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How I Convinced my OFW Husband to Become a VA Too - Interview with Jenrose Lapiña

January 9, 2019
by Jason Dulay 
Jason is the founder and CEO of Work from Home Roadmap and VA Bootcamp. Aside from teaching Filipinos how to succeed working from home, he likes traveling, playing board games, and drinking coffee.
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#RelationshipGoals, the inspiration that lead Jenrose to a freelancing career. Learn from her as Jenrose narrates with Pinky Anicete her roller coaster ride to the online world. Get moving with her “Never give up” attitude as she builds her skills and motivates her husband to do the same.

From LDR by the sea to staying together every day, this is a real deal of a seafarer couple sharing the same direction on achieving their dreams. It’s fun and it’s truly worth the sacrifices. Watch it, now!

And a lot more…

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Notable Quotes:

  • Looking forward to travel and sobrang excited talaga na I can’t wait na maka sampa na ng barko. Nung nandun na ako sobrang happy kasi magkasama naman kami ni boyfriend ko before na husband ko na nagyon sa company at sa barko. Very fortunate kami kasi syempre pinag-pi pray namin yun and laging na ga-grant naman yung request namin na magkasama. 
  • Sa 8th month ko sa barko ng may biglang news na pinatawag ako bigla sa office,at sa news na yun parang na freeze ako na di ko alam ang gagawin ko kasi yung news na yun ay sinabi sa akin namatay yung dad ko.
  • Pag sa barko ka nag trabaho parang naka kulong ka sa hawla. 
  • Sobrang nawalan na ako ng gana na umalis ng bansa na nag promise ako sa sarili ko na hindi na ako aalis. 
  • Naghcanap ako ng trabaho dito sa pilipinas, syempre HRM graduate ka so it’s either mag call center ka or food industry ka. Since HRM ako dun ako comportable, nag apply ako sa food insudtry which is napaka liit ng sweldo sobrang layo ng sweldo namin sa barko dati.
  • Lahat ng ipon ko sa pag babarko ko ng 8 months ubos din kasi nag share pa kami sa daddy ko yung mga panahon na wala akong trabaho pang gastos so lahat yun naubos. Syempre parang naisip ko hindi enough to hindi ganito yung gusto ko na buhay. Gusto ko pang mas maging successful pa dito.
  • Kahit na labag sa loob ko, nag try kami mag barko ni husband and good thing sa company namin mismo ng manager dun inoferan kami ng mas maganda na opportunity na US, Europe. 
  • Tandang-tanda ko nun nasa airport pa lang ako nag chat pala ako kay mommy na paalis na ako pa alis na yung airplane iyak na ako ng iyak nun. 
  • Dun ako naka assign sa casino bar di ka naman pwede mag reklamo so dun ako naka assign. 
  • Yung breaktime ko i-uuwi ko nalang sa cabina o kwarto ng mga crew members ng barko. 
  • Kaya lang ako nandun, unang una na ito yung dapat na gawin at may pangarap ako na gustong matupad. 
  • Pag uwi ko sa cabina nag try ako tumawag kay mother at narinig ko boses ni mother. Ang ginawa ko nun imbis na mag “Hi Mommy” at nung narinig ko boses nya naiiyak ako parang di ko kaya i-kwento sa kanya na nahihirapan ako dito, na hindi ko gusto dito pero gagawin ko to para sa inyo.
  • Two years ako nag-struggle na magkaroon ng work. Pero nun nag-VA Bootcamp, in 3 weeks, di ko akalain, parang may magic! Kailangan gagawin mo yun tinuturo. Take action talaga. Ginawa naman natin yun take action pero siguro masyado ka nag-dream sa mga unang online courses natin. Nabuo yun mindset pero yun skills hindi.
  • Super interested pero nangangapa talaga ko kung san magsisimula. Just start!
  • If you want to start and if you have zero knowledge, we advise that you go to freevacourse.com. Dyan mo matutunan how to get paid, what skills do you need to learn, the hottest freelance job or skills or niche right now.
  • Lahat ng pwede nyong matutunan, available yan, free, paid, lahat yan makukuha nyo. Pero ang pinaka-importante talaga kagaya ng lesson na nakuha ko sa buhay ko, sa freelancing journey ko, is never give up. Kasi dadating ka sa punto na parang ayaw muna, kasi bagong mundo ito, ang freelancing. Pero kahit na gusto mong sumuko, huwag, never give up, tuloy mo lang, may kakapuntahan yan.

