Options and exit strategy.
These two are the most common reasons why employees find a side hustle.
They want another option, which will help them increase their income while giving them the growth that they’re looking for.
Since most companies pigeonhole their workforce, managers and top key executives fail to focus on giving their team a chance to grow in their careers.
This reason makes employees look for a greener pasture which they can explore.
The only thing that excites them is promotion. Yet, even this has become elusive to most people.
The length of service doesn’t count as a point for promotion.
And neither does performance nor hard work.
If you’re an employee who’s been looking for a way to experience personal and income growth to replace your current job later on, then you need to read the rest of this page…
Meet Pet.
Pet is a licensed electrical and communications engineer from Malabon.
He’s a father to an eleven-year-old daughter and a husband. He works as a product specialist in one of the largest telecommunication companies (hint: _L_T) here in the Philippines.
When he started his own family, he saw the need to increase his income.
Initially, he thought that promotion could do just that.
In fact, an executive promotion was within reach — not once, but thrice.
“Three times akong na-consider for the executive position pero di natutuloy. Para kasing may shelf life ka din pagdating sa corporate. Na kapag hindi ka naging executive by this age, wala na.
…Kasi may mga pumapasok ng bago na usually mas magagaling pa. Kasi nga, maaga silang na-train, maaga yung sales exposure nila. Parang malilipasan ka din talaga, lalo na hindi mo nakuha nung una.”
And because of that experience, he dismissed the idea of getting a promotion, despite his extensive experience working in the company for 20 years..
For years, he wakes up at exactly 5AM to prepare to work.
At 5:45 AM, Pet and his daughter leave the house and send her to school. After that, he will head to his route to his workplace.
At 7:30 AM, he arrived at the office. Once settled, he checks his Corporate email and sees if there is something urgent he needs to do. If none, he will have his usual coffee or hangout at the cafeteria.
At 9:00 AM, he starts to work.
“Office work ako mostly… May times na may kausap ako na customers to explain and demo our products. Powerpoints, research, business case, presentations yung mga usual responsibilities ko, hanggang maka launch kami ng new corporate product.”
His work usually ends at 5PM, but he waits for another 2 hours to stay away from the traffic rush before going home. His travel time going from Makati to Malabon takes 2-3 hours, depending on how heavy the traffic is.
At around 9:00 or 9:30 PM, he arrives home and then eats a late dinner or snack.
This is how his life goes every single day for the last 10 years.
So, he looked for other ways to make more money.
He decided to put up a computer shop during the time that computer shops are a “thing.”
But it turns out… the business is not as lucrative and stable as people think it usually is, so he continued to look for an alternative.
That’s when he tried putting up a bakery business.
“Okay naman siya, maganda ang kita. Kaya lang, talagang sobra hirap. Kami lang ng misis ko, saka isang helper, ang nagtaguyod ng bakery. Kaso pag di pumasok yung helper, ikaw mag-mamasa. Tapos ang hirap ng oras ng bakery. I need to wake up at 3 AM; then, at night, I have to prepare the dough at 11 PM.”
The hardest part?
He barely sees his daughter.
Juggling a corporate job, the bakery, and his family is really a challenge, which forced him to let go of the bakery business.
Still, he continued his search on the elusive side income
And that’s when he started looking online for work from home opportunities.
It was then he stumbled upon a Facebook ad about an event where a digital marketer will teach Filipinos how to earn money selling ebooks and products online.
“Umattend ako. Tapos, dun siya nag-pitch ng course niya. Tapos, ayun, nag-enroll ako kahit mahal. I’m exposed to the idea of creating and selling products like ebooks or someone else’s.”
In the program, they’re told to hire people on freelancing sites to get their ebook done.
And that gave him the idea to try freelancing himself.
Every morning, he would go to different freelancing platforms and apply to as many jobs as he can.
Until one day, he landed his first-ever online job.
He became a business consultant to a corporate coach, where he helped him with the research and study of the Philippine market as it relates to his client’s coaching programs and services.
His fee was $100 per month, where he mostly answered queries through occasional emails and weekly Skype meetings.
“This was about 3 years ago, and I remember feeling very accomplished. I mean, $100 for just a few emails and weekly 30-minute calls — that’s the easiest P5,000/month sideline I’ve ever had.”
After that, he also discovered another online course teaching social media skills. Here, he learned about content writing. He got interested since he loves to write.
And to implement what he learned, he looked for jobs in which he can apply.
Most of the jobs he saw have premium rates and require a certain level of experience to do the job.
But there’s something that bothers him.
“I felt that I was not good enough to freelance… Why would anyone pay me to write? I’m an engineer, not even a journalism or mass communication graduate.”
Just like most people, he thought he needs a long list of skills and certifications to get online clients.
Facebook ads.
Social media management.
Wordpress development.
Graphic design.
Copywriting.
That’s why he tried to enroll in multiple courses to learn and get the confidence he needed to get writing jobs.
He continued his search for that one solution, the missing piece which will complete his quest for a side hustle.
“One morning, I saw a Facebook ad about The Freelance Movement Tribe (TFMT), so I asked around. When I saw the sales page, I saw one of my friends in the testimonials. So, I called her to ask about the program. In which she replied…“Mag-enroll ka na. Naka-enroll na ko.”
Long story short, Pet enrolled in the course.
As he went through the course content and got to know John as a coach, he realized he’s like the “007” of freelancing.
While others teach you a particular online skill…
Or teach you to sell products created by other businesses…
Or teach you how to write an ebook that you can sell…
John does something unconventional.
“Siya ang focus nya mindset, pano mag sales-call. Kumbaga, malalim at strategic masyado yung tinuturo nya. Something na maia-apply mo sa lahat.”
When asked why he joined the Tribe…
“I was not expecting to learn anything new — I just want to be with freelancers because I knew very few. Binasa ko yung sales page. Naging powerful sa akin yung idea na hindi siya skillset. Tumatak sa akin yung mindset shift strategy.
…Naging kicker din para sa akin yung sinabi ng friend ko na… “Ngayon lang naglabas ng course yang si John. Ang dami nang nagre-request na mag-offer siya ng course. Ngayon lang nag-open yan. I-grab mo na.”
Going to freelancing, he has a lot of misconceptions that were turned upside down when he got inside the Tribe.
Misconception # 1: Freelancing is a job.
At first, he thought the only way to get clients is to apply for jobs clients posted on freelancing sites since that’s how we do it in the corporate world a.k.a Jobstreet.
So, he thought that’s the same approach with freelancing — only to find out, it’s different.
“Kasi before Tribe, ganon lang din ginagawa ko. Daily, mag-titingin ka ng mga job openings. Mag-aapply ka. Mag-aantay ka lang na sumagot yung employer kung iinterviewhin ka o hindi.”
He learned freelancing is not a job — it’s a business.
And the power to run and grow your business depends on you actively looking for opportunities and creating opportunities for yourself.
Just like a real business, you need a process to get prospects and turn them into clients.
Misconception # 2: P10K per month (if you’re lucky) is the highest salary he can earn part-time.
When he started freelancing way before he entered the Tribe…
He thought the maximum amount he could earn is only P5K per month, and you’re considered lucky if you receive P10K doing online jobs. Which means it’s impossible for him to make a living out of it or even surpass his corporate income.
But…
When John showed Tribe members a receipt for a short email copy he did for an hour or two (around 500-700 words) worth $700, it blew his mind.
"Kung nagawa niya, posible pala. Ibig sabihin, darating din yung time na makakakuha ako ng ganon."
Not to mention the wins of other members he saw inside the Tribe with projects ranging from as low as $400 to as high as $20K per project, his new belief increased his psychological wallet 100 times.
“Akala ko talaga, mag-reretire ako na corporate worker. Na corporate lang talaga bubuhay sa akin at sa pamilya ko. Hindi naman pala. Totoo nga, hindi ko ikayayaman yung corporate job ko. Kasi, meron palang mas magandang way.”
And for Pet, that is freelancing.
Misconception # 3: You need multiple courses or a master’s degree to convince clients to work with you.
“Akala ko dati, kailangan sobrang galing mo. Kailangan mong mag-aral ng journalism or ng kung ano-anong courses. O kailangan mag-masteral ka. Akala ko talaga dapat ganon para makuha ka. Kasi ang kumukuha sayo ibang bansa. Ang isip ko sobrang taas ng qualifications ng hinahanap nila.
