Weekends with Jan Jan Briones

It’s been a year since we launched Weekends With Jan. For the past year, I spent Sundays with you guys talking to some of the most amazing Filipino freelancers in an effort to inspire you with their stories so that you can have the courage and confidence in your freelance journey as well.
That is why for our anniversary special, I picked 2 outstanding guests from our previous episodes to join us to celebrate this milestone.
Joining us in this episode to give you even more inspiring stories including the behind the scenes of their wins are coach Rommel Isla and Gerson Lacdao.
Jump right in as I, Rommel, and Gerson talk about our 2022 experience as freelancers and what we look forward to the most this 2023.
Rommel Isla is an experienced NLP practitioner, Sales closer, and hypnotherapist. He is driven by curiosity and fascination. He takes pride in providing the best sales closing for independent professionals. As a sales trainer, his goals include allowing independent professionals to charge for the value they provide and helping them improve their internal and external way of communicating with others and with themselves. 
Gerson Lacdao is a WordPress frontend developer and web accessibility advocate. He works with non-profits and other digital agencies in creating inclusive websites that are compliant with relevant legislations worldwide. In his free time, he teaches WordPress, web accessibility, and best practices in web development.
In this anniversary special episode, we talk about how our 2022 went as freelancers including both our mistakes and biggest takeaways. We’ll also give you hints on what to look forward to from us this year.
“The credibility of the Filipinos is what I really want to highlight in this show… It’s more for them [the listeners] to deeply understand that us, as service providers, are not just after money or clients. We have deep reasons why we do what we do.” – Jan Briones
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Learn how to handle the issue of speed, comparison and other limiting beliefs;Find out why it is really important that you set your goals early instead of simply “diving” into the opportunities; andAcquire valuable tips from Rommel and Gerson on how to start up and how to stay away from bad habits as you go along in the freelancing world
Topics Covered:
03:34 – Introducing our guests for our anniversary special episode, Gerson Lacdao and coach Rommel Isla
04:33 – Kumustahan with Gerson: His life and business lately, and some of his plans for 2023
06:54 – “Learn to step out of your comfort zone”: That one learning from 2022 that Gerson wants to share
08:58 – Kumustahan with Coach Rommel: His life and business lately, and why 2023 has been fast-paced for him so far
10:09 – Corporate life, networking, and initiating conversations: the new things Coach Rommel would try to do this year
13:28 – “I’m more into walking them through… instead of telling them what to do and when to do it”: How coach Rommel makes his students take action 
15:25 – Speed, comparisons, and other limiting beliefs: Coach Rommel’s biggest takeaway from 2022
20:07 – “Be uncomfortable in being uncomfortable”: What fuels Gerson’s desire to step out of his comfort zone
22:21 – “We have the notion that when we do things fast, it sacrifices the quality of the output”: Coach Rommel’s take on working on a fast pace
28:27 – Speed and procrastination: The previous mistakes that Rommel wants to correct this year
33:03 – Business processes and working with teammates: things Gerson wants to improve on for 2023
36:03 – Gerson’s focus for 2023: Collaboration, delegation, and outsourcing
38:53 – “Tumalon lang ako sa opportunity… I did not even have the goal”: Jan’s past mistakes that she wants to

What is that one big goal that you’ve always wanted to achieve?
Is it being able to live as free as you’d like to be? Is it about becoming stable financially? Is it to become genuinely happy?
Whatever that is, as our guest today says – when you decide, you should do your best to make it happen.
Yes, it won’t be easy, but your life won’t change for the better if you’re going to just sit there and watch your life fall flat.
She did it at 19, and so can you. Tune in as we learn how big of a game changer clarity and effort are in today’s episode!
Mechelle Carpio is a former call center agent who's now a Shopify Conversion Specialist helping e-Commerce businesses in the US, Australia, UK & in the Philippines. She has the vision to help 1000 Shopify store owners by 2030 by building conversion-focused websites.
Mechelle is also the founder of Fearless Orange – a one-stop agency for all your e-commerce marketing needs. She has already helped 100+ Shopify store owners in the past 2 years with the help of her team.
In this episode, Mechelle shares how self-motivation, clarity, and discipline helped her become a successful shopify conversion specialist at such a very young age of 22.
