The Joys of Growing with Our Team

Remember the saying "There's no 'I' in team"? Well, that's true and I've seen proof of that all my life. I've been working from home for almost 2 and a half years now and if there's one thing I learned, it's this -- working without a team can get lonely sometimes.


Whatever your chosen field is, as long as you're pursuing your dreams using your core gift, you're bound to succeed, one way or the other. If there's one thing I've learned, integrity and quality is the best benchmark for success.


I have a dream journal which I used to edit from time to time. (Yes, I'm a bit O.C. about this.) I have some personal prayers and requests in there but I also have a few career-related dreams. One of them is to make that all-important step from being a self-employed content writer to a business owner. The transition was not easy, boy, that's an understatement. It took a whole lot of blood, sweat and tears but finally, a breakthrough! We just got some good news today. An answered prayer. Unexpected but wonderful just the same!


When I left my full-time job, I was really lost at first. But my business partners, who also happen to be my closest friends since kindergarten, told me to keep on writing. And when I did, I was amazed at how wonderful our team has become. We have amazing writers and virtual assistants who are not afraid to face the odds together, as a team. That was both heartwarming and extremely encouraging.


And as I wrote with them, I discovered nuances to our work that I never really noticed back when I was merely editing. I can totally relate with them and every meeting is such joy! We share writing secrets and styles and we share each others' burdens. And that is the best part. That is what team work is all about and we are so blessed to have team players working with us. Work is so much fun again!


It's true, starting a new business is not easy. We have to go through growing pains. And here's one thing that I'd like to share with all of you: "When building your Dream Team, take good care of your team. Always choose your Dream Team over money."

Sailing with My Friends on IsleMedia Philippines...

I am free! Working as a freelance writer, that is. I am finally living my dream. Anxious? Yes! Nervous? Definitely! Scared to death? You betcha! But one thing is clear, this feels right. Wow! That's the first time I've ever said that out loud. And now it's on this blog. This has been a long time coming. I opened this blog many, many months ago, not knowing that this was really my dream. I thought that having a regular paycheck would keep me content. But I guess not. I chose health over wealth this time and heaven help me I  sure hope I made the right choice.

When I left the corporate world, I went down the online route still carrying the corporate world mindset... missing my office mates, wishing I was working in an office. I started out as a virtual assistant but I did not know it back then. A few months later I applied as an online content writer and I have been very blessed ever since.

Yes, freedom has it's ups and downs but I'm enjoying the perks now that I've finally regained my balance. I am hopeful and dreaming again and that is enough reason for me to get up every morning, do my work, bond and reconnect with my family and friends and finally spend more time discovering Jesus working within me and around me.

I wanted to form or be part of a group of freelance writers who shared the same interests I did. When I opened this blog, I had no idea how and where I would find those people. Now I'm part of a small group of friends, old and new, who I include in my prayers because I am so enjoying working with them. I am still struggling in this new environment but I know that we're fighting the good fight and we're helping each other out. And that is enough for me.

My closest friends and I have embarked on a business venture that has its ups and downs. It hasn't been easy but our meetings are so much fun! We are building our dream team and I am so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. IsleMedia Philippines is a dream that I've been nursing in my heart for such a long time and now we're on our way. Our ship is sailing, sometimes the seas are rough but the best part is, my friends and dream team are sailing with me. Are we on the same boat? Would you like to join us? Please feel free to leave a message and let me know... See you on the bright side! :)

Upgrade Your Skills: Join Our SEO-VA Online Training Now!

Discover more ways to earn online and find your special niche in the world of Virtual Assistants. Become self-employed now!


More and more foreign companies are hiring Virtual Assistants from the Philippines. Take advantage of this influx of work-at-home jobs.


What's your core gift? What would you like to specialize in? If there's something you would like to be an expert at, what would it be?


We would love to hear from you. If you think VA work is something you would like to pursue, then please click the link below to find out more details about this amazing opportunity. Tell us about your dreams, goals and plans. You may also ask any questions and I would gladly answer them.


We are offering online training for Virtual Assistants and aspiring VAs and would love to teach you the basics and be your official guide to launching your career as a Virtual Assistant and start earning dollars right in the comforts of your own home.


Right now we are holding SEO-VA training webinars with awesome people. If you would like to sign up for the next batch, please follow the link below and leave your contact details so we can contact you when the second training series is about to begin.


Click here to expand your horizons now.

There's No Playing Around with Google Adsense

I just discovered something absolutely embarrassing today. I've been getting penalized by Google Adsense because I used a picture from the Internet for which I don't have ownership rights. I did not pay for the image or anything. Now I understand why my Adsense earnings has been going down even though my sites' visitors have been going up.


