I've said this many times.

Before you step your foot on freelancing, you have to know your why.

Why do you want to become a freelancer?

Because this will help you keep going when everything gets tough.

Just like our JasSuccess guest tomorrow.

Meet Donna.

She spent 7 & 1/2 years in college.

When she became a mom, her desire was to have more time with her family.

She also looks forward to having financial freedom and doing more for God's work.

To make all these come true, she turns to freelance.

Even if she doesn't have clarity at the start and struggled a lot with time management since she's breastfeeding...

She continued.

She persisted...

And right now, she has more quality time with her family and the pandemic also pushed her to step out of her comfort zone — to a beautiful growth that broadens her perspective.

Be inspired by her story which she shared on this replay.

INTRODUCTION

Donna Otanes is a mother of one, a dedicated wife, a lovable daughter with strong relationship with family, a faithfull servant of God. She graduated as a civil engineer and work in a government housing profect. From civil engineer to being a fulltime freelancer.

Let's take a look how Donna Otanes steps out of her comfort zone to pursue a career as freelancer.

Notable Quotes:

• Pandemic po talaga it really expose who I am. Maraming kang napagmunimunihan, at the same time nag ka family na po ako, so that time, naisip ko "ano bang dapat kung gawin habang nandito ako sa bahay”.
• Nag search po ako, and then yung VAbootcamp is a really a milestone para sakin kasi it opened my eyes. Maganda kasi yung mga eye-opener.
• VAbootcamp talaga nag open ng eyes ko at nag introduce sakin kung ano nga ba yung freelancing, yung mga pagkakaintindi ko dati na hindi pala ganun, mas nag open yung eyes ko dun and then from there naging stepping stone ko talaga siya to really explore kung ano pa bang meron beyond VAbootcamp.
• Nag basa ako, nakinig ako, tas nagtake ako ng free courses
• Naging open-minded lang siguro ako in a way doon sa freelancing nung time na gipit kana minsan kasi pag andun kana sa book sa dulo may mga bagay ka nagagawa na hindi mo akalain na magagawa mo pala.
• There’s a lot of opportunity na meron na para sayo, hindi porki na pag ito, ito lang.
• Sige mag send ka lang, try mo lang to, pag hindi mag work out, move forward ulit.
• When you are step out on your comfort zone marami kang makikita na akala mo hanggang doon ka lang pero hindi pala so limitless sobrang dami.

Donna’s Journey to freelancing

• A graduate of Civil Engineer
• She worked as a Civil Engineer in a government housing project for a couple of years.
• Contented to what she had up until she finds out about freelancing.
• She sought to know more about freelancing and enroll in Vabootcamp while working in a government.
• She quit work for the reason of:

         - To have time in the family

         - To have time more in the missionary field

• She gave up her license as a civil engineer to become a full-time freelancer.
• She studied more about freelancing, she read, she searches, up until she found a bond of friendship inside VAbootcamp, also in the tribe to push her to have the courage that she can do everything beyond her expectation.
• She builds relationships with her client.
• Up until now, she studied to fix her problem in time management
• Considering herself to success in freelancing because of the satisfaction that she has.

Q&A Highlights

How about to tell us what's about your story?

Since nung college ako di ko pa alam yung freelancing. Ang typical filipino family is kung yung nakagisnan mo o kaya kung yung madalas na kinuha na courses ng mga kamag anak mo yun yung mga kinukuha mo, so kinuha ko yun which is ok naman po sakin yung civil engineering pero sobrang nahirapan po ako, pero thank God kasi nakagraduate po ako.

How you discovered a freelancing?

Yung pinsan ko po sa cebu, matagal na siya nag freelance. Pero hindi masyadong consistent, nakikita ko na siya na nasa bahay lang.

Ikaw itong very curious at hindi takot magtanong, tama ba?

Opo, kasi naiintriga talaga ako, hanggat hindi ko nakukuha yung sagot na gusto ko. Gusto ko pang mag dig deeper, ano bang meron, natuwa naman po ako na inintroduce sakin.

Sino ang yung unang tinanungan mo sa VAbootcamp?

Si Ms. Mahar, kasi dun po sa mga free courses na websites niyo pag pasok niyo po dun may mga wins, chinat ko po yung iba dun. Si Ms. Mahar po ang nagreply sakin, tapos yun po nag enroll po ako sa VAbootcamp.

Kelan nawala yung skepticism mo?

Before kasi nakikita ko siya pero not talaga na skiptic to the point na pinag dudahan ko lahat ng ginagawa niya.Iniisip ko lang totoo bayan, hindi ko siya masyadong finucos kasi nga diba meron akong sariling path na gusto ko ifocus, so naging open-minded lang siguro ako in a way dun sa freelancing nung time na gipit kana minsan kasi pag andun kana sa book sa dulo may mga bagay ka nagagawa na hindi mo akalain na magagawa mo pala.

Was it difficult for you to give up something that you work really hard for becoming a civil engineer to pursue freelancing?

Siguro, its more on pride, its more on lowering your pride na din kasi diba may time na civil engineer ako, but ako mag free-freelance ganun, kasi isip ko before, at that moment stage narin yung time na nagmumuni ako pinag isipan ko kasi, kasi I want kapag may ginawa akong isang bagay sigurado ako, I mean kung hindi man, unstable man yung journey, pero I mean alam ko na gusto ko to pag pinasok ko to . So dun po nag isip ako san ba ako nang gagaling bakit ayaw ko maging open minded sa ganito hindi naman sa ayaw, pero bakit ayaw ko siya i try. Ano yung cons and pros, wineigh ko rin po yung mga bagay bagay. Naging mahirap siya at first, pero pag nilower mo na po yung pride mo in a way na, Ah kasi yung pinagaralan sa engineering pwede mo siya gamitin eh, kung baga yung mind mo na dito ka lang, mag stick ka dito.

You had to lower down your pride? Would you tell us more about?

Kasi diba, sa mga classmate kasi namin in around us yung groups siguro na or environment or networks na meron ako kapag engineer ka mangongontrata ka which is nangontrata naman na kami before.Trying to fit kung ano yung meron ka dun sa mga meron sa iba na minsan napapa isip mo masaya ba ako? At gusto ko ba yun? So kung ito yung path nila gusto ko ito rin yung path ko pero on the other hand narealize ko you have different paths, kung nag work sa kanya yun, pwede ka magtake down notes, ano kaya magandang puwedeng  i adopt, na mag wowork sayo. It doesn’t mean na ano bayan engineer ka ganyan ang work mo. Pride yung tinutukoy, so may mga classmate kasi na dapat kapag engineering ka engineer ka ito yung epupursue mo yung ganyan pero nakakatuwa kasi may changes talaga, na doon ako natutuwa sa changes na hindi ko inaakala na possible pala to na yung mga ganitong bagay at mas lumawak yung prospective when it comes to pagiging ikaw, ganun tsaka sa pagiging business minded.

How you were able to overcome this gap na nakikita mo between the winners and you as a starter?

Very important talaga na magkaroon ka ng mentor or accountability where they can able to help you, o kaya yung mentor na ipupush you through the limit, yung echachange niya sa mindset mo at the same time tutulungan ka niya at makikita ka higit pa sa nakikita mo sarili mo.

What is your comfort zone?

Comfort zone ko po is, in away na andun na ako, wala na kung gagawin kundi magwork na lang. Siguro dahil hindi ko pa talaga alam yung clarity na gusto ko ba to o sadyang gusto ko to dahil ito yung nakasanayan. Government diba, so masaya kana dun, okay naman ako malaki naman sahod ko ganyan so nagagawa ko naman yung mga gusto ko, pero I think there’s beyond than that, kaya ako nag seek

As an engineer, Was there growth?

Meron namang growth pero slow lang.

Did you experience that? Are you more scared of freelancing or are you more curious?

Siguro more on curious, kasi that time senisearch ko siya natakot ako, dun pumasok yung takot. Parang ano ba to? bago to?  Ano bang meron dito? So ganun siya curious sa una basa-basa kasi hindi ka pa committed. So naisip ko pag magiging committed ako dito sigurado ba talaga ako? So dun ako nagkaroon ng fear during the process of seeking and out of curiosity ko.

Did people try to pull you out of freelancing?

Yung tatay ko medyo hesitant siya, engineering din kasi yung tatay ko, so hesitant siya na parang  "mag stick kana ba jan”. Pero na pag-usapan naman namin yun, nakakatuwa naman naging supportive naman siya at the same time yung asawa ko, and yung mga pinsan ko.

What were the things that you sacrificed so that you will maintain your freelancing career? 

