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Batang 90's ka ba? You might be familiar with the 1995 Mel Gibson film “Braveheart.”
Yes, it’s one of those war films.
It’s about a 13th-century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against England.
Anyway…
One of the highlights of this movie is the freedom scene.
Wallace chose to shout “FREEDOM” instead of begging for mercy during a trial against him for treason in England.
He also used this powerful word to encourage and motivate his people to fight against tyranny.
The same goes in real life.
We yearn for freedom.
Not for tyranny or oppression.
But freedom to spend more time with our family or loved ones.
To work anytime or anywhere we want at our own pace and convenience.
To be able to earn more than enough for our needs and save a lot.
Right?
TBH, it’s not an easy decision to make.
Especially if we are the breadwinner or many people rely on us.
Sometimes we would choose to have a stable income from a corporate job instead of choosing a better income as a freelancer.
It’s a big gamble not only for us but for our families.
It would seem easy if it was only about us.
However, we need to be reminded that a bigger risk means a bigger reward.
It can be scary to rock the boat and take a big leap of faith.
But if it means freedom in both our time and finances in the long term, then it would be worth it.
Remember, we can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks.
Just like Corraine, she’s a former researcher at RDIC-DOST.
She worked in the corporate setting for a year, but she wanted to work from home and earn big as much as possible.
In the beginning, she experienced several struggles as a freelancer.
She struggled to find premium clients, and how to talk to them.
She learned a lot from these challenges and found out that consistency and willingness to become better in your craft is the KEY.
Now, she’s consistently making 6 figures.
The best part?
Nothing beats FREEDOM in both time and finance.
Be inspired and be moved by her story, on this replay.
INTRODUCTION
“Not all detours in life are bad, some detours lead us to our freedom”. This is the journey of Corraine Esparagoza, a Biology graduate with a Masters in Microbiology.
Thinking she will attend medical school after graduating. But life has another road for her to take. Leaping from one government agency to the next, she felt burned out. She discovers freelancing from one of the social media posts of her friend. Now, as a Social Media Manager, she enjoys time and financial freedom as a freelancer.
NOTABLE QUOTES
CORRAINE JOURNEY TO FREELANCING
QUESTION AND ANSWER
Unfortunately, hindi tayo basta basta nakakatravel ngayon nowadays because of this pandemic that is happening so what is your substitution for traveling?
Yeah, mostly road trips. Sometimes we go to the city or the other city. It's not necessarily like plane travel kasi medyo malayo din. Pero, I enjoy that, it takes my stress away.
By the time you finished your degree, and started applying for jobs was it tough for you?
It was tough because I was doing it alone. But before that, it was a bit blurry for me because I wasn't seeing myself in that position. So that's also one of my struggles because I don't know where to begin, or whom to talk to. Then I was able to resolve those kinds of problems when I was able to have VA Bootcamp with me.
You had a job and you kept leaping from one company to another as you said. Pag hindi ka masaya dito. Lipat ka dito. Pag hindi ka masaya dito. Lipat ka dito. That's what you've done before. And let me ask you how does it compare to getting clients in freelancing?
It's similar because in my first year of freelancing. I was also trying to adjust with clients. Not all clients are good to work with. Let's be honest, sometimes other clients just thought that you guys are fit to work with. But at the end of the day, you have different work ethics or mission and vision or sometimes you don't see yourself aligned with what the client wants. I can choose what kind of people I work with. As long as I offboard them properly. So, it not only helps you maintain a good reputation. I reduced that by qualifying clients sa discovery call pa lang.
In filtering clients would you advise it to newbies in freelancing?
One great piece of advice I can say is that if it is your first client, try things out. Even if that client would not last. That was a really good stepping stone in learning, connecting, and widening your network. What I do is journal what I have learned. And trust me it helps. Kasi for me pag I go back from it I told myself na okay naman pala. I did better naman pala. Achieved ko naman pala.
Were there pitfalls and failures that affected you so much, especially in freelancing?
I had to let go of my old clients and it was hard for me. Because I was trying to grow in a perspective wherein, I don't become so needy. But it's all about doing my purpose as a freelancer. So, for me yung challenge sa akin yong patience ko at connection sa client. We need to connect and stay healthy din po kasi our body is the one that we use to keep going sa work.
Did you study in our courses in VA Bootcamp, right? What is that you learned in our courses?
I enrolled in VA Bootcamp Accelerated Package while working in corporate I always use Microsoft Office, so I already know how to email and write a CV para sa akin okay na iyon.
With your experience as a freelancer, do you consider yourself successful? What are the biggest lessons that you learned that you want to share with our audience today?
It's patience and consistency because if you don't have patience, you will get burned out. Because as what you mentioned din po a while ago na your degree doesn't matter in freelancing what matter is how you can help them. I have a friend in VA Bootcamp who didn't finish college because he got interested in freelancing. It was from him I got inspired. Sabi ko sa sarili ko kung kaya niya baka kaya ko din.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to have my agency in the future, right now I'm building my team with its expertise.
