Category: Journal

How to Balance Your Family, Career, and Creative Passions

Rhiza1 Comment

Being a mother is a balancing act. You walk a tight rope—shaping lives of little humans while doing house chores, cooking meals, managing the family budget, keeping tabs of everyone’s schedule, doing the laundry.

Now add working from home and being a creative into the mix and you can just imagine the internal (and external) riot.

I bet putting these words together is already stressing you out:

(1) Creative (2) Work-at-Home (3) Mother

Well, I see you, woman. Hold my hand, I know what you’re going through.

I know because, for the past 6 years, this has been the story of my life.

I have been working remotely ever since our now 6-year old twin girls were born, and I’ve had my share of ups and downs and love-hate with my work-from-home situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond blessed to have a job that allows me to do what I do while spending as much time as any parent could ever wish to have with her young kids.

However, if you’re a work-from-home mom, you know that there is a very thin line between work and life—a line that is ruthlessly crossed by cute, clingy and demanding little humans on a day-to-day basis. I’m not one to deny, I sometimes miss having a regular location-based job where office means work and home means everything else.

And I have to put a special emphasis on being a creative mom.

As creatives, there’s this restlessness inside of us that makes us want to create something—whether art, or music, or photographs, or a piece of writing, or a website. It’s a restlessness that doesn’t go away, even after we birthed babies and our days are suddenly filled with domestic and motherly duties.

And so we have to carve a space for creative expression in our lives, or else we would be stuck feeling just like that: restless.

Have a peek into the life of a work-from-home, side-hustling mother of twins

I got a full-time job in a digital marketing agency when our twin girls were 5 months old. Six years later, I’m glad I’m still able to provide for my family while also keeping a career.

Our girls say hi! :)

It’s the best of both worlds, and I never take this opportunity for granted.

However, I can’t also ignore that creative restlessness I was just talking about. I know I can’t stop creating, so I have to intentionally make room for it even when it means a lot of hustle.

My husband and I started a Dessert Buffet business when our twins were 1 year old. This had a good run for a year until we decided to close it down (a story for another time). I launched my Branding & Website Design Studio when the girls turned 2. I pioneered the Pursuit Manila community when they were 3 years old, and produced several Chasing Dreams merch around the same time.

I also didn’t stop blogging until two years ago when I hit the proverbial wall and needed to take a much-needed creative break. And so I did, and I talked a lot about this when I relaunched Chasing Dreams.

But even when I was on a “break”, my mind did not stop reeling with new creative ideas, maybe for a new business, or a new brand, or a new product. I also thought a lot about relaunching Chasing Dreams, or maybe resuming Pursuit Manila.

Itching to create content, I launched a new passion project last year, The Purpose Blog, where I’m sharing everything I know about purpose-driven blogging and making a living from home.

Our creative giftings are deeply engraved in our beings, and being a mother or a wife doesn’t change that.

There’s this restlessness inside of us that pulls us to create things and to connect with people.

And so we have to live within that tension—of balancing marriage, motherhood, career, and creative pursuits, and knowing well that since we couldn’t set aside marriage and motherhood, we sometimes have to set aside career or creative pursuits instead.

As someone who’s right smack in the middle of it, here are some of the things I’ve learned.

1. Acknowledge that being a wife and a mother is a calling.

I am well aware of the fact that I’ve been using the word “career” and “job” instead of “calling” prior to this point; consider this a conscious use of words.

A job is a piece of work or a set of tasks that you do for an agreed salary in a specific period of time.

A career is a job or a set of jobs that you’ve been doing for a long time, whether you’re passionate about it or not.

Calling, on the other hand, is something that goes beyond salary or time. This is something you know you would do even when you’re not paid to do it. I have always believed that our past experiences, skills, gifts, even our past jobs—everything that has happened in our lives, in totality, is preparing us for our calling.

Marianne Williamson said it best—

“Jobs come and go, but a calling is something you were given the moment you were born. You can lose a job but you can’t lose your calling.”

Calling is something you will do for the rest of your life.

For us mothers, it’s our life’s calling to love, to guide, to provide for, and to raise our children until they’re able to stand on their own feet. But even when they can stand on their own and have their own families to raise, motherhood doesn’t end. It’s our life’s calling to continue to love, to pray for and to support them as they figure out their own paths.

Once you’re a mother, you’ll always be a mother. It’s not a “season” or a “phase”. It’s what you are for the rest of your life.

We have to remember to see motherhood in this light, especially in moments when we feel like we’ve been robbed off of our careers and passions and strength and time. Or times when we have to put our business ideas on the shelf, or when we feel like we lost our will to chase our dreams.

When you have embraced motherhood as your calling, you realize that everything else—your schedule, your goals, your dreams, your ministries, even your career, and your job—should support this specific calling and not take you away from it.

2. Your creative passions will haunt you, you have to do something about it.

I’ve already said a handful about how this creative restlessness inside of us is something that will not go away, even when marriage and motherhood come into the picture.

