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Have you found your life purpose?

I asked because our JasSuccess guest this December 2 has found hers...in freelancing.

Yup.

She's an engineer by profession.

But she chose to work as a freelancer to support and help her daughter with autism.

"I am a VA/Customer Support specialist. I love helping others - clients/customers or colleagues. For me, it's a fulfilling job especially if you know the tasks have a purpose."

Isn't it amazing?

If you want to know more about her journey (both wins and struggles), join us on this replay.

Introduction

A Breadwinner at the age of 23. She's an engineer by profession. Cindy will share her life being an OFW.

Plus, as a Virtual Assistant as she chose to work as a freelancer to support and help her daughter with autism.

Smart and Helpful tips await you from Cindy.

Notable Quotes:

• Focus ko na maghanap ng trabaho which I love and also yung passion ko.

• Natutunan ko na kailangan pag nag se-serve ka sa client mo, may impact ka sa kanila. Nakakatulong ka, you have a purpose not only just to serve them.

• It's better na ang ginagawa mo nakakatulong sa kapwa.

• Objective ko sa buhay na sa freelancing hindi lang basta kumikita ng pera, it's more on helping others.

• Help your clients and yung clients din nya. Sila yung magiging savings account mo kay Lord. Gumagawa ka ng good deeds

• Mabilis lang ang journey ko sa freelancing pero ang dami dami kong natutunan, ang pinakaimportante yung nakita ko yung purpose ko sa freelancing.

• Dahil OFW ako in and out ako ng country, hindi ko magawa magvolunteer physically dahil busy ako sa trabaho, may anak ako, may family ako, may career pa akong inaasikaso so ang naging way ko is itong freelancing.

• In every chapter of your life kailangan natutulungan mo ang sarili mo. Then nakakatulong ka rin sa kapwa, hindi mahalaga na mayaman ka.

• Hindi importante na marami kang ipon. It's good to have, but ang pinaka importante mas marami kang natutulungan.

• Kailangan stable ka financially and emotionally then you try to give it to others.

• Babalik rin sayo lahat ng pagod mo, kasi gumawa ka ng isang magandang bagay sa kapwa mo.

• Yun yung message na gusto kong iparating sa lahat is try to give. Tumulong ka sa kapwa mo in any way na kaya mo. Not only financially, pwede kang magbigay ng time, pwede kang magturo, may iba't ibang way ang pagtulong sa kapwa, not only pagbibigay ng pera.

• Hindi ka makakapagbigay if hindi ka complete or you are struggling. Sa natutunan ko sa freelancing is first, you need to seek your passion, kailangan mo munang mapasaya ang sarili mo. Mafulfill yung hinahanap mong thrill sa trabaho. Second is you need to utilized yung skill mo. Yung passion. Kailangan mong kumita ng pera.

• Si-net ko ang sarili ko sa freelancing kailangan gusto ko yung ginagawa ko, kailangan masaya ako.

• Kilalanin mo muna ang sarili mo, san ka pa magaling, ano pa ang kaya mong ibigay, and then i browse yung mga job post, kung hindi ka pa sigurado sa sarili mo try it. Subukan mo bigyan mo sya ng 30 - 1 hour.

• From the time na kumikita ka na, enough na and happy ka na sa ginagawa mo every day try to help others na nagi-struggle din. Give tips or i-mentor mo sila.

• Kung gusto mong maging maganda ang buhay mo sa freelancing, take one step at a time. Hindi basta tumatalon ka lang at kumukuha ng client.

• Kailangan pagkatapos ng VA task ko maganda pa din ako, maganda pa din yung aura ko, fulfilled ako at hindi nakasimangot.

Journey to Freelancing

• Became a breadwinner at the age of 23.
• An OFW for almost 13 years as an Engineer/Customer Service in Singapore.
• Battled kidney failure that led to their financial ruin/crisis.
• The need to shift to freelancing was imminent as she has to be with her eldest daughter with special needs to guide and care for her while earning at home.
• Firstborn is with Autism at 1.5 years old and was told to have therapy 2-3 per week consultation with a development pediatrician is emotionally and financially challenging, realized that because of this, there was an urgent need to work from home to support her daughter's therapy. Then she found work from home through FLIP/VAB.
• Enrolled by November of last year, she continued the course during the pandemic and was able to finish the course from May - June since she was already working from home. July is when she started with the VAB Internship, joined the GHC by August. She applied and challenged herself if she will be happy doing a freelancing task and focus on what she loves doing.
• When she got her 1st client and she learned that when you are serving your client you should have an impact, a purpose, and not only to serve them.
• Currently working with 3 clients, she is happily taking care of her kids and is fulfilled working and earning from home.
• Before she wasn't able to volunteer even if she wants to because she was too busy with her family and career but now, because of freelancing she was able to do it as well.

