Case Study

How The Prodigal Daughter Turned Freelancer Went From $240 per month to Landing A $5,000 Project

Most people think freelancing is all about data entry or transcription jobs…

Some even think it’s about teaching English to Koreans, Japanese and Chinese online…

Or doing virtual assistant jobs like handling calls, managing client’s calendar, and organizing files…

Jobs which you’re paid by the hour.

What if I told you there’s a “DIFFERENT” way of freelancing…

One which doesn’t focus by the hours you’ve worked…

But on the results, you can bring to the table…

Take Cenry’s story.

Cenry Molinos

Meet Cenry.

Cenry is a flight attendant and coach to various airline companies.

But because of her Dad, she decided to work abroad.

For 3 months, she worked in Qatar as an admin assistant.

That’s quite short, yet it felt like forever.

She’s unhappy and home sicked all the time.

And when the contract (agony) ended, she decided to go back home.

“3 months lang, di ko kinaya.”

That’s 3 months battling the sadness and the reality of being away from her family.

For her, it’s the longest 3 months of her life!

"Hindi ko talaga naenjoy. Ang lungkot.

Nun ko narealize kung anong feeling ng Dad ko nun, nung malayo siya sa amin..."

But life has a funny way of forcing us to do things we don’t want… which compelled her to apply for an overseas job again.

“Kahit ayoko, pinagpatuloy ko pa din. In transit ako sa Singapore. Then…may flight pa ko papuntang Sri Lanka. Then, papuntang Qatar.”

And that’s when she did something unexpected…

I’ll tell you more about it later.

For now, let’s proceed to where she’s at after that.

Cenry decided to look for other opportunities.

Something new which will help her earn the same amount of money she earned overseas, so she can give back to her parents, especially to her Dad…

Her dad who sacrificed being away from home… Her dad who had to work abroad to give them a better life…Her dad who live alone miles away while fighting sadness and even sickness to provide for them.

In fact, the only reason she tried to work abroad is because of him.

She simply wanted him to be happy.

"Sabi ng Dad ko, dapat may isa sa amin nasa abroad, I took the risk going to Qatar kasi gusto na ni Dad magretire sa job niya.”

But then, after working abroad, she realized…

“Di ko pala gusto magwork abroad. Di pala ganun kasaya yun.”

She decided to go back home after the contract ended.

And that’s when shit hits the fan.

While staying here in the Philippines, she felt like she’s made the wrong decision to go back home.

"I feel inadequate since I (have to) depend on my Mom. 

As a result, I was constantly compared to my sister... who’s working on a stable job in a local shipping company for 5 years and counting.

Laging sinasabi ng Mama ko…

Lagi akong umaalis ng trabaho.

Di ako nagstay ng matagal.

Feeling ko failure talaga ako. Hindi ako kayang ipagmalaki ng parents ko. 

Tapos, sinasabi pa ng sister ko: “Yung mga diskarte mo sa buhay, palpak!”

Sobrang sakit… kasi I’m trying."

She didn’t feel supported.

She felt like a failure.

And for once she wanted to prove them wrong.

Which is why even if she didn’t want to, she decided to try and work abroad one more time.

Yet deep inside…

She doesn’t want to go back.

And that’s when she did something unexpected…

"Tumakas ako! 

Hindi ako sumakay ng flight papuntang Sri Lanka.

Nasa immigration na ko nun. Itatap ko na lang yung passport ko. 

Pero…

Tumalikod ako. 

Nagparebook ako ng flight pabalik ng Pinas.

Inadvise ko yung employer ko na di na ko tutuloy."

Pretty bold move.

A decision which  she knew will have a massive impact on her life and her relationship with her family — especially with her Dad.

As to why she did it…

"While waiting for my ticket and visa in Singapore, I saw the sign from my friend.

Nakita kong hindi siya masaya pero pinipilit niyang maging masaya para sa parents nya.”

It hit her.

Because just like her friend, she may be risking her own happiness just to make her Dad happy.

This time, however, she chose her own happiness.

And from that day onwards…

She made a commitment to find a different way to earn a living… without the need to go outside the country.

She searched for work from home opportunities.

She joined FB freelancing groups.

She even followed different freelancers on Facebook.

While browsing her FB newsfeed, she also saw John’s program which is the TRIBE.

“Nung nakita ko yun, hindi pa ako convinced nun eh.”

When Cenry saw John’s course, she had doubts and hesitations.

