In this #JasSuccess episode, we are joined by Jackson "Phoenix" Dawayen.

Phoenix is a former OFW and a High School undergraduate.

Watch this interview and discover:

✅ How Phoenix found his worth when the world has set him up as a failure
✅ What his first freelancing gig was and how long it took him to finish it
✅ How freelancing helped Phoenix bounce back from trials and challenges in life.

and much much more...

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Notable Quotes

• This is one advantage of freelancing. I don’t have to deal with pasipsipan. I don’t have to deal with ridiculous Filipinos whom I found stupid, so stupid that they had to play dirty to win the game. And yeah, in freelancing, all I can give is what I have. I don't have to kiss their ass. I can just show them how good I am at doing what I do. And I get paid for it.
• No, I am sorry, you came from abroad, over qualified ka, “mababa ang ibinibigay namin”, iyong mga ganoon bang inaano nila. They keep saying that I am over qualified but actually they are just scared that I might be put off with the salary that they can give me.
• But if you’re doing something that doesn’t make you happy, that doesn’t excite you, that doesn’t give you the motivation to wake up in the morning, like, when you wake up in the morning and say, okay, same crap different day and I’m going to do the same thing over and over again. And, at that point, the money doesn’t matter. It’s, you know, you could be earning a million pesos a month, but if that’s what you’re doing every single day and you feel bored, whatever, it ‘s not about the money anymore.
• I had a terrible time finding work. Because even my friends, the people whom I expect, who would help me, rejected me. Even when I just went there to visit them. It wasn’t my purpose to apply for whatever business they have. I just went there to visit them, and I was telling them my situation, I told them, "I am trying to look for my place in my hometown". And, immediately parang napunta ang discussion sa “well if you are applying to me, I am not going to hire you”.
• Ito na naman, when it comes to OFW, you go abroad and yes you worked hard and yes, you get huge amount of money. And then when you go home, iyong huge amount of money na akala mo na you will live 10 years without working, sabihin mo nang 9 months ubos na iyong pera mo.
• I can’t even remember, I only remember, somebody mentioned Odesk to me, or somebody told me to look for online jobs because that’s what many Filipinos are doing nowadays. And, I got curious and I goggled it. Wala eh, walang Jason Dulay noon. There was no Anna Soriano before. Wala. Puro ano lang, everybody knows that working online is out there, but none of my whole community is doing it. Everybody knows that there is ESL, but I can’t find any ESL person here. Everybody knows that there is BPO, but I have never seen anybody here in La Trinidad or Baguio who is actually working as call center agent.
• Thank you very much na lang at I am fond of researching sa Google. And that’s when I think that somebody mentioned Odesk, so, I googled Odesk, and I went there and it was overwhelming na, this is what I really want to emphasize to newbies, you take the course because, my goodness, akala niyo ba iyong hinihingi ni Jason na ano,basta-basta lang iyon? Just try to imagine me, I am very resourceful at magaling akong mag-research, but it took me six (6) months before I really got myself a position in Odesk. Not even a client, not yet. Wala pang client noon. Starting from zero, starting from “What is Odesk?” on Google. It took me six (6) months from there to nagkaroon ako nang profile sa Upwork. So, ang masasabi ko lang sa mga nagqu-question, like Jason and Anna and me, nag research naman tayo eh, that consumed a lot of time. And that is what we are trying to say to the newbies, that yeah, take the course.
• It is difficult to get that first job, the first big step is really difficult, pero talagang ang hirap kunin iyang first job na iyan. Kasi syempre infairness naman sa mga clients, would you really expect clients to just look at you and you don’t have a star rating? You’re just new, you don’t have any experience blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. How can I trust you my money? How can I trust you, if not for money, how about my time? Iyong oras ang importante. Expensive ang oras, especially sa client.
• Para sa akin, iyon ang pinaka-importante sa mga newbies, if you join Upwork, the most important thing is you get a 5-star rating from your very very first job. Kasi pagkatapos noon, wow! river flow na ang transcription job offerings sa akin after that.
• Ang buhay nang nag-abroad, pagka-gising mo trabaho, pagkatapos nang trabaho, wala ka nang oras para sa sarili mo. Wala. Ultimo, maghilamos, magbasa or kung ano o magtext man lang, wala. Wala ka nang oras, you’re so tired at hinahabol mo na, at least, maka-otso oras, 8 hours of sleep. Then, you will wake up again and start the day, as is na naman.
• It’s something that's common with OFWs, where after spending so much time away from the country, after spending so much time away from family, when they come back, it’s different, it’s a bit hard to go back into the rhythm of things.
• You got to be prepared, you got to be prepared to immediately do something.  At least, mayroon kang ginagawa to satisfy the thirst of working and at the same time, may nagsu-supplement nang konti.
• Life is a roller coaster ride, you go up and go down. Even when you work abroad, do you think na por que factory worker ka, consistent, mundane ang daily activities mo. Your life still goes up and down, up and down. Minsan kaaway mo ang amo mo. Minsan kaaway mo ang katrabaho mo. It’s almost like that with freelancing, as well.
• He tried doing show notes. In show notes, you should always keep in mind that the purpose of writing show notes is for the audience or for the readers to get hooked and get curious para pakinggan yung audio or watch the video. Article writing is a bridge to copywriting. Show notes is actually, copy writing.
• That’s the beauty of freelancing. Because, diyan na eh. Diyan mo na maibibigay iyong interest mo. Just stop thinking about the money, everybody needs money. We all need money to spend. Ito ang maganda sa freelancing, as long as you are willing to do it, then, it’s okay. Andiyan na iyan, marami kang makukuhang trabaho. Podcasting, podcasting or magbasa ka lang, or all you have to do is mag-audio actor ka.
• The thing about freelancing is, as long as you are interested about something, someone out there is willing to pay you to do something you’re interested in doing. So, that is the beauty about freelancing.

