In this episode, I engage in a conversation with High School friends Arejay, Jade, Hannah, John, Jhong, Jelovy, Ian, and Barry. They explore personal milestones and dreams. The discussion delves into various aspirations, including financial freedom, career success, and peace of mind. The friends reflect on the balance between achievement and contentment, with an emphasis on individual paths and the significance of solving life's challenges to find genuine happiness. The conversation touches on the notion that while achieving goals is important, it's also vital to continuously seek purpose and satisfaction to avoid stagnation and to maintain excitement and growth in life.

Episode Highlights

"Real contentment or real happiness does not come from actually pursuing pleasures or fleeting things. It's more of actually solving the problems that apparently happen." - Mark Manson

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Website: www.desoncunado.com

The desire to travel while maintaining work commitments is a common aspiration, but achieving a harmonious balance can be challenging. This article discusses the ideal of working remotely while traveling and offers insights for a successful experience. It emphasizes the importance of traveling with fellow freelancers who understand the demands of remote work. Managing time effectively by setting work intervals interspersed with leisure breaks is highlighted, along with the need to stay vigilant about potential work opportunities even while enjoying a destination. The piece underscores the advantages of freelancing, including flexibility and mental well-being, compared to the corporate world's constraints. However, it also acknowledges the backend struggles of freelancing and suggests preparing through side projects while still employed. The author shares their personal journey of transitioning from corporate to freelance, outlining the sacrifices and dedication required to thrive. The narrative concludes by urging readers to seize even small online opportunities, underlining the transformative potential of venturing into freelancing.

Key Highlights:

"Embrace the liberating rhythm of freelancing – where you weave work and wanderlust into a symphony of self-discovery, but remember, amidst the allure lies a symphony of sacrifices, patience, and persistent efforts." - Deson

Connect with Deson

Instagram: @desoncunado

Facebook: @desoncunado

Linkedin: @desoncunado

Website: www.desoncunado.com

In this podcast episode, Rey Jade, a former elementary school teacher from the Philippines, discusses his upcoming move to the United States to teach high school students with special educational needs. Rey Jade shares his excitement about this new opportunity and the challenges he anticipates, such as adjusting to a different culture and teaching environment. He talks about the process of applying for the job and the financial and emotional preparations he's had to make. Rey Jade also discusses the importance of family support and his desire to give back to his parents who have always been there for him. He touches on the difficulty of leaving familiar places and routines, especially spending time with family and friends, but emphasizes the importance of sacrifice and pursuing dreams. Rey Jade's strong dedication to his family and passion for teaching shine through in his words, offering advice to aspiring teachers looking to make a similar journey.

Keypoints

“Leaving behind the familiar is daunting, but it's through sacrifice that we carve our path to fulfill our dreams and give back to those who believed in us." - Rey Jade

Connect with Deson

Instagram: @desoncunado

Facebook: @desoncunado

Linkedin: @desoncunado

Website: www.desoncunado.com

In August 2015, armed with a mere 5 pesos, I embarked on a mission to salvage my dire financial state. The search for hidden coins and a day of austerity made me confront past choices. This experience marked a turning point, leading me to reevaluate my life's trajectory from defying odds to secure education to plummeting due to reckless spending. This awakening prompted meticulous expense tracking and a recalibrated relationship with money, transforming into a lifelong commitment. I now emphasize seizing each day for personal growth and encourage others to make meaningful choices, aiming for success for themselves and their families.

Key points:

"Life is hard, we are not born with a silver spoon, but we have to fight for it, make good decisions, try doing big things and continue to win the life our parents failed to win. Be the first successful person in your family and give your family the life you all want."- Deson

Connect with Deson

Instagram: @desoncunado

Facebook: @desoncunado

Linkedin: @desoncunado

Website: www.desoncunado.com

This is the second part of our conversation, if you haven’t listed to part 1, check back episode 18.

In this episode, Mimi shares a story about getting fired by her first client and the challenges she faced in managing her time as a single mother. She discusses the skills she offers as a freelancer, including executive assistance, client management, email and calendar management, invoicing, and more. Mimi also talks about her love for hiking and how it has helped her find balance and adventure in her life. She advises aspiring freelancers to constantly learn and upscale their skills, stay active in communities, and strive to increase their value in the market. Lastly, she shares her desire to help and inspire others in their freelance journey. Tune in to this episode for an insightful conversation about freelancing, personal growth, and overcoming challenges.

