Introduction

Deborah Torres is a multi-tasking mom and a mother of twins. She worked in the corporate world for 13 years before resigning when her child got sick. But she was entirely determined to build a career in the freelancing industry to finance the needs of her kids. A person who established her goals and dreams to achieve in freelancing.

Let’s take a look at how dedicated Deborah Torres steps out of her comfort zone to pursue a career as a freelancer.

Notable Quotes:

•  Lahat na napagdaanan ko, hindi siya madali. Hindi naman ako nagjump lang to something - naging luck ko siya. Kung meron po tayong determination, and time management - it is very important  talaga. You have to rest naman but you have to focus some priorities pagdating sa job.

•   Kahit nasa bahay, mahirap talaga if ang time management mo ay hindi maseset.

•   When you are at a job you have to deliver it kung ano ang dapat para sa client.

•  Not to brag but to inspire everyone, nagbibigay si client ng access sa akin to pay my salary.  Ako mismo ang nagpapasahod sa sarili ko, kaya ang trust ni client sa akin iniingatan ko.

•   Ang effort, focus, determination and  trust,  dapat ma earn mo sa client. Kung ano sinabi mo sa kanila, you have to be  true about it.

• Kung hindi na approve si Upwork, hindi naman magiging hindrance yun para maging successful.

•  Kung ano ang na achieve mo sa local job mo, isipin mo din na you can also have it sa freelancing. Hindi siya in just one day makuha mo agad, kailangan mo din pag-aralan, bigyan ng effort, time and focus.

• Sa freelancing Wala Kang officemates, but you have everyone like sa Flip, VAB Bootcamp, and other groups na pwedeng makatulong sayo. You have to be open-minded as well.

Deborah’s Journey to Freelancing:

• After she graduated college, she got a contract in the Corporate world for 13 years.

• She resigned from her corporate job to give priority to her newborn child.

• She was entirely determined to build a career in the freelancing industry to finance the needs of her kids.

• She tried to make her Upwork account but she was rejected twice.

• She had a chance for a job interview in 51Talk but unfortunately, she was rejected again due to her unstable internet connection.

• She searched for online work from home and enrolled in Virtual Assistant Bootcamp.

• She joined the Guided hustle challenge, and finally, she got a client.

• The business of her first client in freelancing was supporting the NBA.

• She then got another freelancing job that had the same tasks as she had from her previous corporate work.

• After many years her previous corporate boss called her back, and she got hired as a consultant.

• She is now working as a corporate consultant for her previous company while working as a freelance Virtual Assistant.

Q & A Highlights:

Nung  pumasok ka sa ESL you faced many disappointments and rejections. The near fact that you were in a good position doon sa  locally, tapos pagdating sa freelancing parang, Bakit ganon Ang hirap pumasok hindi kaba na turned off?

Hindi po Kasi ang pinaka goal ko that time is to be with my son, i can take care of him kahit nasa bahay ako, pero i don’t give up, sabi ko ano kayang gagawin ko sa bahay? Mag aalaga ng anak ko? Well tama naman as a mom, pero sabi ko kahit anong rejections nato kahit anong struggles na natagpuan ko kakayanin ko.

When life give you a choice na parang anak mo or opportunity,  in many cases pipili na ang mga tao, Oh no! anak ko pa rin ang priority ko, on the other hand parang ang ginawa mo instead of choosing one over the other pinagsabay muna.

Magaling kana ba sa management even that before happen?

Yes po kasi sa time management usually multitask ang naging local job ko, Hindi lang kasi ako import coordinator, personal secretary of the Family din ako. Lahat sila may utos sa akin si Big Boss, Anak at si Office. Sinasalang din ako ni Boss sa ibat ibang operations namin. Like sa inventory, operation at mismo sa store. Parang nahasa nadin ako paano ko e Juggle lahat ng aking gagawin.

Ang daming stressed ang nangyari pero ikaw, parang di mukhang nastressed?Wala akong nakitang wrinkles kahit isang bahid sa mukha mo bakit ganon?

Dati sir payat po ako, when i started sa freelancing dito na ako tumaba,  siguro stressful man ang journey pero worth it po kasi now na eenjoy na namin ng pamilya ko, andito na ang husband ko this time sa freelancing meron na kaming freedom in terms of time and financial.

It takes a lot of courage and strength dumaan din ako sa stressful transition,  Kasi lalo na po sa pagkakaroon ko ng maraming clients sa local jobs isa lang ang focus mo,  pero thankful naman ako at sa mga naging clients ko this time Kasi lahat po sila naging niche ko noong nasa local job ako.

Do you think it is luck or was it effort?

It is effort, kasi ilagay mo ang effort mo sa determination mo worth it po,  "kung may itinanim ka may aanihin",  talagang hindi lang nangyayari lang sayo in luck pinag hirapan po, meron din akong nababasa about sa freelancing on how to start.

Ganyan din ang feeling ko noon, kahit meron na akong background pero hinde ko pa rin alam kung paano magstart sa freelancing, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mga tools na pwede kung gamitin, hindi sa marunong ka sa computer pwede ka na, kailangan talaga mag research para malaman mo kung paano ka mag start,  hindi rin dahil matalino ka may kakayahan ka, it’s started from scratch, so inaral ko lahat ng lessons sa VAB Bootcamp,  doon ko natutunan lahat, hindi lang luck to have a bigtime client,  lahat po inaaral ginagawan ng effort, siguro inaral ko siya  ng may effort and determination so jan siguro pumapasok ang luck.

When was the time when you revealed it to your husband?

When he came back last 2019,  tapos ang kita ko pa lang noon is five digits,  sabi ko sa kanya, okay na siguro ito kahit hindi kana mag abroad kaya na natin siguro na hindi kana umalis,  Kasi we have now a small business naman, Sabi nya, paano mo masasabi na hindi na natin kailangan ng extra income? Sabi ko itong kinikita ko siguro sapat na ito, parang nag dalawang isip siya, nag apply parin siya,  doon talaga ako masyadong nag focus nag focus ako to accept more clients,  kasi every now and then may pumapasok sa akin ng mga bagong offers, binilang ko ang mga ni reject ko na offers thirty five sa upwork, noong naka focus na ako pinakita ko sa kanya ang kita ko, so nag stay po siya hanggang sa ngayon, nagkaroon kami ng dalawang twins.

Did somebody tell you to do that? Kung ano ang skills mo locally, yan din ang gamitin mo sa freelance?

Actually wala, hindi ko siya naging idea because at that time na nag start ako sa freelancing, hindi ko inisip na meron din palang ganitong niche sa online jobs, sabi ko saan kaya ako mag focus? Ano kaya talaga ang gagawin ko sa freelancing?

It came sa point na nag hustle challenge ang VABootcamp, nagka client din po ako hindi ko din alam kung bakit nya ako kinuha, pero sa cover letter sinabi ko lang na nakikipag usap din ako sa mga clients directly sa abroad,  actually ang kanyang project is new for me, bago din sa kanya ang business nya, ang company nya ay nag susuport sa NBA sabi nya magtulungan tayo kasi nakita ko sa profile mo meron kang experience about importations, sabi ko okay at inaral ko narin, ang mga shipping terms doon ko natutunan sa local jobs ko, actually ang mga natutunan ko din ngayon sa freelancing ay na apply ko din sa local jobs ko as a consultant, natuwa din ang boss ko kasi dati mga limited access lang ang alam ko sa tools online.