With the continuously developing systems involved in the internet space nowadays, there’s no point in denying that it’s raining freelance opportunities everywhere.
From doing corporate jobs in an office, lots of people are now transitioning into sitting at the comforts of their home, diving into the freelance world at present.
However, freelancing isn’t actually as easy as it sounds. It can be challenging to a certain extent, especially with all the things you need to achieve on a personal level.
How can we grow as a freelancer without having to sacrifice our own life, our own self?
Be in for a treat as we answer that question in today’s episode.
Harrah Amago is the CEO and founder of HGA International Digital Marketing Services and Elite Media Success Academy. She was a chemist turned into a Freelance Social Media Strategist, a corporate dropout who left her manager-level job to be a full-time freelancer as she loves to serve, empower, and motivate service providers. Harrah is a mom of 2 beautiful children.
In this episode, Harrah shares her journey from being a chemist to becoming a top-rated Social Media Manager in Upwork. Here, she mentions the challenges she encountered, from being a mom of two and diving into the freelance world without a mentor, and how she was able to go on, despite the difficulties she has experienced.
“Medyo mahirap talaga siya sa simula. Tiyaga lang and disiplina. If you have your why’s and your goals, ‘yon ‘yong lagi mong i-post sa wall mo para maging inspiration mo sila to go on. Hindi siya madali talaga. May times na you’d want to give up. Pero if you choose to still stay strong, marami ka pang maaachieve.” – Harrah Amago
What you’ll learn from this episode:
- Understand how important patience and discipline are in doing freelancing;
- Know the power of having mentors as you start your freelance journey; and
- Find out how you can transition from being a mom of your kids to becoming a top-rated freelancer in the freelancing world
Topics Covered:
11:13 – Harrah Amago has an entrepreneurial mind even at a young age
13:38 – The story behind Harrah’s Chemistry degree
14:51 – How Harrah ended up becoming a Social Media Manager as she started freelancing in Upwork
17:44 – Harrah’s experience with her first client after two months of trying to close a deal
18:57 – A message for those who are looking for their first client in the freelancing world
20:06 – Where Harrah got the confidence to talk to a lot of prospects
22:33 – The struggles Harrah went through for having corporate and freelance jobs at the same time
24:37 – How she dealt with the feeling of not being as capable as the others
25:32 – Discipline as the key factor on how Harrah was able to deal with her responsibilities
27:56 – Tips for moms who are also doing freelancing: Practice delegation of tasks
31:34 – How the Elite Media Success Academy started and later on grew with now 500+ members
34:25 – The things Harrah does to keep the momentum of her community members
35:42 – The difference between Harrah’s activities in her free and private groups
38:54 – Tips for freelance newbies who are not yet capable of paying for mentors
40:59 – Talking about the challenges that come with helping her community members grow
44:05 – How her four mentors at present help her, especially through their variety of skill set
46:04 – The importance of mentors based on Harrah’s experience
48:10 – What are the biggest wins for Harrah since she started freelancing?
49:43 – Harrah’s definition of success
51:09 – Harrah’s advice for moms like her who wants to transition into doing freelancing
53:18 – TikTok as a good platform for creating contents about the business
58:28 – Aside from being an SMM, Harrah also enjoys attending dance classes and watching Korean dramas
59:57 – Connect with Harrah Amago and enroll in the next batch of coaching
1:02:00 – Harrah’s parting advice: “Tiyaga lang and disiplina.”
Key Takeaways:
“Talagang mahirap siya sa umpisa, when you are finding your first client. Habaan ang patience. Sa una lang talaga siya mahirap, pero once na maka-close ka na ng one or two clients, for sure, magdidire-diretso na siya.” – Harrah Amago
“Delegation talaga will really grow your business.” – Harrah Amago
“Noong nakahanap ako ng client, wala talaga akong mentor. They have to accept to start small. If ever meron silang nakikitang free resources na nabibigay ng mga gusto nilang mentors, ‘yon muna po ang i-consume nila kung wala pa silang budget. Then, they can also close low-paying clients muna hanggang sa doon na rin ma-develop ‘yong skills nila.” – Harrah Amago
“Very important ‘yong may mentor or guide ka. Last year, when I was building my agency, wala akong kinuhang mentor for my agency, so last year, I was so burnt out sa side ng agency ko na may time na gusto ko na sumuko, na ayoko na ng agency. Pero noong nag-hire naman ako ng mentor, medyo naging smooth na. ‘Yon ‘yong naka-help talaga sa akin.” – Harrah Amago
“Sa araw-araw na ginagawa mo for a particular day, kapag na-imagine mo kung ano ‘yong gusto mong gawin, kung gusto mo four hours ka lang nagwo-work and still you earn that kind of amount, or hindi man ganun kalaki ‘yong amount pero nagagawa mo ‘yong mga gusto mo, ‘yong passion mo, for me, that’s still a success. Hindi naman porket you’re earning this kind of big amount, successful ka na.” – Harrah Amago
“Always give value talaga when it comes to creating content. ‘Yon ‘yong isa na magpapa-grow sa account mo.” – Harrah Amago
Connect with Harrah Amago:
