The official podcast of the Virtual Assistant Bootcamp - Helping Improve Filipino Lives through Freelance Education. This podcast is an extension of our weekly shows and webinars. Mondays - Monday Motivation & FLIP Chat and Chill Wednesdays - JasSuccess
Freelance or not? Deciding whether or not to go freelancing is a personal choice. And considering the pros and cons of it can definitely help you in your choice. Think about it. You can work as little or as much as you want. You can choose the people you want to work with. And make money others can only dream of. Freelancing gives you the opportunity to dip your toes into a pool of possibilities. However, it's not for everyone. So how would you know if it's the path you want to take? Let's find out on October 11, 2021, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm.
When to Start - Monday Motivation - 10/11/21
Loans to pay. Kids & parents to support. OFW husband whom she wants to stay in the Philippines for good. These are the main reasons why a working mom pursued freelancing. Meet Cherryl. She spent almost 20 years in the corporate world. And a terrible work experience caused her to lose hope. But her dream is bigger than my worries. Until she stumbled upon the VA Bootcamp. Fast forward today, she consistently makes P30,000 minus the toxic work environment. More importantly, she can watch over her kid's activities every single day. On October 6, 2021, at 6:30 pm, she'll share & inspire us with her journey. What are her challenges? How did she overcome them? How did she able to get a client and make consistent income within months of freelancing? See you there!
Right now, freelancers get paid mainly through online digital payment providers like PayPal. However, the excessive fees inherent to PayPal – with some equating to around 4% – render it impractical for constant large-scale use. Agree? Enter crypto. Some say it could ease the transition. Typical crypto transaction fees amount to mere pennies. And when combined with the rapid confirmation speed of a blockchain transaction, this makes cryptocurrency a possibly ideal source of payment for a growing number of freelancers. Not only that, a range of blockchain-based platforms are popping up. Looking to decentralize the freelance bidding process. Whew! So is crypto and blockchain an ally or threat to freelancers? Let's find out on October 4, 2021, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm.
Consistency - Monday Motivation -10/04/21
Social media manager. Virtual assistant. Mom of 3. (And a Zumba fanatic!) I'd like you to meet Aidyl. Like other moms, she wants to spend much time with her family and avoids wasting her time going to and from the office. So she pursued freelancing. Which gives her a lot of freedom and flexibility.
Freelancing is here to stay. More and more people are jumping on this bandwagon. Well, why not? If you work from home, you can spend more time with your loved ones. You can work according to your own schedule. You can make more (in dollars!). Now, here's the thing. If you're looking to dive into freelancing, you'll need more than just your good looks and skills. You'll soon learn that freelancing is a business. So, like any successful business, you'll need tools to help you thrive. That's what we'll talk about on September 27, 2021, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm.
What do you expect - Monday Motivation - 09/27/21
"Napagod ako sa corporate job. Yung tipong mag duduty ka na walang gana. Na feel ko na talaga na I need to step up." It's not easy juggling multiple jobs. Imagine having an 8-5 job and doing freelancing on the side. But that's what exact Nissa did. She worked as a brand ambassador of Uniliver products and some other brands. While she's on it, nag-oonline selling din sya to support her needs. Until July 2018 when she pursued working from home (ESL teacher) because she has a baby. And just last May 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, she decided to go freelancing. Right now, she works as a virtual assistant and podcast manager, earning P20k a month sa bahay lang. On September 22, 2021, at 5:30 pm, she'll share & inspire us with her journey. What are her challenges? How did she overcome them? Does leaving a stable job and pursue freelancing worth it? See you there!
There are a lot of perks of being a freelancer. One of them is taking as much client work as you want. And here's where the challenge comes in. You may have multiple clients that ask for last-minute projects and tasks. Or that one person who always seems to change their mind after you've already agreed on a direction. Or you may have an entirely different problem and hardly hear from a client at all. So how are you going to deal with this? That's what we'll talk about on September 20, 2021, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm. Don't miss this.