…Hindi naman sa hindi tayo magagaling. Ibig sabihin parang naghahanap sila ng mga qualities mo na dapat within the standards nila. Eh, engineer ako. Ang English subjects ko (nung college) ilang units lang.”
Who would have thought that an engineer turned product specialist who has a few English units in college would earn writing words for clients? He doesn’t have a master’s degree, not even a degree in journalism.
“Ngayon nakita ko na may kailangan ka lang talagang gawin. May proseso. Yung service mo na i-oofer sa clients, i-present mo lang ng maayos. Yung skill mo, piliin mo yung skill na alam mo na. Saka mo i-match sa market ng client na gusto mo tulungan. Okay na.”
You don’t need to be the best at what you do.
You just need to do a decent job and always come from a place of help.
Just focus on one skill and improve as you go.
And that’s what Pet did.
He started to focus on copywriting and reached out to prospects offering his skill as a solution to achieve the results they want.
[Copywriting /ˈkäpēˌrīdiNG/ noun: the activity or occupation of writing the text of advertisements or publicity material. Salesmanship in print]
In a year, he’s able to get clients in the service and retail niches like whitening products, medical products, and women’s apparel, car wash and auto detailing shop, children schools, and digital marketing agency.
You might be asking…
How is he able to manage to do freelance work while he’s working in the corporate?
Let’s hear it directly from the source.
"Pagpasok ko, gagawa ako ng freelance work from 7 to 9 am. Then, lunch time, di na ako lumalabas. Bago umuwi, gumagawa din ako. Then, sa bahay after dinner."
He’s maximizing his free time to finish his writing projects.
Though at some point, he’s losing momentum and focus because of work pressure and deadlines.
His energy was sapped from office meetings, overtime work, and long hours of traffic.
When he feels he’s losing momentum or energy to push through, Pet finds solace from his co-Tribe members in the accountability group he’s in.
For him, his accountability group is the best reason for joining and staying inside the Tribe.
He has a group who understands what he’s going through and who listen to his freelancing challenges.
“Natutuwa ako na napunta ako sa accountability group na dedicated. Kasi nung ako lang, nung wala pa ako sa Tribe, ang hirap din eh. Pag umuuwi ako sa bahay, gagawa ako ng article, parang hindi naman nakakarelate yung misis ko. Kasi nasa bahay na ako, gumagawa pa ako ng ganon.
…Yung mga kaibigan ko, di rin naman nila naa-appreciate. Pag sinasabi ko na “(Uy!) tingnan nyo kung ginawa kong website”. Sasabihin lang nila “Okay ah! Galing mo!” (Pero ganon lang.)”
Before, he had no one whom he could brainstorm with.
He had no one to talk to about freelancing.
He had no one he could ask.
He felt alone.
Because of that, he tried to join other freelancing groups.
But those groups didn’t help him at all because there’s no deeper connection between members. And most members don’t have experience with his challenge, which he wants to be solved.
Since he’s regularly attending weekly calls, he’s able to witness what other members are doing, what works for them and what doesn’t.
Though at first, he envied those people who are sharing their wins.
He came to the point that he’s not reading posts inside the private Facebook group because he felt he could not do the same thing they did.
He felt like he couldn’t do it.
“Pero nung sumasali na ako sa mga accountability calls, pag naririnig ko yung mga wins ng ibang Tribe members, eventually, naging natural na lang din sa akin i-accept na talagang maraming nananalo.
…Nung na-accept ko na din yung wins ng iba, dun na din ako nag simulang magkaron ng wins.”
And this led to him posting his win inside the Tribe.
“Hi Tribe, I’ve been one of the “quiet members” dito pagdating sa posting – it’s my previous “anti-social media stand thing” na I’m trying to get over with…pero sa AC namin sa Credo #5, vocal ako about my wins and frustrations, pero I guess I’m selling the Tribe short kung di ako mag-share dito sa group.
For the past few months, through freelance copywriting, I’ve been earning a steady Php40K to Php50K every month… on top of my regular corporate paycheck– this additional revenue is a blessing. 🙏
If two years ago, may magsasabi sa akin na I can earn this much without doing something illegal, di ako maniniwala.
