Free ka ba ngayong Feb 24?

I ask because may ipapakilala ako sayo.

He's an ex-tech guy who wakes up early in the morning to battle the rush hour going to the office.

And fights his way through going home spending an average of 2-3 hours of travel time.

One way pa lang yun ha..

This is why when he found about freelancing, hindi na nya pinakawalan.

And he's now able to build his own business and spend more time with his family.

Watch and get inspired on this replay.

Watch this video as Anthony narrates his own freelancing journey. Find out how the inspiring guy escaped the corporate world to build his own business and spend more time with his family. You'll also find his life, his work, his career, and his total transitioned from an IT job to a  freelancer.

          NOTABLE QUOTES

• Before the end of 2019 na-discover ko ang VA Bootcamp. One reason is yung community napakalaki compare mo sa iba. 

• Then hangggang nagtuloy tuloy hindi lang prospecting lang yung ginagawa ko kasi nagbibuild din ako ng relationship with mga kapwa freelancers, nakakapanibago lang kasi ang sarap ng may bagong circle of friends ka.

•  Talagang nagbago sa akin ay  mindset of course plus yung action na maging consistent ka kasi mindset alone will not do it, dapat nandun din yung action kasama yung community. Kasama yung naniniwala sa iyo at nagsusuport sa iyo.  Masasabi kong hindi  ako nagsisisi it is a wise choice, nothing against sa mga dati kong trabaho o sa corporate world itself.  

•  When I shifted to freelancing nagstart muna ako as Digital marketing assistant nila Boss Jason. Nag-decide din ako na mag-stick sa isang niche o  skill, so napili ko yung copywriting so nag-start talaga ako as General copywriter.

• Yung experience na iyon tiningnan ko na din yung brightside kahit hindi naman tayo well compensated dun sa part na iyon nakapag-provide tayo ng value hindi lang dun sa client  but dun din sa freelancer na tinuturuan ko, sarap lang din ng feeling.

• Minsan di rin kaya ng katawan ko, ewan ko nag exercise ako pag gabi, for some reason kasi parang nakaka-wala siya ng toxins nagkakaroon ako ng focus to do something na gusto kong gawin.  So habang nag eexercise naman ako nakakatuwa lang nanonood ako ng mga motivational videos ganun, just to drive myself na gawin ang isang bagay. 

• Nag-visit lang ako tumambay  ako sa VA Bootcamp. Nag-research ako, tapos nanood ako ng mga videos, tapos nanood ako ng videos na ganito like ng mga Jas Success, tapos ung Flip Chat and Chill. 

•  I really did take the risk of that. Kasi like nung nag-enroll kasi ako sa VA Bootcamp actually hindi lang naman talaga yung course ang binabayaran mo but rather yung community saka yung support within the VA Bootcamp. 

• Kaya nga nandito ako sa  Jas Success. I’m sharing  my success story din of course sana maka-inspire din sa iba na kung talagang online freelancing ang path niyo. Don’t hesitate na  pumunta ka sa direction na iyon, kasi talagang pag online freelancing unlimited opportunities.

        Anthony Meneses' Journey to Freelancing

• A graduate of TSIP but worked in IT in a corporate world.

• In November 2010 he worked into several companies, as contractual, then referrals, then until such time he found a stable job way back in 2012, that’s the last company where he worked before he decided to resign last September 2020 just last year, so it's like almost 5 months.

• He was overworked and underpaid. Aside from his job in IT he also did purchasing jobs, technical support, and did branch visits.  He also did project management and on-site jobs.

• He had a Boss-employee kind of relationship. At first, he felt it was fine but when the peak of Covid-19 struck that was the time that his relationship with his boss was tested so much. Their company was not resilient to adapt with work from home set up and their boss is always looking for his output.

• He hated the pressure and stress. He felt it was not healthy anymore.

• He started to seek opportunities but it’s not for online freelancing. He searched online to improve his skills and to look for a better company where he could fit in. 

• In December 2019 he decided to enroll in VA Bootcamp and that was the start of his journey in freelancing.

• January 2021 he’s one of the pioneers of the marketing internship with Jason as his mentor.

• He first started as a Digital marketing assistant to Jason.

• He decided to stick with one niche or skill and chose general copywriting.

• His official work in Upwork was email copying, email revision, and doing web pages for his Upwork client at the same time he was teaching one of his co-freelancer about the marketing funnel.

