A VA Job Offer Out of the Blue

Can't believe that just by being in the fb friends list of Jomar Hilario can land you a job. I am yet to attend the VA Manila Seminar on May 28th so, basically, I'm not a VA yet. I must admit that there are many things about this job that I can't learn by myself. But at 12noon today, just as soon as I logged in to my FB account, I received a message from a stranger from Chicago offering a VA job for his restaurant business. I checked his profile and saw that Jomar is a common friend.  We exchanged a few messages and agreed to have a phone conversation.  He said he saw me from Jomar's list of FB friends.  He enumerated the things he wants done for his business and, fortunately, the tasks are doable.  Doable because of what I've learned from the March 19 Breakthrough Seminar and from the Online Mentoring Club.  Now my problem is... I can't name my price :( 
Can't wait for May 28 to come!


 

Number 1 on Yahoo Search Result

Peopleeeee, I can't believe my eyes!  I'm typing this while having classes.  Can't wait til 11pm to make this post.  I'm too excited to wait for 3 more hours  to show this.  Let's Go Virtual blog is number 1 on Yahoo Search Result for the keywords "friendster shutting down" and showed my story Really? Friendster is Shutting Down?

It was just my 5th post and the blog is like around 10 days old.  Again, I'm a newbie on blogging so I don't know if this is something to celebrate about.  I'm happy and getting more and more addicted to blogging.  And my new hobby now is peeking at the stats every now and then lol.

 

Earlier, there was only one set of keywords.  Now there are four!  And they all put me to the number 1 slot *chuckles*

Another Surprise

Just like that button in Google Search: I'm Feeling Lucky

I took a look at the stats of this blog and saw this:

Does this mean somebody google'd the keywords "freedom in your calling" and my blog got hit twice?  How cute is that!Lol.  Sorry, told you I'm shallow!

Gotta go! Class in two minutes.

A Pleasant Surprise

Just a little update on my journey guided by Jomar and this support group.

I just woke up and the first thing I did was turn on the computer and see the stats of the first blog that I ever showed other people aside from this group. And you guessed it right, I got a very pleasant surprise to see that Let's Go Virtual got 80 views yesterday.  It had 60+ views when i slept last night and I was more than contented and happy already.  All I wanted yesterday was to match the 40 views the other day but much to my surprise, it even doubled! All I did was BRAVELY post on my FB wall and ask 3 other friends to also share on their respective walls.  I also posted in an English Online forum and then asked 2 students and a few friends to read my blog.  Then every now and then, I keep on peeking at the stats and rejoice every time the number of views increases. Yes, I'm shallow like that!

 I'm not sure if I'm being exaggerated here for thinking that it's already some sort of an achievement but all I know is I feel I'm having the sense of direction now.  I've been a member of the Online Mentoring Club for more than a month now but I still haven't really done anything; got nothing to show.

I joined the club with the intention of specializing on two things: ESL Online School and Virtual Assistant/Internet Marketing.

1. Status on ESL Online:
    a. Employed under another online school and work there for 8 hours Monday to Friday.
    b. Have private students who deal with me directly.
    c. Provide the services of other online teachers to four online schools (some kind of a mini outsourcing biz).

2.  Status on Virtual Assistant:
     a. Reserved a seat on May 28 Manila seminar.
     b. Got this job order of making TOEIC original lessons but still doesn't know how to deal with it like a professional VA with regards to pricing, payment (if I should ask for an advance payment because this job is definitely not a picnic, I don't want to be swindled). Haven't told anybody about my plans on venturing into the VA world but I consider this job order as a VA work.

I thought merging this two niches would be good.  I think the teachers that I handle have the potential of being good VAs, too.

I plan to make the business side of the ESL Online grow (1c) provide teachers to other online schools and at the same time have my own online school for the private students I handle then add more services like VA, Internet Marketing and all the stuff that Jomar teaches. (@Jomar, I am forever grateful to you for being so generous to us.  I can feel your sincerity in reaching out to as many Filipinos as you can to make their lives better).

I plan to eventually quit the 8-hour job which is killing me in many ways which I talked about in my previous post.  It is also the reason why I can't find the time to do the lessons from the Online Mentoring Club.

I'm getting talkative and emotional again LOL. Gotta hit PUBLISH POST now!

