One thing that's great about freelancing?

It's a great equalizer.

Just like our JasSuccess guest tomorrow.

She was a part-time tindera in a bakery for almost 4 years.

After she graduated from high school, her aunt asked her to take care of her son in Manila.

Yes.

Tindera > Yaya

But now?

She's one of our successful freelancers.

And she's ready to share with us her story — her challenges and her wins.

Watch her story on this replay.

**Introduction**

Anj has been a working student during her high school days to pay for her school fees and personal expenses. After graduating from high school, she didn’t pursue going to college. Anj was then offered by her aunt to work for her and take care of her cousin. She sends all the money that she earns as a nanny to her family back in Pampanga, thus, nothing was left for her. That's when she realized that she needs to earn money.

 **Notable Quotes**

• Ah, kaya ko 'to! Hindi naman pala kailangan na masyado kang fluent, hindi naman pala kailangan na proficient ka mag-English.
• Sobrang na-stress ako sa product research. Eh, gustong-gusto ko china-challenge yung sarili ko. Kapag meron akong hindi gusto, "Try mo 'yon, try mo 'yon", ganoon ‘yung sinasabi ko sa sarili ko.
• Pero dahil nga gusto kong china-challenge yung sarili ko, gusto ko mahirapan. Alam nyo kung bakit? Kapag nahihirapan ako, kapag nahihirapan yung sarili ko, 'dun ko mas nabibigay yung best ko.
• Challenge yourself. Baka kagaya nyo nga ako na nalalabas yung best n'ya kapag chinachallenge 'yung self n'ya.
• ‘Yun lang kasi ang alam nila, pero sa akin is, sa bahay hawak ko ang oras ko, I have time freedom, and naiisip ko kung ano 'yung business na gusto kong gawin.
•  Sa akin magsisimula. Walang mangyayari kung ire-reject ko nang ire-reject ang sarili ko. May gusto akong patunayan.
• 'Yung iba nakaya nila, bakit ako hindi?
• May future ako sa freelancing. At mas nag-e-enjoy ako sa freelancing.
• Kapag freelancer ka, ang sarili mo mismo ang business mo. Kaya mas lalo akong nag-enjoy.
• Always trust the process, at laging mag-take action.
• Don't be scared. Hindi ako natatakot na mag-take ng risk.
• I always challenge myself. Kahit ayaw ko, pipilitin ko yung sarili ko.
• ‘Yang hirap na nararanasan mo, merong saya.
• Know your purpose, your worth.
• Naka-earn ako ng accountability buddies, ng family at friends sa VA Bootcamp, at dahil sa kanila, hanggang ngayon, nandito pa rin ako.
• To all aspiring freelancers out there, keep yourself motivated. Paano? Learn to appreciate yourself. Kasi sa online world, sa freelancing journey natin, hindi  maiiwasan ang rejection, ang disappointments, ang failure. Kaya learn to appreciate yourself.
• You receive an invite, merong napunta sa interview, pero wala pa ring client, it's still a win-win. Deserve na ma-celebrate yourself. Thank yourself because you did a great job for this month, for this day, for this week. Kailangan laging pasalamatan ang sarili.
• 'Di ba English kapag interview, ang ginagawa ko, sinasabi ko sa sarili ko kapag interview, "Tao din 'yan".
• Wag mong lilimitahan ang sarili mo.