You know this, you’re familiar with this. It’s the thing that keeps you up at night and keeps your mind reeling throughout the day. You know this because it hurts deep inside of you. And even when you do a good job at concealing it, you know it’s there somewhere eating you up.

It might be an idea for a creative business, or a book, or a product, or maybe a song playing in your head. It might be a burden for missions, an advocacy, a community.

It’s the thing that fills up the pages of your journal, the thing you wish you would do when time or budget or life is not in the way.

I tell you, whatever that is, it will hunt you every single day. On some days it would almost feel like you can live without it, but there are days when the pull is so strong you know you have to do something.

I say, go for it, make the first step!

And no, I don’t mean you risk all of your savings to a business idea you haven’t tested out. Take baby steps. Write a business plan. Buy that domain name. Share your idea to a friend. Test the waters. Dare to pray about it relentlessly.

My Pursuit Manila story

When I came across Pursuit Community in November 2014, it made me restless for days. I knew in my heart there’s a need for a community of Christian creatives locally so I prayed about it and sought the Lord’s guidance. And then I did the one thing that started the ball rolling—I emailed Karen Stott, the founder of Pursuit Community, to ask if they’re willing to make room for a local community in the Philippines. (Hint: She said yes.)

I then reached out to some ladies to see if they share my desire to build a community for Christian creatives here in Manila. I emailed some very close friends, people who knew me since I was a kid. I shared to them my vision and asked if they’re willing to do it with me. Some of them were on board and excited.

I also emailed people who didn’t know me at all. I introduced myself and shared with them my dream. I asked them it’s something they would be interested to be part of, or if they could at least help me promote or refer me to their friends.

And well, the rest is history.

Take note that^ all of that started with hitting the Send button on a piece of email.

I don’t know what “the first step” looks like for you, but I bet it’s something you can do while your children are taking a nap. I say you owe it to yourself to give it a try. And maybe you’d find out later on, that the world needed you to make that first step.

3. Embrace the changing seasons.

Each story is different, but our seasons as mothers are more or less within the same playing field. We’re all going to care for babies, maybe resign from our jobs to raise our family, or maybe close up shop to focus on our young children’s formative years.

There will be a time when changing diapers, cooking dinners, or attending school plays are more important than growing a business, writing a book, or pursuing a dream.

The thing is, seasons are often fleeting. They come as fast as they go. And this is evident in the way babies seem to grow so fast. We know it and we wax poetic about it—wasn’t it just yesterday when they were so cute and small and needy?

We should know enough to embrace these seasons or else we miss out on the beauty of each one.

We only have a small window of opportunity to shape our children’s hearts and minds.

However, if we approach this season with a present mind and a creative strategy (maybe a project or a business that involves our family), then we might be able to do this without ignoring our own creative dreams.

The Ultimate Challenge for us Creative Moms

The ultimate challenge, I believe, is to find that sweet spot where our family life, creative passions, and career intersect.

For me this means doing a job (Content Marketing) that is not far off from my creative passions (writing and digital design) while working from home.

For Liza this means DIY-ing bows and accessories for her own little girl and scaling her production to create several more pieces to sell.

For Joana Gaines this means creating a business around creating beautiful homes for families, while she raises her own.

I don’t know what it looks like for you, but here are some practical action steps that you can do today:

1. Make baby steps everyday.

There are things you can do one hour in the morning (while the house is still quiet) and one hour before you sleep (after you tuck in the babes). Or things you can do while the kids are taking a nap or watching TV. The important thing is to keep going, no matter how slow or how small the progress is.

2. Consider starting a blog.

A trivia: Joana Gaines was discovered by a producer because her beautifully styled home was featured in a blog.

As a creative mother, you may not have time to start a business, but sure you have an hour or two each day to start a blog. Or maybe you don’t know yet what kind of business you want to pursue, in such case I think blogging may be a way for you to discover all of that.

3. Invest in getting help.

As work-from-home mothers, we have non-negotiables. Things like giving baths, homeschooling, tucking the girls in. And then there are things we can pay others to do, like maybe laundry, cleaning the house, ironing clothes.

Consider the tasks you enjoy doing and can do yourself and the tasks you can outsource. You’d be surprised at how much free hours you have in a day if you ask help from others.

This also translates into launching a creative business. Know what your strengths are and invest your time there. And then outsource the tasks that would take you hours to do because they’re not your expertise to start with—maybe tasks like copywriting, brand design, website development, or social media management.

When you outsource these to those who’ve been doing it professionally, you find that they don’t only make your business look good, you also have more time to focus and do your job better.

Hope this helps! If anything, I hope this post assures you that you (and I) are not alone in this journey. Nope. Not at all! :)

Thinking about starting a blog?

Visit The Purpose Blog Today!

What I Learned About Pursuing Passions from The Magnolia Story

Rhiza2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here!