• The thing about freelancing is, at least, you have the ability, you have this ability to drive, to drive your car or sail your ship kahit roller coaster nga iyan, at least ikaw ang nagda-drive. So, it’s up to you, if you are rushing and you really, really the need money, well, take that $5 per job at least ano pagkatapos nang 30 minutes, you know you have that $5 in your pocket. But, if you are relaxed and nasa up ka, just relax, huwag kang mag-apply just do what you are doing normally, and then pagbababa na naman, then rush sige, mag-apply ka nang mag-apply ng quick jobs. It is really up to you. Hindi natin maiiwasan yang up and down na iyan, the question is what are you going to do about it?

Phoenix Jackson’s Journey to Freelancing

• He is also known as the German Shepherd of our group and a former OFW who easily get peers.
• He was born in a family of businesspeople. His mom was one of the greatest businesswomen he had ever known, but for some reason, he hates business and the selling part of it. His mom was never able to impart whatever she learned on him.
• As a kid, he was very talented, intelligent, and smart. That's the disadvantage of having so many talents because he didn't get to focus on one thing steadily throughout his life. That put him at a disadvantage when he grew up and had to work. His parents spoiled him because he was sickly, and he only learned to do menial tasks at home.
• His parents sent him to Korea to work and to learn what life really is. He worked as a factory worker. When he arrived there he didn't know the language, he didn't know anything. He didn't even know how to be street smart. For the first six (6) months he was very down and kept asking why he was sent there.
• After six (6) months, he tasted the money. He got to spend his salary all to himself since he is single and had no responsibility. His family— parents, and siblings are all fine. That's when he started enjoying life.
• He was one of the workers who built the first Galaxy S1. It's a huge advantage when you learn their language very quickly because you will go up the ranks very fast. You could easily get jobs.
• Because of his relationship with fellow Filipinos, he had to move from one company to another company.
• His fellow Filipinos made things hard for him in Korea. One time, he argued with another Filipino who was popular in one department. Unfortunately, all those fifty (50) Filipinos he was working with, took that person's side. They started bullying him, but he stood his ground for three (3) months. After three (3) months, he won them back, one by one. For him, that was the turning point of his attitude towards people in general.
• In working abroad, especially in big companies where a lot of Filipinos work, there are many competitions. The thing that changed him was he got institutionalized in Korea, and he became robotic. He used to work 16 hours or more a day, sometimes 48 hours, doing mundane tasks.
• He went back home after so many years in Korea. A lot of things had changed in his hometown, and it's a huge culture shock for him. He was confused and didn't know where to go, and he got depressed. He still wants to work, but was rejected many times.
• He got so frustrated because nobody is hiring him. He considered going back to school, but his family dissuaded him. Then he learned about working online. Somebody recommended Odesk.
• Out of his curiosity, he googled Odesk. He was able to learn more about working online. Then, he decided to build his Odesk (Upwork) profile, which took him six (6) months to complete.
• He used Communication Specialist  as his job title in Odesk. Got his first job where he had to transcribe a 5-minute video file which took him about 8 hours to finish.
• He earned 40¢ for the project, and he asked them to give him a 5-star rating. Despite the low pay, he didn't get disappointed. He was happy because finally he got a job.

Q&A Highlights

How did you end up in Korea? Like, what happened there?

Well, my Dad worked there for 20 years. Sabi ko nga, I was spoiled, iyon ang mahirap sa inalagaan na bata. Eventually, you will get tired of them. My Mom gets tired of me, and so, they decided to send me to Korea to learn what life really is.