Please read:
Pinay Mom Adventures
Blogger Fever
One Pinoy Blogger
Earn Online




 

Find Your Call Then Give It Your All

Early on in life, I have discovered that finding one’s call wasn’t a piece of cake.  It may be easy for some people, but not for me. People who have known me for a long time have always thought that I was a true blue anti-social.  I was a loner, didn’t have activities and my life was a total bore.  Deep inside me, I knew it was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.  I didn’t have a hobby. I didn’t have what I could call my ‘passion’.

It was in my college days where I wanted to find my own calling.  I was fascinated with the term ‘soul searching’.  I imagined myself going to Tagaytay or to Baguio alone or spend a week or two at the Pink Sister’s Convent.  I was just hearing about these things from other people and thought it was cool.  But unfortunately, I didn’t do anything.   I have always been a passive person.  In my mind, there are so many things that I want to do but I didn’t do anything.  I'd just wait what people would ask me to do then I’d do it. 
I worked in offices and never lasted long.  The bosses were okay and I’m pretty sure they liked me to work longer for them.  They asked me to stay.  Some even called me back after resigning.  Some are still in contact with me.  But I just can’t force myself.  It’s not something that I want to do.

Then came Yohan; my little boy, the love of my life, my anchor and my everything.  And if you’ve read the post before this, he is my emotional ‘why’.  I found a home-based job and stuck to it no matter how tiring and exhausting it was; an online teaching job.  I realized I can’t afford not to provide Yohan his needs.  For more than two years, I was pre-occupied and working so hard to save money for Yohan’s future.

The truth is, I still don’t know if I have already found my calling just because this home-based job that I have now is the only job where I lasted the longest.  From what I know, a ‘calling’ is your vocation; your mission in life; something that you do even without getting paid for it.  The only thing I know is, I want to spend more time with Yohan and at the same time provide everything that he needs.  This may sound selfish, not the typical ‘calling’ that serves other people.  So, maybe I haven’t really found my ‘calling’ yet.  And I feel, the Online Wealth Breakthrough seminar of Jomar was the answer.  I don’t want to sound redundant so please refer to my post My Emotional ‘Why’ to know why the Breakthrough was the answer. 

I remember hearing Bro. Bo talked about the ‘core gift’.  I have been considered by my former bosses as the jack of all trades (probably because I don't know how to say NO when they ask me to do something).  But I must admit I'm a master of none.  I still can't figure out my core gift.  I hope I’m still not hopeless.  But I love working on my own.  I never lasted in an office set-up because I was never comfortable working with other people around me.  I am most comfortable when nobody sees and hears me while doing my job.  I’m a silent worker.  I’m a one-man band.  Thus, I believe that the seminars and the mentoring program by Jomar Hilario are really the ones for me.  I’m not getting any younger so I’m going to give it my best shot and give it my all.

Somehow, I'm going to break through or  "BREAKTHROUGH"

And for the record, I’ve never spent thousands of money on things I feel not necessary.  Getting the one-year Online Mentoring Club and attending the Online Wealth Breakthrough Seminar (and soon, the VA Manila seminar on May 28) are the boldest steps I’ve ever done in my life where I took the initiative myself. 

I’m just at the beginning of this so-called ‘self-discovery’ journey.  I’m still a work in progress and it makes me feel young and excited about life and what it has in store for me.


Please read more:
Pinay Mom Adventures
Blogger Fever 
One Pinoy Blogger 
Earn Online

My Emotional 'WHY"

His name is Yohan and he’s the best child in the world.  I don’t know what good have I done to deserve this little boy!  Ok, ok!  Enough of the bragging.  I’m sure most parents reading this can understand this kind of bragging, so please forgive me 

I have been a work-at-home mom for more than two years now and for most moms, this is the ideal job.  Being in the same place as your child while working;  check him out every now and then; hug and kiss him during break time.  Heaven, isn’t it?  But that was only in the beginning.  Things got busier and busier eventually.  I work from 12:00noon to 11:00pm.  I get at least 5-min break in-between classes.  Sometimes, I get a 20-min break and if I’m lucky, some students would be absent and I’d be free for a while.  By the way, I do ESL online teaching.  It’s not the kind of online job where you don’t have to be on webcam and talk to the students non-stop. I had to sit up straight and be cheerful all the time even when I'm very tired already.  It requires a quiet workplace and a clear background.  Hence, my little Yohan can’t go inside my room.  I had to sneak out from him a few minutes before the online class starts and lock the door just in case he follows me.  Not easy. 