Her friend even discouraged her to join.

“Ano ka ba? Gagastos ka dyan. Sure ka ba? E parang networking yan.”

So she didn’t.

Instead, she took a work-from-home job working 6 hours per day, Mondays to Fridays (sometimes even Saturdays) at $2 per hour.

But as the weeks went by…

“Narealized ko ayaw ko ng ganong sistema na ang liit ng kinikita, tapos 6 hours a day pagod ka, 6 days a week. 3,000 pesos in a week pag naka-quota ka sa time.

Everyday, pagod ka.”

That’s not the kind of life she wanted.

So Cenry searched for new online opportunities.

“Ang hirap pala na ikaw lang mag-isa yung gagawa nung gusto mo. Alam mo sa sarili mong ito yung gusto mo, pero mas maganda din na meron kang mapapagtanungan… merong tutulong sayo kung tama na ba yung ginagawa mo.

There are times when we thought we’re doing things right, only to find out they’re all wrong.

And that we need to ask for help to know the right thing to do.”

She knew that if she wants to be successful then she’s gonna need help from people who did what she wanted to do.

So when Cenry saw John’s course for the second time…

She knew it was the help she needed to reach her goals and decided to dive in headfirst.

"Nung nagkaron (ako) ng chance to enroll, I grabbed the chance. I received an email from John which really hits home for me"

This one email slapped her with a dose of reality…

“Ang naisip ko nun agad is yung parents ko… na they’re not getting any younger.

Naisip kong parang di na nila kaya specially si Papa. 

Narinig ko recently sabi niya… 

Ayaw na niya. Pagod na siya. Di na niya kaya.

Yung years niya sa barko na di namin siya kasama. Gusto niya naman, dito naman siya.

So yun, dun ako natamaan sa email na yun about family.

Dun ako napaisip na…

Pano na kami pag di na siya nag-wowork?

Dun ako nag-worry.”

That’s what triggered her to join the TRIBE.

Then Cenry also realized 3 good reasons why joining the Tribe has become her best decision ever.

First, the genuine intent of John to really help.

Second, the “out-of-the-ordinary” approach when it comes to freelancing.

Third, the value of the community inside the Tribe.

“Yung mga accountability calls. Yung pag palpak ka, pwede mong sabihin sa kanila. Alam mong may tutulong sayo para magsimula ulit.”

There were times when she was starting out that she had no one to talk to. Simply because no one understands what she’s doing.

There’s no one who can relate and understand what she’s been going through.

"Ang tingin kasi nila sa ginagawa ko, naglalaro lang. Nagpapalipas oras lang.”

Sabi nila…

“Walang mangyayari sayo. Anong ginagawa mo, naka-babad ka lang dyan sa harap ng laptop. Nasaan yung sinasabi mong premium?”

Despite all these, she said to herself:

“Dapat yung learnings, hindi dapat learnings lang. Dapat I-execute ko. Mapapagod pero di susuko."

She trusted the process and put in place what she learned.

"Kaya on that same month, nag-set ako ng goal sa sarili ko na di ko hahayaan na ganito lang ako (no progress)."

Then, an exciting opportunity showed right in front of her.

She saw one of the members posted inside the Tribe’s private FB group.

He’s looking for someone to help his client with launching a course.

She immediately grabbed the opportunity even if she barely knows how to do it…

What deliverables to show the client…

Worse, she didn’t even have the skill required to do the job.

And even if the odds are not in her favor, she still gave it a try.

Following the process taught inside the Tribe, she reached out to the client and hopped on a call.

She asked about her business, her course, her goals, and plans. She asked relevant questions to understand what worked and what didn’t when it comes to growing her business.

She empathized with the client by showing her concern on how she’ll be able to help the client overcome those challenges.

After the call, and with the Tribe community’s help, she presented the solution to the client.

Surprisingly, even if she didn’t have the required skills or experience, client was impressed…

“She sees me as someone professional and how I present the solution through my service… are the reasons why she hired me. Also, she mentioned she liked my personality as to how I present the plan.”

Yet she only did one thing:

Come from a place of help.

As a result…

Cenry won the heart of the client.

But just when she thought things are going well…

A mishap happened.

The $45 transaction fee on top of the $5k payment was enough to put the project on hold.

Just when she’s about to celebrate this one big win…

The victory was completely turned upside down.

"San na naman ako nagkamali? Ano pa bang kailangan kong gawin?”