“If you decide, do your best to make it work.” – Mechelle Carpio
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Recognize the importance of doing your best to make your decisions come into fruition first before having and going after a Plan B;
Understand how taking advantage of free courses could turn into your biggest change/win in life;
Discover why it’s crucial that you find the positive in every situation and take a step back whenever you feel pressured and/or hopeless
Topics Covered:
06:49 – Mechelle shares her life’s backstory, focusing on the journey she’s gone through before becoming a shopify conversion specialist
14:48 – Deciding to focus on freelancing, realizing how much of a big help The Freelance Movement Tribe is
17:41 – How the “if I make a decision, I need to make it work” helped Mechelle to keep going despite all the circumstances
21:49 – The challenge: Not having clients two months after she’s resigned
23:39 – What’s in the shopify/ecommerce industry that made Mechelle decide to focus on it
26:28 – Discussion about the worst objections that Mechelle has received
31:25 – The biggest wins: Having your parents retire at a young age, and being able to invest
39:40 – Mechelle shares what inspires her to keep going and do better as she practice freelancing
47:30 – The importance of having clarity when it comes to putting effort and working to achieve your goal/s
50:24 – Talking about the origin of Mechelle’s agency, Fearless Orange, as well as the services they offer
56:04 – Mechelle’s own definition of ‘success’
59:30 – Mechelle’s piece of advice: “If you decide, do your best to make it work.”
Key Takeaways:
“If I make a decision, I need to make it work. ‘Wag ka munang magkaroon ng Plan B. You have your Plan A; now make it work. Kung wala talaga but you know that you did your best, then go for Plan...

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all had a remarkable holiday season with your loved ones. Doing this on the very first day of the year feels so fulfilling as I’m able to start the year with you.
One of the things I love to do to start the year is to look back to the year that has been and take all the learnings I received. That’s why in this episode, we go back down memory lane as I bring to you some of the golden nuggets from our amazing guests for the past years!
It’s been a while now; can you believe that we’re already on our 42nd episode? It’s been a fruitful journey, learning from all the guests we’ve invited here. Join me as we recall each episode’s meatiest takeaways today. Sit back and relax, and make sure your note-taking tools are with you. Not a single word should be missed from all these amazing freelancers/entrepreneurs!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Discover a huge sum of the meatiest takeaways from the podcast’s previous episodes;Learn how it’s like being a freelancer/entrepreneur in the Philippines and what you could do to achieve your goals and dreams; andFind out how the podcast’s previous episodes play a role on your journey towards being a successful freelancer/entrepreneur
Topics Covered:
04:33 – The Start: Going down memory lane to talk about the golden nuggets we’ve learned from Weekends with Jan’s 1st-41st episode
04:45 – Episode 1 with Neil Reichl
06:24 – Episode 2 with Errol Tiozon II
07:37 – Episode 3 with the panel that talked about Momentum
13:52 – Episode 4 with Jungie Gumiran and Airon Dela Cruz
16:32 – Episode 5 with Suzette Bongalosa
18:15 – Episode 6 with Ron Del Val
19:52 – Episode 7 with Nikki B
21:58 – Episode 8 with Fervil Von Tripoli
23:08 – Episode 9 with Kit Rodriguez
24:37 – Episode 10 with Genesis Guevarra
25:24 – Episode 11 with Ivy Trapero
28:12 – Episode 12 with Kevin Dugan
30:07 – Episode 13 with Rommel Isla
32:29 – Episode 14 with Harrah Amago
35:58 – Episode 15 with Marc Allen & Hanna Arizabal
37:36 – Episode 16 with Dennis & Herlene Somook
39:56 – Episode 17 with JD Ducreay
41:43 – Episode 18 with Sariah Guanzon Ordinario
43:08 – Episode 19 with Maria Liselle Flipphi
45:03 – Episode 20 with Mark Bartel
46:51 – Episode 21 with Kat Salonga
50:01 – Episode 22 with Luis Medina
51:50 – Episode 23 with Cenry Molinos
53:56 – Episode 24 with Pex Reyes
55:47 – Episode 25 with John Pagulayan
58:50 – Episode 26 with Allan Ngo
1:01:29 – Episode 27 with Julian Canita
1:03:17 – Episode 28 with Ma. Luisa Hilario
1:04:55 – Episode 29 with Aiza Coronado Domingcil
1:06:40 – Episode 30 with Chris Ong
1:08:55 – Episode 32 with Maan Dimla
1:11:12 – Episode 33 with Celz...