I’m still pretty high from reading the The Magnolia Story, a book about Joanna and Chip Gaines, an extraordinary husband-and-wife tandem from Waco Texas who relentlessly pursued their passions and built a homegrown brand that is now widely known around the world.

But the book is not just about the success of their passionate pursuits. It’s also a story of their journey as husband, wife, and business partners. Although it’s unlikely that you have not heard of them, I’ll give a quick backgrounder just the same. (Go ahead and scroll a few paragraphs down if you already know who the Gaines are!)

Buy The Magnolia Story Book

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together.

From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

This book is perfect for creatives, aspiring entrepreneurs, home makers, and husbands, and wives.

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This is Magnolia

Chip and Joanna rose to fame in Fixer Upper, an HGTV reality show where they remodel dilapidated fixer uppers in Central Texas, bringing out their original southern charm, and turning them into their clients’ dream homes. They call their business “Magnolia Homes” where Chip manages the construction and realty side and Joanna takes the lead designer role.

Today, Fixer Upper is on its fifth season, and the Magnolia empire has also branched out to several sub-brands:

  • The Magnolia Market, a home décor shop that sells curated products from various artisans around the globe, and Joanna’s own line of home decors, rugs, and paint.
  • The Magnolia Silos, a family-friendly shopping complex that has instantly turned Waco Texas a tourist spot.
  • The Silos Baking Co, a bakery that sells home baked goods.
  • The Magnolia Journal, a quarterly home and lifestyle publication.
  • The Magnolia House, a boutique bed and breakfast you can book while you’re in Waco.

All photos are grabbed from www.magnoliamarket.com

Chip and Joanna Gaines have been uniquely blessed with a huge platform to launch these massively successful businesses, and last year they generously shared details of their journey through their first book, The Magnolia Story.

There’s much to pick up, really, but I took note of some important lessons about marriage, family, faith, and pursuing passions. Here they are:

1. Every season has a purpose in our story.

We see or read about Chip and Joanna’s massive success today, but what we don’t see online or on TV are the years of struggle and hard work—including the big and small failures—that allowed them to mature as business owners and home makers.

The book talked all about these details, and as a parent myself, I’m particularly inspired by how they embraced their seasons and knew how to make the most of them.

  • When they were newlyweds, they hustled hard and put in a lot of hours flipping houses. Since Jo didn’t have past experience in real estate or interior design, she made the most out of this season to develop her skills, grow her portfolio, and learn the ins and outs of the business.
  • Before they had kids, Chip encouraged Jo to pursue her dream of opening a boutique home décor shop. Not having kids yet, she invested her time learning about business management and nurturing her passion for designing homes.
  • When they had 2 kids, they decided to close the shop so that Jo can focus on the children. Sounds familiar, mommies? She knew that it was her season for raising kids and while it was hard for her to close up shop, she knew that her dreams can wait and setting it aside was temporary. Investing on her kids while they’re still young, however, can’t.
  • By the time Fixer Upper hit the TV screens (eventually becoming a hit!), Chip and Jo and their family are ready. They have 4 young kids but by this time they’ve already built a well-oiled business empire.

As their TV show makes its fifth season, the power couple just continues to roll with new ideas to expand their market. I’m guessing they know that Fixer Upper will not last forever, and they’re making the most out of this season, while they can.

It’s a season to reap the harvest of the seeds they’ve planted, and they don’t seem to show any signs of slowing down.

I reckon it’s a combination of God’s grace and favor, obedience and hard work, and a clear understanding of their seasons in life that makes it all work out of Chip and Jo.

They’re always ones to say that family is their first priority, and in this season of raising young children, they know enough that everything else comes secondary to their ultimate calling as parents.

2. Never underestimate the power of a loving marriage and a harmonious family life.

One of the things that make Fixer Upper such a hit is the chemistry between Chip and Jo. Chip’s funny and manly antics, Joanna’s smart and intuitive ways, and the way their personalities and unique strengths complement so well—makes them very relatable, adorable, and inspiring to watch. In the words of millennials, these two are #relationshipgoals in every way.

Photos from Gospel Herald.

But more than their on-screen and real life chemistry, Chip and Jo would constantly testify about how they motivate each other to pursue their crazy ideas and become better versions of themselves.

When Jo was younger she would write down her dreams and ideas in her steno notebook but was too hesitant to pursue them because she constantly calculated the risks. Sounds familiar, y’all? Chip, on the other hand, who’s more of a risk taker and has a bit more experience in business, pushed Jo to pursue her passions.

In the same way, Jo keeps Chip grounded. She supports him in his adventures, bails him (quite literally, it seems) when she needs to, and tackles the nitty gritties of his big crazy ideas. They’re constantly inspired by each other, which I believe is one of the keys to their success.

I think this is very relevant today, a time where raising a family is usually seen as something that gets in the way of chasing dreams. Some of us has to set aside our careers to raise our family, or maybe shelve our dream business ideas in exchange for a more stable and secured job.

