Category: Pursuing Passions

Pursuing Passions

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

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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.

Pin for later

 

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.

Buy the Ultimate Work at Home Super Bundle
Sale period is over. Sign up to be notified.

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.

Buy the Ultimate Work at Home Super Bundle – Until June 30 only!

Check out the tools that I use to run my online businesses

Start Your Blog Today, Here’s my Step-by-Step Guide

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.

The Key to Engaging with Your Readers

Rhiza1 Comment

There are two ways we can tackle this matter.

First, we can be very technical and talk about best practices.

I can discuss strategies, tools of trade, and how to integrate an email subscription system to your existing website and blog content.

I can talk about why you need an email list if you’re serious about engaging with your audience, or what specific mailer to use. I can discuss how to set up Mailchimp, how to automate emails, or how to incorporate sign up forms across your website.

I can also talk about why I started using Convertkit last year (hint: I probably should, in a separate post) and why it’s important for me to make that investment.

These are all essential to engaging with your readers.

You see, it’s one thing to attract random strangers to read your blog and have, well, a bunch of strangers reading your blog. It’s another thing to know who your regular readers actually are so you can engage with them well.

Or, we can talk about honesty and authenticity, and dive into the very heart of the matter.

I think I’m going to go with the latter. (Let’s talk about technical stuff another day.)

Today I want to share with you my top performing email sendout and what it taught me about engagement, honesty, and authenticity.

If you’ve been subscribed to Chasing Dreams for a while, you should be able to recall (or dig in your inbox to find) an email I sent out in November.

After relaunching this site and launching my first ever Blogging E-course, I went on for a few weeks without publishing any blog content. Although no one probably noticed this more than I did, it’s always a horrible feeling when you’re unable to hit goals you’ve set for yourself. (I’m still learning to cut myself some slack, really.)

I felt vulnerable that day. So vulnerable that instead of publishing a blog post, I wrote a letter to my email subscribers and shared with them my frustration.

I wrote why that period was one of the toughest weeks of the year for me. I shared what caused my exhaustion, and how I didn’t have anyone to blame but myself.

In hindsight, I probably didn’t want to publicly disclose the reason for my frustration. (Read: I didn’t want it published on the blog for everyone to see or make it look like I’m throwing in a blind item—that wasn’t my intention, at all.)

But I learned a lot from that experience, lessons I didn’t want to keep to myself, stuff that are important to me as a creative and as a person.

Most of all, I knew that my email subscribers were some of the people who could relate to my situation and would find those lessons relevant.

So I typed with my heart at the tip of my fingers. I took a deep breath and hit SEND. Within seconds, my email—that had my heart written all over it—had reached the mailboxes of hundreds of women around the world. Some of them I personally know, some I’m only acquainted with virtually, but most of them I only know by the name and email address they left on my subscribe form.

What happened next was a pleasant surprise.

When I wasn’t really expecting anything more than maybe a decent open rate or click-through rate, I started getting one reply after another, within several minutes from each other, from women who could relate and find inspiration from what I shared.

The replies kept coming in for about two days.

Some of them thanked me and gave me words of affirmation.

“Thank you for being an inspiration. I am going through a rough time myself and reading your posts lightens up my mood in a way.” 

“Riz. You inspire me. I love how you share and there is always a lesson, an inspiration, a motivation for readers to look further, chase more, delve deeper. I hope you won’t go away (again) anytime so soon. Hang in there.” 

“This is just so timely, and reading it affirmed me of my decision to say NO yesterday… Thank you for this, God sent you to tell me that my decision was right.” 

“…what you have said is true, that even if we make wrong decisions, it does not have to hinder our ability to see the beautiful things around us. And if it matters, I would like to let you know that you inspired me so much today :) so please just keep going!” 

“Oh… THANK YOU Rhiza.. THANK YOU because it is just sooo timely. I think I am about to say YES to something I think is important and helpful for the family too. And I am praying that it will be worth the sacrifice.. THANKYOU for the encouragement. i am blessed.. GOD BLESS you and the whole family MORE.” 

“Thank you for this very timely letter. This reply may not reach you or you may read this randomly but I want you to know that you have spoken right to my heart & I want to deeply thank you for it.” 

Some replied with their own stories to share.

They shared specific details of what they’re currently going through in their lives, some asked me to pray for them, others asked me how they can pray for me.

Others even took it to Facebook and quoted some of what I said in my email.

Take note that most of them are people I hardly know and yet somehow, it felt like we’re old friends who understood, accepted, and supported each other. Which is exactly what we hope to find in the online communities we’re part of, don’t we?