If there's a will - Monday Motivation - 9/20/21
Would you give up a stable job to ensure your family's safety? Reese did. She used to work as a Senior Executive Assistant - Quality Assurance Specialist in a serviced apartment hotel in Rockwell. She works in Rockwell and her family lives in Pampanga. She lives in a condo in Makati but when the lockdown happened, *"I chose to be with my family."* And it isn't ideal. Because her pay was almost half of what she used to earn. She wasn't able to save since her pay would go straight to rent and transpo expenses. What's worst is that her family, most especially her mom, wasn't at peace and was always worried when she was working on-site. Imagine, she needs to be quarantined for 2 weeks every time she'd go home. After ng quarantine, she needs to go on-site again. This made her decide to go back permanently to Pampanga and pursue freelancing. Despite a lot of challenges, she persisted. She got a starting rate of more than P50k. Not bad huh. On September 15, 2021, at 7 pm, she'll share & inspire us with her journey. What are her challenges? How did she overcome them? Does leaving a stable job and pursue freelancing worth it? See you there!
Whenever you want to apply for a job, most platforms will ask you to write a cover letter. But what exactly is a cover letter? Why should you write it? And most importantly, what should you say to capture the attention of your client? Of course, you don't want to write just any templated cover letter. You'd want to write an effective one — the one that gets you hired. To help you out, we'll talk about "Crafting Cover Letters That Attract The Best Clients." On September 13, 2021, at 6 pm, in our FLIP Chat & Chill. Don't miss this.
Just Start - Monday Motivation - 9/13/21
"Sana may work from home na hindi lang online teaching." This is what Debbie thought to herself as she explored the working from home option to be with her son. Her husband is an OFW and he wanted her to personally take care of their only child at that time. She tried applying in Rarejob at 51talk but... "pero lagi ang reason na hindi ako matanggap yong speed daw internet connection ko." She was forced to resign from her job when her eldest got sick. And before the effectivity of her resignation, she decided to join the VA Bootcamp. In the 4th week of going through the lessons, she got hired hourly for a research job and it lasted for 6months. "Masaya na ako non because I was hired with no interview. Kaya sabi ko mag-reresign na talaga kasi, totoo pala ito." In a span of 4-5months, she got 12 projects mostly with Upwork. And right now, she's making P115k a month fixed (gross monthly income) for foreign-based clients and 20k fixed for a local-based client. Wow! On September 8, 2021, at 6 PM, she'll share & inspire us with her journey. What made her pursue freelancing? How did she find her niche? Where did she get her clients? See you there!
When Bad Things Happen - Monday Motivation - 9/6/21
You've probably seen some of our "lods" in freelancing. Maybe you're able to catch them in one of our JasSuccess interviews. Aside from making 6 to 7 figures a month and being able to take control of their time. One thing that's common among them is this. They all experienced rejection at one point. Whether you believe it or not, marami na silang na-receive na "no." But how they handled it makes a huge difference in their freelancing business. And they'll gladly share how they overcome all the rejections in our FLIP Chat & Chill. It's happening on September 6, 2021 at 6pm.
What's the Difference Between Soft and Hard Skills - JasAnswers - 9/4/21
"I don't know where to start." "I don't know how to set up a profile properly." "I have no idea about a portfolio." These are just some of the challenges of beginners in freelancing. And these are the exact same struggles faced by Mari when she was starting out. Mari worked as a payroll officer for 17 long years. However. "during pandemic last year nawalan ako ng work" Ouch! This and because she wanted to take care of her one and only daughter, she chose the path of freelancing. Which wasn't easy at all. But she persisted. *Now I am working with 1 VA and became a FLIP mentor and I am helping other bookkeepers to find clients as well." And on September 1, 2021, at 7 pm, she'll share & inspire us with her journey. She'll also be giving a free guide that'll be helpful for those who want to offer bookkeeping to clients.
It's not easy to wait. Especially if you want a job and you want it NOW. I get it. However, sometimes it doesn't come at the time we want it. In moments like this, patience and persistence need to be your friends. Because the truth is. Regardless of how long it may take, the timing itself is out of our control. But here's the thing. You have to keep your eye on the prize. Got it? It's happening in our FLIP Chat & Chill on August 30, at 6 pm.
The Harder You Work - Monday Motivation - 8/30/21
There's a person you need to meet. Her name is Joyce. A former factory worker, canteen helper, and fast food crew. Now? She's one of our successful freelancers. Though not consistent yet, she's making Php70,000 to 6 figures every month. Boom! Would you believe, wala siyang laptop at Internet when she started. How did she do it? How did she go from zero to making 6 figures a month? Does she have any strategies for getting clients? Joyce will answer all these on August 25, 2021, in our JasSuccess at 5 PM.
