Watch this episode of #JasSuccess host, Anna Soriano will interview Jane Martinito.

Jane is a mom of a 3-year-old daughter, a web designer, a speaker, and a LinkedIn Local host. She was a Psychology graduate back then when she was diagnosed with TB. Luckily, during her 2nd month of medication, a startup school hired her as a teacher and admin with Php6000 per month salary. After getting cleared from TB, she worked in a BPO as a collection agent.

In this interview, Jane shared a lot, including;

✅Her journey from being an ESL online teacher to call center agent and now as a freelancer,
✅How the free VA course helped her land to Virtual Assistant jobs,
✅How she took the best actions in finding her best niche.

And so much more.

Free VA Course for Newbies
FreeLancing In the Philippines (FLIP) FB Page
Subscribe to Jason Dulay's YouTube Channel

Notable Quotes:

•  If you have good communication skills, mas marami kang opportunities for jobs ganyan and gusto ko syang ma improve.
•  It all happens because of God di ba kasi. Siya yung gumagawa talaga ng paraan and there would be times talaga na walang-wala ka na talagang hope as in, pero wala ka na rin namang magagawa kundi manalangin lang and still be faithful naman di ba and maging hopeful lang.
• Kaya nga sinasabi ko lagi kapag may nagtatanong sa akin, "hanapin nyo lang sa Google kasi Google would really be your best friend".
• Mafe-feel mo naman kung sya yung "client for you" or hindi.
• Sabi dito (Six-Figure Freelancer Blueprint by Rom Rulida), "Only action breeds clarity". So, for you to find your niche talaga and for you to know kung ano talaga ang gusto mo sa career mo or sa life mo,  you have to take "action" talaga para malaman. So, ang ginagawa ko talagang tina-try ko sila, nag VA ako, kumaha ako ng client as a VA. Hindi ko lang sya inaral pero kumuha ako ng client.
• If you’re learning from the free resources that they've given, how much more pa kaya sa mga paid courses na ino-offer nila? Doon ko na pro-prove ang value nila.
• If you're familiar with Ms. Penny Bongato, she has this book “Career Shift”. She is also actually one of my clients now. Tapos according to her book na iyun, "It’s never too late to shift your career".
• I'm really thankful to these mentors and coaches na nag-o-offer ng services nila kasi without them, alam mo yung, walang mag iiscale up to reach their dreams, and I’m telling you guys, it’s never that easy. It would never be easy. Wala namang madali na anu eh at tsaka everything, nasa process yan and we all need to respect the process, and kaya lang siya napabilis yung sa nangyari sa akin kasi ilang oras din yung ginugugol ko para aralin yung mga bagay-bagay and i-apply lahat.
• How you’re going to be the best on a niche na gusto nyong piliin? The first one is to take advantage all of the free resources.

Jane’s Journey to Freelancing

• She graduated from Cavite State University with a bachelor's degree in Psychology. She’s an academic scholar and top student of the College of Arts and Sciences.
• While in college, she became openminded in business, so she tried selling some products but didn’t work due to her studies and scholarships.
• She was supposed to be hired from her previous OJT which was a Recruitment Agency, but after she submitted her requirements, she found out that she wasn't fit to work because of her lung problem.
• She was diagnosed with TB in November 2013 and cured after continuous medication in January 2014.
• She was hired as Admin for a start-up preschool that lasted until August 2014.
• She found a better opportunity and worked as a call center agent in Cavite to improve her phone skills.
• She met her future husband at the Call Center, where their relationship had grown to the next level.
• She became pregnant, and she was prohibited from working due to her delicate pregnancy, where she felt worthless.
• She grabbed the opportunity to use her aunt’s internet resources and worked as an ESL teacher.
• When she was about to give birth in a private hospital, she only had one thousand pesos.
• A Good Samaritan helped her with the down payment so she can go to the labor room.
• Her baby needed confinement in the hospital for 7 days due to infection, and she struggled with the hospital bills, fortunately, her aunt in the US instantly helped her.
• She borrowed a computer from her mother and she availed an instant set-up for an internet connection from Globe with no down payment.
• She saw on pop-out ads the face of Sir Jason while working on ESL online, and she became curious about the virtual assistant and social media.
• She utilized the free VA courses available, enrolled in some paid courses, and hired mentors to scale up her skills and knowledge.
• She became the Jack of all trades not only in VA but also social media, digital and email marketing.
• She enjoyed and found her passion in graphics design using Canva.
• She found out that her niche is web design, where she enjoyed the most.
• She built her portfolio and created a website for free and by showing her skills, she acquired direct clients after a month.
• She became the first LinkedIn local host in Cavite.