I’m sharing this not to brag about how amazing my email newsletters are and that you really should subscribe to Chasing Dreams. (Ehem, I mean, you can if you want to. Lol.)

But it’s really quite the opposite of that.

I’m sharing this because I remember feeling so undeserving of all the love, and yet somehow, in my frailties and mistakes, even with my most uninspiring and embarrassing of stories, people reached out to me to let me know that I am not alone.

This experience affirmed to me even more that, in this age where we’re facing massive content influx—great content, bad content, click bait content, countless of blog and social media posts published every minute—this ancient principle still holds true:

Honest, vulnerable and authentic storytelling is what your audience really needs.

Sure, there’s always a need for informative and actionable content, something that I’ve been intentionally creating more of lately here at Chasing Dreams. But time and again I find that the kind of content that truly engages readers are the ones that come from somewhere deep inside of you,

the ones that come out of the abundance of the heart,

the kind you’re sometimes afraid to write.

So I say, go ahead, dig into your heart and write what’s inside. In the midst of the noise and the fear, don’t be afraid to tell your story, talk about your mistakes, reference your personal experiences. Because somewhere out there, someone needs to hear exactly what you have to say.

As a fair warning, creating vulnerable and honest content will sometimes make other people judge you, or maybe make you lose readers. That’s okay. You may lose some of those readers but you’ll gain the right ones. 

So tell me. Are you engaging with the right people? Or are you aimlessly creating content for random strangers?

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Engaging with your readers is more than just setting up subscription forms, or managing email marketing campaigns. It’s all about authenticity and honesty.
Engaging with your readers is more than just setting up subscription forms, or managing email marketing campaigns. It’s all about authenticity and honesty.

5 Important Truths About Balancing a Full-time Job and a Side-Hustle

RhizaLeave a comment

Lately I’ve been seeing influencers quote these words “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to help build theirs,”—as if that’s a bad thing.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being “hired to help build someone else’s dreams”—isn’t this the point of starting any honorable business at all, to build your dream while opening up job opportunities for others so they too can chase their own dreams?

I personally find it a great honor to help another dreamer, especially if this person’s dream involves making an impact to an even bigger group of people.

I do understand that Tony Gaskins’ context when he said the above quote is to not settle with a deadend job, to live out our potential so that we don’t spend our whole lives watching others live their dreams at the expense of our own. 

The only problem I have with this quotable quote is how it seems to compare “building your own dreams” to “being hired”, as if the latter is a less fulfilling or a less important role.

 

A little backstory

If you read my Career Page, you know that in the past 11 years, I jumped from a lucrative corporate job to home-based work, launched a few side-businesses, tried out freelance work, basically went back and forth corporate and home-based because of opportunities I couldn’t resist and circumstances beyond my control.

To say that I have enjoyed my career is an understatement. I just love working, really. And I’ve been so blessed to have enjoyed the best of both worlds that I still find myself torn sometimes between wanting to have my own business or going back to the corporate world. I just know I’d love it either way.

That said, as someone who has one foot on both sides of the fence, there are so many things I learned about “being hired” and “being my own boss”. And I want to share them here.

1. You can have an 8-5 job and still live a passionate, creative life.

I know people who have lived their whole lives being an employee, and they’re well and good. Contrary to what some full-time creative entrepreneurs would claim, others are totally happy and successful with their 8-5 jobs. Climbing up the corporate ladder excites them (something I can attest to), having a clear boundary between “work” and “home” relieves them of unnecessary stress, being mentored by industry leaders and working with a team gives them joy, retiring with a nice pension is not so bad of a plan too.

For the first 4 years of my career I maintained a corporate job and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Until now, I still see those years as the peak of my career. I loved my job, and my salary funded my travels and my creative pursuits. At one point I lived close to my office in the city, so even though I needed to work overtime on some days, I would just walk back to my rented condominium unit and be home in like 10 minutes. This set up gave me a lot of freedom to blog, hone my skills, work on personal projects, and take sideline gigs.

The point is, if you manage your time well, you can do your 8-5 job and still set aside 1-2 hours a day or your weekends to cultivate your creative skills or maybe start a creative business. With a fixed monthly salary, you’re also able to set aside budget for your passion projects and carefully plan your vacations and creative retreats.

Keeping your 8-5 job doesn’t mean you can’t live a creative life. You just have to learn how to embrace and make the most out of your unique situation.

2. Having your own business is not better than having an 8-5 job, and vice versa.

Everywhere we go online, we see articles telling people to break the mold of the 8-5 and start their own business or work from home like that’s the key to a free and happy life. Truth is, it really depends on how you’re wired.

