As Anna Soriano celebrates her 3rd year in freelancing, she becomes the 'guest' in her own show.

And yes... we'll talk about that single most important thing that make PREMIUM freelancers stand out - MINDSET.

Have you heard of the phrase "Garbage In, Garbage Out?"

Computer programmers coined it. It simply means that whatever you program into a computer is what you're going to get out. It can also apply to our mind because it's like a computer.

If you want good things to flow out of you, you have to feed your mind with the good stuff.

If you feed your mind with trash (negative thoughts), how can you expect positive ones to come out of it?

Mindset can be defined as a person's way of thinking and their opinions. As freelancers, there are times when we have to deal with difficulties and challenges, and if we want to be successful in overcoming such challenges, we have to take a closer look at how we think. If you are wondering why some freelancers are more successful than others, there's a good chance it has something to do with this "M" word.

You see, the way we think will affect how we solve problems, react to stressful situations and relate with different kinds of people (online and offline). It will determine the level of positivity and overall quality of our life. That's how important it is!

“Man can alter his life by altering his thinking.” —William James

Watch the replay here.

Notable Quotes:

• Nung time na nag start ako, kapag merong nangyayari na bago sa akin pinopost ko. Hindi para magyabang, pero ang natutunan ko kasi parang yung mga small wins na isi-share mo, hindi mo alam kung sino yung pwedeng ma inspire or magsabi na parang "Ay talaga ba, sige ako rin pwede ko na rin pa lang subukan". So napaka simple lang nung shinare ko pero natutuwa ako na mayroon naman din palang nainspire kahit papaano. Napapansin ako kapag ka may shinishare ako. Aside from that, yung feeling na nakakatulong ka. Ang saya lang din yung parang you’re working and on the other side meron kang natutulungang iba na puwedeng mabago ang buhay.

   

• Doon nagstart din yung parang nagkaroon ako. Basta yung time na yon shinishare ko lang sya sa friends ko hindi naman ako naiintindihan kasi wala pa akong friends non talaga. Yung mga highschool friends ko na mga mommies din, di nila alam 'to totally. Sa community kung saan may mga nagsisimula, may experience so parang dun ako nagpopost. Di ko alam kung papanong tuwa na nadagdag sa akin na kumikita na ako at nakakainspire pa ako. Parang kasi never ko ‘to nafeel nung nasa corporate. Yung parang sa corporate kasi andame lang mga office politics may mga boss na power tripping.

Anna's Journey to Freelancing:

• Before she discovered freelancing, she worked in the corporate world for 10 years as an Admin Assistant/Bookkeeper. She was a graduate of BS Accountancy. She was struggling that she wanted to stay at home to take care of her two children as both of the boys were breastfed. Her husband decided to put up a business which is a water refilling station. They were very hands-on in their business and it wasn't easy. Her husband was the driver and they would do the delivery themselves. Anna realized that it is hard to have a business and the income was not enough as they started it with debts to pay. So she thought that she still needed to work to have an extra income.

   

• She tried to work as a real estate agent and as an OFW in Singapore for two months. It was very hard for her because she had not tried to be away from her family. She remembered when she was in the corporate; she had to be out of the office right after her work at 5 PM and should go home immediately because she had to breastfeed her children. She had a lot of struggles even though they already had their own business. She even tried different networking and online selling of bags and shoes. Lastly, she was a management trainee in a clothing company at Megamall. She felt like her income was just break even with her fare expense because she lives in Taytay and the tricycle fare was the same with taxi. Her house is too far that she had to hire a tricycle (special) for 100 pesos per ride. Her husband would complain to her about her work because she had to go to work even on weekends as a trainee for Mango management. When she stopped working there, their business was already going down.

   

• Back in 2015, she already had her Upwork profile and tried sending cover letters. She wondered why she was being ignored so she stopped it for a while. Around May of 2016 with four children at that time, they had their internet installed which is an additional expense. She thought where would she get the money to pay for it. She then decided to pursue an online job. While she was browsing she found Jason on facebook. She saw his video and was impressed but she wondered if it was true. She still wanted to enroll but they were on a tight budget. Her four kids went to private school so all her siblings help her financially. She asked her sibling to help her with the enrollment fee for the VA Bootcamp. At first, her sibling declined her because she might just waste it so she just explored the internet for it to no avail. Finally, Anna was able to persuade her sibling and she enrolled in August. She got the starter course which was the cheapest. She also needed a new laptop because the one she had was old. She got the new laptop through home credit. She felt pressured to finish the course to find work as she had to pay the home credit.

   

• On her first day taking the course, she wanted to finish everything. Before, the VA Bootcamp did not have assignments and quizzes. The course is solely modules so it was shorter as compared today. Most of the content of the starter course was basic like office application, internet research which Anna knew already so she went over it briefly and focused on making a cover letter and profile overview. This is why she holds the record of finishing the VA Bootcamp course in just 5 days. After she finished the course, she stayed up late for three nights straight to complete her profile and send cover letters.

   

• She got her first job for data entry for a fixed price of $5 which she finished for twelve hours but she was fine with it as she was just starting and wanted to learn how things are done. She was very happy and shared that small win to Work at Home Pinoys group. She looked for more clients and got her second client which paid her $5/hour as a Virtual Assistant. She earned 8,000 on the following week which she compared to her salary of 15,000 monthly in the corporate. But she did not settle for it until she got her third client. She thought to herself that it is really possible to earn through the online job. At that time, she focused more on data entry and kept on getting more clients. She realized then that what she learned from the course in making a cover letter is very effective.

