Pwede na ‘to or mukhang di ko kaya yan.

Lahat naman yata tayo takot or hesitant to make changes or start a new.

Especially if we’re already in our comfort zones and afraid to rock the boat.

Self-doubts and fears are inevitable.

You may think you’re not ready.

You may think there’s no time.

You may think there will be other opportunities.

But living in doubts and fear will lead to regrets later in life.

Only YOU have the power to make things happen and change how you’re feeling inside.

Don’t be afraid to start something new.

Believe in your capabilities.

Have faith in yourself.

Meet Brenda.

She’s a former OFW in the United Arab Emirates who used to work in the hospitality industry.

She started working as a virtual assistant in September 2020 while still doing her corporate job.

Her sister helped a lot in her decision to venture into the freelancing world.

She used to charge $6 per hour.

Now?

She confidently asks for $15/hour.

Boom!

Her freelancing income allows her to pay for her own UAE visa and health insurance.

Be inspired by her courage, hard work, and success, in this replay.

 INTRODUCTION:

Who says you can’t have it all in freelancing? Meet Brenda Boleños, an OFW from Dubai who used to work in the hospitality industry for 7 to 10 years.  She is now enjoying her financial and time freedom while being with her family, all because of freelancing! 

NOTABLE QUOTES:

• Wag mawalan ng pag asa kasi every one will reach that point na parang  give up ka na. Pero don’t give up yun lang. Ang lagi mong isipin is yung kung ano ba talaga yung gusto mo.
• Maximize kung ano meron tayo and then kung ano natutunan ko sa freelancing.
• Find your niche.  
• Wag tayo umasa sa magic. Hindi darating ang isang bagay kung hindi mo hahanapin.
• Look for what is your biggest Why.
• And don’t be afraid to ask questions kasi dun tayo matututo.
• Mag over-deliver ka if you have a client.
• So hindi siya excuses na I don’t know how to speak English. Merong mga free courses ng better English, so try to use it. 

JOURNEY TO FREELANCING: 

• Brenda is an OFW from Dubai, worked in the hospitality industry for 7-10 years.
• She worked in cheaper hotels then got promoted to the home office.
• She got married in 2019.
• She had to leave the company since her husband also works in the same company
  (as per company rules, relatives or husbands and wives cannot work together).
• She had to live far from her husband, who lives within the company housing and pay for her expenses. 
• The Pandemic struck and she had to look for an alternative source of income to sustain her expenses.
• Was given freelancing sideline work by her sister who also works as a freelancer.
• Wanted to learn more so she enrolled in VABootcamp for the free courses.
• Unable to get clients and feels she needs to know more.
• Enrolled in the complete package and followed the instructions on how to write proposals.
• Got her first client for $6.
• Felt that the payment she was receiving was not consummate with her skills.
• Looked for a premium client and was charged $12.
• The client was impressed with her work since she delivered more than what is expected of her.
• Her client referred her to other friends.
• She was given a raise and bonus for being good in her job.
• She is now able to charge $15 from her clients.
• She is now having financial and time freedom because of freelancing.
• She can travel and support her family (both in Dubai and in the Philippines) from her earnings in freelancing.
• She was able to start investing for her future from her freelancing earnings.
• She now has a PDF for freelancers "How to stop being lazy and become productive.” 

QUESTION AND ANSWER

.> What pushed you to venture into freelancing?

Because of the pandemic. Talagang number one reason in 2019, I was married. In that company where I worked, hindi kayo pwede magsama kapag you are relatives or kapag mag-asawa kayo. So we need to be separated. I was advised that I have limited time to look for another work or you need to go back to the Philippines. You need to find someone to pay your visa for you. I was moved to the head office, it was super stressful. I was in another location from my husband. I cannot visit without a PCR which is only valid for 3 days. Plus the expensive fare to and from my husband’s location. This made me think I have to work near my husband or continue like this. I felt I need to do something. There was also staff reduction at work, so only 50% were allowed to go onsite. I was able to work from home. So ayan, nung nagkaroon ako ng chance na, I was working at home like for 3 to 4 months, so dun ako nagkaroon ng Why not? Like is this I think much better? I’m living with my husband, at the same time I’m working. Why can’t I find something like that?