Sometimes, being stuck in an office cubicle 8 to 10 hours a day just.. sucks. But when you start your own business, you realize that more often than not, you work even longer hours than when you had a full-time job. Having an 8-5 job is not for everyone, in the same way being an entrepreneur ain’t for everyone too. It’s just a matter of what fits you.

I have a friend who’s a Certified Public Accountant. She’s very successful in her career, and we all know how busy an accountant’s job can be! But she also happens to be a very good baker. She learned to bake bread, cupcakes and cookies, just by setting aside time on weekends to perfect the craft. And now she’s so good at baking that if she chooses to do so, she can actually make a living out of it. However, she loves being an Accountant too (not to mention she’s good at it) so why quit? Baking, therefore, remains as her creative outlet while Accountancy continues to be her chosen profession.

Having a business and being employed is like apples and oranges, or cats and dogs. One is not better than the other; again, it really depends on your unique circumstances, skills, and opportunities.

3. The grass is greenest where God planted you.

And since we’re talking about apples and oranges, we should talk about green pastures too. One of the greatest struggles of our generation is falling into the trap of comparisons. Because of social media (and #feedgoals), we see everyone’s highlight reel everyday, which makes our unfiltered lives pale in comparison.

The illusion that the grass is greener somewhere else is a major source of discontent, something that would kill our joy if we let it, and would cause us to make bad choices if we’re not careful.

Just because this certain blogger quit her job to start a home-based business doesn’t mean you should do it too. Just because this certain small business owner opened a physical store somewhere doesn’t mean you should take that path yourself. Or just because a friend has her feed filled with photos from her business travels doesn’t mean you’re missing out and you should change your career too.

Don’t get me wrong. Discontentment is sometimes a good motivation for you to work harder to have a better life. But the moment you start playing the comparison game, you realize that you’ll never really measure up. And sadly, the grass on the other side of the fence will always be greener.

God gave you unique gifts and experiences that brought you where we are today and prepare you for your future. If He gave you lemons, don’t force yourself to grow apples or oranges out of them. If you have an 8-5 job, go be the best employee you can be. If you have a business, embrace everything that comes with it.

4. Motherhood (or fatherhood) changes everything.

I’m saying this as a young mother who didn’t really anticipate how much motherhood would change my life. My career was everything to me. But when I became a mother, my passion, priorities and preferences shifted so drastically.

Once I imagined myself climbing up the corporate ladder in my pin-striped slacks and stilettos. And then motherhood happened and suddenly I’m working in my pajamas, my uncombed hair in a bun, a few feet away from my daughters and their tubs of playdoh.

The desire to establish my own business, in a way, stemmed from wanting to be around my family more. But when God blessed me with a full-time, salaried job that I get to do from home (which pays the bills and secures my career), I just know there’s no trading this opportunity for anything, especially in this season where we need to have a stable income and to take care of our family at the same time.

My side-hustle will have to stay, well, on the side. 

The point is, had there not been little mouths to feed, there’s a chance I’d have taken a different path or made riskier choices. Every decision my husband and I make now involves our children’s lives—how we want them to grow up and where, how to provide for them while being fully present in their young lives, how to stay sane. :)

If you’re a parent, you know exactly what I mean. If you’re single, well, you’ll know eventually. And may I add that if you’re single, don’t be afraid to take risks now while you can.

5. You can not do it all for an extended period of time, so decide what to keep and what to let go.

The truth is, it’s impossible to maintain a full-time job AND to expect your side-hustle to substantially grow at the same time. Let me explain. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do both at the same time, I’m saying it’s impossible to do both for an extended period of time.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I had to stop blogging and taking web design clients because, after a year of trying to do all the things, I succumbed to quite possibly the worst case of creative burnout in my career.

Starting a business is a lot of work, and keeping a full-time job can be quite demanding too. If your heart and your priorities are divided for an extended period, it’s only a matter of time before you get burnt out.

So if you ever decide to start a side-hustle while keeping your full-time job, it should be because you’re preparing yourself to go full-time on your business eventually. Otherwise, you will only end up spreading yourself too thinly, which will make both your 8-5 job and your side-hustle suffer.

Take note that this doesn’t only apply to 8-5ers wanting to start a business. It goes the other way around too.

I have a blogger friend who used to have a steady work-from-home job, but she went back to a full-time corporate job because it just makes more sense to her.

I have another friend who owns a business that she can manage full-time if she desires, except she really enjoys her corporate job. So she decided to keep her day job and hired people to oversee her business.

Everyone has a different calling; the important thing is to carve your own unique path, find your purpose, and live the life and career that God designed just for you.