Freelancing is for anyone who wants to work from home. You can choose who you want to work with. You can choose your workload. Which means you can work as much or as little as you want. And when I say anyone, that includes busy moms and senior citizens. Yup. Lahat sila pwede. If you're one of them, I've good news for you. On August 23, 2021, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6pm, ee're gonna talk about...
Have you ever typed these 5 words ''How to make money online'' in your search browser? Maybe you have seen some too-good-to-be-true quick and easy schemes but also some hard-to-understand multi-step plans. And maybe that has left you wondering if this is even possible for an average Filipino. Well, if you want to learn about a legitimate way to work online from home, then this FREE webinar ''Fast Track to Freelancing'' is for you! In this webinar, I will show you the basic steps to get started working from home as an online freelancer, even without experience. Nope, it's not going to be easy, but I will show you how it can be possible for every Juan. Interested? Type "FREE" in the comments below, and we'll give you the Registration Link.
Meet Jehan. She's a former staff nurse who jumped into freelancing to be with her family and build her own authority. So despite the challenges on Internet connection and electricity, she persevered. Fast forward today... She was one of the top and medalist of social media marketing trainees of Rural Impact Sourcing Training (digitaljobsPH) in 2018. She was a guest speaker at connected women events at Marawi city and Iligan City in 2019. Her dedication to promoting online opportunities reaches other rural areas as she becomes one of the nationwide trainers of DigitaljobsPH in 2019 up to the present. Whoah! The best part? She'll generously share with us her stories of struggles AND wins here in JasSuccess.
Did you know that our champion weightlifter, Hidilyn Diaz, nearly quit her goal of snatching an Olympic medal after battling depression? Even before the Rio Olympics, gusto niya na mag quit kasi sa tagal na nag-jojoin siya ng weightlifting sa Olympics wala siyang nakukuha. And here's what she said. "Kung itong Olympics di pa ako magkakamedal I will quit na." But look at where she is now. Getting recognitions left and right. Reaping the fruits of her hard work. The same goes in freelancing. You've probably heard this so many times. Rest but don't give up. If you've been freelancing for quite some time and still not getting results... ...laban lang. Trust the process. Now, if you've just started and you think no client will say yes to you simply because you're not an expert... Listen up. Join our FLIP Chat & Chill this Monday, August 16 at 6pm. We're gonna talk about... How Can I Convince Clients To Hire Me Even If I'm Not An Expert? You're gonna love this!
LED: Late Evening Discussion with FLIP Mentors
"I want to be the one to take care of my baby." This is what our JasSuccess guest told herself when she got pregnant. Which wasn't easy by the way. Because she was advised to be on bed rest for the 9 months she was pregnant. And since she doesn't want anyone to take care of her baby, the only option left for her is to work from home. Meet Estella. She's a former call center agent and IT programmer. Who now enjoys staying at home with her family while working. No need to spend hours on the road. Thanks to freelancing. If you're like her who wants to spend more quality time with your family WHILE still providing for their needs... Join our JasSuccess this Wednesday, August 11 at 6pm. See you there!
Great Things - Monday Motivation - 8/9/2021
An industry that experienced tremendous growth is eCommerce. In the Philippines alone, the e-commerce market size was valued at three billion U.S. dollars in 2019 and is expected to reach 12 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. This is huge I must say. This has driven businesses to really expand. And a lot of them are hiring their virtual assistants. They are a valuable support for customers browsing products a store. Aside from providing customer service, they also help with product sourcing, product listing, inventory management, order fulfillment, and a whole lot more. No wonder, many aspiring freelancers want to niche down and become an ecommerce VA. Are you one of them? Then joining our FLIP Chat & Chill tomorrow at 6pm is a MUST. Because we're gonna talk about... How To Get Hired As An E-Commerce VA NEW Click this link: vab.ph/fcc to get a reminder message straight to your Facebook Messenger inbox when we're about to start our FB LIVE!
I've said this many times. Before you step your foot on freelancing, you have to know your why. Why do you want to become a freelancer? Because this will help you keep going when everything gets tough. Just like our JasSuccess guest tomorrow. Meet Donna. She spent 7 & 1/2 years in college. When she became a mom, her desire was to have more time with her family. She also looks forward to having financial freedom and doing more for God's work. To make all these come true, she turns to freelance. Even if she doesn't have clarity at the start and struggled a lot with time management since she's breastfeeding... She continued. She persisted... And right now, she has more quality time with her family and the pandemic also pushed her to step out of her comfort zone — to a beautiful growth that broadens her perspective. Be inspired by her story which she'll share with us on August 4 at 4 pm.