Family and career is always a tough one to balance, and watching Chip and Jo navigate through this tension shows us that it is possible to thrive in both without sacrificing one or the other.

And then of course there’s the love and support of the extended family, which is also evident in Jo and Chip’s life story. Although not everyone gets to have supportive families and in-laws like they do, you know that it’s always an extra boost of encouragement when you have your entire village on the journey with you.

3. Wives don’t always “have to be in the kitchen.” In fact, wives are naturally great business women. ;)

Although Jo does love being in the kitchen a lot, too!

I’m saying this with full acknowledgement that yes, as homemakers, family should always be a priority for us women. I reckon Jo knew this when she closed her shop in 2006 to raise her young kids.

But what I love about Chip is how he didn’t (and wouldn’t!) contain Jo within the bounds of homemaking; instead, he pushed her to her maximum potential and allowed her to shine both inside and outside of the home.

Fixer Upper viewers would know when Chip would instinctively step back and not get in the way of Jo when she’s doing what she does best. While Chip has his own important role in building the Magnolia empire, we do see Jo’s brilliance and very distinct touch in every Magnolia project.

As I mentioned above, they seem to have mastered how to play by each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and use these to accomplish what has to be done.

I think it says a lot about the husbands when their wives bloom and thrive, so I’ve got to hand this one to Chip!

More so, as someone who believes that God designed marriage as a sacred and life-long covenant, I find it really inspiring to see this couple totally live up to the biblical design of marriage. When you love and respect each other and you submit to one another in obedience to God, this mutual love, respect, and submission trickles down to every aspect of your life.

IMO, this is as practical as it is spiritual.

Because when you know there’s mutual love and respect, support for each other’s dreams, and acknowledgement of each other’s roles, weaknesses, and strengths—it helps you become more motivated and effective as a partner. You find that standing by each other’s decisions, being more forgiving of each other’s mistakes, celebrating each other’s victories, and getting through hurdles become more natural than obligatory.

Chip and Jo talked about this in a video I found last year. In this clip they talked about how, they don’t only complement and balance each other out, they also push each other out of their comfort zones and live out what God created them to be.

I say, this is a must-watch for married couples, both young and old:

Chip: “I learn so much about order and structure and processes through my wife, and God is all of those things to me now. At the beginning God was just chaotic to me. He was wild, He was untamed, He was unruly, and I like that.”

Jo: “God has a funny way of bringing me Chip. To almost have this reality of how it’s like to follow Christ, which is, a lot of the things are just going to push you into a place of discomfort, a lot of the things are just going to push you into a place of freaking out, it takes someone (like Chip) to get it out there.. I don’t want to be in a box anymore. I don’t want to play it safe. Because the greater impact is over here on the other side. I was made for a reason and I need to let whatever God has created me for, that has to be known. I don’t want to stay hidden.”

Pretty awesome when you find out that these two are not just your ordinary reality TV celebrities. ;)

4. When God closes a door, it doesn’t mean that the door will remain close forever.

Joanna talked about the time when she had to close her boutique home décor shop in 2006 when they had their second baby. She said, at the time it felt like God was locking away her dreams just when it was finally taking off.

On a personal note, this is probably my most favorite chapter in the book.

These paragraphs would tell you why:

“I truly loved everything about the shop, but the voice just kept telling me, Jo, it’s time. I wrestled with it for weeks until finally I felt it in my heart. I thought about the words of all those women who were in my shop every day, telling me to cherish this time with my child.

And as much as I didn’t want it to be true, I could no longer deny that the voice was right.

. . .

In March 2006, we sold off everything—the inventory, the displays, even the cash register. And it was hard. That shop was my dream, a dream that landed on my yellow steno pad after I came back from my eye-opening internship in New York City. It was the first dream of mine that I’d seen come to fruition, and in many ways it was like our first baby.

. . .

The shop was more to me than an accomplishment or even the fulfillment of a dream. It was something Chip and I had dreamed and accomplished together. From scratch. It wasn’t his business that I added to, or my business that he added to. It was ours.

. . .

I will remember ’til the day I die the moment I stood on the front steps and locked that shop door for the last time as tears rolled down my face. Even as I stood on those steps, trying to say good-bye, I kept asking God, “Are you sure this is the right move? If it is, why does it seem so painful and hard?”

That’s when I heard that gentle whisper, Joanna, if you trust me with your dreams, I’ll take them further than you could have ever imagined. 

. . .

I felt good about having made the decision to walk away and lock that door. It’s funny, though, looking back on it now, because one very simple concept in life never occurred to me as I was walking away:

Even locked doors can be unlocked in time.

I simply never could have imagined just how much God had in store for us, and I certainly couldn’t have dreamed just how many keys to other doors God had already placed in our hands.”

Do you sometimes read other people’s stories and wonder how your own story looks like? This chapter made me reminisce my own closed doors and how God opened new doors that ultimately lead me where He needed me to be.