I've been blogging on and off for a couple of years now on my all-time favorite Gratitude Journal http://gratitudejournalmisty.blogspot.com/ and I've been earning Adsense credits from it. I've been torn about this one too cuz I felt guilty earning off a blog that talks about God and his goodness. With that aside, I was amazed when I checked my Adsense reports today and I discovered that using just any picture from the Internet is a big NO-NO. It's kind of the same as plagiarism. Anything you don't own, you should steer clear from. At least, that's my big lesson for the day.


And so as I stifle a big yawn, I realized 2 things today -- first, images and words on the Internet may appear to be free for all but it's NOT. Second, that nothing is ever FREE in this world. And so I crawl into bed, content in the knowledge that I learned something valuable today. Never use anything you don't own or have a right over. Intellectual property rights also applies to the Internet. And Google had to be the one to teach me that lesson.


And that is one of the reasons why I love my job. I write for a living and I have fun while I'm at it. I have to remind myself of that reality everyday because sometimes I forget to thank God for giving me such a blessed life, for which I'm eternally grateful. I love blogging. Good night and God bless! :)

SEO Trainers Unveil Latest SEO Training

Are you ready to embark on your home based business? Would you like to work from home full-time and finally quit that job that keeps you chained to a desk all day or all night long? Are you finally ready to spend time with your family and get as much R&R as you deserve?


If you answered a resounding "Yes!" to any or all of these questions, then YOU are exactly the person we're looking for. Learn the basics of home based work, how Virtual Assistants get things done, and discover the SEO secrets that experts dare not share with anyone.


Watch the latest SEO Training unfold this September. Book a seat now at http://bit.ly/naw0pq and join us on all 4 Saturdays of September from 1pm-4pm and master the art of Search Engine Optimization. Improve your current skill set and add this to your resume -- SEO expert. Now isn't that something worth your time?


Join my partner, Mark and I as we unfold the magical world of home based work and spill the SEO secrets that you've all been waiting for. See you in September! Register now at http://bit.ly/naw0pq


You may also share your comments and leave your questions here. Thank you and God bless!

7 Ways to Improve Your Writing ASAP!

Many of you would love to write more compelling blog posts, articles or web copy.


You’ve heard all the old advice. Practice makes perfect. Get your 10,000 hours in. Just show up and write.


And of course, that’s all a good idea. It just takes so danged long.
Meanwhile, I’ve got a couple of fast ways you can improve your writing immediately. No waiting for that pesky, tedious “practice” to kick in.


Way better.


Be concise and be clear


You’ve heard this one a million times. Tight, concise, easy-to-read pieces are heaven for readers. Long, complex, convoluted ones are just confusing.


Very often, the longer you write, the less you hold a reader’s interest.


If you can’t say it simply in just a few words, then you’ve lost readers. Write short, write lean, andwrite clearly, so you don’t have to waste words explaining what you’ve just written.


Keep it short


Not your writing (although that’s a good idea), but your line length.
Interestingly, people actually read longer lines faster. But fast reading isn’t necessarily what you want them to be doing. You want readers to be absorbing what you wrote, understanding your message, and reading comfortably as well.


So go for short. Set your page layout so that it’s not full width, or if you need that full width, keep sentences short and use plenty of paragraph breaks.


100 characters per line is optimal for speed — but about 45 characters is best for reader comfort.


Stick to three


3 is a magic number.


It’s said that people can process 7 bits of information (more or less) at a time. But the number that’s most compelling is the one we like the best: 3.


So have 3 bullet points. 3 steps, 3 strategies. Use the number 3 as often as you can.


Not only will you capture better reader interest by doing so, but you’ll improve your readers’ ability to remember what you’ve written. We tend to chunk information into groups of three, and recall those triads more easily.


Watch your tone


It’s easy for writers to assume readers can pick up on our mood and tone from our writing.


After all, we certainly know our feelings, humor, intent, and state of mind at the time we write. But for readers, it’s clear as mud. They’re guessing at your tone — and they may guess wrong.


Here’s an example:


Honey. Please.


Was I exasperated and rolling my eyes? Smiling and gently teasing? Acidly sarcastic? Or maybe just eating toast and reaching for the bear-shaped bottle?


As a reader, you have no idea unless the words around that phrase cue you into my written tone.


Talk Food, Sex, and Danger...


Susan Weinschenk from What Makes Them Click is writing a great series called 100 Things You Should Know About People.


Go check it out. It’s good. Seriously good.


In this resource, Susan mentions that our brains always ask the following questions:


Can I eat it? Can I have sex with it? Will it kill me?


Nice.


Nice for you, too, because if you want people to pay more attention to your writing, bring up those big three (there’s that number again). Use stories and examples that touch on aspects of food, sex, or danger.


Add descriptors or associative words. Pair it with a nice picture, if you’d like. It’ll glue them to the page.


