Yo !

Over the weekend I attended the Take Off Summit, a two-day event designed for Filipino entrepreneurs. While soaking in KNAWLEDGE from various industry leaders and networking with fellow entrepreneurs, one speaker particularly stood out - John Pagulayan.

And you most likely know him (for sure).

For those who might not be familiar with him though, John (also known as "JTL" or John the Legend) has become one of the most respected voices in Filipino freelancing. As the founder of The Freelance Movement Tribe (TFMT), he's built a community that teaches Filipino freelancers how to attract high-paying clients without relying on traditional platforms like Upwork or OLJ.

His expertise in email marketing and direct response copywriting has earned him international clients, but what truly sets him apart is his philosophy of value-based freelancing - teaching freelancers to position themselves as experts rather than just service providers.

He shared his practical guide to making success inevitable.

But here's what makes John's story particularly powerful:

He wasn't always this confident nor successful.

Seeing John on stage now, with his string of achievements and experiences, you'd find it hard to believe that not too long ago.. he was a beginner too, and just as lost and confused.

I'm reminded of a story he shared years ago, not from any stage, but during intimate group gatherings. 

And It's a story very much worth sharing with you, . ^_^

It starts even before John Pagulayan ever became a freelancer.

Before the Freelance Movement Tribe. Before the mission to have freelancing spoken in the same breath as doctors, lawyers, and engineers.

It was during his BPO days, more than a decade ago.

He recounted how he used to be a C-player CALL CENNER agent who didn't care about what people said, as long as he got paid every 15th and 30th of the month.

He started by sharing that all the bottom-level agents in their office were pooled to be under the leadership of someone that management wanted to be fired.

They were looking for something to pin on that person, by giving him a team of bottom-rung agents.

That bothered John so much because his performance at work would be used as a basis to dismantle the career of a person he didn't even know.

However, his journey takes on a different course when their new TL, Ralph, called them to their first meeting.

The next few sentences changed the course of his life.

If you think about it, all of ours lives in turn:

Siguro naman alam nyo na kung bakit nandito kayo. Hanggang dito na lang ba tayo?

Papayag ba tayo?

It was at that moment that he realized the power of words. How those words affected him and his whole group of non-performers.

The impact was so great that from being the least-performing team, they became number one three months in a row. It got so humiliating for management that they stopped giving out awards after that.

John went on to being promoted to trainer, and it enabled him to explore freelancing after office hours (while still being allowed to stay in the office to use the internet), and ultimately strike out on his own.

He had to cultivate habits, skills, character, and the mindset that would eventually take him to where he is now.

Nobody reaches their goals with one, single, breakthrough, no matter how much of a game changer it is (just like John's case.)

We still have to do the work.

We work toward what we want a little bit each day. And with time and consistency, we can achieve almost anything.

And if time measures our success, we should start thinking about the daily habits in our lives.

Everyone who ever was successful knows this.

From old school Aristotle who said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ”

to Marie Forleo who says "Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently."

and James Clear (I reference him a lot because his book is on my shelf hehe) who says, "I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started."

Even Bruce Lee chimes in "Long term consistency trumps short term intensity."

Have they convinced you yet?

We all have daily rituals we go through without thinking.

Eating food, checking our emails, social media, Netflix, being angry at the government ON social media (lol ako ata yun), and finally as a last resort.. going to work.

But being mindful of daily rituals that help us progress is essential for us freelancers, and we could all benefit from intentionally evolving our habits.

Whether you allot a daily time to read, brainstorm, do outreach, meditate, being accountable to your promises, try doing something extra each day that moves you toward your goals.

What habits have improved your productivity? Email back and let me know, I’d love to share them with everyone.

Siguro naman alam mo na kung bakit ka nandito. Papayag ba tayo?

That’s all I have for today,

Shoden “syempre papalag tayo” San

PS Now again, in the rare case you didn't already know, John is doing an exclusive LIVE WEBINAR where he'll spill the beans on how to build a premium freelancing business.

I know you're probably already aware, so I'd really really love for you to share this link with your friends who aren't in the tribe yet.

Here’s what they'll learn:

- Attract Premium Clients: Even if your portfolio looks like an empty fridge, we’ll show you how to be the freelancer everyone wants to work with. Yown!

- Steady Income without Hustle: Say goodbye to job board anxiety and hello to predictable income—sans the endless hustle. We’ve got a proven framework just for that!

- Work Less, Earn More: Yes, it’s possible! You’ll learn how to focus on projects that align with your goals and pay you what you deserve. 💪

Make sure to have your friend enter their email for the full details of when it will drop (hint: it's happening very very soon.) This is their chance to break free from the grind and step into a freelancing world that can actually help people Work. Fun. Home.

here's the link for you to share uli --> https://tfmt.ph/tfm2025

Looking forward to seeing you and your friends there!

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends. This REALLY REALLY helps me a lot, thanks!