But I also had some of what Joanna had. Doors that had to be closed for a little while, keys stored in God’s care, just waiting for the perfect time to be unlocked.

It’s always a beautiful moment when you realize that God didn’t really mean to say NO, He just wanted you to wait a little bit longer. Because what He has for you is so much greater than the dream you entrusted to His care. And all it makes you think in the end is, “well played, God, well played!”

This book is, thumbs up, one of the best reads I had this year. (I’ve been reading this year, yes!) And pretty relevant too as I go about my own pursuits.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur and you’re living under a rock and didn’t know who the Gaines are, I think you’ll like this book very much.

Buy The Magnolia Story Book

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together.

From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

This book is perfect for creatives, aspiring entrepreneurs, home makers, and husbands, and wives.

[su_button url=”https://www.bookdepository.com/Magnolia-Story-Chip-Gaines/9780718079185?a_aid=chasingdreams” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#333″ size=”5″ radius=”0″ icon=”icon: shopping-cart”]BUY NOW[/su_button]

 

Trivia: Do you know that Joanna Gaines was discovered by HGTV through a mommy blog that featured a tour of their house? Yep.

Blogs truly have the power to give you the right exposure, to grow a business, or to establish a platform. If you’re thinking about blogging, check out my blogging resource library HERE.

How to Quit Your Job and Work from Home

RhizaLeave a comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I get asked this question all the time, and understandably so. These days, working from home is no longer an exception to the rule but a realistic and viable option, you just have to know where to find opportunities and how to set yourself up for it.

If you’re thinking about quitting your office-based job and starting a location-independent career, there are several pathways that you can pursue:

1. Start your own business

This option is the riskiest one and usually requires longer financial planning and preparation. You might want to try out your business idea as a side-hustle first to see if it will take off.

You also want to have at least 6-months worth of salary saved up before taking the leap because you can go on for months of hard work without seeing any profit.

Still, given the risks, this option is the one where you can really be your own boss and work at your own terms.

Be a full-time blogger

Let’s consider this one a subset of starting a business. A blog, after all, should be treated as a business if you want it to replace your full-time income.

Like a business, there’s a lot of work to be done before you start seeing profit, especially if your blog is new. If your goal is to become a full-time blogger, check out some of my recent posts about this topic:

How to Start a Blog the Right Way: A Step by Step Guide

Why You Should Consider Starting a Blog Now More than Ever

2. Offer your services as a freelancer

There’s a lot of freedom and flexibility when you’re offering services as a freelancer, but there are also limits in terms of calling the shots and being your own boss.

As a freelancer, you’re somehow at the mercy of your clients, which means you’re technically working for multiple bosses at a time. Income may be irregular, but if you work double-time, you can possibly earn double too.

3. Get a remote job

If you’re not keen to start a business or offer freelance services, applying for a remote job is an increasingly popular option.

Some of the most common remote jobs are Virtual Assistants, Graphic Designers, Digital Marketers, Social Media Managers, Customer Support Specialists—basically anything that can be done in the “cloud”.

A remote job is something you can aim for without putting too much risk on your career or savings. You’ll still likely be bound by a 9-5 schedule and a fixed rate, which is desirable if you’re the type who likes the comfort of a routine and the security of a monthly salary.

My husband and I experienced doing all of the above in the past decade, and today I’d like to share important lessons from our own journey.

My story: How I established a career I love, from home

I was 25 when I first left my corporate job to grab an opportunity to work remotely.

I loved the corporate job I gave up, by the way, but I loved the idea of exploring the unknown more. Especially at that time when I was young and had some space in my life to test the waters.

I had big dreams to travel and to try out entrepreneurship—two things I couldn’t do as much as I wanted because of the demands of my office-based work. It took a lot of courage to leave behind a secured job and a promising corporate path but there’s no denying the restlessness that was building up in my heart.

Fun fact: It was actually what my former boss said that inspired me to register this domain name 9 years ago. On that day I told him I was filing my resignation, he said (and I remember that moment quite vividly), “I don’t want to get in the way of chasing dreams so, okay.”

I thanked him, filed my 30-day notice, said goodbye to that chapter of my life, and never looked back. Hence the beginning of my location-independent career.

(Also the beginning of Chasingdreams.net.)

Throwback to the time I lived in New York City for two months where I took my remote job with me.

So here’s another thing about me: I LOVE working, you guys. I do miss the 9-to-5 grind, all the brainstorming sessions, the random pizza parties, picking my boss’s brain, meeting deadlines. Call me weird but I even enjoyed getting dressed in pin-striped slacks, putting on my heels, and stepping into my office cubicle.

In fact, as I said before, I sometimes feel like I’m more confident at having a career than I am being a mother!

So even as I have experienced the freedom and benefits of working remotely, the thought of going back to corporate life was not far from my mind.

