It was March 26–incidentally, my Dad‘s death anniversary–a date which, for the past 4 years since he passed away, I’ve made a point to devote to a special cause. Gianna couldn’t possibly have an idea of that little detail, hence there was no doubt in my heart that it was God who caused everything that lead me to that day.

And what a day it was, indeed. You see, it’s one thing seeing Gianna Fair Trade’s products in the website, it’s another thing being right in the heart of its mission. There I was in what they call their office-slash-production-site somewhere in an urban poor community along Boni Avenue, in awe of all the labor of love and women empowerment happening in such a small space!

And I got to do what I enjoy most–capture moments in photographs! (:

Nanay Norma showed us how she makes ipad cases out of recycled billboards/tarps.
Know more about Nanay Norma here. (Oh, and yes, that’s Gianna right there.)

Nanay Lorilai showed us a sample of her masterpiece, a backpack, also made of recycled tarp.
Know more about Nanay Lorilai here.

Filipino women artisans of Gianna

Meet Dahlia and her newborn Archie. A young mother at age 20, her dreams mostly revolve around the future of her son. Know more about Dahlia here.

Gianna Fair Trade’s mission is to empower underprivileged women artisans from developing countries through education and sustainable commerce, giving these women a better chance at providing for their family and their kids, and ultimately in reaching their dreams.

As Gianna talked to the mothers about a plethora of topics–from raising kids, to Filipino values, to new product ideas, to quality control–I could only imagine how hard these women work in hopes of making a difference in the lives of their children, their families, and their community. Each one of these mothers has a story to tell, and Gianna makes sure that building relationships with them is a priority.

Gianna’s dream of helping these women chase their dreams hits close to home and fits right into my bucket list. I’m more than honored to be part of such a worthy cause, and would like to invite you (if, for whatever reason, you find yourself on this page) to contribute also to these women’s dreams. Message me or email me at riz [at] chasingdreams.net to know how. (:

I did write a birthday blog two weeks ago, but I posted it on a more discrete place, and well, maybe I’ll link back to it next year when I’m ready. Right now I just want an excuse to post these photos, hee.

I guess what set this year apart from the other birthdays was, this time, I wanted to lie low on the celebrations. And yes, contrary to the photos you’re seeing, I really did plan on just having a quiet day at home where I can work and contemplate on the past 27 years of my life (srsly), my only wish being that baby Isaac spent the day with me. But then my Mom, being the mother that she is (why thank you, mother!), couldn’t stop herself from preparing a surprise (and quick) birthday lunch for me, before she went out-of-town with some of our balikbayan relatives. Other highlights include dinner with Kuya Nate, Ate Imy & Isaac, the usual after-dinner coffee with Xai & Ivy, a bouquet of balloons delivered by Mark the latte boy, a pair of Nike slippers from my New Yorker cousin, a happy birthday serenade via Skype, and a humiliating photo album posted by Kuya Nikos in Facebook.

I can’t think of anything else I haven’t said already in my past birthdays, about growing one year older, leaving the past behind, being thankful for what you have, and how, when you turn a certain age, it would feel like your life is never going to be the same again. (Reading my old birthday posts, I find it funny now how I would say those very words every year!)

But ahh, a word to those who are turning 27, just.. keep it cool. When you reach this age, you will feel all sorts of pressure. See, your age is closer to 30 now, and if you’re like me who still doesn’t have a kid at this age, everyone will keep reminding you of your biological clock. Be ready to answer questions like, ‘when are you getting married?’ or ‘do you have a boyfriend?’, or ‘what are you waiting for?’, you’ll encounter lots of those on a daily basis. Prepare a standard answer, practice your smile. Keep your composure, there’s no need to feel anxious.

By this time you would have experienced how it’s like to have your heart broken, found success (or failure) in your career, enjoyed your independence, made countless of mistakes. That’s fine, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger, we often hear and say. At 27, you will always find yourself drawing strength from your past experiences and realizing that with God’s grace, you have, indeed, become a better person.

Sure, you will have to make decisions that will alter your life forever, but what I’ve come to realize is, whatever choice you make, or wherever God places you when you turn 27, you will be okay. Whether you choose to pursue your career, or settle down and start a family (or whether you’re already raising a family!), know that not one choice is better than the other. You will do fine, either way. And God.. God will remain faithful no matter what, you’ll just have to keep trusting and believing that He’s got the rest of your life in His hands.

I’m still doing Internet Marketing and SEO (and no, please don’t ask me what that is), only this time, I’m doing it home-based. After my two-year stint with US Auto Parts (USAP) as part of their Search Engine Marketing team, and, give-or-take four years doing Internet Marketing both full-time and freelance, I decided to take the leap and do things my own way.

And just for the record, since we’re at it, my work experience with USAP was nothing short of awesome. They were kind to me, gave me my biggest break, sent me to New York for training, and trusted me with responsibilities I would never entrust myself. It is there in USAP (and under Marc‘s mentorship) where I was able to envision how I’d like my future to be like, and how to do it. I wouldn’t even know half of what I know about the industry I’m now in if not for the opportunity to pick Marc’s brains (heh) and to work with the best marketing team in the world. It’s the best training ground for those who want to take Internet Marketing seriously, if I do say so myself. At one point I really thought I was going to stay there for good because I loved the people and my job there. Resigning was not in the original plan, but I guess I was able to resign because, admittedly, they were able to equip me enough to take on the next chapter of my career.