Break it up


Time and again, I see writers spooling out long, chunky paragraphs.
No, no, no.


Make it easy for people to read your work. The easier it is, the more they’ll get your point and enjoy reading — and that’s what you want.


Reading online is tiring (yes, even for you fresh-eyed Gen Ys out there). So you need to do everything you can to make it less of a strain.


 No more than three sentences to a paragraph, please, and keep those sentences short.
 Add bullet points and subheads to guide people along.
 Oh, and bump up that font size, would you? Tiny means squint, and that’s no good.


Stay on topic


I know how tough this one is — I commit the crime of wandering too often myself, and have to make sure I don’t stray too far from my main point.


If I add too many points to a piece of writing, readers get confused about the main point of my post. They’ll be confused about yours, too.


Building an outline helps. Decide on the main point of your piece and create three (!) sub-points that support it. Make sure each one ties back to the message you want to get across to readers, and make sure each sub-point is supportive and relevant.


So there are your quick guides to becoming a better writer today.
How about you? What’s your favorite tip for immediate writing improvement? Let us know in the comments!


From 7 Ways to Improve Your Writing … Right Now

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer:
1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don’t want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don’t.
9. Write every day.
10. Keep writing.


From Become A Better Writer on CopyBlogger.com.

What To Do When Your Client Forgets to Pay You

I found this great article on Freelance Switch that might be useful for Vas like you and me. It gives beneficial advice on what to do when your clients forget to pay you. There are a number of pleasant ways to ask for your pay without offending your clients.

First, always, always send that invoice. If your agreement with your clients involves sending invoices regularly then you better follow suit. Forgetting to send that invoice could spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for you. So this makes a whole lot of sense to me.

To be honest, I’ve had my share of trouble of this sort. I never got paid even after sending an invoice for three straight months. This brings me to the next piece of advice. Check your contract. Allow me to paraphrase this in a way that gives you the power to go after runaway clients.

Always, always have an iron-clad contract ready each time you start working with a new client. Remember, VA work means you call half the shots. You don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder or Human Resources officers watching your back.

You are your own boss so you better fill those shoes and fast. Make sure you and your client have a written contract that protects the interest of both parties, including the terms for your pay.

And if you already have that iron-clad contract ready, be sure to check it from time to time in case you may have forgotten the time period involved in your regular paycheck. I read from the article that clients may change the contract from time to time so be sure you’re in the loop. Check your contract and confirm if you’ve got things straight.

Perhaps the best and most sensible piece of advice is this – Be patient. In all areas of my life, I realize now that being patient pays... and I don’t mean that in the monetary sense. Patience is a virtue that everyone must have, especially Virtual Assistants.

Working patiently on one task while you do other tasks at the same time, a skill also known as multi-tasking involves the kind of patience that I had to acquire the hard way. Now I realize that it is an all-important virtue and from experience, it’s the best one there is, for anyone or any kind of work for that matter. Always be patient.

As for the rest of the article, I invite you to click here to find out more about how to get paid and what to do when you don’t receive your salary. Do you have your own advice to share? Be sure to leave your sage advice in the comments section. Thank you!

Be sure to sign up for regular updates via email using the form above. Be blessed with much love!

Why We Should Be Passionate About Our Work

I love my work. It's not even work most of the time. It's fun! I understand now what my mentors mean by being passionate about our work. It's really important for us to love what we're doing because it's the only way to really be happy here on earth. Yes, we're all pilgrims living in our temporary home but I never realized before now that God truly wants us to be happy here on earth. He gave us the freedom to choose and I choose to be happy. I choose to bless and be blessed. I choose to live the life God wants for me. And I guess I'll always be me -- a writer servant. That is in honor of our servant King -- my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.


I love writing. I've been doing this since I can remember. It's my core gift. I am sure of that now. I guess I'm just the usual late-bloomer and wallflower. I dared to dream and I chased after my dreams with my heart on my sleeve and God by my side and Mama Mary urging me on. And now I'm doing exactly what I was put on earth to do, in my humble opinion. I believe that I was born to serve and I do that through my writing.


A priest once told me that I should write to inspire. And that's my mindset from now on. I am currently writing my first book and I am so inspired it blows my mind, figuratively, of course. God has gifted me with so much and I never even realized that I am already doing His will. Now I understand the real value of service and it requires a whole lot of patience while God provides all the inspiration I could ever need. He truly is my rock and my salvation. I know this is what God wants me to do -- be a writer, serve and inspire others through my gifts and show the world how much I care.