Two years after I took that remote job—back home from traveling and getting hitched *cough*—I knew that my husband and I were going to settle down in Manila for a while so I found myself in an office cubicle again.

This second attempt at an office-based job didn’t last long. After about a year re-joining the corporate workforce, I birthed twins and had to take an indefinite maternity break.

Life was never the same since. Suddenly, landing a remote job is not anymore an option but a necessity.

I needed a job I could do in front of our twins’ crib. Something I could do without having to change out of my pajamas in the morning (because I probably didn’t sleep the night before) and in between breastfeeding twins.

Good thing for me, because of my digital marketing background (which is a big thing when finding remote work), it didn’t take a while to find a startup company who was willing to take me in even with my unique circumstances.

Surely God had it all planned out from the beginning.

And the plot thickens. On my husband’s last year at nursing school, he signed up for a remote job himself. He applied for a Virtual Assistant position and got the role easily, even though he didn’t have any previous experience as a VA.

PRO TIP: You don’t need years of experience to start applying for remote jobs. ;)

For about a year, both my husband and I would work side-by-side on our dining table, our daughters’ playpen within arms reach.

And while all of these were happening, we also started a few small businesses (a story for another time) and launched passion projects.

I know. We’ve been soooo busy! :)

But looking back, we know we’re only able to do all of these because we didn’t have to leave home, which gave us about 3-4 extra hours we didn’t have to spend on commute or traffic.

Eventually, when my husband completed his nursing licensure, he let go of his remote job to practice nursing.

As for me, this year would be my 5th year (7th, if you count those pre-motherhood years) working remotely and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As a mother, nothing beats knowing I could help provide for and raise my family, without sacrificing this career that I happen to love.

Surely when the kids are older, busy with school and their own sets of friends, I’d like very much to keep practicing my profession. And having a home-based job that allows me to keep up with the trends and continue gaining experience offers so many immediate and long-term benefits.

Benefits of working from home

As I already mentioned, having a remote job allowed me to travel and take my work with me. When I was younger, that opportunity was more than anything I could have hoped for or imagined.

As a mother, I’m grateful that I can do my job without missing out on my children’s growth. Although of course, you’d need a lot of help (like a babysitter or a grandmother—thanks, Mom!—who looks after your kids while you work), there’s nothing compared to being just in the next room from where your kids are playing or taking a nap.

Consider all the hours you would have wasted on traffic and commute—convert those extra hours to work on a side-hustle, hone your skills, or focus on self-care.

Count all the expenses you would have spent on fast food, work clothes, and transportation—convert that extra money to invest in a creative business or a family trip.

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Transitioning from an office-based job to a work-at-home lifestyle may be a bit of a process, but totally doable. The first thing to do is to consider which work-at-home situation you want to pursue. Do you want to pursue a business, become a freelancer, or apply for a remote job? 

How to transition to a work-from-home lifestyle

Preparations vary depending on the path you want to take, but here are some general tips that are applicable across the board:

1. Get up to speed with the trends and best practices

You don’t have to forge your own path or reinvent the wheel so to speak. Working from home is not a new discovery, thousands of people are already doing it successfully. You just have to take it from them and learn from their successes and mistakes.

There are many free resources available online, and if you’re the type who likes to dig into Google and find the hidden gems, then by all means! As a fair warning, however, you will encounter numerous fake job postings and scams online so you want to be very careful about your search.

This is why I would also recommend investing in premium resources when you can. There’s so much ground to cover, to be honest! 9 years ago I had to navigate this space without that much help!

This Work from Home Bundle, is a limited edition toolkit that includes work-at-home resources and ebooks that will help prepare you for that work-at-home lifestyle.

I personally bought the bundle for myself even though I’ve been working remotely for 7 years. I find that continuous education is necessary to stay creative and inspired.

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2. Get obsessed with growing your skillset!

Work-at-home opportunities are largely dependent on technology and the internet. Naturally so, since it is through the internet that we’re able to work remotely.

That said, whether you want to apply for a remote job, start your own online business, or advance your career, you need to keep on gaining new creative and technical skills to complement your existing ones.

Say, if you’re a writer, you can learn other forms of content creation skills like photography, graphic design or social media.

If you’re a graphic designer, you might want to add website design and development to your skillset.

If you’re a website developer, you’d want to learn new programming languages, analytics, or user experience.

If you’re a customer support expert, you might want to consider learning virtual assistance or project management too.

And so on.

3. Launch a blog or a website

A website is a necessity, whether you’re selling products, offering your services, or applying for a remote job. Having an updated and a healthy online presence is always a good way to attract buyers, partners, or employers.

For the past 7 years, my job comes with the occasional responsibility of scouting and hiring writers and digital marketing professionals. Guess what’s the first thing I look for when I have a pile of CVs on my desk?

Yep. I check if the applicants have blogs.

For me, more often than not, a blog speaks louder than a CV.

One time I hired a travel blogger for a Content Strategist position. Countless times, I’ve hired mommy bloggers to do freelance writing for a wide range of blog topics and niches.