What were you doing in the factory?

I was one of those people who built the first Galaxy S1. And I moved from department to department to department. It’s a huge advantage when you learn their language very quickly because you go up the ranks very fast. You easily get jobs.

First question is, what is your biggest addiction?

Cigarettes

Sex or chocolates?

Sex

What do you like to do when you are not hustling/working?

Sleeping

What type of music are you into?

A lot, except, the only thing that I hate really, is  RAP.

What’s the strangest job that you ever worked?

Oh, God! Fiver. Pour chocolate on yourself and write your name. I'll write his name on my chest. 

What are your main drivers?

Well, as of now, I am a video-editor.

If while transcribing ganoon ba daw ang outfit?

No. I actually work naked. That’s another thing about freelancing. Kasi ang nakikita kong pinagyayabang ng freelancing, or even ESL basta online job, ang isang nilalagay nilang poster is iyong naka pajamas ka. To me, I think that it is a misrepresentation. No offense to to the person who you interviewed before. No, I am talking about what it symbolizes. I think it’s a misrepresentation because I think freelancing is you are free to wear whatever you want to wear. Kaya nga pajamas ang sinabi. But, it doesn’t mean to say na “Oh, freelancer ka kahit naka-shorts lang na magtrabaho ka. No! To me, in contrast,  i mean, conversely, kapag nasa freelancing ka where do you see me walking down the street na naka kurbata? Right? At least, I can wear my nice ties and my nice pink shirt dito sa freelancing. Whatever I want to or I can just wear a sweater when I want to. Hindi iyong, it really doesn’t mean to say na naka pajamas ka lang.

What was the one thing that kept you going from the time that you got back to the Philippines?

Ang mahirap kasi sa akin, it's kinda difficult for me to convey to people because I usually focus on what is negative. Because that’s what building me strength. For example, anger is what pushes me to become good at what I do. And, what keeps me going is the feeling of uselessness, I'm trying to discover— identity crises. I am trying to discover where should I place myself in this world now that I am back in the Philippines. That is what's keeping me going. Kasi, ‘pag once na alam ko na I’m supposed to be this person then I might as well just go as that person, never mind holding on to hope and trying to discover yourself.

Did you know you would be the online freelancer you are today?

Oh God, no! Nobody does. I don’t think even Jason can imagine who is he right now from the very first day of his online career. We can never tell. Kasi ang daming nagsasabing unlimited ang option that’s why, there is a 100k, mayrong mga 6-digit na nakakatanggap ng mga sahod na ganoon. What we are trying to show here is boundless. So endless ang possibilities. Sa akin naman,  never mind the money, but at least your happiness. Iyon naman sa akin. I am happy. And this is the one thing that I never had before, that I didn't even realize until I get into freelancing.

How did you resolve the identity crisis?

Oh God! Ang daming pinagdaanan, how did I resolve my identity crisis? I don’t know. I just gradually adjusted to however life here in the Philippines is. Kasi talagang ang dami kong anggal. Bukang-bibig ko na yun. Iyong sa Korea ganito, hindi pwede iyan, bakit hanggang ngayon ganyan dito, sa Korea ganito. Lagi akong ganoon noon. Until, I think ano na, parang nagsawa na ang tao sa akin. And ako na mismo iyong nag-aadjust and that’s when I slowly got my identity back.

Which hat did you wear the longest and what part of it made you happy?

Oh, which hat? The boss of all the Filipinos in the company. Kasi pag magtrabaho ka sa abroad, tapos mga Filipino rin ang kasama mo, they will step on you every chance they get. Whether right on your face or sa likod mo, they will do that. So, when I climbed up the top, na I came to a company na ako na ang pinaka priority nila, yan na ang pinaka enjoy ko. Because, I don't have to kiss a Filipino’s ass. At least, I don’t have to do that. I still kiss the Koreans’ asses pero at least no Filipinos.

How about in freelancing, what was the longest hat that you worked?

Narration. Yes. Narration, kasi mas mahaba ang narration time ko na nag- narrate kesa mag-voice acting. So, narration.

How po?

How po? Okay. Please, please, please, I am speaking from my heart. Before you ask me any question or any of the experts here in FLIP, before you ask them any question, make sure that you know the answer. Because if you do not know the answer, all we are giving to you is just that  spoon of food. But, if you know the answer, it is our job to either expound the answer or contradict what you think is the correct answer. So, yes, before you come to me, and ask me any question, make sure you already know the answer or at least you have your own version of what you think the answer is. At least, doon ko naman makikita na devoted ka to learn and not just there to annoy me.