  **Journey to Freelancing**

•  In 2018, she was graduating from high school.  Motivated by her friends, who were freelancers themselves, she was eager and desperate to have an online job because she had no plans to continue studying in college. That’s when she started creating her online profile in Onlinejobs.ph and Upwork. Luckily for her,  both her profiles got approved immediately.  Because she had no online skills yet, she was not able to apply for a job.
•  While working as a nanny at her aunt’s, Anj was able to gain knowledge through watching videos on YouTube about being a Social Media Manager. She then started applying at Onlinejobs.ph since her Upwork profile was in private status.
• On July 28, a client finally responded to her application. Unfortunately, she wasn’t hired because she wasn’t an experienced Social Media Manager. She then finally realized that she needed to enroll in an online course.
• While searching through Google, Anj came across VABootcamp. She took advantage of the free courses being offered. At first she hesitated on getting the paid courses for the reason that she thought that she needs to speak fluent English. Until she attended a free webinar from Jason Dulay about confidence in English as a freelancer. And on September 1,2020, she finally decided to enroll with her hard-earned money.
• 2 weeks into the VAB course, she immediately niched down and focused on E-commerce. Fortunately she was able to join the Guided Hustle Challenge of that same month. Throughout the Guided Hustle Challenge, there were a number of clients that responded and interviewed her, but none pushed through. Anj got very disappointed and blamed herself. But she didn’t let this set her back. She revised and optimized her online profiles, and ensured that even though she won't apply, there will be invitations coming her way. 
• From October until December 2020, she applied to all VAB internships. And luckily, she got accepted to all internships. The internships helped her experience different niches under Admin, Marketing, Social Media, and E-commerce. And through her e-commerce internship, she finally realized that her calling is with being a  Shopify developer.
• Now, she’s studying as she goes along as a Shopify Developer, and improving her coding skills, with the drive and positivity that she will be an expert on that niche.

**Question and Answer**  

Throughout the years, parang up and down ang confidence level mo. What causes you to reject yourself? What causes your self-rejection habit?

Mataas ang expectation ko sa sarili ko. 'Yun ang pinakaugat nya. Kaya ako mismo ang nadi-disappoint sa sarili ko. Sa mga newbie dyan, huwag n'yong tataasan, pantay-pantay lang. Baka kasi magaya kayo sa akin. Pero ang advice ko sa kanila: Challenge yourself. Baka kagaya nyo nga ako na nalalabas ang best kapag chinachallenge 'yung self n'ya.

Bakit nga ba ayaw mong pumasok ng college, and you just want to earn, mag-ipon agad?

Since gradeschool ako, my dream talaga is to be a businesswoman or entrepreneur. Ang specialization ko noong high school ay cooking and baking. Napag-aralan din kung paano mag-business. Sabi ko sa isip ko, "Kapag nag-aral ako ng college, ganito lang din ang pag-aaralan, so parang paulit-ulit. So alam ko na 'to. Ngayon pa lang, gusto ko na i-start ang business na naiisip ko." Ang gusto kong business ay magkaroon ng sariling restaurant o kaya ay ang papantay o hihigit dun sa Starbucks. Sabi ko, ngayon pa lang umpisahan ko nang maliit, kasi hindi pwedeng malaki agad ang business. Iyon din ang dahilan kung bakit tinanggap ko ang offer ng Tita ko sa akin, para makapag-ipon ako. Kaya lang hindi ako nakakapag-ipon that time, kasi pinadapadala ko sa parents ko. Ang nasa isip ko rin that time, kapag nakapagtapos ka ng college o kaya may degree ka or college diploma, magkakaroon agad ng trabaho, permanent work. Ayaw ko na magtrabaho lang. Kasi kung magtatrabaho ka lang, hindi mo hawak ang oras mo. Na-try ko sa OJT namin, kailangan maaga pa lang nandodoon ka na. Sobrang napapagod ako. Gusto ko talaga sa bahay lang, pero hindi as a yaya. Sinasabi ng mga classmate ko noong high school, yun lang pala ang pangarap ko, yun lang pala ang gusto ko, sa bahay lang. Iyon lang kasi ang alam nila. Pero sa akin ay kapag sa bahay ako, hawak ko ang oras ko, I have time freedom, at naiisip ko kung ano ang business na gusto kong gawin. At para rin makapagfocus on my spirituality and ministry.

Hindi ka nag-doubt. Pero hawak mo ang perang ipon mo, talagang chineck mo ang VAB. Saan mo nakuha yang paninigurado talaga?

Kasi mahirap talaga magtake ng risk. P8,000 Accelerated package ang kinuha ko. Ang 5,000 galing sa akin at ang 3,000 inutang ko pa. Para hindi masayang, mamaya hindi naman pala legit, nanloloko lang, so I need to check. Kaya inabot rin ako ng 1 month.

Sigruo mayroon kang Bucket List, mayroon kang boxes to check dahil mula noong nangarap ka noong high school mo, mayroon ka sigurong mga nakalista na gusto mong makamit, gusto mong mangyari sa buhay mo. Do you have one of those?

Small business, dapat papatok. Kailangang sa ganitong age, dapat may ganito na ako.