• His ultimate niche now is building web pages or landing pages.

Q & A Highlights                                              

Nahihirapan din po ako mag focus sa isang skill na pwedeng ioffer? Paano po ba ang pumili? 

 For me, mag-research ka muna kasi sa akin nung time na yun simple lang pumili lang ako, nag take lang ako ng action, gumawa lang ako ng sarili kong process. Kasi I love doing documentations, gusto ko yung may sinusundan ako lagi, para organize ako alam ko yung priorities ko, para malaman ko kung anong oras ako gagawa.  After ng routine na yun daily na siya may sinusundan na ako lagi.  Napunta din naman ako sa point na yun, I've been going on circles, pero in reality wala naman talaga akong pinipiling skill nun, iniisip ko lang na excite lang ako. Pumili ka lang gawin mo, mamili ka lang pag hindi nag work eh di palitan mo. Ang pag ooverthink mo toxic lang.

Dahil may full time ako na graveyard kaya hindi ako makapag focus sa freelancing. Do you have any tips Anthony?

 Kung pa-simplehin natin kasi kung gusto mo talaga may paraan, kung wala puro dahilan ka lang. Kasi ako that time medyo mahirap din kasi mag out ako ng 5:30 darating ako sa bahay ng mga 8 pag minalas malas minsan 9PM pa yung 9 to 5 ulit na itutulog ko talagang nag aalot ako ng time for that,  tapos isusulat ko kung  ano ba talaga dapat gawin ko that night then. Just to add kasi minsan di rin kaya ng katawan ko, ewan ko nag exercise ako pag gabi, for some reason kasi parang nakawala siya ng toxins nagkakaroon ako ng focus to do something na gusto kong gawin.  So habang nag eexercise naman ako nakakatuwa lang dun nanonood ako ng mga motivational videos like this, just to drive myself na gawin yung isang bagay. 

 Wala po ako idea kung paano gagawin... Pero may alam naman po ako sa pag-gamit ng computer? How to start in Upwork?

Dagdag ko lang on, how to start, how to ganyan, ganun. Yung simple answer is nasa VA Bootcamp lang kung tutuusin, that's what also happen to me. Nag-visit lang ako tumambay  ako sa VA Bootcamp. Nag-research ako, tapos nanood ako ng mga videos, tapos nanood ako ng videos na ganito like ng mga Jas Success, tapos yung Flip Chat and Chill, kasi kung baga ang ginagawa ko way back before may full time ako since 2019, I maximize my time to watch yung ganitong segment pag nagbi-biyahe ako. So hindi pwedeng matutulog lang ako sa bus. Kung baga ayokong masayang ang oras ko, gusto ko pag uwi ko bago ako dumating sa bahay may natutunan ako. Ganun din ginagawa ko pag papasok ako. So, I always find time to learn all about online freelancing.  Kasi alam niyo guys kung talagang gusto niyo naman talaga gagawa't gagawa kayo ng paraan, pag hindi wala puro dahilan lang yan, paulit-ulit lang yan, Ang dami kong kilalang ganyan.

 I started freelancing part time 2014. Kapag may project ako sa office ko rin ginagawa yung mga part time jobs ko kapag nakatalikod ang boss. 

Did you do this? Before? 

 Actually, No. Hindi  ko siya ginawa kasi medyo unethical yan for me. So lahat ng freelancing related sa labas lang, sa bahay lang. 

Para sakin, dapat prepared ka bago ka pumasok as a freelancer, kasi mag-isa mong haharapin ang mga challenges unlike pag nasa company ka maraming mga team mates na tutulong sa'yo. At isa pa magbabayad ka, saan ka kukuha ng budget kung hihinto ka sa work mo sa company. Anthony, do you have an opinion about this? 

Before I filed my resignation actually nag-loan ako sa bank, I really did take the risk of that. Idivert ko na lang sa concern ni Abby. Kasi like nung nag enroll kasi ako sa VA Bootcamp actually hindi lang naman talaga yung course ang binabayaran mo but rather yung community saka yung support ng within the VA Bootcamp. Yun talaga dapat ang mina-maximize natin. Not really yung mga inaaral mo. Kasi yung mga inaaral mo na yan makakalimutan mo rin naman yan at kung hindi mo maa-apply sa work, pero yung community na nandyan sa iyo kung bakit napakalaking bagay na mag established ka ng rapport or relationship sa kapwa freelancer din kasi sila at sila  rin yung babalikan mo pag may tanong ka or may concern ka sila rin yung tutulong sa iyo, So kung baga, ano lang naman yun eh, Law of Reciprocity?  Meron at merong tutulong sa iyo.

