Yo Work Fun Home Fam,

Ah, Facebook Memories, why do you keep reminding me mas exciting yung life ko 12 years ago?! 

Ouch. 

Oo na. I said yes to more things spontaneously dati. 

Kunwari hindi nanginginig ang tuhod at 664 MASL

This photo is from a trip I had with my college orgmates to Mt. Pico de Loro.  

I came from my BPO graveyard shift, walang tulog at tubig for almost 30 hours, and had the WRONG backpack for the whole trip. (Naka-laptop backpack ako without back support, walang sternum and compression straps, hip belts or anything that stopped the bag from sliding all over my back)

Loaded pa ng mineral water which I had to hold by hand, so I was slipping all over the place. 

Daming palusot mo CoaSH! hehehe

Pero grabe, ang ganda don! Super breathtaking.

But the experience was marred by my zero level of fitness and zero knowledge of hiking/mountaineering. (You'd think na lalakad ka lang no? You'd be wrong.)

Kahit sobrang amazing ng place at yung camping trip, I was in pain and sore all over. Even weeks later. 

Me arriving at base camp 3 hours late. 

It reminded me of an important lesson that applies to our freelancing business din. 

You see, the more hiking trips I took, the more I was able to appreciate the beauty of nature. I'm not huffing and puffing or super sore na the next day. I can soak in the views and take lots of IG-worthy pics!

Joke lang same trip pa din yan, panggap lang ako na hindi masakit

But you get my point.

Fast forward sa future trips, I got to enjoy the act of hiking and camping better. 

It's because my fitness level has gone up.

The same muscles I use to scramble up rocks and trails get stronger each time. The more you hike, the easier it gets. 

And the easier it gets, the more fun you have with the activity.

So for the person who sent this in as a reply: 

That's okay, we'll keep trying to reframe your thinking and maybe there's something that will finally click for you.

Here’s an analogy you can use, even if you struggle with how to get started, even if you know what you want and what to do pero di pa din gumagana yung attempts mo.

Think of your freelancing business and prospecting like hiking, and you celebrate your wins along the way.

You don't have the whole world on your shoulders agad. You know what to do nga, and you know what you want -- overwhelmed ka naman.

Kaya na stuck tayo.

So I literally want you to think of it in STEPS.

As in footsteps up a mountain, na may mga different difficulty level.

Would you go straight to Mt. Everest?

Nope. Nope. Nope.

You'd likely die.

At least 322 people died trying, since 1922.

That's around 4 people each year.

And experienced na yan sila ha.

So you start training by walking and getting cardio and also walking on flat roads with a backpack.

Before you can even go mountaineering, you need to know how to hike first.

Prospecting for new clients is a lot like hiking.  

In the beginning, it's tiring and even painful - rejection after rejection, email after email with no luck. You're nervous and out of breath the whole time! 

But the more you do it, the more prospecting becomes second nature. 

You learn what works and what doesn't. You find your style and rhythm. Suddenly, prospecting feels fun and energizing.

When you're fit for prospecting, you can relax and appreciate the process. 

Instead of being anxious and desperate, you feel fulfilled helping people solve problems. You admire the view of all the opportunities around you.

E pano tayo magiging fit para sa prospecting CoaSH?

Well, we train consistently and keep slowly pushing our limits. 

Start small with daily prospecting exercises first. You can start with how to properly do your research in qualifying your leads, and building that lead list. 

Once we have more stamina, we can tackle bigger “mountains” like how to do relationship maintenance and follow-ups. HINT: Never use the words “I’d like to follow up”.  Take time to recover and don't overdo it. Celebrate every little win along the way.

Also, we get mentors who are already good at it to show us the way. 

Si Sir Judah, who was almost in his 50s at the time, fit as a mountain goat. Parang bumili lang ng suka sa tindahan, couldn't even be bothered to wear a jacket sa lamig.

Sa Cold Outreach naman, you can’t get better people in the country than Mary and Bom. 

And sakto their course From Cold to Gold just opened, and it’s now even easier to get in with their 2-pay option. 

Check out the whole thing here

Remember, becoming a highly successful freelancer starts with doing prospecting right. 

And I’ll say this again until I’m hoarse in the throat, leads are the lifeblood of ANY and ALL businesses. 

Mess this part up, and YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS, hobby lang yan. 

So the fitter we get at prospecting, the more fun it becomes. 

Soon, we'll be scaling Mt. Everest effortlessly with a smile. 

Well, maybe not Mt. Everest, joke. chill ka lang.. hehehe 

Mt. Pulag na muna. 

Mejo chill sa sea of clouds ni Mt. Pulag at 2922 MASL 

So yon lang, the Cold to Gold Prospecting Course closes on Thursday, October 12th, and classes promptly start on Friday the 13th. (No relation to Freddie Krueger). 

So ayan, matanda ka naman na, hope you get to read this email in time and 

Check out the whole thing here.

Just in case you decide to jump in, use my name at checkout, it unlocks a secret bonus that you’ll love. 

That’s it from me today, 

Shoden “from Pico to Pulag” San

💡Need guidance and clarity on your own reinvention? I’m opening a few paid slots after several of you messaged me about getting some extra coaching outside of TFMT. Limited lang ito, and first come first served basis. I'm starting with clarity calls muna with a 90-day action plan. Learn more about it here.

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends and earn rewards worth $$!

☕️ Send Me Some Coffee. If you liked this particularly weird but hopefully informative and somewhat entertaining email, help me fuel my addiction to writing daily emails.

☠️ Too many emails from me? I totally understand the need to declutter your inbox. Haha ako nga nagsabi na mag-declutter ka e. I hope my tips have helped you work smarter as a freelancer. No hard feelings. Just click below (may maliit na link dyan na kulay grey hehe).