Since it’s mother’s day, I’ll share with you how I started my WAHM (work-at-home-mom) journey.
Before I left my job in May 2014 (6 years ago), I was a trainer in a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company. It was my first and last company and I worked there for 7 years.
Actually, I had no plans of leaving the company until I had a baby.
Two months after I gave birth to Macey, I went back to work – the work that I used to love and enjoy doing during the past seven years.
However, something changed and I got demotivated at work. Many times, I’d find myself crying in the bathroom. I felt so lonely and guilty that I was away from my baby. I dreaded leaving the house to go to work because that meant my baby would spend the entire day with her yaya (instead of me).
I felt jealous. I felt anxious. I felt depressed.
Some of my mommy friends told me that it might just be a post-partum kind of depression. They said it’s normal and it’ll go away soon.
But it got worse. The moment I say goodbye to my baby before I left for work, I’d start crying until I get to the office. At the office, I’d suddenly burst into tears when I thought of my baby. I felt like I was being haunted by the thought that I was not a good mother.
I didn’t tell my husband about what I was going through until I couldn’t handle it anymore.
When I told him I wanted to resign, he was shocked and asked why. He understood my situation but we were both scared to take the risk because we didn’t know how we could sustain our family expenses with only one income.
I stayed for another month in the company while we were mulling over our plans until I got firm with my decision to resign.
After I have successfully supported myself and all my three siblings in college with my income during the last 7 years, I thought how could we not survive having a baby when my husband still has an income?
Plus, I know to myself, that I will not be solely dependent on him. I knew from the start that I can also earn from home even if (at that time) I had no idea how it was possible.
So on May 15, 2014, exactly on my 7th anniversary with the company, I resigned from my job.
It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made so far, but I’m grateful I did and I’ve been working from home since then.
What Did I Do After I Resigned?
I spent the next few days caring for my baby. I realized how tiring it was to be a full-time mom. It was way more tiring and exhausting than my previous job, but it is more fulfilling and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Since I promised my husband that I will do my best to still be productive while I was a stay-at-home-mom, I started searching for opportunities online.
I’m glad I invested in educating myself first by attending workshops and seminars before I took any work-at-home opportunities.
WAHM 101: How to be a Work at Home Mom – June 28, 2014
This was the very first seminar that I attended after I left my job.
This workshop was facilitated by Martine De Luna of the WAHMderful Life Community and was organized by Manila Workshops (which I later became a part of).
During the workshop, the speakers shared tips on how to transition from being a “working girl” to being a WAHM or Work-At-Home-Mom.
We had an activity where we discussed why we wanted to be a WAHM and what we intend to do as WAHMs.
Marge Aberasturi of TheHappyWahm.com, joined our group during the activity and she shared her WAHM story with us.
There was also an Interactive Panel Discussion entitled, “Are you Ready for the WAHM Lifestyle?” with Louisa Mercado, Hana Pangan, and Sammy Tan as panelists, and they shared:
- Their personal WAHM Stories
- Time & Home Management Tips
- Stress Management
- WAHM Home Office / Workspace
- Online Profiles / Portfolios, and
- Job Opportunities for WAHMs
I’m very grateful that I attended this workshop because it opened my eyes to opportunities that I’ve never imagined I would do in the weeks and months that followed.
Martine and Marge were the first two WAHMs who inspired me to be a WAHM.
I liked what Marge said that our blog is like our online CV or resume. It tells our prospective clients about who we are, what we do, and what we are capable of. Instead of us looking for clients, having a blog will lead clients to us.
When I learned that most of the WAHMs at the event have their own blogs, I was motivated to build my own blog too.
I had no idea how to build a blog, but after spending several hours watching tutorials on YouTube, I finally created my first blog, the PinayInvestor.com.
To get more ideas about wahming and to connect with other WAHMs, I also attended the 4 Mastermind Sessions after the WAHM workshop.
WAHM Mastermind Session 1 – July 26, 2014
The first Mastermind Session was “How to have the heart of a WAHM” by Martine De Luna.
She shared various tips on how to make a living while making a home and the different opportunities in blogging.
WAHM Mastermind Session 2 – August 30, 2015
The second Mastermind Session was “Homebased Business Ideas Brainstorm” by Ginger Arboleda.
She emphasized the importance of self-discovery and understanding the “YOU” brand. This was the first time I heard Ginger talked and I was really inspired.
WAHM Mastermind Session 3 – September 27, 2014
The third Mastermind Session was “How to Make a Business Plan” by Ginger Arboleda.
She explained the importance of having a business plan and she taught us how to make one which we can apply in our own business.
WAHM Mastermind Session 4 – October 4, 2015
The fourth Mastermind Session was “Marketing Strategies for WAHMs” by Marge Aberasturi.
Aside from the marketing strategies that she shared with us, she also gave us ideas on how and where to find WAHM opportunities online like Virtual Assistance and Blogging.
I also went to the Work-At-Home Weekend Expo on October 25, 2014, but I didn’t get the chance to listen to the premium talks because I had other plans that day.
I am grateful that I attended the WAHM workshop and Mastermind sessions because it opened new opportunities for me.
I learned valuable lessons from the speakers and fellow WAHMs and I met new friends in the WAHM community who are very supportive of new WAHMs like me.
I Became a Blogger
Since I created my blog in July 2014, I started sharing my experiences in personal finance as the Pinay Investor.
I Became an Event Director
After I attended the WAHM workshop sessions, Ginger Arboleda of MommyGinger.com, who’s also the owner of Manila Workshops, offered me an opportunity to become an Event Director.
Since I was into Personal Finance, she let me handle finance and business related workshops, seminars and events.
I worked with personal finance experts such as Marvin Germo, Fitz Villafuerte of ReadyToBeRich blog, Angat Pilipinas, and more.
Not only did I learn new skills in organizing events but I also increased my knowledge in Personal Finance with the help of the people I have worked with.
I Became a COO and Co-Owner of Manila Workshops
After a year of working as an Event Director for Manila Workshops in 2015, Ginger offered me the opportunity to be the COO or Chief Operations Officer and Co-Owner of the company.
I served as COO from 2016 to 2017. I met with various clients, launched different projects, and managed our team of Event Directors.
I also got the opportunity to conduct my own workshops on How to Start a Home-based Blogging Career. I felt so grateful that I am now sharing my own story on how I started working from home and how I became a blogger.
I had a total of 10 sessions from June 2016 to June 2017 with at least 25 attendees per session.
It was a collaboration project between me and my fellow WAHM, Jane Maghanoy, who is an expert in Virtual Assistance.
I’m grateful to Ginger Arboleda, my boss, who also became a good friend of mine, for trusting and believing in me, and for the opportunities that she has given me while I was with Manila Workshops.
I’m Blogging and Building my Brand
In 2018, after working for Manila Workshops for three years, I decided to leave the company to focus on blogging and building my own online business.
I launched various blogs and YT channels in various niches.
I still maintain my blogs and channels, but this year, I commit to focus on building my brand as The Pinay Investor.
With this brand, I intend to blog about personal finance and personal development.
Unlike my other blogs, I’ll be more personal with this blog by sharing some of my personal stories and experiences, and connect with my audience as “myself” (not another anonymous blogger like what I used to do with my other sites).
I feel that I have a story to tell and I believe God gave me this platform to share it.
So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully. – Romans 12:6-8