Question and Answer

What made you decide to pursue this?

Since wala ako gagawin, nabo bore ako at saka naka commit ako sa VAB. Malaki yung utang na loob ko sa VAB so, I told myself na kailangan kong gawin to kasi malaki yung tinulong nila sa akin. Para mahanap ko yung purpose ko sa buhay.

So, what made you decide to finally break free out of your shyness and have an interview with this?

 Kasi maraming blessings na dumating sa amin, though meron din kaming mga struggle, so kung iki - keep ko lang sa sarili ko, very selfish, naisip ko hindi sya part ng buhay, kailangan nakakatulong ka sa ibang tao, and keeping it to myself ako lang nag be benefit, so though tahimik ako, mahiyain ako, sabi ko sa sarili ko its time na mag share ka. Para matulungan mo yung iba if they ask for your help then, pwede mo silang tulungan. So yun po.

Why does it seem like you keep on focusing on giving and giving and giving?

Kasi binigay sya sa akin ng mother ko, actually kaya ako nasa Pilipinas for 4 months dahil na diagnose ang mother ko ng cancer and then nagkaroon kami ng mahabang journey about cancer. Kahit may sakit sya sinasabi nya sa akin na, in every chapter of your life kailangan natutulungan mo ang sarili mo. Then nakakatulong ka rin sa kapwa, hindi mahalaga na mayaman ka. Lagi nyang sinasabi sa akin yun kasi previous year nakafocus lang ako sa career ko, building ng financial yung savings. Then one time, kinausap nya ako sabi nya sa akin hindi importante na marami kang naiipon. It's good to have but ang pinaka importante mas marami kang natutulungan. So dun nag strike sa akin lahat.

Naisip mo ba na babalik at babalik sa iyo even more naisip mo ba yun agad, or were you giving just because you want to give?

I just give because I want to give. Actually, I did not expect na bumalik sya kasi ang principle ko sa buhay, pag nagbigay ako may good points ako kay Lord. Parang lagi ngang sinasabi sa akin ng nanay ko mayroon kang listahan kay Lord. Pag binigay mo yan, don't expect na babalik yan, you will have one-mark kay Lord na may good deed ka for today. Hindi ko naisip it just happens na after kong mag bigay ng bonus sa kasambahay namin sa yaya, me dalawang client na naghire sa akin, sabi ko its good karma. Totoo ang good karma. Babalik talaga siya sa iyo more! Kasi magkano lang binigay ko then I made 1 client. Yung 2 kong client is kung ano yung rate ko yun yung binigay nila sa akin. It's nice, it's good.

What is the biggest lesson that you can give to newbies?

 So mga aspiring new freelancers, naiintindihan ko kayo kasi dumaan din ako sa position ninyo na gusto nyong magkaroon ng client but kailangan talaga muna nyong i-assess ang sarili nyo, skill ninyo, kasi kung grab lang tayo ng grab ng client or apply lang tayo ng apply and end up baka hindi ka masaya, baka mag suffer ang health mo, mental at emotion mo. So ang advise ko lang kilalanin mo muna ang sarili mo, san ka pa magaling, ano pa ang kaya mong ibigay, and then i-browse yung mga job posts, kung hindi ka pa sigurado sa sarili mo try it. Subukan mo, bigyan mo sya ng 30 - 1 hour. Try mo, then dun mo malalaman kung masaya ka ba sa gagawin mo, then pag masaya ka na sa gagawin mo try to build it, mag aral ka, try other courses maraming courses sa VAB. I build mo sya then after, you start focusing on sa skill mo na kaya mong ibigay kay client. From the time na kumikita ka na enough na and then happy ka na sa ginagawa mo every day, and then try to pull others, ibig sabihin tulungan mo yung ibang nag iis-struggle din. So baka pwede mo silang bigyan ng tips on how to do it or i-mentor mo sila kung paano ka nakarating sa ganyang position. So, don't just jump sa freelancing na kung ano lang ang gusto mo or dahil desperate kang makuha. It’s a process step by step process yan and kung gusto mo maging maganda ang buhay mo sa freelancing, take 1 step at a time, hindi basta tumatalon ka lang and kumukuha ka ng client. It's not like that, isipin mo it will be your everyday life and especially nasa bahay ka so kailangan as mentioned mg Mister ko, kailangan pagkatapos ng VA task ko maganda pa rin ako, maganda pa rin yung aura ko, hindi yung nakasimangot ako. Kasi compare sa corporate, pag lumalabas ako ng office lagi akong nakasimangot kasi stress. Sabi ko pag sa VA kailangan pag natatapos ang tasks ko masaya ako fulfilled ako para pag lumabas man ako ng kwarto nakita ko yung mga anak ko is masaya pa rin kaming lahat.