What seems an overnight success is a journey with its share of struggles and challenges.
There could be trial and error in freelancing before finally stumbling onto what works for you.
For some, they go by a leap of faith in the hope of landing a gig and making it big.
But really, arriving at your destination comes with timing and preparation.
Dennis Somook is a Digital Marketing strategist with a passion for innovation, technology, and online business improvement. Dennis is well-versed in Custom Website Design and Development, Personal Branding for Online Presence, Website Conversion optimization, and Website Lead Generation.
Herlene Somook is a Content Strategist for Women Empowerment Coaches, and she is well-versed in Digital Marketing, Web Design, Blogging, Content Marketing, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
This husband and wife team runs and manages their digital marketing business called Creative Labs PH.
In this episode, Herlene and Dennis share their struggles as they pursue freelancing on their own and how they overcome them. Later, as they decide to forge together a business partnership as a couple, a new challenge presents itself. And with each one having its strengths and weaknesses, let's see and learn how their dynamics work to their advantage.
What you will learn from this episode:
- Learn how to weigh between jumping into freelancing or learning as much as you can before finally getting started on it
- Find out how to define roles as you work together as a couple
- Discover tips and hacks on time management as you juggle with family and work as freelancers
"What I consider my NorthStar is that you have to learn something to offer a skill. You have to know something so you can help clients solve their problems. If you have the option, get a mentor right away. You don't have to wait for the time that you only have that 50/50 chance of survival before getting one." - Dennis Somook
Topics Covered:
13:38 - Herlene sharing how their entry into freelancing as a couple started
17:52 - Dennis relates how he grew up, what school activities he had that contributed to his entrepreneurial mindset now
22:01 - How Herlene's writing inclinations started and continuously honed
26:06 - Dennis giving a go at freelancing: what it feels like starting a new career
33:00 - Overcoming apprehension towards freelancing and ultimately finding a concrete solution to offer to clients
39:39 - Getting past the emotional trauma of losing a baby
42:45 - Surviving challenges in working as freelancers and business owners
48:44 - Defining roles in your business and maintaining respect for each other
53:19 - Advice to those wanting to transition to freelancing from corporate
55:31 - How Dennis' day looks like now that he is a freelancer and business owner
57:09 - What works for Herlene in terms of time management of both work and family
01:01:32 - What does success mean for them?
01:05:12 - Possible title they can think of if their lives were a movie or a series
01:09:24- What is Creative Lab PH?
Key Takeaways:
"If I can go back and fix something so that it won't be that much harder, I will make sure I am not jumping on it. I believe in transitioning slowly, doing freelancing on the side while still in the corporate. And learn as much as you can." - Dennis Somook
"While still in the corporate, use all your resources. Get courses, learn from the best and then start actually doing it. And when you start making money, that's when you decide to step out of the corporate world." - Dennis Somook
"Success is living life. You can exist, but you're not living. Living, for me, is this positive effect you have on yourself and people that you are serving." - Dennis Somook
"In all the things that we've been through, we learned that you need faith and action because you can never be happy when you're always looking for something else." - Herlene Somook
"Even when you already have a corner of success to yourself, you still need to go out and help others because that's how you constantly build yourself and keep blessings pouring in." - Herlene Somook
"Working as a team and being a couple is also about finding the middle ground. You have to respect your strengths and know your partner's weaknesses." - Herlene Somook
"Some say multitasking is not good, but you're a multitasker when you're a mother. It's all about creating systems, especially with non-negotiables." - Herlene Somook
"Success for me is about my kids. Resilience and grit that's what we want to pass on to them. It's not so much measured by money, but it's like, how I can make them be on their own when the time comes."- Herlene Somook
Connect with Dennis and Herlene Somook:
