LAHAT NA LANG NG MAUUTANGAN KO SA OFFICE NAUTANGAN KO NA!

For 15 years, Francis worked as a graphic designer for a BPO company. He was earning enough to sustain his own needs but with a growing family and no career advancement, he struggled financially and got trapped in a debt cycle.

"Lahat na siguro ng mauutangan sa office ay nautangan ko na — SSS, Pag-ibig, Coop at officemate pati sa mga kapatid ko umuutang din ako para lang may pamasahe ako," he recalled.

"Hirap din ako magbayad kasi maliit ang sweldo, so minsan nauubusan ako ng pang gas sa motor kaya panay ang utang ko noon. Yung sweldo ko pang 2 araw lang ubos agad kaya si misis ay nagwo work din para sa pang araw-araw na needs namin."

But things took a new turn when he became an online freelancer.

"Yung nag full-time freelancer na ako medyo nabawasan na ang mga utang ko at may pambili narin ako ng mga needs ng mga anak ko. Nakapagbigay narin ako sa magulang ko pang maintenance nila."

Inspiring story isn't it? Do you want to hear the rest of it?

Watch the replay here.

Francisco worked in a BPO as a graphic designer for 15 years. He tried to invest in other businesses when he started to struggle financially. Things changed after he decided to go back and focus on freelancing.

Notable Quotes:

• Trabaho ko is about Email Marketing din, so alam ko yong ginagawa nya sa pag e-email, pinanunood ko po yong mga free course nya hanggang sa nag decide na ko n
• a babalik na ako sa freelancing nuong 2017.
• Noong nakakuha na po ako ng full-time na client, nagulat po ako eh. Iba yong part-time sa full-time kasi ang daming shine-share nung full-time client ko na hindi ko alam. Inaral ko po siya.
• Actually, ang dami pong invites sa akin na di ko na din nakukuha. Ayoko naman po i-suffer yong mga existing clients ko na.
• Yung stock knowledge dapat wag kung ano lang yong alam nyo, doon lang kayo mag po-focus. Lalo na ngayon sa internet world marami po kasing mga pwede pang aralin tulad sa freelancing. Kung nasa data entry ka lang aralin mo yong ibang part ng data entry o di kaya sa excel marami ding pong part yon, tapos sa e-commerce marami po sa e-commerce ang data entry pwede nyo pong aralin step by step. Hindi naman po basta aralin nyo nalang bigla. Hindi po kasi ako yung taong nag stop lang sa kung ano yung alam ko. Kailangan continuous learning.
• Meron pong group na parehas kayo ng mindset, like kaya rin po ako nag join sa VA Bootcamp dahil dun sa pare-parehas kami ng mindset na gusto namin mag freelancing. Hindi lang naman tungkol yun sa course na matutunan mo, doon din sa mga tao sa group na yun.

Francisco Catubig’s Journey to Freelancing

• He's a Computer Science graduate, worked in a BPO after he graduated.
• He started working in BPO last 2004 as a graphics designer.
• In his 7th year in the company, the biggest project they had here in Manila was transferred to Dumaguete. He was assigned to train people there. Little did he know that the same people he trained will eventually replace him on his job.
• Back in the Manila Office, he applied to a newly opened E-mail Marketing Department. He was given a position as an HTML Developer. He didn't know much about e-mail marketing and HTML, so he underwent basic training. His only struggle then was his communication skills. Because he had to talk to their foreign clients, communicating in English is important, and he wasn't good at that.
• In his few years in BPO, he was earning enough to sustain his own needs, but with a growing family, he needed to look for another source of income.
• He started his career in freelancing last 2014, Upwork was still Odesk. He worked on a project-based job. He started earning in freelancing while he's still working in a corporate.
• He also tried other businesses. He invested money in a networking business using his cooperative loan and SSS loan.
• He decided to focus on his other businesses instead of doing a project-based job in Odesk. He gained experience and skills but unfortunately no return of investment in terms of money.
• He started to borrow money from his friends and officemates and got trapped in a debt cycle.
• He had a hard time going back to Upwork despite having experienced working in Odesk before. Luckily, he saw Jason's work from home advertisement. 
• In 2017 he decided to go back to freelancing, and he enrolled in VA Bootcamp. He downloaded the course on his phone so he can watch the modules in his free time.
• He learned how to create a proposal using AIDA. He spent his time learning new skills and got his first client, who gave him 5-star feedback.
• He borrowed money to buy a new laptop so he can continue his freelancing career. 
• In January 2018, he got his first full-time client on a per-project basis.
• He learned more skills and other tools which his client shared with him. He realized that he got his investment back with freelancing compared with other businesses that he tried.
• Now he's enjoying his flexitime working with his multiple clients in Upwork and Onlinejobs.ph. He learned how to negotiate his rate with clients and he's debt-free.

Q & A Highlights

Ilang taon na po kayo sir Francis?

38 po.

Dito ba kay VA bootcamp naibalik ba yung ininvest mo?

Actually, sobra sobra pa nga po.

Meron na ba crypto(online trading) sa time na sumali ka ng MLM? nag invest ka din ba sir Francis?

Alam ko po yong crypto pero dahil may knowledge po ako sa MLM, hindi ko po siya pinasok.

Francis, ano yung Klaviyo?

Email marketing tool siya dedicated sya sa e-commerce.

Are you debt free now Francis?

Opo.

You are happy with where you are right now right? What can you tell the audiences now para naman let say for those hoping to be in your position?

Yes. Ano lang po, yung stock knowledge, dapat wag kayong kung ano lang yong alam nyo doon lang kayo mag po-focus. Lalo na ngayon sa internet world marami po kasing mga pwede pang aralin tulad sa freelancing. Kung nasa data entry ka lang, aralin mo yong ibang part ng data entry o di kaya sa excel marami ding pong part yon, tapos sa e-commerce marami po sa e-commerce ang data entry pwede nyo pong aralin step by step. Hindi naman po basta aralin nyo nalang bigla. Hindi po kasi ako yung taong nag stop lang sa kung ano yung alam ko. Kailangan continuous learning.