Na build ko yung network, skills, and confidence dahil sa Tribe — confession, di pa ako masyado nag CCPP 😅 😅 sorry coaches!
With the 30 Day Challenge, EUI, regular AC with my super-strong Tribelet Credo # 5 (headed by Neri Villacorta-Marcos), and guidance from all the coaches. I see no reason na di ko ma-3X ito by the end of the year (kasama sa goal ko yan Coach Carlo Mercado !) — even with an 8 to 5 job na di ko napapabayaan 🙂
So, everyone – attend the weekly AC.
Mag participate.
Share frustrations and wins.
Pray always.
Listen to the coaches and trust John R Pagulayan.
We can all WIN. Everyone, 100% of the Tribe members — we can ALL WIN. Hindi ito Olympics na iilan lang ang may medals, lahat tayo pwedeng manalo.
Thanks Tribe 😍 Thanks JTL 🥰 Thanks Credo Team 😘”
For most people, P50K is a month or two months’ worth of salary. Yet, Pet is earning that much — part-time, per month.
His office mates were even shocked to see a total of P70K in his bank accounts and ask him how he did that.
“Sabi ko, wala yun. Sa sulat-sulat ko yan. 😂”
“Sulat-sulat” is the term he uses whenever his office mates ask him about his freelance projects.
To date, he’s working with 2 clients earning a regular P50K per month:
- A car parts supplier in Canada where he writes product descriptions for their online stores.
- A marketing agency based in Ukraine, where he writes articles for different clients.
Since then, his life changed significantly — together with his mindset.
“In the future, pag bumitiw na ako sa corporate, mas marami na akong magiging time para sa kanila (pamilya). Ang tantya ko, mukhang mas mapapaaga ako mag-retire. Yun naman din yung pangarap ko, yung makasama lagi yung pamilya ko.”
When he joined the Tribe, his goal was to increase his freelance income from P5K to P10K per month. Thinking it is the highest amount he can possibly earn, given the time limitation he had.
Oh boy! was he wrong.
He realized it’s possible to earn more than P10K per month.
He realized he could earn way more than that based on members’ stories inside the Tribe.
He realized he could emulate the same results and achieve the same wins which others have.
Because of that, he came up with bigger goals.
“Now ang goal ko is malagpasan yung sahod ko sa corporate. P100K per month ang gross salary ko. Gusto ko, mag-net ako sa freelancing ng at least P100K per month.”
He also plans to build his team of writers and build an agency in the long run.
Right now, he’s looking for 3-4 retainer clients (at $600 or more per client) doing simple writing projects ( e.g., short emails, short copy, social media posts). This is important because he still has a full-time corporate job.
He wants his corporate job and freelance business to co-exist for at least 2 years before he goes full-time with freelancing.
Just like Pet, more and more people tried a side hustle while having a 9-5 job because they need to improve their finances to survive.
Their current corporate income is not enough to suffice their needs.
Promotion is out of reach.
A salary increase is like once in a blue moon.
Not to mention the inflation rate, which kills our money’s buying power.
And for you to change your future, you need to actively look for opportunities and create opportunities for yourself.
Because if your future depends on the mercy of your company and hope that retirement will give you the financial security you need…
Then you need to think of a backup solution.
For some, freelancing becomes a viable option.
It doesn’t require much time and investment, and it can co-exist with your corporate job.
And this is a lucrative source of income if you do things right.
You don’t need to enroll in multiple courses to get clients and be paid your worth.
You don’t need to be a journalism graduate or even a master’s degree holder.
You don’t need to be the best in what you want to offer.
All you need to do is know their challenges and help them achieve the result they want by positioning your service as the solution.
Make it a habit to provide value and always come from a place of help.
Plus, you need 3 things to get started:
The right amount of discipline and dedication.
The right people to bring in your freelancing journey who match your core beliefs and values.
And your BIG why – the very reason why you do what you do.
And for Pet, it’s his family.
Would you like to earn P10K, P20K, or even P50K per month on the side while working in the corporate, without enrolling on a ton of courses or masters degree?
Then apply to become part of the Freelance Movement Tribe by clicking the button below.