I have so many blogs right now, one for each of my passion but my favorite ones are this one, Misty's Gratitude Journal, and SelfHelpBlog.biz and oh, I also love Heroes for Children because I adore kids, toddlers in particular. Yes, I'm single and I hope to have a family someday. This is the best part about my work. When God will give me a husband and child someday, I won't have too much difficulty. I will be able to  spend time with my future husband and baby as much as I can because of my work. And I guess this is how God is shaping my future. He started with my core gifts and He just keeps on giving. Thank you Jesus! You are LOVE.


Aside from my passion for writing, I am also a gadget geek. I love tinkering with my PC. I love playing with my cellphones and I love walking while counting steps using my iPod. I know, I'm too attached to gadgets but I can't help it. It's both my blessing and my weakness. I am blessed because I am not afraid to try new things. I like trying new software. I've gotten over my fear of clicking things online. I learned that my PC doesn't explode if I do so my question is "Why not?"


Passion is important in all aspects of life. When we love what we do, it's no longer work. It's fun. And that takes all the stress away. I guess one of the advantages of working from home is that I manage my own time. That gives me the discipline to manage tasks and other people effectively. That takes away the pressure. Plus, I keep receiving the confidence boost that I never expected out of my work. The fulfillment of knowing that at the end of the day you have accomplished the important stuff, that's what keeps me going day in and day out. I don't even like being absent from work. I miss it when I'm not doing what I do.


Plus, all of the clients that I've worked with are the best people around. They have given me glowing praises and until now I am still overwhelmed by their kindness and generosity, in more ways than one. In one word, all of the people I have worked with are awesome. And I know that God sent them my way to encourage me to walk this path. He has paved the way for my freedom. God has literally given me the key to my freedom and happiness and I never even realized it. My dreams are unfolding before my eyes and this roller coaster ride called my life is awesome! God is awesome!

Important Details New Virtual Assistants Should Remember

A few things you need to keep in mind before embarking on your Work from Home adventure as a Virtual Assistant:


1. Make sure you have an iron-clad contract.
2. Research about your future employer, his or her company and the people you'll be working with.
3. Be prepared for anything and never be afraid to try new stuff. Click away, your computer won't explode. I'm kidding. You have to exercise some caution, of course. But most of the time you have more fun when you get over your fear of clicking buttons. Plus you learn so much neat info that way.
4. Harness your communication skills. Seriously! This refers to both written and spoken English or whatever language you use to communicate with your client(s).
5. Learn about new software by research and practice. Tutorials are cool and FAQs are useful but nothing beats getting down and dirty with your chosen software. Sounds naughty, I know, but at the end of the day, we all learn best by applying what we have read, seen or heard. Isn't technology amazing?


The rest, I leave up to you. If you would like to learn more about VA work and how to become one, I strongly urge you to get mentors. Join us on Facebook and equip yourself with the necessary skills. Welcome to the bright side!

VA Online Seminar & Think Rich Quick Seminar

Mr. Jomar Hilario will be here in Cebu to talk in the first Think Rich Quick seminar on Jan 29-30,2011 (Sat/Sun) (He'll be moving the Manila VA seminar to Feb 5, the next Saturday).

This seminar is identical to the one we held in Manila last year and it's for you:

1. If you're wanting to invest in real estate, but are AFRAID to.

2. If you want to learn more about property online marketing and want more ideas how to do it. This is for you.

3. If you want to be SURROUNDED by successful people and learn HOW THEY THINK. This is for you.

4. Yes, it's not just for real estate minded people, but for success minded people.

5. John Calub will be explaining how you can be a Money Magnet.

6. You'll be learning REALLY new ways to promote properties online.

7. Trace Trajano will be showing you how to invest, buy and sell properties.

8. Trace Trajano will also teach you how to raise money INSTANTLY - in the seminar itself.

So if you're keen on learning from 3 different mentors - and you'll make it a point to be in Cebu- click here to get your seat.(Venue at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City)

After that, I'll be holding a SEPARATE "How to Work From Home as a Virtual Assistant" seminar - tentatively Tue, Feb 1,2011 also in Cebu. It's a whole day VA event so SET YOUR LEAVES NOW.

Now live a marvelous life and see you in Cebu.

Jomar Hilario

P.S. Forward this to Visayas and Mindanao based friends who think like you do (they love success, too). I will not be holding other events in other cities so this is their only chance - come to Cebu, tell them please.

P.S. The Manila VA seminar on Jan 29 is moved to Feb 5,2011, the next saturday- please take note.Get tickets here.

P.S. Speaking of VA, we'll have a VA online tomorrow to answer your questions. Ask your questions here.  And 8pm-930pm tomorrow, Tue, I and the Virtual Assistant will answer them. This is open to those who availed of the VA seminar both live or downloadable. This will help you get inspired to work at home and to pursue the VA career.

Check your emails now for the details on how to access the Q and A (questions and answer) session tomorrow. Reply to me if you did attend a VA event but didn't receive the website details to access the Q and A.