   

• She enrolled in Master class in 2017 which was one of the premium courses at that time. It cost 30,000 with one on one coaching with Jason. It was called Road to 100K and now it's part of the complete package of VA Bootcamp. Anna was actively participating in the student group that was when Jason took notice of her and he offered her a chance to intern in WAP before but now it is called FLIP. Jason also hired her as a community manager in WAP because of her lively personality until she was offered to become a VAB partner. And the rest is history. Now, it is her 3rd year of being a freelancer. She conducts coaching to VA Bootcamp students for two years now. She also does FB live and JSU which she had never thought she could do. 

Q&A Highlights:

What were the struggles in your 3rd year season of freelancing? How did having the proper mindset help you get you through that?

Last year, naranasan ko kumikita after road to 100k na reach ko din naman talaga yung goal ko na makareach ng ganong earnings. Hinde ko na maintain yung ganong income, meron pa rin talaga na ups and downs. Dumating pa rin ako sa depression, may times na narereject pa rin ako ng client. Hinde naging derederetso yung masasabi mong eto na reach ko na yung success tapos biglang bababa ulit. Dumaan pa rin ako sa mga nararanasan ng iba.

Ang hirap lalo na sa part ko na inako ko ung mag momotivate ng student kasi nga coach ako pero ako mismo nafefeel ko na demotivated ako parang mas lalong naging mahirap yung role ko pero kailangan ko icontinue lang. Lagi ko lang din binabalikan bakit ko ba ito ginagawa ano ba yung gusto ko ba dito ma achieve bakit ako nag wowork sa bahay kahit maraming household chores. Kung tutuusin ang hirap talaga. Lagi nating sinasabi madali maging online freelancer. Walang traffic, wala kang boss, hawak mo oras mo, pwede ka magwork kahit saan pero sa totoo sobrang hirap kasi pagkatapos mo magwork ang daming hugasin ang daming labahin, ang gulo ng bahay, yung mga anak mo ang gugulo din tapos kailangan mo silang turuan parang lahat lahat kailangan mong matapos. Once na distract ka at hindi mo pinag tuunan ng pansin ang isang bagay ma ii-stress ka. Hindi talaga madali sobrang hirap pero kailangan mong syang i go through kung ito talaga ang gusto mong gawin ang maging freelancer o mag work from home lalo na kung mom ka. Na realize ko ung mga difficulties and challenges na yon ay part talaga ng freelancing.

Minsan din kahit na nag enroll ka na sa mga courses, marami ka ng dinaanan, nag uupdate ka ng skills, meron pa rin times na magkakaroon ka pa rin ng mga isssues sa sarili mo na iisipin mo na magaling ba talaga ako. Parang may kulang pa rin ako na skills. Marami tayo na na-encounter na students na ganyan eh yung nag eenrol sa course na after nilang matapos parang hindi pa rin sila sure kung may natutunan ba sila. Kung papano ba mag apply. Kung papano sa interview and all. Ako rin nararamdaman ko pa rin yan. Parati pa rin nadyan yung fear na baka ma reject ako. Natatakot ako sa interview. Baka mamaya mali mali ang english ko. Normal lang talaga yon. So nasasayo lang talaga kung papano mo lalabanan yung takot at kung papano ka magdidive ng derederetso. Wag ka ng mag look back talagang i push mo na. 

How did you overcome these challenges?

Dinadaan ko sa prayers. Aminado ako nung time na nagiging ok na ulit ung income, naging ok na ang freelancing career ko nakakalimot na naman ako mag dasal parang masyado na naman ako na busy. Pag binabalikan ko sobrang dapat talaga nagpapasalamat tayo kahit may matatangap man tayo o wala may problema man or masaya dapat lagi pa rin tayong nagdadasal sa Kanya. Kasi yun lang talaga yung makakatulong sayo and yung mga friends ko, freelancing friends, mga meet ups,  yung family ko din syempre, mga anak ko at asawa ko, sobrang nakatulong sa akin nung time na demotivated ako, pag nakakaisip ako na napagod na ako, at bakit ko nga ba ito ginagawa.

Do you have any final advice to our viewers this afternoon?

I always tell my friends na kaya nila mag work from home din kagaya ko dahil alam ko na kinaya ko and ang hirap dito kakayanin din nila knowing their ability to time manage at yung skills na meron sila pero ngayong naka three years na ako masasabi ko talaga na need mo talaga dito ng discipline, patience para mas magtagal ka dito kasi anytime pwede ka lang talaga din umayaw eh. Umayaw sa mga struggles, mga challenges kasi continues lang yon kahit maging successful kang maging freelancer.

Ang term ko kasi sa "successfall" hindi dun sa amount na kinikita mo kasi tuwing nag iinvite ako ng mga for JAS success interview. Sinasabi nila, Ms. A. hindi pa po ako successful hindi ko pa na rereach ang 6 digits. Kasi ako nung nagstart ako nag earn ako ng $5 successful na ako kaagad sa tingin ko nun. Kasi yun naman yung goal ko maging freelancer so nung napasok ko yung pagiging freelacer successful na ako. Yun yung definition ko so dapat wag nyong imatch yung kita sa pagiging successful. Dahil mas madaling tamarin dito kasi ikaw yung nagmamanage sa sarili mo kaya yung disiplina sobrang importante talaga. Continues learning, di ka dapat makuntento sa kung ano lang yung alam mo ngayon dapat patuloy kang mag-update ng skills mo. Katulad ng ginawa ko share your small wins kasi you will never know who you will inspire.