Jenrose ’s Journey to Freelancing

  • Jenrose graduated with BS HRM degree and had a job waiting for her in an Asian cruise line, even before she graduates.
  • On her 8th month being a cruise bar waitress, her father died. She had to return to attend his father's funeral. This experience brought her trauma of working abroad and being away again from her family.
  • She applied locally in the food industry but found the salary too low to sustain her needs or save an extra amount. She lost all her savings from her cruise job.
  • Her dreams pushed her to look for a job again as a seafarer. She and her husband landed a job on an international cruise line.
  • Her growing homesickness, plus a short heartbreak from her boyfriend (now husband) had affected her so much. She went home after saving enough money.
  • She was inspired by a book about Virtual Careers and used her savings to enroll on various freelancing courses.
  • She lost her savings on the courses and did not have any client after a year of learning.
  • She went to BPO as call center agent to gain income.
  • After 3 or 4 months, she decided to quit and build with her husband the baking supplies business. 
  • Jenrose has introduced again to freelancing, through the VA Bootcamp.
  • She went through internship and landed her 1st job as SMM after 3 weeks.
  • Inspired by her couple online workmate who are working on their project, she taught her husband about freelancing. She made her husband like an intern and paid him for the tasks completed.
  • She was able to convince her husband to go home and grow their baking supplies business alongside their online work.

Q & A Highlights

Anong first work mo po online?

Social media marketing. 

Ano work nya sa client? General VA?

Yes. First client is general VA. Yun din ang tinuturo ko kay Marlon.

Ano na niche mo ngayon?

Social media. And yun general VA para maturo ko kay Marlon since yun ang madali na para sa kanya na matutunan.

How many hours do you work per day?

Ako 4, yun hubby ko, workaholic yan, minsan nag-12 hours sya. Sobrang na-enjoy nya. Kapag pagod na sya compute nya "ilang hours ba'to? ilang dollars to.."

Train ka po ba ni client since newbie ka?

No. Lahat ng skills na ginagawa ko ngayon sa client ko lahat nakuha ko lang sa VA Bootcamp.

Mahirap po ba mag-start sa simula?

Mahirap. 

Are you willing to share this? Magkano po ba ang per rate mo?

Secret. 

Are you earning like the same income nun nasa abroad ka?

Oo.

Ano po ba ang starting rate for VAs?

You can start at about $5 per hour.

Ano pong laptop nyong gamit?

ACER Aspire E14.

Government employee po ako, zero knowledge po ako sa VA Bootcamp, how to start po?

If you want to start and if you have zero knowledge, we advised that you go to freevacourse.com. Dyan mo matutunan how to get paid, what skills do you need to learn, the hottest freelance job or skills or niche right now. 

May ultimate tools ka ba na ginagamit sa social media marketing?

Gamit ko ay yun mga organizing tools, Asana. For social media, I use Hootsuite. Yun mga free. Dati Trello.

Sa Upwork po ba nakuha yun client or other platforms?

Upwork.

Meron ka bang other client ngayon aside from Upwork?

Wala pa. Puro Upwork yun client ko. Di pa ako nakapag-try na maghanap sa iba.

Ilan ang client mo ngayon?

Nag-isa muna. Ngayon, since tapos na yun busy moments sa tindahan, sa shop ko, ngayon maghahanap na ako ulit ng isa pa, dalawa. Basta may target ako na income ngayong year na'to na gusto ko maabot.

Any advice sa newbies?

Lahat ng pwede nyong matutunan, available yan, free, paid, lahat yan makukuha nyo. Pero ang pinaka-importante talaga kagaya ng lesson na nakuha ko sa buhay ko, sa freelancing journey ko, is never give up. Kasi dadating ka sa punto na parang ayaw muna, kasi bagong mundo ito, ang freelancing. Pero kahit na gusto mong sumuko, huwag, never give up, tuloy mo lang, may kakapuntahan yan.

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by Jason Dulay 
Jason is the founder and CEO of Work from Home Roadmap and VA Bootcamp. Aside from teaching Filipinos how to succeed working from home, he likes traveling, playing board games, and drinking coffee.

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126 comments on “How I Convinced my OFW Husband to Become a VA Too - Interview with Jenrose Lapiña”

  79. Hi po npka inspiring nman po ng kwento ni mis jenrose sobrang nging napakahirap ng mga pinagdaanan nuya at never siyang gumiveup. Well i salute you at idol kita.
    Anyway newbie lang po ako d2 at working mom sa isang research com. Wala po kase ako idea kung anu po gingawa ng isang virtual asst.

    Reply

  108. Hey there! I'm at work browsing your blog from my new appleiphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blogand look forward to all your posts! Keep up the superb work!

    Reply

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