa mong magkaiba ang ginagawa mo sa freelancing and day job mo?

Yes. Actually, natanong yan ng client ko na why not daw pursue IT in freelancing. So ako naman I'm not very technical kasi in terms of a software engineer. I want to explore others, like yung work ko ngayon, yan yung hilig ko. Gusto ko i try na yung hilig ko naman yung gawin kong side hustle.

If you have to choose only one, what would it be? Engineering or Freelancing?

 Hindi ko pa alam. Alam naman natin talaga ang potential. Malaki talaga ang opportunity sa freelancing. Sa ngayon at my current state yung sa IT muna. But I'm very open to the possibility to stay freelancing. But for now yung sa day job muna.

Was the support and understanding of your fiancee towards your career move helpful and encouraging to go with freelancing. Would you say that the time comes you get married your husband will even more support you?

Super syang supportive kasi minsan kapag napapagod na ako, sasabihan niya ako na" magpahinga ka muna". And like yung gesture lang na binilhan ako nang magagamit mo sa freelancing, big thing na siya to show his support. Masasabi ko naman na supportive siya, and he's up to what I'm doing.

Was there a struggle explaining to him that you need to go through this process?

I'm very blessed kasi for whatever I do, lagi siyang supportive, nung nag online selling ako supportive siya, as freelancing very supportive siya. Pag nakikita niya akong masaya sa ginagawa ko, the more na masaya din siya.

Is there any struggle between day jobs and freelancing?

Oo, meron kasi in the morning until afternoon mag wo-work ako sa day job ko, syempre minsan lalo na pag busy, napupuno na yung utak ko, hindi na siya nag fu-function nang maayos. So schedule ko at night gagawin ko yung VA task. Minsan na ko compromise yung isa. Ang tama lang doon is to plan it properly; time management talaga.

How were you able to manage your time in this situation?

Siguro thankful ako sa parents kasi,  hindi masyado sa gawaing bahay. Yung way ko para i plan out yung mga gagawin ko is by writing it. May posted notes ako katabi ng laptop ko, sinusulat ko yung dapat ma accomplish ko within the day,  pag hindi naman, carry over to the next day. Basta mini- make sure ko na hindi ako kapit na kapit sa deadline. Fulfilling siya kapag marami akong nakaka crash out in the day. Ayun yung way ko para hindi ko ma skip ang dapat kong gawin.

How do you deal with stress in juggling both jobs?

There are times na nakaharap lang ako sa laptop tapos yung mga ginagawa ko na hindi maganda. Ang ginagawa ko i sha -shutdown ko muna yung laptop ko. Baba ako sa kwarto nang pamangkin ko or sa kabilang kwarto.Pupunta ako sa kanila sasabayan ko sila manuod nang cartoons makikipag laro, or minsan manunuod ako nang netflix. After nang isang movie namin pag balik ko tuloy tuloy na yung ginagawa ko. Yun yung way ko in relaxing or distressing.