Are you a freelancer who plans to scale and start your own company soon?
Do you think you are ready to take the leap, and become the leader of your very own organization?
Majority of freelancers dream of eventually running their own companies where they can use their skills and experience to increase their cash flow. But let’s be honest, many of us – myself included – were/are not really aware of what we might face along the way. That’s where the importance of making crucial decisions and surrounding yourself with the right people who can support you comes into the picture.
Luckily for us, our guest for today’s episode is someone who has seen it all. Join us today as Marge Aviso talks to us about her journey as an employee, a freelancer, and the CEO and co-founder of her own company.
Marge is the CEO and co-founder of Telework PH, an outsourcing company based in Bulacan that specializes in customer service, technical support, and data analytics. She is a Lean Six Sigma green belt, a resource trainer for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and a registered nurse by profession.
In this episode, Marge recalls her story of being a registered nurse, shifting her career path to BPO, freelancing, and eventually starting her very own BPO company. She shares the challenges that she and her company faced along the way and how, with the support of the right people and the guidance of the Lord, they were able to overcome it all. 
“Sometimes, dahil hindi natin nakikita ahead what could happen, we’re so confident that we can get things done. We don’t see the risks right away because of inexperience… So, talking to someone who has experience will give you exposure sa mga possibilities. You really have to weigh the risks and the benefits.” – Marge Aviso
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Get an idea about some of the common struggles and challenges that BPO companies face in their early stages;Understand the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are better than you when you are in the stage of starting up; andBe inspired by the success story of Telework PH, a company that almost got bankrupt by the pandemic but now has over 1000 full-time employees
Topics Covered:
04:15 – Marge recalls her childhood days: Her personal and family-related challenges, and the journey from “I don’t want to be an entrepreneur” to becoming the CEO of her own BPO company
13:35 – Not fit to be an employee: Marge’s journey from Nursing to BPO all the way to getting her first clients as a freelancer
20:41 – The Great Leap: Marge shares the entire process that led up to the foundation of her own BPO company, Telework PH
29:28 – Telework PH: The story behind the company name, how they started, and the field they specialize in at the present 
35:00 – Leadership issues, near-bankruptcy, legal battles, and the pandemic: the biggest challenges that Telework PH had to overcome – and how they were able to deal with it
46:11 – The rainbow after the storm: Telework PH’s post-crisis story
51:51 – Preparation, asking the right questions, and hiring someone better than you: Marge’s tips for those who are planning to launch their own formal office setup
58:13 – Telework PH is hiring! Connect with them through a

Starting up your own business is never easy. Scaling an existing one is not a walk in the park, either.
The truth is, most businesses fail because a lot of new business owners start-up with the odds stacked against them. The other mistake that many of them do is trying to do it alone.
This is why time and again, we have talked about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are capable of helping you and are willing to do so. But from here, another question arises: “Where do I find them?”
Well, today might just be your lucky day.
Whether you are a business owner from overseas, or a freelancer here in the Philippines, this episode might just be what you are looking for. Tune in as Joe DiChiara talks about his journey as an entrepreneur and how hiring a team of high-performing Filipino freelancers helped his business grow and succeed at levels
Joe is an entrepreneur with a CPA license whose goal is to help business owners and aspiring business owners become successful by means of providing them with proper education and guidance. He provides affordable business training and guidance through www.bedrockuniversity.com, and also offers a full range of accounting services at very low prices through www.bedrockbusinessbuilders.com.
In this episode, Joe narrates how he got exposed to entrepreneurship at the early age of ten. He also shares how he started as a part-time accountant and how he was able to scale his business with the help of his friend and coach, Larry. Finally, he tells us the story of how he found success in hiring Filipino virtual assistants.