Q&A Highlights

Hi Ms. Jane, I’m a newbie here. Pwede bang bigyan mo ako ng way sa pagde-design lalo na sa graphic designing?

Kung paano mag start sa graphic designing. Una mag search muna sa Youtube. Gaya ng sinabi ko sa simula. For you to start anything, you have to research about it first and then kung curious ka at wala ka talagang alam, nandyan naman talaga si Google eh, and Google will answer everything for you. There are a lot of resources talaga like if you gonna type, "basic software graphic designing" sa Google, it will show. Tapos maraming free resources doon na mababasa mo and then meron rin sa youtube, dun lang din ako nag-start hanggang sa nag-scale up rin ako and then dahil sa gusto ko ang community, minsan actually madalas nagbabayad din ako ng mga paid courses para mas ma enhance pa yung skills ko.

Paano mag start? Meron akong na create pero hindi ko sya matapos-tapos.

Kasi sa akin naman, ang perception kasi dyan na sabi din ni John Maxwell na kapag kasi natapos mo ang mga bagay-bagay, "It’s not for the people surrounding you, it's also for your own good. It’s for yourself". So, if nakakatapos ka ng mga simple tasks, nagkakaroon ka ng feeling of fulfillment, di ba? So, it’s also a matter of how you think, how you manage your time, so kung hindi mo sya matapos tapos, madaming techniques, madaming management techniques, and shi-share ko lang ngayon yung ginagamit kong technique kapag gumagawa ako ng project, yung Pomodoro technique. As in, tapos gumagamit ako ng extension, gumagamit ako yung may Google extension ang pangalan ay "Pomo tasking". So, every 20 minutes i-start ko sya, so kailangan within that 20 minutes nakafocus ako sa ginagawa ko. Naka dedicate lang time ko dun. Ok lang na hindi ko matapos basta naka-concentrate ako sa ginagawa ko. Grabe ang bilis kung gumawa pag naka ganun ako noh? Kasi hinahabol ko yung oras. Sabi ko, “Oh my gosh! 1-minute na kailangan matapos ko to”. Parang ang bilis. Again, for you to know about it, again Google, Google is there.

How do you determine which paid course is worth it?

Una is ano ba ang mga value na binibigay nila, kasi makikita mo naman yun sa mga free courses nila. “If you're learning from the free resources that they've given, how much more pa kaya sa mga paid courses na ino-offer nila?” Doon ko na pro-prove ang value nila.

Ilang years na akong nag free-freelancing?

All in all, include ang ESL, magti-three years na ngayong October. So ganun lang talaga, mapabilis talaga yung paghahanap nyo sa niche nyo kung talagang aaralin nyo at talagang gagawin nyo sya. Kasi yung iba, it would take like, talagang matagal na time for them to realize na that is not for them. If you're familiar with Ms. Penny Bongato, she has this book, “Career Shift”. She is also actually one of my clients now. Tapos according to her book na iyun, "It’s never too late to shift your career", and meron ngang iba eh, may mga nakabasa ng book nya, narinig ko sa mga testimonials na anu na, ang tagal na nila sa job nila. Like meron dun isang doctor and then, nung nabasa nya ang book ni Ms. Penny, nag shift sya to IT. As in, ang tagal niya nang doctor, tapos nag shift sya to IT, di ba? Grabe ang tagal nya nang pagiging doctor nya, tapos nagda-doubt pa sya sa sarili nya. "Kaya ko ba to?" ganyan, nakaka-inspire lang kasi he was able to do it and how much more pa kaya sa atin na nasa online tayo di ba? And we do have all the resources here on the internet. Like we can search, like Google, Youtube, we can learn everything in just one click and we can learn courses, madami ng courses online na pwede mong matutunan and there are a lot of mentors offering their services.