She burst into tears.

It felt like something inside her died.

But she realized nothing will happen if she’ll weep and curl up in a corner.

Something has to change.

And it needs to change NOW.

So, instead of going at it alone like she used to do, she decided to ask for help.

And that week’s accountability call was just what she needed to shift the situation in her side.

“Don’t be afraid to admit that you need help. 

Ask for it. 

You don’t have to do this on your own."

She reached out to the client again and tried to understand where the client’s hesitation was coming from.

And after a few email exchanges, she proposed a more lenient payment arrangement in favor of the client.

“I officially closed the $5k deal + 10% commission!”

Not only did she closed the deal, she’s also getting a 10% commission for every sale generated by the business.

Now, to put things in perspective… it’s like being part-owner of a company that’s already generating $20K per month in revenue.

“She even told me that she doesn’t want to let me go and would really want to work together. She plans on firing her social media marketer and even offered the said position to me if I’ll accept it.”

She gladly accepts it but Cenry suggested they focus on the course launch first.

“Because of that client, I’m able to give back to my parents and make them happy. They receive 50% of what I receive from that project… to help them in putting up a new business since my Dad wants to retire soon. Gusto ko pag nag retire siya, okay kami (financially).”

As of this writing, she now has 3 clients whom she’s working with:

  1. A coach whom she helps with setting up her course online.
  2. An accounting firm which she helps get more prospects for their business.
  3. An executive whom she helps generate leads which they’ll convert into clients later on.

She realized the successes inside the Tribe are real and that she can do the same even if she’s just new to the industry.

“Ang mindset ko kasi dati, pera-pera lang eh. Kumita lang. Ganon lang.Pero ngayon ang mindset ko: Kung kaya ko bang ibigay yung value dun sa kausap ko. Kung kaya ko bang matulungan siya.”

Aside from the financial successes, her relationship with her parents and siblings got better. Happy family, happy life.And because of the lessons taught inside the Tribe…She’s able to gain clarity on what she really wanted for her freelancing business.

“Every learning moment is an AHA moment for me. Because it opens a world where I didn’t see all of that is possible.Mindset is my most favorite part because even though I’m not having big wins, I’m making progress.

…The most effective part for me is the accountability group. Yun talaga!Kasi kung wala yun, baka nabaliw na ko. Hahaha!Kasi walang kakausap sa akin. Kahit ikwento ko sa ibang tao, hindi naman ako maiintindihan eh…”

A lot of things have changed for Cenry…She’s now able to create a system immediately after learning the process. She’s now confident to reach out to clients and build relationships with them.And she’s now equipped with the right mindset to grow her freelancing business to the roof.

“I want to have a stable freelancing business and give back to my parents especially sa Dad ko…”

Cenry’s ideal freelance business looks like this…

She’s fully booked every month with 4-6 clients on average.

Prospects in her waitlist waiting for her to open up a slot.

And earning multiple six-figures while working one day per week.

To fulfill that goal, she plans on getting people in her team to help her with project delivery and administrative tasks.

So she could scale her business to cater to more clients.

And to get more clients, you don’t need to impress them with your wit or achievements for them to see your worth.

Here’s the bottom line.

Your true worth is not measured by the hours you’ve worked or the amount of money clients paid you.Or the number of courses you’ve taken to prepare you for the job.

It’s never about the money or any tangible thing.

Your true worth is determined…

By the value you give.

It doesn’t matter how fast you’ve delivered what’s needed from you.

What matters is you’re able to help your clients achieve what they want from working with you.

In fact, you can do it even without adding a new skill or experience.

Because the truth is…

You are more than enough.

And you may not be able to pull through alone, but with a TRIBE that is willing to listen and help you move forward, there’s a pretty good chance you can.

Want To Be Paid Based On Your Value And Not By The Hour?

Would you like to win multiple 6-figure projects and be paid by the value you bring even if you’re just starting out just like Cenry?

If you want to work less while being paid more…

And if you want to show your parents a better opportunity which doesn’t require you to go abroad to earn the same income…

Then apply to become part of the Freelance Movement Tribe by clicking the button below.

Picture of Neri Marcos

Neri Marcos

Neri is a copywriter who is passionate about courses and product launches. She helps course creators and experts get 6 to 7 figure sales on their launches by providing persuasive sales copy and conversion-focused case studies. You can check her website or connect with her on Linkedin.