“I’m not getting any younger. And I, like many people, want to make an impact on the world. I want to leave a legacy, and one of the ways to do that is to teach.” – Joe DiChiara
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Learn the importance of hiring a business mentor or coach whether you are just starting up or planning to scale;Find out where you can find the best-performing freelancers in the world right now; andDiscover what Joe describes as “The perfect storm of opportunity for Filipinos”
Topics Covered:
07:43 – Born and raised an entrepreneur: Joe’s journey from being a ten-year-old “casino entrepreneur” to becoming a CPA, all the way to becoming a coach for business owners
15:42 – “I want to leave a legacy”: The circumstances that gave Joe the push to coach and empower business owners
20:22 – “He brings out the best in me”: The inspiring story of Joe’s coach, Larry, the reason Joe hired him to help him scale his business, and how he changed Joe’s business for the better
27:33 – “There’s just something about the Philippine culture”: How and when Joe started hiring virtual assistants from the Philippines
30:25 – The challenges: How Joe dealt with the difficulties he faced in hiring virtual assistants from 8,000 miles away
39:34 – Enrolled Agents Certification Course: Joe’s plans to train thousands of Filipino freelancers to become IRS Enrolled Agents
48:33 – “Freelancing is a way of life”: How freelancing in the Philippines helped a lot of businesses thrive and grow
52:15 –The perfect storm of opportunity for Filipinos: Joe’s vision to disrupt the taxation industry in the USA by training Filipinos to become enrolled agents
57:43 – Joe’s 2-day event, “Jumpstart Your Freelancing Career” featuring some of the biggest names in freelancing in the Philippines
01:07:18 – Joe DiChiara’s definition of success
Key Takeaways:
“Once you accept that failure is part of the journey, you’ll learn what my coach says which is ‘fail fast, figure out what doesn’t work as...

A lucky few find their 'the one' the first time around. For those of us who don't, it's not the end of the world. It takes hard work and, yes, timing. Things fall into place largely because of it.
Additionally, it comes down to knowing within yourself which market needs your help and where you can best help them. We want to help them reach their goals by being effective at what we do. How do you unlock that opportunity to find your dream clients as a freelancer?
Dominic Barrios is one of the coaches in the Freelance Movement Tribe, who assists aspiring freelancers in finding premium clients online. He also recently founded Automation Marketing Ph, a Filipino chatbot community. Part of the company's mission is for freelancers in the Philippines to be able to offer chatbot automation services and learn how to price them appropriately. In this way, businesses can provide better customer service to their customers. In addition, he is also the CEO of the company's chatbot agency, Bots at Work. Their team has helped Automotive Group brands get more qualified leads through sales and marketing automation. This is impressive because some of the companies that he worked with include: Ayala Motors, KiaPhilippines, Volkswagen Philippines, Max's Philippines, Honda Motors Philippines, KTM Philippines, and a lot more. His biggest inspiration comes from his lovely wife and four daughters. 
Dominic shares his freelancing journey with us in this episode. It wasn't easy for him to get started even though he was a licensed engineer. Despite his dream job of working for a telecom company, he didn't get it right away. Along the way, he was sidetracked into many jobs, some of which paid well, and others paid him a lifetime of lessons and skills. 
His big break finally came when he clinched big names and brands in the automotive industry through his bot marketing. How did he do it? Let's discover what bigger opportunities opened up for him through consistent value posting and networking.
What you will learn from this episode:
Learn how valuable value posting and networking is and how it can make a difference in your freelancing journey.Discover how to find clarity and the market where you're called to help and serve.Find out how to show up even while facing your personal crisis.
"If you're taking care of your business, the business itself will take care of you." 
- Dominic Barrios
Topics Covered:
4:39 - Memory recall of his childhood life, his growing up years, and taking up a profession he never totally pursued
7:34 - What it was like volunteering as a preschool teacher as his first job after college and the many work hustles he had after becoming a casting call agent soon after
12:06 - The way leading to his chatbot automation journey and registering Bots at Work as a corporation
17:54 - How he got big-name corporations to work with him
20:47 - What transpired during the pandemic that he didn't reach out to these big names at that time
23:18 - Showing up even in a depressive state of life
25:01 - Overcoming the challenges they have to face even after the big breaks
27:47 - Worst objections he got as a chatbot builder
30:40 - Advice for clarity for those shifting to a new market
32:37 - Why value posting?
37:09 - Putting a premium on mentorship [his top three mentors and advice when getting mentors]
40:44 - Challenges of being a coach and leading other people
41:42 - Overcoming limiting beliefs
42:55- Pricing your product or service
48:14 - Why he pursued the wedding niche at one point in time
51:08 - Defining what success is for him
Key Takeaways:
"Life was so hard during the pandemic, many...