Which brings us to now, and this work-from-home status. I’ve been doing this for the past 5 months, and here’s some of the things about working from home that you might want to be aware of, before you start taking the leap yourself.

THE PROS.

No more 8:00-5:00 work-days.

This is probably one of the major factors why I decided to try working from home. At one point being a corporate slave, I have developed some form of insomnia that made it so hard to wake up in the morning, and, even if I was able to drag my feet to the office, my entire morning would still be spent doing my job in a trance. Mornings were not productive. Afternoons were spent cramming on things I should’ve finished earlier. You get the drift. And I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that the 8-5 schedule is really bound to get monotonous and draining, especially for people (like me) who have varied interests.

Now, I can start my day anytime I want. I know it’s not healthy, but my most favorite time to work is still at way past midnight, when it’s quiet and no one’s bugging me on YM. More so, I can take long breaks in between and just make up for the lost hours anytime within the day.

Work from anywhere.

Every Monday, I’d take my laptop to our church’s Youth Center, and sit in a quiet corner to get some work done. Last month, I was in Tagaytay, and then in Cebu, and I can go to these places and still get my work done without going through the torture of filing Leave forms and/or asking permission from my boss. Once in a while, I would hang out in a coffee shop when I’m starting to get sick of my home office. Often, I would take my laptop to bed and work there.

In the next few months, I’m hoping to take on short trips to places in Asia, and maybe a long trip to Sydney before the year ends. And I love not having to worry about leaving my work behind (and not getting paid). I can work literally anywhere, and somehow, the regular changes in environment stimulate my mind even more, increasing my output and allowing me to be more productive.

More time to do things I love.

Related to having a flexible schedule, now I can practice my photography, involve in church activities more, blog/write more, read books, engage in possible business opportunities, travel, cook (or at least learn to).

Photography is impossible to do when you have an 8-5 job, unless maybe you want to specialize in taking photos of staplers and ballpens and computers (ugh). Taking photographs with natural daylight is the most awesome thing; I say, you’re missing a lot on daytime and sunlight when you’re confined to the four walls of your office within the day, leaving only when it’s already dark.

Oh, and cook! I have a pretty nice kitchen in my unit, and I’m glad to be able to just take a break, hop to the kitchen from my desk and cook something. I’m no Rachael Ray, but I really enjoy my own Martha Moments. ;)

& CONS.

The workload is the same, if not heavier.

Because I work everywhere and in my own time, people would often mistaken it as not doing anything at all. Family and friends would expect me to be present in family gatherings, trips, church activities, etc, all the time, as if I’m a bum and don’t have a job. The thing with this set-up is, while it allows me to do other things within the day and start working in my own pace and time, the workload is still somewhat the same, if not heavier. At the end of the day, I have to deliver the same (or even more) amount of work as, say, when I was still in USAP. Hence I have to work in the wee hours of the morning, finishing stuff I wasn’t able to do because I was doing other things during the day. When I was in Tagaytay and Cebu, I had to excuse myself to get some work done in between swimming and chatting with cousins, etc. You see, I’m still doing this full-time (not part-time or freelance), except that I’m home-based.

One-man show.

One thing I really miss about the corporate set-up is having to brush elbows with the most awesome professionals in this field, the regular coffee breaks with real people, the face-to-face meetings (not just YM conferences), and blurting random thoughts to Maia, who I used to share a cubicle with. Sometimes, an entire day would pass by without being able to have an interaction with a human being, save for twits, YMs, and FB chats.

I do, however, have virtual workmates, a client who would bug me on YM every now and then to get updates on my tasks, including a team here in Manila who’s doing the work with me on a freelance basis. Simple tasks delegated to them are often delayed though, because they’re only doing it freelance, and that’s another thing I have to deal with. Not that I’m complaining. However frustrating sometimes, it’s one of the things I expected to encounter when I took this job anyway. Besides, my autistic, anti-social self somehow enjoys working alone. :)

Delayed remittances, taxes, admin-related stuff.

While most people would wait for the 15th and the 30th of the month to get their salaries, those dates do not mean anything to me. Managing my finances is something I have to master, (ohhh and am failing at, lol) since money does not come like clockwork. I have to file my own taxes as well, and SSS, etc — oh the pain. I do not have a health card also, hence, I have to pay for my own medicines and trips to the hospital. I have to personally work on getting my ITR if I want to apply for a car loan, or a credit card, etc. The paperwork part sucks.

STILL, IT’S AWESOME.

There are a lot of pains to working at home, however, I cannot imagine myself doing anything else at this point in my life. Of course we can always find something wrong about everything, but one has to prioritize what you acknowledge to be most important in your life. To some, it’s stability and getting semi-monthly paychecks on time, or the training that comes with working with a team, for which they have to endure the pains of a corporate set-up. To others, it’s having the freedom to do things at their own pace and time, and to venture in business opportunities where they can be their own boss, for which they have to take the leap and find clients that would hire them to do home-based work.

For me, I recognize that this where God wants me to be right now, and so far, I’m loving it, for all the reasons stated above.

30 Days of Awesome, 20/30.