Yung lisensiya ko mag rerenew pa naman ako this year, so yun lang sa side ng profession ko pero sa ibang part naman more on benefits na talaga siya, yung meron saakin dito sa freelancing.

You are an engineer before right and now a freelancer what is the difference between the two?

I think the difference is, sa previous work ko, may rules na sinusundan pero dito kasi it’s more on like time management, before po kasi sa totoo lang struggle ko talaga yun, dahil alam mo, buong araw na meron kang time para sayo, how would you manage your time so struggle pala yun. Yung benefits kasi dun, papasok ka mag lolog-in ka bahala na sila sa lahat, ngayon po ang struggle ko, is ako yung mag mamanage ng oras, ako yung mag mamanage ng pera, pano ko ididistribute to, magbabayad ako ng benefits. Philippines benefits like SSS, Phihealth at Pag-ibig, so yun po yung difference, naisip ko lahat naman ng bagay may mga kailangan ka talaga gawin hindi yung "hayahay” kana lang, malaki sahod jan, kaso may responsibility parin talaga na sa lahat ng gagawin.

When it comes to taking charge of your life your time especially when your family is involved. How long did it take to manage that to learn how to manage?

It took months sa akin kasi nag va vary considering na may baby ako, it depends on her mood, so madaling araw gumigising ako kasi, ay hindi pag katulog niya ng gabi, so mahaba haba ang tulog niya, dun ako nag wowork, mini-make sure ko talaga, ini aim ko po talaga na maging consistent sa totoo lang nagiging consistent ako in a one or two weeks, tapos ma fafail, hindi naman ma fa fail pero parang hindi na naman ako nagiging consistent, even up to now yung time management ko to be honest struggling parin talaga ako, pero I’m very thankful din, dun sa mga networks, yung mga naging friends ko along the way the journey, nanjan sila para e guide ka din kapag medyo na loloose ka sa tract, yun po ini aim ko parin hanggang ngayon yung time management na yan.

Care to talk more about that for particular skills are we talking?

My skills, wala ako masyado inaply siguro is more on automation.

Where are you now?

I consider success on my end, kasi personally minsan, it’s not about just monetary value but, it’s about added kind of clarity na parang ang saya ng ganito, kasi may satisfaction ka sa ginagawa mo.

Engineering versus Freelancing, Bakit ka nag shift full-time?

I’m having this kind of vision which is ministry sa church namin. Which is support sa ministry namin at the same time before nga kulang na lang maging missionary ako, pero I want to help churches as well. Pinaka vision ko to help churches lalo na yung mga malalayong lugar na churches sa mga start up churches like that and also to encourage them to lead bible studies just that. When it comes to time flexibility. Yes, yun nga yung sinasabi ko na every Monday to Wednesday, Thursday to Saturday more on missionary work. Yun dinidisire talaga ng puso ko simula’t sapol, tapos sa monetary value it comes to follow naman. I believe that it will follow talaga ones if you have clarity of doing something, epupursue mo na yun, and yung mga ginagawa mo sa paligid mo its bottom out, it somes up to the vision that you have.

What is the biggest takeaway that you can give to our audiences?

You can be more, meron kasing tendency to lower down yourself that’s why may mga napapansin ako na may mga naloloko. Which is hindi talaga maiiwasan, pero kung meron tayong makikita, you can do more, you can be more, and you can also help others. It’s very important talaga na magkaroon ka ng accountability na mag paparealize sayo na kaya mo, kasi pag ikaw at sasarilinin mo lang mahirap talaga yan, very important principle and, yan yung isa sa mga na learn ko. If you can see na ito ka, and you’re not trying to fit yourself to be with someone, Kasi we are different, alalahanin niyo isa ka lang sa mundo isa lang akong Donna isa lang din kayo isa ka lang din, wag mong isipin na wala kang kayang gawin, you can be more on your own na parang own skill, own talent, kung yung idol  mo tahimik ikaw madaldal pwede mong gawin benefit yung pagiging madaldal mo diba katulad ko madaldal ako. We have different season kung nandoon sila sa season na tagumpay hindi mo alam  na at the back of that season may seasons din na umiiyak sila and ganun din ako at ganun din kayo,  huwag  nating masyadong e-lower down  yung sarili natin. once you have that confidence and also nakikita mo sa sarili mo na ito ka I am unique yun yung magbabago sa mindset. Kung ano yung mindset mo yun yung magfoflow the way you act, the way  you speak the way you see people.