You've probably heard about this. It's been gaining popularity for quite some time now. And is now making its presence felt in the freelancing world. I'm talking about cryptocurrency. What is it? What does it have to do with us, freelancers? Is it the future of freelancing? That's exactly what we'll talk about on August 2, in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm.
Facing Challenges - Monday Motivation - 08/02/21
"I just started my freelancing business last year June 2020, then when I hit my first 6-digit ng October, nagpagawa kami agad ng bahay." This is what Bhebs told us. But she didn't start that way. In fact, she used to work in Jollibee as a scholar to finish her studies. She also worked as a real estate agent to get an allowance. And right after college, she worked in a foreign company as a marketing assistant. Getting Php16,000 per month. If you think about it, sakto lang sahod nya kasi nag-boboarding house pa sya. And for someone na hindi pala-tambay sa Facebook, she doesn't know that freelancing exists. Good thing, she was able to discover groups that provide free trainings like FLIP. This made her curious, especially seeing people who are hitting 6-figures a month. Fast forward today... She's one of the success stories in freelancing — from fast food worker to funnel builder. Not a techie. No graphic design skills. No coding skills. How did she do it? And how was she able to hit her first 6 figures as a freelancer? Let's find out!
Does any of these sound familiar? "I have an interview by I'm afraid to go." "I'm conscious about my English." "I may not be able to answer questions properly." "I don't have experience." Listen up. It's totally normal to feel nervous in advance. In fact, everyone is nervous about getting interviewed. Some hide it better than others though. But here's one thing you need to keep in mind. A job interview isn't just an audition. It's a chance to learn more about the job while showcasing your skills and experience. Your goal? Find out whether the job is right for you. And if you're really anxious about it, there's no other way to deal with it than be prepared. That's exactly what we'll talk about in our FLIP Chat & Chill
In one way or another, we're all hit by the pandemic. And that includes our JasSuccess guest tomorrow. Meet Jane. She's an aircraft engineer by profession. She was working abroad when Covid 19 hit. The company that she's working for implemented a forced leave, which made her decide to go back to the Philippines earlier than planned. After giving birth, she started looking for a work-from-home setup. And it hasn't been easy. "Dahil kakapanganak ko palang, I need to give more time to take care of our baby. Medyo kulang din ako sa confidence dahil newbie at malayo ang working experience ko sa napili kong niche." So how did she able to overcome these challenges? How did she manage to find clients even if she's a total newbie? And how did she manage her time as a mom and freelancer? Let's find out this Wednesday at 10:30 am.
Little Seeds - Monday Motivation - 7/19/21
Just like any other business, freelancing demands a lot of time and commitment to be a success. It's not enough that you have the skill to offer. You need to let your prospects know that you exist. Simply put, you need to market your services. And knowing how to market yourself online as a freelancer does more than just put your name out there. So how do you exactly do that? That's what we'll talk about tomorrow in our FLIP Chat & Chill at 6 pm.
So in our FLIP Chat & Chill on Monday, we'll talk about natural disasters and how should we prepare for them. Let's admit it. It's not easy to handle situations like typhoons or earthquakes, among others. Especially if we're working from home. In fact, this is one of the biggest challenges faced by our JasSuccess guest this week. Meet Olga. She's a teacher. Since her salary isn't enough, she explored and started freelancing to provide for her family and pay for her tuition to finish law school. But what really pushed her to go back to freelancing was a near-death experience. She really did take action and pushed herself and asked for help every time she stumbled and thought of giving up. Now? She's making an extra Php24-30K while still working as a public high school teacher. So how did she manage to do this? What's the near-death experience that brought her back to freelancing? How she juggles her full-time job and freelancing? Let's find out on Wednesday, July 14 at 3 pm.
Here's a fact. Our country is so prone to disasters. In fact, we ranked third in the 2018 World Risk Index of most disaster-prone countries in the world. We've suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and other natural disasters. So what does this has to do with us, freelancers? A lot. These disasters can cause floods and brownouts. If this happens, we are very much affected. (because work from home) So how should we prepare for it? That's what we'll talk about on Monday, July 12 at 6 pm in our FLIP Chat & Chill.