What do you do with Artist’s blank?

Parang minsan yung creativity nawawala. Parang minsan nablo-block, yung mental block. Nangyayari din sa akin yan na minsan may time na nakaharap lang ako sa monitor na hindi ko alam kung anung design ang gagawin ko. So usually ang gingawa ko, para hindi ako ma block, nag re-research ako ng mga inspirations, naghahanap ako ng mga inspirations na website at then pag nakita ayun, "parang maganda to ah", pagmi-mix ko sila hanggang sa mag come up sila sa isang specific design. Tapos misan naman si client meron syang preference na ganitong design ang gusto nya. Misan kasi pag design, yung kapag ikaw na yung pagde-designin nila, nakaka-block talaga sya.

May Yaya ka ba na nagaalaga kay baby?

Actually, I’m so thankful kasi yung mother-in-law ko laging nandyan to assist me dun sa baby ko. Whenever I need to do some stuff, whenever I have to study, si mother-in-law ang nagti-take care dun sa baby ko. And up to this time sya pa rin yung nag-aalaga sa anak ko.

Anung graphic application ang ginagamit mo?

I use photoshop and yan din ginagamit ko kapag nag-e-edit ako, like gumagawa ako ng web design.

Artist have the tendency to get hooked with gear bob. Had you have it in your span of career?  "Kailangan ko ng wako, kailangan ng ganito, kailangan ko ng ganere’ tools and gadgets to improve". If you have it, how do you deal with it?

Ang anu ko man kasi sa bahay, anu lang, simple lang. Ang husband ko kasi, siya yung nagse-set-up ng mga specs ng computer. I’m so blessed kasi yung husband ko, IT siya, so techie, sya yung nag se-set. Sinet-up nya yung computer by parts. Ito tips ko sa inyo, bilhin ninyo yung by parts kasi mas makakatipid kayo. Compared kapag bibili kayo ng desktop na nakabuild na siya, mas mahal yun, so mas mura sa by parts. I would suggest PC Express, maraming dayang mura lalo na kapag mababa ang dollars.

Meron din lang naman akong photoshop and then dalawa yung computer and ipagawa ko pa yung isa kasi pumutok yung power supply so ang ginawa ko, dalawa ang monitor na ginagamit.

Meron pa bang meet-ups sa Cavite para sa Linkedin?

Actually, I’m the first LinkedIn local host dito sa Cavite. If you wanna also do, like home host just let me know if you’re from Silang, Cavite or Bacoor. Just let me know. LinkedIn local is actually a non-profit organization. Hindi mo siya ino-organize para kumita ng money or whatsoever. So, money lang na babayaran is only good for your food and for other expenses. Dun sa event na gagamitin and all the proceeds will be given to a charity and stuff. Ganun yung set-up, ayaw ni LinkedIn local na kumikita ka ng money from them. It started sa Australia and now kumakalat na siya all over the world, like meron ng host sa ibat-ibang cities sa US at UK, meron na rin sa China at then nakikipag connect na rin ako.

Any experience how did you get your first client?

Sa totoo lang, hindi naman ako nag-apply, parang sila lang ang nag approach sa akin. Tinanong lang nila ako, "paano ang ganito ganyan? how much do you offer sa ganitong services?" So pumayag ako na, kasi syempre that time nagstart pa lang ako eh. Five websites ang ipapagwa nya sa akin. Pero ang package was thousand dollars. So, it was already something big or huge for me kasi, saan ka makakakita ng ganun, na isahang client aga di ba? Nagpopost lang ako sa facebook like ng mga testimonials from my clients ganyan. Started with free na ginawa ko na website, pinost ko lang yung ginagawa kong design. Then they liked it, so ayun nuong nagustuhan nila, kusa lang sila lumalapit sa akin. Nagme-message lang sila sa akin, "Uy, ganito ganyan, pwede mo ba akong tulungan sa website ko? Magkano yung services?" Tapos ise-send ko yung proposal.