• How were you able to discover working from home and freelancing?
  

You know 2019 is nag start ako mag work sa kapatid ko. Binibigyan naman ako, I’m not working for her para sa salary or something, but I’m working for her to have knowledge kasi nga sabi ko I need to do something. And then sabi niya, since you’re helping me, I will give you something to move forward para ma inganyo ka naman mag work. Then she helped me para matutunan yung Cartra. So dun ako nag start. Yun ang pinaka naging pathway ko out of my full time job. Ginagawa ko yun every weekend, or end ng shift ko. And then, sabi ko na if I can find something like this, then why not di ba? Then I can support naman yung kailangan ko, So I tried to find the answer na ano ba yung pwede kong gawin. Yung kapatid ko ang nagsabi na, why don’t you try freelancing? So nag apply, apply ako at December 2020. So nag resign na ako, I had two months’ notice dun sa work ko. Dun na sinabi ng kapatid ko na mag apply ka sa Upwork, and then sa onlinejobs. So nag apply ako wala pa rin.  May mga fields na hindi ko alam. So sabi ko ganyan, paano ako mag access ng freelancing if I don’t know?

So dun niya sinabi sa akin na mag enroll ka sa freelancing. Not because you don’t have skill pero to know kung ano yung difference. Kasi ang corporate is different from freelancing. Kasi ang freelancing, napaka vast niya, napakalaki, di ba? So dun na yung nag accept na rin ako, nag aral ako, praktis praktis, write down kung ano yung mga ano, yung mga natutunan ko, nag enroll ako, ng  e-Commerce VA. So parang nalito pa kasi  parang hindi ko siya bet. Then sabi niya sa akin, why don’t you try the bootcamp? Nag enroll lang ako ng free.  And then I thought I need something more kasi parang yung proposal ko hindi pa rin nakakahatak.  So sabi ko, baka may secret, so I decided na mag upgrade ako dun sa paid na Complete package access, nag try update sarili ko.

Inapply ko  yung mga natutuhan ko. I decided to find my niche kasi it’s better to offer na may specific ka na niche, mas mapo focus mo yung sarili mo. Medyo namotivate ako sa mga post na nakikita ko, super naiinggit ako na si Sir Phoenix, meron na silang ganito, tapos mayroon, silang premium client. So naisip ko na  I want to have something like this. So sinasabi pa yung you need to find your WHY.  So sabi ko,  I need to find something.   And may one client na nagsabi sa akin na yung I can see that your profile  wala pang arawang client sa Upwork. Sabi ko, I don’t have client in Upwork but I have the skills,  it’s my first time as a freelancer but it’s not like I have zero skills. So that time, he tried to negotiate and offered me $6. Sabi ko ang Upwork Sir, di ba meron pong service charge. So parang almost four point something na lang at the end. But still I accept it kasi sabi ko, I need to have some client.  Later on, I found a premium client na nagsabi sa akin na I will try to charge higher So nirecommend po ako ng ate ko sa ibang client. Nagustuhan naman niya performance ko. Dun ako nag start $12. If I can find $12 client, then I need to find another $12 client na same lang yung ginagawa ko pero they’re paying higher. 

What is the secret sauce in your career why do you have both financial and time freedom now?

So since I have something else, so I give them like another service pero hindi ako nag ask, pero I want to show them my skills first. Then later on, yung client ko na yun sila naka appreciate na this person is really doing well. She is good. And she knows what she’s doing. Kasi sometimes, you don’t need to say na alam ko to, pero I think mas better at mas ma appreciate ng client mo if you are showing. Parang kasi dito sa atin, action speaks louder than voice. Na explored ko yung mga skills pala na I thought na hindi ko siya kaya or wala ako skills. Pero ngayon, I have this skill. I didn’t know about this. And then hindi na naging limited so marami na akong alam, so from Cartra, nalaman ko rin yung Gsuite and Kajabi. So it’s like nadagdagan yung  knowledge ko. And I don’t know before kung paano gamitin yung video editing.  but now I’m using it, I’m using other tools as  well and it’s really good.