"I really don't know where to begin, who to talk to, and I resolved those problems when I havd VA Bootcamp with me. Skills can be learned." - Corraine
"Never stop learning." - Corraine
"Skills can be learned. I never stoppped learning." - Corraine
"The trend never stop changing. Be always curious." -Corraine
Hi same here.. watching. And I'm also confuse where to start
"For us na matagal na sa freelancing, we tend to think that we know everything. We have to remind each other sometimes that we need to be curious." - Phoenix
"For me, on my first few months/year in freelancing, I was also trying to adjust with clients, because not all clients are not good to work with." - Corraine
"If you want to stop working with the client, you can offboard them nicely/properly. It not only helps you maintain good reputation as freelancers, but it helps you establish good relationships." - Corraine
"I only talk with the clients who have the same mission and vision with me." - Corraine
"For me, if you're a newbie in freelancing, what great advice I can say is that to try anything. Always connect, widen your network." - Corraine
"Even if that first client of yours wouldn't last, it's okay, as long as you take learnings from that client. I journal what went wrong for that particular clients." - Corraine
"I have the impostor syndrome too, so it's important to take note what happened." - Corraine
"Let's make our notebook our bestfriend. Keep a journal at least." - Phoenix
"We like writing about our achievements, our good moments, but we should keep on writing our mistakes too, our questions, the moment you write it, you'll gonna remember it, it will register on your brain." - Phoenix
"Journaling will help you grow as a person and as a freelancer." - Phoenix
"Just recently, I had to let go of my client. I want to grow." - Corraine
dami ko natutunan dito lalo sa katulad kong newbie .
"Don't forget to connect with people. You won't expect that your clients will work with you forever." Corraine
"We need to be patient if you want to grow. I realized that I was on the verge of growing, but it's really hard because it's against the way of gravity. You have to be patient enough, if not, mapapagod ka." - Corraine
I agree with Phoenix that we need to take note /journal what you've learned for the day whether good or bad naj-journal natin yan para may babalikan ka sa sarili mo as reference to improvie ourselves.
patience is a virtue
"Sa mga nag-enroll ng course, some are not patient, sometimes they just stopped trying." - Corraine
"One of the toughest skills that you have to learn is to let people go without burning bridges." - Phoenix
Marinel Tanquia Weng Maranan Maricel Jaime Jocelyn T. Cultura Lailani Ortigosa-Pimentel Brylle Kim Solomon Jaydee Vargas Jovie Onez Odinada
ang aga huhu nasa class ako..
Yes letting go of client without burning bridges
"Tayong mga Filipino, we have innate skill not to offend people. What we do as Filipino freelancers, we are known to 'just disappear.'" - Phoenix
"Usually what I do, I ask when are they most available, and we go over zoom, I just talk to them politely, first I thanked them for the opportunity they give me, then I give them my reasons, an honest comment about them, but not in a way that I'd offend them." - Corraine
"Isa sa mga reasons that it could burn bridges is you stop working too soon." - Corraine
"If I want to quit I notify them two weeks or a month before, I offboard them properly. Sometimes I recommend someone to take my place." - Corraine
"Whenever you make big decisions, wag niyo antayin na galit kayo, na emotionally driven kayo, pag galit tayo we often make rush decision. Quitting too soon offends clients." - Phoenix
"Wag natin gawin 'yung 'ui mapipilay ang kompanya pag wala ako.'" - Phoenix
"Networking doesn't make you stagnant. It makes you grow. It helps you in communication." - Corraine
"Networking helps us become better communicators." - Corraine
"Your confidence will gonna be enhanced if you consistently connecting to people." - Corraine
Its also a good trait as VA to notify client 2 weeks prior to quiting your job. It means you have a good work ethics.
"Connect to people. This will help you express your thoughts, it keeps you up to date. Let's claim back the word networking." - Phoenix
"I enrolled in VA Bootcamp 2019. I think it was the Microsoft Office, I already knew that, but the rest I didn't knew, especially pagawa ng CV. Sir Jason Dulay, is one of the first coaches that I have. And I am forever grateful to VA Bootcamp." - Corraine
"The first tries to apply sa OLJ, my applications were really rejected. Then I was hit by a VA Bootcamp ad." - Corraine
Congrats, Corraine.
"Sabi ko 'Lord, last na pero ko na to, sana di ako ma-scam.' From there after I enrolled in VA Bootcamp, sunod sunod na." - Corraine
haha para talgang pag last money na eh dun na tau gmgawa ng action
"Consistency, if you're a freelancer, if you don't have patience, your degree doesn't matter in freelancing. I have a friend na nasa VA Bootcamp din, he didn't finish college. Sa freelancing, no judgement." - Corraine
"When you learn consistency, you will grow." - Corraine
"Learning and connecting to people is important for you to grow para you won't left behind. Patience and consistency, lang talaga." - Corraine
"Show up and be consistent." - Corraine
Don’t forget to share this #JasSuccess Interview to receive Corraine’s FREE Gift “Helpful Apps and Tools For Freelancers.”
Thank you so much Corraine!
hi have a blessed day
"Before, I had this thing with delegating. Just be careful with the people you delegate the task with. I also had a bad experience." - Corraine
I need delegation please
"In terms of delegating, make sure you know the person you're working with. Bigyan mo muna ng trial." - Corraine
Thank you so much for your story
Thank you, Corraine.
"Kaya nyo yan, don't quit." - Corraine
thanks for sharing your story Ms. Corraine
Shared
"It was Sir Jason who said, 'Imagine if you have one client that's priced as P10,000. What if I tell you that you can duplicate it 8 times. So, that's P80,000.' And that's what got me really interested to enroll in VA Bootcamp." - Corraine
sayang d ako nkapanood
Grace Tirona