Small Changes - Monday Motivation - 7/12/21
Are you scared of job interviews? Yes? It's okay. You're not alone. In fact, our next JasSuccess guest has the same fear. "It was never easy. I'm not confident with interviews.." Not only that. "It wasn't easy finding the right clients." So how did she overcome all these challenges? How did she able to find her ideal clients? Was she able to leave her corporate job for good?
So last Monday, we didn't have our FLIP Chat & Chill to give way to our FLIP Online Summit. Which was a huge success, by the way. If you're one of those who joined, "Maraming Salamat." Now, back to our regular programming. ;-) Does this sound familiar? "I don't have an experience, will I still be able to get a client?" Well, yes. I know several freelancers who have no experience at all, and yet they're able to succeed — even bagging clients left and right. But if you're the type who wants to build confidence first before offering your service to prospects, here's one thing you can do. Offer your service for free. Yup. For free. Look for someone you can help with your chosen skill. Tell them you're willing to do it without them having to pay you. So you learn on the go. Plus, you can also ask for a testimonial from that prospect once you're done with your task. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. You get to practice your skill and get a testimonial at the same time.
Just the other day, she celebrated her first year as a freelancer. And she jumped into it because she got tired of commuting. Well, I can't blame her. Knowing the traffic situation here, nakakapagod talaga. It's stressful. Good thing she found about freelancing while browsing the Internet. And she never looked back. She's enjoying the tasks she does for her clients. The best part? "I don't have to wake up 4 hours before my shift and I'm free from commuting. Also, I can work without really worrying about my family." And tomorrow, she'll share with us her journey. How she started in freelancing... How she decided on the skills to offer... And how she's able to get clients. Join us in our JasSuccess at 5:30 pm. See you there!
Before, we have a very limited number of Internet providers. But things have changed. Now, we have a lot of them. So you definitely have a choice. Ano ba ang mabilis? Alin ba ang very reliable? Yung tipong kahit bumagyo, you know that your connection is stable. These are just some of the questions that we're gonna answer in our FLIP Chat & Chill tomorrow at 6pm. How Pinoy Freelancers Choose Their Internet Service Provider Kita kits!
Shortcuts to Success - Monday Motivation - -6/21/21
"I want to have something for myself that I can be proud of." That's what motivated Ivie to jump into the world of freelancing. She's a plain housewife. She just found out about working from home while scrolling on Facebook. She got curious and searched about it. And after more than 2 months, she got her first client. Tadaaaa... She'll share with us her journey... Her struggles... And how she's able to get clients. Join us in our JasSuccess, June 16, at 5:30 pm. See you there!
A few days from now and we'll be celebrating Father's Day. So it's time to honor ang mga haligi ng tahanan. Just like motherhood, it's not easy being a father. Aside from being a good provider, a dad is also expected to be a supportive partner and a role model to his children. And it doesn't come without challenges. Especially if they decide to work from home to be with their family 24/7. To give honor to the man of the house, we'll dedicate our FLIP Chat & Chill to them. On Monday, June 14, at 6 PM, we'll talk about... Common Challenges Dads Face When Working From Home (and How To Deal With Them). Pwede kahit hindi tatay :D Kita kits!
Since we're nearing our 123rd Independence Day, let's talk about freedom. Many wish to have the freedom to choose what they want to do with their time. To control their calendar as much as they can. No wonder, a lot of people have turned to freelance. To work anytime and anywhere they want. Others do it to create work that they love to do WHILE inspiring others and making an impact. (Not just any work to exchange for money). And that includes Marven. He's one of our successful freelancers out there. And he'll be sharing with us his journey to freedom. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Join us in our JasSuccess on June 9, at 7 pm. See you there!
What is it that you can't buy more of in this world even if you're the wealthiest? TIME Time is really important. This is why most people try to make things done by now — by all means. And not to wait for tomorrow as tomorrow may bring another task to be completed. Right? And the same goes for us freelancers. We'd want to maximize our time (and energy) especially if we're working with different clients. Not to mention that we also have our tasks at home. So we try to use tools to run our freelancing business easier. And that's what we'll talk about in our FLIP Chat & Chill on June 7 at 6PM. Kita kits!