Why Virtual Assistants (and Writers) Should Help Each Other

I have started training again. I was a bit hesitant at first for reasons that I will not delve into while writing this blog post. My new trainees are very good at convincing me to share what I know with them.

You see, this year has been a roller coaster of sorts for me. I started writing freelance last year when I left my full-time job to pursue a dream that's closer to my heart - to build my own business. One thing I learned from that business venture is never to go into business with a friend. Hearts will be broken no matter how careful you are.

Anyway, I kept working for clients here and abroad and I now have two regular clients and another one who sends work to me on a per project basis. I can honestly say that these 3 very kind people have been sending so many blessings my way.

I also partnered with Marc Acsay to train newbies about the basics of SEO and SEO Copywriting. We had two trainings, which were very successful.

However, in the middle of 2012, I was very cordially invited to join an SEO company whose office is located in Fuente Osmeña. The opportunity was so great and the pay was very generous yet I still had some misgivings.

After mulling it over, I decided to give it a shot. What did I have to lose, right? I was open to try new things. And so, I became Head of Content at JoeRyan Digital Inc. The bosses were kind and so were my colleagues. But early on, there were signs that I was in too deep... that this was not for me... I had to make a choice... and so I left.

That was then. This is now. Today, I realized that I have not fully committed myself to home-based work. That one foot was still "on the boat" while the other was "on water." I just read about this story on this week's Gospel. I think it's about time for me to leave the boat and step into the water to walk towards Jesus.

Yes, I am scared of commitment and that applies in every aspect of my life, including work.

Even though I am making less than what I was earning at the SEO company in Cebu, I am still making enough to be able to share my blessings with my family, eat delicious food at my favorite restaurants, and still save some money for a rainy day. Best of all, I work at my own pace. I realized that my freedom can never be bought. I choose my work hours and work comfortably from home.

And last month, I started training again. This time, I helped a friend learn the basics of online work and we even found a couple of clients. One of them stayed and one of them has dropped out but things are looking up. I am happy to be training my friend because I am learning too. And now, slowly but surely, she is earning online too.

I am also training another person who desires to be a content writer. I was skeptical at first but her persistence won me over. Her zest for learning is infectious. I am even reviewing my old lessons now. I hope that these trainings will help me become a better person, a better writer, a good mentor, and a light in their way.

Thank you, Lord Jesus for these opportunities. Amen.

Time to Build My Dream Team (Again)

Dear Misty,

Don't try to succeed alone.  It will never work.

Cheering you on,
God

P.S. The climb to success can only be done by team effort, Misty.  Who is your dream team?  Start recruiting.  It's so much happier this way.

Wow! Perfect timing! I found this in my inbox today and this got me thinking about building my dream team and starting my own business (again).

Since IsleMedia fizzled out, I have not ventured into the business world... yet. I am a bit wary now and also have some doubts and fears that are keeping me from rebuilding from scratch. This means founding a new business, finding new members for my dream team, and going at it alone.

I am both excited and scared. I think the first step is going to be the hardest because this would mean going out of my shell again and leaving my comfort zone. Right now, I am very, very comfortable in my comfort zone so this makes starting my own business (once again, on my own) quite the challenge.

One thing is for sure though. My first attempt at business may have fizzled out but the dream is still burning in my heart. So wish me luck and (if you want) come and join my dream team! God bless! :)

Why I Love Working from Home

Working from home has been my life for that past 3 years. I used to work in an office for almost 7 yrs. Recently, I received a few invitations from LinkedIn and private companies to work in an office environment. This led me to write a list of pros and cons, listing down the possibilities and I have decided to share it here.


HOME BASED WORK


PROS


No commute - No traffic


No expenses - fare, snacks, meals, pocket money


No uniform and no need to dress up every morning (unless you want to... sometimes I wear my sneakers and walking gear so that I can go walking immediately after work.)


Save time - no travel time wasted


Spend more time with family - meals, breaks, before or after work... travel time becomes extra time which I use to bond with my Lola and the rest of our family. Sometimes I go walking or join aerobics class.


Flexible hours and no work on weekends - Weekends is when I can do whatever I want like going to the mall, watching movies with friends. Sometimes, I work during weekends but that is by choice.


No pressure from the boss - Being a virtual assistant and freelance writer has so many perks and this one is among my favorites. I love working on my own without any pressure from my clients. They just let me do my work and they don't really intrude. I just have to deliver what they want done and that's it!


Earn dollars - You can earn as much as you want! Sky's the limit when it comes to home-based work, especially if your skill set is amazing. You can have as many clients as you want.


Choose good and kind clients - There is a very high demand for Filipino Virtual Assistants in the U.S., Australia and other first world countries. For the past 2 years, I have been very blessed with gentle and generous clients who have been very good to me. God is good! :)


CONS


Must have a clean, silent home office where you can work in peace - working at home can be distracting, especially if you have a family. The good news is, all you really need is a quiet corner where you can focus on work and get it done on time. I am blessed to be living in a fairly quiet home.


Human contact is limited - conversation is limited to the people at home. This makes it easier to concentrate on work. I can always go out anytime if I crave conversation with my friends.


No healthcare, social security, 13th month pay, Christmas bonus, stock options or retirement plans


This last one is not really an issue if you know how to manage your time and money and if you are highly skilled. You can earn millions if you want to. Again, sky's the limit!


And so, home-based work won hands-down (again!). Working freelance is especially enjoyable because you can manage your tasks to maximise the hours that you spend on work. There is another perk that I forgot to include. Your clients can become your mentor, especially if they really like your performance. That means you grow professionally and your skill set continues to grow too! Some clients may even offer to sponsor your move to their country so you can join their company.


At the end of the day, I am confident that this is what I am meant to do. I love being a writer and I enjoy working from home so I am very grateful. How about you? I would love to hear your story. Please feel free to leave a note or two. :)

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! :)

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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! :)