But there was one incident that really broke my heart.  I was escaping from him and he followed me and climbed up the stairs and tried to get into my locked room.  The class was starting already so I had no choice but to wait for fifteen minutes for it to be over.  I’d mute the mic once in a while to talk to Yohan and ask him not to stand up and just sit on the floor because my door was next to the stairs.  I was scared he’d fall.  He’s just 3 years young.  Then he'd answer “Mommy, dito lang ako sisilip kita sa butas ng door”.  My heart melted and wanted to cry.  I’ll receive a complaint and risk losing my job if I leave the computer and go to Yohan.  I can’t afford that because I’m the sole provider for this little soul who is totally dependent on me (read: single mom). 

Right then and there, I decided to find another source of income that’ll not require me to be on webcam and on mic all the time.  Right then and there, I decided I want a workplace where I can have Yohan in front of me drawing or coloring his coloring book or working on his Lego or playing with his toys or doing his homework while I’m doing my work; where I don’t have to ask him to go ‘ssshhhh’ whenever he enters my workplace.  So, right then and there, I decided I’m going to sign up to Jomar Hilario’s Online Mentoring Club (done), Online Breakthrough Seminar (done) and VA Manila Seminar (on May 28, I’m only available on weekends).  And will attend more seminars that’ll help me solve this emotional ‘why’ of mine.
The above mentioned emotional ‘why’ was basically about TIME; being able to spend a lot of quality time with our loved ones.  The other one is, whether we like it or not, MONEY.  Not for greed or anything, but I just don’t ever want to see my family in poverty.  I don’t ever want to see Yohan not being able to achieve his goals in life because we don’t have this tool called MONEY.

So again, I feel Jomar’s seminars are hitting my needs bull’s eye; TIME and MONEY.  Being able to earn for the family without sacrificing the quality time that is rightfully theirs.

I’m afraid this post is going to be long.  But there’s another one; HEALTH!  Spending an average of 10 hours a day in front of the computer has deteriorated my health.  I have been doing this for like more than two years now and, you bet, it has taken its toll already.  Stress and anxiety, underweight, insomnia, anemia, dizziness and such.

Okay, enough!  It feels good being able to let all these out even if nobody reads.  I know I’m getting on the right track.  I’m on my way to my liberation.  I’ll get enough sunshine again (I have not been getting enough of it since I started teaching online).  I hope to learn every bit of Jomar’s lessons (and Bro. Bo’s, too!)

The Beginning

I was in the middle of making a business website when my mind wandered and made me peek at my Breakthrough group on FB.  I once again saw Ms. Nikki’s posts on Breakthrough Moment contest and Give It Your All activity.  I got excited the first time I saw those posts and wanted to do something right off the bat but didn’t know how to start.  I couldn’t even think of a good blog name. 

But okay, I’m going to set aside what I’m doing and write whatever comes in my mind.  I just finished reading my Breakthrough batch mate Ronald’s blog post and got inspired.  Among all his suggestions, the first thing I’m going to follow is to write from the heart.  I also remember that it was mentioned in the free 3-month online tutorial of our mentor Jomar Hilario.  Arghhh, I just had a very long pause.  I was looking for that email where our beloved guru stated something to that effect but couldn’t find it.

Anyway, this blog is going to be dedicated for my Breakthrough moments.  You will be reading here updates on my online work and activities as I apply the things that I’ve learned from our group.

I’ve learned so many things from the Online Wealth Breakthrough Seminar and from the Online Mentoring Club that I don’t know anymore which one to do first.  I’ve learned and got the whole picture though there are still some technicalities where I still need a lot of help.  So expect a lot of questions from me.
With all these ideas in mind and with all these projects that I want to do, what I’m really hoping is for me to have a lot of time and enough energy to do all these.  I also wish the same for all of you my Breakthrough batch mates.

Life is getting more and more exciting. Thanks to Jomar Hilario and to my Online Wealth Breakthrough family.