Episode highlights:

"Be sure of yourself. Take your time to teach yourself to do things as a freelancer. Learn a lot. Don't be stagnant even if you're a freelancer. You need to step up your game so that your hourly rate goes up. You need to upscale your level and make yourself worth more than what you are right now in the future.” - Mimi

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Instagram

Upwork Profile

Online Jobs PH Profile

Hubstaff Talent Profile

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In this episode, the importance of self-promotion and effective entrepreneurship in the digital age is explored. The journey of thriving as an entrepreneur begins with a cycle of "Learn > Sell > Manage." Learning involves honing one's skills and even skill hopping to find a passion. Once confident in a skill, the focus shifts to selling it and oneself, emphasizing the creation of a positive client experience and leveraging freelance platforms. The first client can be challenging to secure, but referrals can multiply opportunities. The management phase entails maintaining high-quality service and considering outsourcing to manage increasing demands. With dedication and the right approach, individuals can not only survive but also thrive in the world of entrepreneurship.

Keypoints

"Skills won’t matter if you don’t know how to sell them. Offering your skills with a price is the next challenge you have to deal with. Having skills alone will not help you thrive in the world of entrepreneurship because you can only use them if the opportunity comes in. If you have lots of opportunities coming your way, then there is no need to sell yourself, but bear in mind that if no one knows you yet, then opportunities might not come." - Deson

Connect with Deson

Instagram: @desoncunado

Facebook: @desoncunado

Linkedin: @desoncunado

Website: www.desoncunado.com

In this episode of the Unlocking Milestones podcast,I interviewed Brenda (aka Mimi), a single mother and freelancer. Brenda shares her journey of not completing her criminology degree due to unexpected motherhood, dashing her dream of joining the military. She discusses the challenges she faced, including working in a call center and later becoming an online English tutor. Brenda reflects on the difficulties of multitasking and the valuable skills she gained from these experiences. Despite the setbacks, she remains resilient and determined to create a better life for herself and her children.

Highlights:

"I just needed to survive... I just needed to get a job because I don't want to go to school. I don't have any drive at all. So what I did was I applied... as an online English teacher." - Mimi

Connect with Mimi

Facebook 

Instagram

Upwork Profile

Online Jobs PH Profile

Hubstaff Talent Profile

Connect with Deson

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

Upwork Profile

In this episode, I reflected on the experience of losing clients and shared valuable insights on how to effectively deal with such situations. From understanding the reasons behind client departures to maintaining professionalism and fostering growth, this episode offers practical advice for freelancers and contractors in managing client relationships.

Highlights:

Connect with Deson

Instagram: @desoncunado

Facebook: @desoncunado

Linkedin: @desoncunado

Website: www.desoncunado.com

This part 2 conversation with Renzo is about freelancing and building a team of virtual assistants (VAs). Renzo discusses how they pay their VAs, which is a fixed setup based on a percentage of their earnings. He emphasized the importance of providing support and being available to their VAs when needed. He also mentions the benefits they offer to their VAs, such as accompanying them on travels and treating them well. He talk about the learning process and knowledge sharing between themselves and their VAs. Renzo conducts free webinars and mentoring sessions to help others learn about freelancing and acquiring clients. He express their goal of helping others achieve financial stability. The conversation touches on Renzo's experience of facing a difficult period in his life but overcoming it through goal-setting and perseverance. He have been freelancing for three years and have achieved milestones such as building an agency, owning properties, and starting a water filling station business. His next goals include acquiring more properties, expanding their businesses, and helping more VAs. Renzo advises those struggling with managing their finances to focus on discipline, set goals, and have backup plans. He stress the importance of mindset and filtering advice from others.

Episode Highlights

"I always tell this to myself that it's not the whole year in my whole entire life. I can experience this. I know that there's something that I have to learn from this. I always ask myself and as an add piece of advice where necessary, I always ask him, what happened. Why is this happening? But of course, everything I've learned from it. So whenever there's always really struggle and challenges in life in every situation. That's why you get that success because of those struggles." - Renzo

In this episode of the Unlocking Milestones Podcast, I dive into a heartfelt exploration of self-discovery and embracing one's true identity. With the backdrop of Pride Month, I openly shares my personal journey as a member of the LGBT community. From coming out to my best friend, now my boyfriend, to publically revealing my sexuality to friends and family, I discuss the challenges, fears, and eventual triumphs I have experienced in accepting and expressing my authentic self. I emphasized the importance of self-acceptance, understanding, and taking one's time in the process. Join me as I celebrate the power of being true to oneself and encourages you to find your own path of self-expression.

Episode Highlights: