Meet Jehan.

She's a former staff nurse who jumped into freelancing to be with her family and build her own authority.

So despite the challenges on Internet connection and electricity, she persevered.

Fast forward today...

She was one of the top and medalist of social media marketing trainees of Rural Impact Sourcing Training (digitaljobsPH) in 2018.

She was a guest speaker at connected women events at Marawi city and Iligan City in 2019.

Her dedication to promoting online opportunities reaches other rural areas as she becomes one of the nationwide trainers of DigitaljobsPH in 2019 up to the present.

Whoah!

The best part?

Get to know her story on this JasSuccess replay.

FORMER STAFF NURSE, NOW AN AWARD-WINNING FREELANCER AND SKILL TRAINER

Introduction

She previously worked as a staff nurse in Saudi Arabia for 5 years (2010-2015). She chose to go home in the Philippines and never to return because she was not yet a registered nurse. She's now a teacher, a qualified nurse, and a six-figure freelancer.

Let's take a look at how she overcame all of the barriers and challenges she faced on her way to being a freelancer.

Notable Quotes:

• Alam ko may mga time na ganun din ang feeling ng iba diyan. Pakiramdam mo mali at hindi mo ma hit ang tamang lugar for your success, parang hindi mo na kaya, parang gusto mo ng sumuko but you have to find ways lalo na pag bread winner ka.

• Sa isip ko if I am not going to pick myself out to this dark side of my life sino ang gagawa diba? Madami pa akong pangarap sa buhay ko, sa pamilya ko, sa mga anak ko.

• Feeling ko useless ako. So alam ko may mga nanay dyan na feeling nila useless sila dahil nasa bahay lang sila, ang akala nila dahil wala silang kinikitang pera para sa sarili nila parang di nila napapahalagahan yung pagiging nanay nila.

• I learn how to embrace my ups and downs. So doon mas naging madali sa akin ang dinadala kong emotions kahit hindi ko pa na hit yung goal ko pero alam ko, I'm on my way there and part ng daan para makuha natin yung totoong pangarap natin ay magkakaroon ka ng mga challenges at obstacles.

• When you learn how to embrace the fact na kasama yung mga failure at frustration doon sa goal na kinukuha mo ay mas magiging madali na sa iyo. Maiisip mo na kaya pala yun nangyayari is just part of your training to make you stronger and wiser.

• In our religion, sa Islam or sa Maranao, we believe na kapag may nangyari sa’yong masama o mahirap may kasunod yan na mas magandang pangyayari, just be patient, so bigla mo na lang napapansin na maraming positibo dumarating sa  buhay mo.

• Kasi may mga tao na hindi pa aware sa online world. Ganun din iyong naramdaman ko, so sabi ko sa sarili ko, I need to make decisions. So kailangan kong tumalon, kung hindi ako tatalon ngayon baka wala ng opportunity na makuha kung ano man yung gusto ko. So may mga objections din ako at that time, bago palang ako pumasok sa online world, yung pagiging fluent sa English. Alam kong meron at marami tayo diyan hindi ka nag-iisa sa problema sa English.

• Syempre hindi rin madali lalo na kapag nanay ka, na alam mo na hindi lang sa'yo yung time mo, so I know how it feels and you're not alone, we're not alone ,marami tayong nanay na nag aalaga ng bata while struggling na maging freelancers. Hindi ka nag-iisa, ganun din ako.

• When Imposter Syndrome hits you, palagi nalang hindi mo pa kaya, hindi mo pa kaya, maraming ganun na alam kong takot pang mag-apply kahit may natutunan na, so nagbabasa lang ako sa group chat sa facebook group ng VA Bootcamp. Newbie pa ako kaya hindi ko maiiwasan na magkaroon ng obstacles.

• Habang nagsasalita yung trainer namin sabi ko sa sarili ko someday magtuturo ako. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko magagawa, pero ganun talaga, when you really want something, start visualizing and then of course yung resulta depende na lang kung paano yung mga next moves mo.

• Masasabi ko na nararamdaman ko na  ang ibig sabihin ng freedom. Hindi ko  na need umalis pa papuntang abroad just to earn money dahil sa ngayon kumikita na ako ng six-figure while staying with my family.

• I believe skills are important than certificate but the mindset is more important than skills. Kasi kahit may skills ka naman when Imposter Syndrome hits you, pakiramdam mo hindi ka pa handa. Hindi pa clear sa'yo yung goal mo, hindi mangyayari. So as a newbie, hindi mo maiiwasan nahihirapan ka, pero dahil work at home nga, everything is google-able ngayon. Be resourceful para alisin sa isip mo yung pagiging newbie but of course you had to consider them sa mga online process.

• Ngayon, continue pa rin ako sa pag reach ng goal ko. Now I can see na proud ako, at ang importante nandoon yung feeling ng fulfillment, yung ginagawa mo yung passion mo. You're doing the things you love while earning money, spending time with your family while helping other people to transform, from zero to hero.

• For me, I work to live, not I live to work. Masayang-masaya ako ngayon after ko matutunan yung mga online opportunity.

      Jehan’s Journey to Freelancing

• She worked as a staff nurse in Saudi Arabia for five years (OFW 2010- 2015).
• She went home to the Philippines and never returned to Saudi Arabia because she was not yet a licensed nurse at that time and wanted to prepare for her nurse license.
• When she returned home, the crisis had occurred, the Marawi war happened.
• Their home was set ablazed, as well as their belongings.
• She comes up with a way to make a living.
• Because of the bad internet connection and power outages, she rented a house in Iligan City to apply as an online teacher.
• After three tries of applying on 51 talk, she was hired.
• She realized that she wanted to work while spending time with her family. This makes her decide that she wants to be a freelancer.
• In year 2018, she met workfromhomeroadmap.io (wfhr.io) by Sir Jason Dulay.
• She decided to enroll.
• She wakes up at 3 am just to watch the video tutorial of Sir Jason Dulay and studied different VA skills while her children are sleeping.
• And then, there’s a government program for those fire victims to join Social Media Marketing training in Marawi City. More than 100 applied and took the exams but only 25 passed and Jehan was one of them.
• In order to be considered as a medalist and completer of DICT, you need to have a client before or end of the Social Media Marketing training.
• She got hired as a freelancer.
• She became a medalist and completer of Social Media Marketing.
• She taught freelancing face to face for free and introduced the online opportunity in her town.
• She also taught online opportunity in other towns.
• Eventually, she also taught freelancing online in different parts of the Philippines.
• She was invited as a speaker to the Connected Women’s Event.
• She was also invited to Philippine Impact Sourcing in 2019 where she met Sir Jason Dulay who was also invited as a speaker and personally thanked him.
• She is now earning 6 figures while spending time with her family and doesn't need to go to other countries just to work.

Q & A Highlights

You've talked about the struggles of many women especially people in Marawi, madami kang struggles dyan, yung lack of internet connection. Pero yung Impostor syndrome napakalaking issue yan and I believe you’ve been through that struggle yourself, how are you able to overcome that?

Syempre sa ating freelancers dapat flexible ka, hindi ka dapat nag i-stay lang sa isang skill. You need to push yourself to learn, to upscale, to upgrade your skills or your knowledge as a freelancer. And of course sinasabi mo sa sarili mo na nararamdaman mo na nagkaka Impostor Syndrome kana is titigil ka na. Wag kang tumigil,  i- embrace mo yan, sige ok lang yan na ma feel mo iyan, so just continue and someday mawawala din yan. You need to embrace na kasama yan sa pagiging newbie. Iniisip ko nalang is, every expert is once a disaster. “ok lang to, kaya ko ito”, basta just go on and someday, hindi man ngayon pero someday mahihit ko din yan.

Nung nag enroll ako sa training ni Sir Jason Dulay, hindi pa ako nag apply kasi feeling ko nga nag ka Imposter Syndrome ako so nung nag try na ako makipag communicate, sumama sa mga group chat sa VA Bootcamp at FLIP, doon ko naramdaman na, “I belong”. Sige gagawin ko ito kasi may mga kasama naman ako. Andiyan naman sila Miss Anna na sumusuporta sa akin. I can ask them anything I want para mas madali kong magawa yung trabaho.  Ganun po yung ginawa ko so as long as may mga community na alam mo na nandiyan lagi, basta hindi ka lang titigil, mahi-hit mo din.

How bad is your internet connection?

Totally, wala talagang internet connection dito. Minsan yung data sa madaling araw lang, so ang ginagawa ko gumigising ako ng alas tres ng umaga para lang makapanood o maka facebook at yun lang yung time na nakaka focus ako dahil bagong gising lang fresh na fresh pa yung utak ko and then tulog pa yung mga anak ko. Hindi mo maiiwasan na maraming obstacles na darating sa buhay mo, pero once na nag clear yung mindset mo kung ano yung goal na tinitignan mo, kung nakatingin ka lang doon at hayaan mo na lang yung babangga sa iyo while reaching your goal, hindi mo na mararamdaman na nagawa mo na pala. Just like learning how to drive, lalo na pag first time ka magdrive, sasabihin mo, ”kaya ko ba ito? Ganito ba?” Pero pag natutunan mo na mag drive sasabihin mo, “yun lang pala”. Just keep moving dapat kung ano man yung nahi-hit mong obstacle at frustrations, tingnan mo nalang as part of your training para pag na hit mo yung goal mo, it will make you stronger and wiser.

Lumipat ka nang bahay in order to have worked as an online teacher. Is that something you especially do in your local area especially in Marawi, Is that something you would be likely to advise to people?

For me, kung ikaw nasa sitwasyon ko na wala kang internet connection and lumipat ka ng bahay para makapag online jobs, hindi ko yun i-a-advise. Ang goal kasi natin na work from home is to be with our family, so useless din kasi parang nagtatrabaho lang din ako sa opisina kung nasa ibang lugar ako, tapos yung pamilya ko nasa ibang lugar din. Hindi ko yan mai-a-advise.

Ang ma-a-advise ko dyan lalo na sa mga newbie is wag kayong matakot sa online world, normal lang talaga sa umpisa na manibago ka na magkaroon ka ng mga problema dahil nasa learning stage ka pa. Pero hindi ko naman sinasabi na umalis kayo sa mga trabaho niyo at mag transfer dito sa freelancing world. Pero at least open your mind, open the possibility kung ano yung mga online opportunity na pwedeng makuha sa mga courses sa VA bootcamp, sa pagiging VA. Kasi hindi ka naman mag-i-isa along the way, dahil kagaya sa VA bootcamp, my facebook group tayo which is maraming tao, kahit ma-hit ka ng Imposter Syndrome na yan, nandiyan lang sila na aalalay sa iyo, so hindi ko maiaadvise na lumipat kayo ng ibang bahay just to work from home kasi hindi mo yan matatawag na work from home.

I highly recommend opening your mind to online opportunities and don’t be afraid kasi may mga community na handang tumulong. Nasa likod mo ang buong team ng VA Bootcamp, sila Sir Jason Dulay, Miss Anna. Kaya only in VA Bootcamp lumabas ako sa public kasi sila ang nag push sa akin at sila ang dahilan para marating ko kung anong meron ako ngayon.

Hindi rin mawawala na may part ng pamilya mo, mga friends mo, relatives mo na mamaliitin ka kasi yung ibang tao ang iisipin nila sa Freelancing is kawalan, kasi work at home lang sya, kasi registered nurse na ako ngayon, kaya sinasabi nila bakit daw hindi na lang ako mag staff nurse na lang. But this is my passion, iba kasi yung ginagawa mo yung gusto mo habang kumikita at nakakatulong sa iba. Kaysa yung ginagawa mo yung isang bagay para lang mabuhay. For me, I work to live, not I live to work.masayang masaya ako ngayon after ko matutunan yung mga online opportunity.

The issue of religion was that affected your career as a freelancer?

Actually hindi naman, kasi kung ico-compare mo siya sa religion supposed to be ang mga babae ay dapat naka stay-at-home talaga. So sa religion namin, sa Islam lalaki dapat yung nagtatrabaho at responsibilidad ng may bahay ang mag-alaga ng pamilya, Kung iisipin mo mas pabor ba ito sa religion namin kasi nasa bahay ka lang hindi ka nakikisalamuha sa mga lalaki, hindi ka umaalis, hindi mo napapabayaan pamilya mo. Maganda pa nito of course hindi mo maiiwasan na ganito lumabas ako sa market makikita yung mukha ko. 

Normal lang yun kasi makikita ka naman talaga ng tao. Ang maaadvise ko lang sa mga kasama kong Muslim, mga kapatid kong Muslim na gustong pumasok sa online opportunities try niyo. Doon nyo maiisip na maganda pala maging freelancer kasi kahit  nasa bahay ka lang kumikita ka at makakaiwas pa sa negative issue. Kung napanood niyo yung legal wife yung iba hindi pwedeng mag tabi  iyong lalaki at babae o mag tinginan mas makakatulong pa kasi ikaw mag-isa ka lang, makakaiwas ka sa mga kasalanan ng pwedeng mangyari sayo sa labas habang nakikisalamuha ka sa mga lalaki. 

Yung mga nakikita pa yung mga mukha, I don't know if aware po kayo na before, yung mga Muslim nakatakip yung mukha. Hindi ka naman magpa public parati ng mukha mo. Yung iba sa inyo hindi pa ako nakikita, kahit yung mga employee sa Department of Information and Communication Technology, hindi pa ako nakikita. Sa palagay ko, hindi naman yan nakakaapekto. Hindi nila ako kilala pero hindi nakaapekto ang takip ko sa mukha just to be what I am now. Kasi kung na reach ko nga ito ng hindi ko yan inaalis ibig sabihin kaya. So I think ako lang yung trainer na Muslim nationwide all over Maranao ang nakatakip ang mukha pero parang hindi naman nakaapekto sa akin. As long as hindi mo siya titingnan na disability mo. Ang importante dito are the skills, the idea that you can share to the world. How are you going to transform others? How are you able to help them with their objections and frustrations? Yung nasa puso mo talaga gusto mong makatulong sa ibang tao na hindi nila mafeel  yung pinagdaanan mo before. For me highly recommended ko ang pag o-onlinejobs sa mga Muslim lalo na sa aming mga kababaihan kasi mas makakatulong at makakaiwas pa sa negative issue, makaka help pa din sayo na maalagaan ang pamilya mo.

Out of your experience, what is the biggest lesson that you would like to share to our audiences today?

Sa mga negative words or reaction ng ibang tao, as long as yung ginagawa mo para sa pangarap mo at wala kang inaapakan na ibang tao. At alam mo sa sarili mo na pagdating ng panahon ay maipagmamalaki ka rin nila just go on, go with the flow, embrace mo na lang yung mga problemang dumarating. Just go on, wag kang titigil, wag mong pakinggan yung mga negativity kasi ako, madami na akong nareceive na ganyan. Even sa mga tao na ineexpect ko na dapat susuporta sa’yo magpapa-tatag sa iyo. Pero minsan ganun talaga, hindi mo yan maaalis na may mga taong iba yong reaksyon nila. Dapat na iwasan mo yun. Dapat wag ka magsisi sa huli na hindi mo ginawa yung alam mong nakakapagpasaya sayo at makakatulong sa ibang tao.

Is there anything else you would like to discuss or share?

So again yung mga free courses na yan, I highly recommended yan, kahit free. Andoon kasi yung mga natutunan ko before sa starter package, so ginawa ng free ngayon, highly recommended din yung time management. para alam mo kung paano imanage yung time mo. Ako, nag aalaga ako ng dalawang anak ko, nagtuturo, habang nagpi- freelancing malaking tulong talaga iyon.

I want to invite you to connect with my Social Media Channel Jehan Macapundag. You can also visit me at jehanmacapundag.com kung may gustong kayong basahin na mga blogs ko. Feel free to like and engage dun sa mga Content sa  digitaljob.ph and Department of Information and Communication Technology to be updated sa mga upcoming training nila. It is online and face-to-face training all over the country nationwide. And please join us for the upcoming event this coming September 3 and 4 from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 noon is ako doon sa speaker nila sa Bukidnon but since it's pandemic online muna tayo.

And also I’m one of the advocate of human trafficking. I hope you can share some of our contents to our facebook page yung “ALERT TAYO” just to help other people na ma aware sila paano makakaiwas sa mga ganitong kaso kasi alam naman natin na maraming mga zero knowledge about human trafficking, yung mga nag aabroad na mga naloloko, kahit hindi sya related sa Freelancing at least we can help. Thank you so much sa pag invite sa akin. Salamat sa panonood. I hope hindi ko man kayo naturuan ng skills about freelancing, I highly suggest nasa harapan nyo na yung mga skills. Nasa sa inyo na yun kung anong maging action nyo after this. Thank you, thank you, thank you to VA Bootcamp at sa team ng VA Bootcamp dahil isa kayo sa talagang sumubaybay at nagpatibay ng foundation ko as a freelancers please don't hesitate to contact me to anything I can do or I can help sa mga newbie sumali kayo sa mga webinar ng VA Bootcamp at makikita nyo someday.

What's in the Future for Ms. Jehan Macapundag? 

Makapag transform ng maraming tao gusto kong makuha yung goal ko habang hinahatak ko yung maraming tao. I-decrease yung mga tao na nakakaranas ng frustration kung ano yung na feel ko ng nasunog yung bahay ng hindi ko alam kung paano mag apply pero kailangan ko rin kasi breadwinner , maraming breadwinner diyan kaya alam kong maraming makakarelate yun yung pinaka goal ko habang papunta sa taas nandun din sila. One thing I’ve learned dito sa Freelancing, the more you serve the public, the morena maraming bumabalik sayo.Karma is digital hindi lang sa negative na karma.kundi pati sa positive kung mag gigive back ka sa mga tao, babalik at babalik din yan sa'yo.