September of 2013, I made the biggest decisions in my life that is quitting my 8-year old job. Everyone was asking why because the salary is pretty fine and the work is very simple in fact,very monotonous. "But why the heck leave?" This is my answer. "It is like making love with your longtime partner in the same bed position every now and then. There's no thrill anymore. Then all of a sudden, there comes a hot boy toy through a mobile dating app who can rock my bed so good that I have to take a leap of faith and see what will happen next."
The longtime partner I was referring to is the job that I held for eight years. Yes, eight years. It has become my comfort zone for the longest time. That hot boy toy is my newly-found passion which is blogging and entrepreneurship. I was so inspired to be a digital nomad - one who travels and runs a business at the same time. And I think he will stay for good with me. I have realized that blogging is something I would do for the longest time if not for as long as I live. I am happy doing this with or without money involved.
I had no regrets during the one whole year of my freelance life. In fact I would say I had the best time of my life. I was joining great events and supporting campaigns of different brands. I have eaten in the most expensive restaurants around the metro all for free. I have a lot of freebies and free trips. I was meeting a lot of inspiring people from startup co-founders, to successful entrepreneurs, to long-term travelers, to work-at-home peeps so on and so forth.
I was running an online travel shop for local tours embedded in my blog to support me financially. The income was not as much as the one I used to have in my previous job but I am fine with it because I would rather have a job I am happy than doing something I am on longer enthusiastic doing it.
I tell you, bootstrapping a business is really tough especially if you don't have lots of money. In my case I have just enough so I need to roll the money that I receive for the next cycle. Well everything was fine, until one of my travel partners was not able to pay me. It was a big amount of money and I need that to keep a healthy flow of my business. That's when the dilemma started.
Instead of wasting my time reminding a person who has no means to pay or should I say do not want to pay, I moved forward as fast as I can to replenish everything. I stopped forwarding her clients and focused to those who does good business with me . This was one of the lowest ebb of my life since I was running this all alone.
I had to find a job as soon as possible just so I have the money to pay my rent and bills. I did everything to find an online job but I was cramming and so worried because time is running. With no luck at all, I decided to go back to the job I remembered saying last year when I passed my resignation letter to my boss " Will never go back to this job ever..."
I found a job and the soonest I found myself on training. The worst part of it that I did not realized is that they don't want us to be absent during the one month or so training. I was crying literally when I had to let go of two of my trips: (1) an ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP to Bacolod, Iloilo and Guimaras for the Masskara Festival (3rd week of Oct) and (2) my solo trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand (last week of Oct).
Still I have no regrets whatsoever for the decision I make. This is my own damn life. I cannot wait to be back to the freelance life again. As soon as I gain a balance in everything, I will be definitely be back pretty soon.
The longtime partner I was referring to is the job that I held for eight years. Yes, eight years. It has become my comfort zone for the longest time. That hot boy toy is my newly-found passion which is blogging and entrepreneurship. I was so inspired to be a digital nomad - one who travels and runs a business at the same time. And I think he will stay for good with me. I have realized that blogging is something I would do for the longest time if not for as long as I live. I am happy doing this with or without money involved.
I had no regrets during the one whole year of my freelance life. In fact I would say I had the best time of my life. I was joining great events and supporting campaigns of different brands. I have eaten in the most expensive restaurants around the metro all for free. I have a lot of freebies and free trips. I was meeting a lot of inspiring people from startup co-founders, to successful entrepreneurs, to long-term travelers, to work-at-home peeps so on and so forth.
I was running an online travel shop for local tours embedded in my blog to support me financially. The income was not as much as the one I used to have in my previous job but I am fine with it because I would rather have a job I am happy than doing something I am on longer enthusiastic doing it.
I tell you, bootstrapping a business is really tough especially if you don't have lots of money. In my case I have just enough so I need to roll the money that I receive for the next cycle. Well everything was fine, until one of my travel partners was not able to pay me. It was a big amount of money and I need that to keep a healthy flow of my business. That's when the dilemma started.
Instead of wasting my time reminding a person who has no means to pay or should I say do not want to pay, I moved forward as fast as I can to replenish everything. I stopped forwarding her clients and focused to those who does good business with me . This was one of the lowest ebb of my life since I was running this all alone.
I had to find a job as soon as possible just so I have the money to pay my rent and bills. I did everything to find an online job but I was cramming and so worried because time is running. With no luck at all, I decided to go back to the job I remembered saying last year when I passed my resignation letter to my boss " Will never go back to this job ever..."
I found a job and the soonest I found myself on training. The worst part of it that I did not realized is that they don't want us to be absent during the one month or so training. I was crying literally when I had to let go of two of my trips: (1) an ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP to Bacolod, Iloilo and Guimaras for the Masskara Festival (3rd week of Oct) and (2) my solo trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand (last week of Oct).
Still I have no regrets whatsoever for the decision I make. This is my own damn life. I cannot wait to be back to the freelance life again. As soon as I gain a balance in everything, I will be definitely be back pretty soon.
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