I, myself, use my website as a portfolio—my best case study. Every now and then when a potential client or employer asks me to show sample work, I only have to send them a link to this website. #hacks ;)

Regardless of the industry, a blog is a way for employers to assess not only your thought leadership and communication skills, but also your discipline, creativity, and personality. Believe it or not, these come handy when deciding which candidate is the best one for a position.

There’s just so much to cover about this topic, but I’ll cut this here.

If you want to ask me anything, hit me up with your questions in the comments below or subscribe to my mailing list to get updates.

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Currently 04: Home, Life, and Blog Updates

Rhiza1 Comment

Hello from the ChasingDreams.net headquarters, and by “headquarters” I mean our bed. I mean, isn’t that where dreams happen? Lol.

Kidding! Well, not kidding. I am literally on our bed as I type this, wearing the usual pajamas. I wish I could say I was writing this from a hotel suite in a posh city somewhere or on a secluded island with an Instagram-worthy view. Uhm, NOT! :)

The reality is, I am working 50 hours a week while helping out with our small business and raising 5-year old twin girls at the same time. Just keeping it real guys, there really ain’t much time left to go anywhere, to be honest.

That said, this is going to be one of those update posts that is not optimized for your reading convenience, lol, so thank you in advance for giving me and my run-on sentences your kind consideration. ;)

First, life updates!

Sometime last year, my husband and I decided to let go of our apartment (and about 80% of the stuff we acquired over the past 6 years) to move back home and live with my Mom. We’ve outgrown our old place, not to mention, we couldn’t take anymore the fact that we’re spending so much rent money on a space that will never be ours, in a city that has lost its charm by our standards.

Naturally, we were aware that there were empty rooms in my Mom’s place, the same ol’ house that my brothers and I grew up in. The twins always looked forward to staying at “Lola’s house”, plus they love that they have more space to run and that the ref is always fully stocked—I mean, priorities, y’all. I won’t deny. To our 5 year old girls, being here at Lola’s is a major life upgrade.

As for me, the girl who moved out when she turned 21 years old, being back home now, at 35, with my husband and two kids, is something that feels comfortable and humbling and strange all at the same time. There were a lot of thoughts (and feelings) that went into this decision but looking back now—and considering the goals we’ve laid out for the next 2-3 years—being here has been good for us.

Five years ago I never would have imagined this scenario; but now, it gives me a great deal of peace (and a little nostalgia at times) to see Dawn & Rain experience the same humble childhood I had. To grow up in Lola’s care. To wake up to birds chirping by our bedroom window. To experience childhood in this place firsthand and not just hear about it from their mother’s folk tales. I just know that years down the line we’ll look back and remember this season with profound gratitude and fondness.

Other than this major thing, everything I wrote here still applies.

In retrospect, we’ve become really good at living with whatever fits our suitcases, unpacking, and setting up camp wherever God places us until it’s time to pack up again. There’s much to be said about what God has been oh-so-patiently teaching us in this season, but I’ll reserve that for another post.

Second, blog updates!

If you’ve been watching this space (because yes I am fully aware that I dared some of you to, ehem, watch this space), why thank you fam! :)

But if you’re really really watching this space, you probably saw various website changes over the past couple of months. I’ve been hard at work at setting this space up to have room for both life stories and the geeky resource stuff, which has to be translated in the website design, first and foremost.

One thing I realized during my blog downtime is how much I love creating content, which may sound weird because you hardly saw any content published here for a long time. (I’ve been keeping everything under wraps until the website is ready.)

If you’re here for the first time, I thought you should know that I’m a survivor product of the “dear diary” blogosphere era while also being a proponent of modern day blogging. On one hand, I miss the times when blogging was about writing stories (oversharing!) and being totally random online. On the other hand, I also know how blogging should be strategic, and purposeful, and sometimes without the unnecessary fluff if you want it to be profitable.

ChasingDreams.net for so long may be categorized under the lifestyle blog umbrella, this space being where I share stories about my life as a wife, a mother, a creative, and occasional traveler.

But outside of this space, I have published countless articles on highly technical topics like Digital Marketing, SEO, Content Creation, Social Media, Email Marketing—don’t you fall asleep on me now, this is important!! >.< Admittedly, these topics have also become a huge part of my career, my life, and dare I say, my passions.

I had to make room for both, without making this space too cluttered and the topics too broad. Readership wise, I know some of the readers of the original Chasing Dreams may not be interested in digital marketing, and vice versa.

That being said, I do see where chasing dreams and digital strategy overlap. The former being the way of life, and the latter as one way to achieve it.

After all, we do live in an era (oh what a time to be alive!) where the first step to chasing dreams can be as simple as launching a website or starting a blog.

Lastly, the role of blogging in chasing dreams

This blog was an important tool that got me through my life’s changing seasons—still is! It serves as a creative outlet where I tell stories and document milestones, while also being the hub where I showcase my work, offer my services, and gain unique income-generating opportunities.