 Wala po akong pang enroll sa mga courses sino po ba ang pwedeng ma-contact need advice mag start as VA, my experience is secretary. 

Tulad nga ng nasabi ko kanina yung support naman ng wife ko is of course  kasama na rin dun yung financial, so talagang  wala naman siyang pakialam dun as long as alam ko ikakabuti ko, ikakabuti namin willing din siya mag take ng risk for that. So yun lang hindi naman ibig sabihin nun tinitake advantage ko masyado of course I’m doing my part din. Kaya nga nandito ako sa  Jas Success. I’m sharing  my success story din of course sana maka-inspire din sa iba na kung talagang online freelancing ang path nyo don’t hesitate na  pumunta ka sa direction na iyon, kasi talagang pag online freelancing unlimited opportunities.  Ang dami ng success stories na nag boom.

Ano po yung mga signs na you need to change your environment? I mean workplace, career, or is it just time to let go to move up?

Ako naman kasi talagang since pinagisipan naman ito talaga kasi what normally happen  pag nandun na yung adrenaline na kailangan mo na, gagawin mo na kasi wala ka ng choice kasi magugutom kayo, ganun nangyari sa akin, kasi pag nag fufull time ako ok lang kasi may safety net ako parang chill chill ako kaya yun din yung  reason kaya di ako makapag-focus sa freelancing,  pero of course iba iba naman tayo ng story kasi yung iba naman nakapag strive agad while  may full time sa akin hindi eh talagang nag-take muna ako ng risk para yung adrenaline alam mo yun para mabuhay at mag-take ako ng action at maging consistent sa ginagawa ko, that’s what happened to me.  

Thinking of mag freelancing after retiring may age restriction ba sa freelancing thinking of trying a job in freelancing kung kakayanin ko ang scope ng job not yet kung alin job ako mag focus? 

Actually, wala walang age restriction actually dun nga sa  community namin mayroon din kaming ano bang term dapat, yung medyo may edad na, wala talagang restriction it’s just dapat talaga, for me open ka sa mga bagay bagay iba kasi yung world ng freelancing, kasi nung nag-shift ako para akong fresh grad ulit, ganun yung feeling ko parang back to zero, ganun yung naging experience ko talaga, so kung kayo po ay nagiisip na masyado o nagda-doubt  kung may age restriction  wala talaga meron pong success stories na kahit may edad na sila nag-strive pa rin sila sa online freelancing. 

I want to take a risk, to be a freelancer  I have a corporate job pero ang naghohold back sa akin is my health card for my dependents kaya medyo alangan pa rin ano po ang masusuggest niyo?

 Actually medyo mahirap yan like ako kasi nasa financing industry as an IT ako so we are full of benefit, actually malaking factor sa akin yun , sa akin hindi ko na lang siya iniisip, mas iniisip ko yung daily for example yung Vitamins ng mga bata mini-maintain namin yung healthy lifestyle of course mahirap din naman kasi kung gagamitin mo lang yung card na yun, pero ayun, dun ako talaga when you enter online freelancing, merong risk talaga na di maiiwasan, for me kung baga ikaw pag naging stable ka na rin sa online freelancing, mag-invest ka rin for that.

Boot Apostle says: My apprehension is that I am a stroke victim and my speech has not reached that normal yet. In addition to that, I am 63 years old but I know given an opportunity, I still have gas left to run a couple of miles.

Well for me naman kasi meron naman tayong non-voice hindi naman  lahat kailangan ng speech sa mga interview or kung mag prospect ka, so may paraan pa,  for me may way pa rin siya, sinabi nga natin diba unlimited opportunities so kahit anong estado mo, di ko naman sinasabi na sobrang 'lala ng health condition, meron at meron yang opportunity. Magagawan ng paraan, tulad sa corporate, dito sa atin may age restriction eh which is napakalaking bagay din yun, kaya kung magshi-shift ka sa online freelancing kaya nga sa akin mas magandang iexplore mo siya hanggat mas bata ka, mahirap din kasi mag-take ng risk pag tumatagal eh, so yun yung sa akin.