If you’re thinking about starting a business, a trial period is a good way to test the waters. Give yourself 6 months to try out and see if it works out for you, or if the business sustains itself. Or maybe try applying for a corporate job again if you realize you’re more fit for that kind of setup.

In other words, knock and see which doors would open. ;)

When you find what it is that truly makes your heart soar—the kind of work that makes you jump out of bed in the morning eager to start the day—then decide to do that passionately and unapologetically.

When You’re Feeling Uninspired

Rhiza11 Comments

Are you ready for some honesty?

I think I may have hit one of the lowest points of my life at the start of this year. No I wasn’t feeling heartbroken or devastated or anything that alarming. Instead, I was feeling indifferent and lethargic and uninspired like it’s so hard to move and do anything at all.

And so I faced my responsibilities like a robot since the beginning of the year, and while I do get tasks done, I know I haven’t really been doing my best.

This is something unexpected, considering I ended last year on a high note and had a much-needed break in New York City. I looked forward to that trip, thinking it would recharge my batteries and give me the rest and inspiration I need to hit the ground running this year.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Our New York trip was nothing short of amazing (for lack of a better word). I could talk about this experience for days, really! Except, the end of that trip left me feeling drained and even more overwhelmed than I already was.

Strangely, this blog has become a huge help for me as I processed my thoughts. Reading through past challenges and victories has reminded me that the God who got me through the worst and the best times of my life is the same God who is ever present and in control of my life today, whatever the circumstances may be. What a relief!

I’m still not out of the woods yet but by grace, I can finally see some clarity. I learned so much in this time of drought, and if somehow you’re going through the same thing in your life right now I just want you to know that—

It’s ok to not be ok sometimes.

We don’t need to pretend to be put-together all the time or to force ourselves to be ok. Concealing it is not going to make things better.

We often see “not being ok” as a sign of weakness, but really, it takes a lot of bravery to admit that you are not ok. You’ll realize that the sooner you admit this to yourself, the more open you are to asking for help and for prayers, and making steps towards the right direction.

It’s ok to prioritize yourself.

I don’t know where it started, the notion that prioritizing yourself is irresponsible and selfish. It’s not true.

A wise woman I look up to once told me something that blew my mind. She’s close to her 60s, very successful in her career, the breadwinner of her family, and managed to raise 3 beautiful children who now live successful and steady lives. People see her as a “superwoman”, and yet she admitted that one of her greatest regrets is that she didn’t take care of herself enough.

She told me that as a wife and mother, my list of priorities should look like this:

  1. Relationship with God
  2. Relationship with husband
  3. Relationship with children
  4. Taking care of myself
  5. Managing the household
  6. Everything else (extended family, career, friends, ministry)

What blew my mind really is the realization that wow, I’m actually allowed to prioritize myself?! I mean, my usual priority list skipped #4, as if it’s the last thing I should squeeze in my tight budget and schedule.

I never really looked at it this way; in fact, I often felt bad about thinking of my needs before my, say, ministries. It does make sense, to put yourself in your own priority list. After all, you cannot give what you do not have!

You can’t love others if your love tank is empty. And you can’t be strong for others if your strength is running low.

So whenever you’re feeling uninspired or burnt out, it’s probably time for some self-care. Get some beauty sleep. Read a book. Go to the parlor. Round up your trusted friends and ask for prayers. Separate your time for yourself from your time with your family. And don’t feel guilty doing so.

It’s ok to wander aimlessly.

I spent a lot of time wandering around, reading blogs, finishing a book, listening to music, watching TV—wasting time away, it seemed. It made me feel a bit guilty at first, not feeling productive with my time and not tackling on the things I was supposed to do. Soon enough, I stopped feeling bad about it. Instead, I became intentional about the blogs I read, the shows I watched and the music I listened to.

I was particularly drawn into creative channels that give me joy, stir my heart, point me to God’s Word, and inspire me to dream. I realized that time spent wandering resulted in my creative tank getting filled up again and getting me back on my feet. It was good.

It’s ok to talk to God about your struggles.

As someone who had human struggles that were far worse than we’ll ever have, He sure knows and understands our pain. So don’t be afraid, to be honest with Him, tell Him your frustrations, and ask Him questions. After all, He knows what’s in your heart, even more than you know yourself.

Sure we don’t hear His voice audibly like in Biblical times, but He does speak in ways that we can understand—through His word, the affirmation of people we trust, our own circumstances, and the still small voice inside our hearts. If you’re connected to His Word and through prayers daily, you won’t miss it.

So quiet yourself before Him and listen to what He has to say. He knows what you’re going through. And He knows the way out. You only have to take His lead.

Whatever challenges you have today, I pray that you will find comfort and assurance in these truths, just as I have. :)

God bless!