Through this blog, my career adjusted to my seasons in life, not the other way around. It allowed me the flexibility to travel when I was younger, and gave me unique opportunities to work from home when I needed to raise babies.

In other words, this blog has become a channel, a tool, a hub, that allowed me to chase my dreams.

And now I want to teach YOU how to do the same, and I dedicate an entire section of this website to do just that!

If you want to learn the process of starting a blog, creating content, growing your readership, and turning your blog into a profitable channel, then the Bloggers’ Hub is for you! See you there!

If you’re here because you’ve been following my journey from Day 1, or if you want to see more of Dawn & Rain who seem to be growing their own loyal fanbase, lol, then we’re back to regular programming around here. Thanks guys for sticking around! :)

One Word 2018: An Invitation

Rhiza2 Comments

Hello! It’s been a while since the last post (sorry guys), but perhaps just like you, I want to start this new year right. And that’s exactly what this first post for 2018 is all about. ;)

Let’s talk about New Year’s Resolutions

I’m not going to deny. I love writing down New Year’s Resolutions—no matter how horrible I was at keeping them. I mean, how many of us make resolutions in January, only to forget all about them by February? ;)

Through all these years of making resolutions, I found out why it’s so hard to keep them to the end of the year: My list lacked focus and direction, and some resolutions were detached from my reality—my actual skills, circumstances, and seasons in life.

I realized that in order for my goals to actually make it through the end of the year, I need them to be purposeful, God-centric, and realistic. 

I also stopped calling them “New Year’s Resolutions” and started calling them “faith goals”. I’ve come to believe that there’s just no way I could accomplish anything without an abundance of grace and faith.

Over time I’ve become better at knowing and listing down my faith goals. More purposeful, more realistic, more strategic. And one thing I’ve proven to be very effective is to sum up all these faith goals into a single word that will guide me through the entire year.

I’ve been doing this for 4 years now (wow, it’s been a while!), and it’s always good looking back to those years and being able to associate milestones to the One Word I chose for a specific year. In 2014, my one word is Passion; in 2015, Pursue; in 2016, Remain; and in 2017, Seek. I will share my word for 2018 in a separate post. ;)

One Word 2018

There are many e-courses, tools, and online communities that do this little activity. Just search in Google to see for yourself!

But ever since I started doing this in 2014, I’ve always tried to bring this one closer to home.

Although the One Word journey is very personal in nature, I have loved (and benefited from) doing it with a small group of friends and prayer partners. It makes the experience more fun, but more importantly, it brings an element of accountability and  community to the process.

When we launched Pursuit Manila, the One Word excercise is our very first ice breaker activity. 16 women who were strangers to each other prior to the event, bonded pretty quickly through the sharing of our one words, life stories, and dreams.

Every year since then, I would share with a handful of people what my One Word is for the year and the process that went with choosing it. And every single year I would marvel at how powerful a single word can be, and how it comes alive in my daily walk with God.

Last week, during a post-holiday get together with my Pursuit friends, we picked and shared with each other our One Word for 2018.

As always I went home from that gathering feeling recharged and ready to march onto 2018 with this one word as my banner.

In fact, I was so inspired from our little get-together that I went home and started typing away on my computer to the wee hours of the night. The result is this handy little guide that will help you in choosing your own One Word for 2018 based from your goals and dreams.

The worksheet is FREE! All you need is to sign up and your free printable PDF file will be on its way to your email right away. ;)

[su_button url=”https://chasingdreams.net/one-word-2018/” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#333333″ size=”7″ center=”yes” radius=”0″]JOIN THE ONE WORD 2018 CHALLENGE![/su_button]

One Word 2018 x Lettergram

As you see in the photos above, we have loved sharing our One Words through our mini lettergrams*! So I thought I’d offer a PRO version of the One Word 2018 challenge which includes a mini lettergram (free shipping for PH residents), and a monthly email newsletter you will receive throughout the year with prompts that will help you stay on course.

If this is something you think you’ll find value from, just click on the button below:

This item is sold out.

*Full disclosure, Lettergram is a passion project my husband and I soft launched in September last year. It’s been quite a blast so far, and we have loved being in the business of letters and words. <3 Visit the Lettergram website to see our collection of retro-style felt letter boards. CLICK HERE.

A Year of Seeking and Finding

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I had to catch my breath. 2017 was like running an invisible marathon—I mean, wasn’t that the fastest year ever? It sure felt that way to me.

Today, in tradition of processing the past year, here’s me wrapping up 2017 in a nice little bow. Also in tradition of cataloging each year by its corresponding One Word, here it is for 2017: SEEK.

Year 2017 in One Word: Seek

When 2017 started, I was obsessed (for lack of a better word) with seeking the answer to the question “what’s next, Lord?” Continue reading “A Year of Seeking and Finding” →