Friday's Five: 5 Lessons My Ex-Bosses Taught Me

If there was one thing I was lucky with when I was still working in corporate, it was having great people as my bosses. Below are their words which made a significant impact in my life and something that I will always remember.

1. Never fall in love with your brand. -Joseph Charles Cruel (then Senior Product Manager at Universal Robina Corporation when he became my boss; current Assistant Vice President at Asia Brewery, Incorporated)

Chay, as he was fondly called, taught me to always use my mind when making decisions. Feelings would usually cloud one's perspective and can lead to biased output. Falling in love with your brands make you myopic; you might not be able to see its weaknesses or if there is something about it that you need to fix.

While it is imperative to take care of the brands you handle, falling in love with them might be counter-intuitive especially when situation heeds that you should already move on to handling bigger things.

2. Each of us has 24 hours in a day. The only difference is what you do with it. -Bong Serevo (Vice-President, Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc.)

If there was one thing that was notable with Sir Bong, it's that he is always punctual. He arrives at the office at 7AM which makes it hard for his subordinates to do otherwise. In my case, I have almost always been punctual. If I am not, those are rare occasions that probably got me into some kind of emergency. Or in few cases, I really intended to be late.

3. There will be times when you won't need to be kind. However, you need to be fair. -Alan Chng (then President of Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc.; current President of Canon Marketing Thailand)

Disciplining has always been a hard part for me. I have a soft heart. I acknowledge that as my weakness. However, my previous boss gave me a very good guideline which I follow in really tough occasions: just be fair. These words have helped me a lot in evaluating difficult situations and coming up with solutions in the most reasonable and fairest way possible.

4. You could do more by working less. -Lim Kok Hin (President, Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc.)

This is something that I struggled to understand at the beginning but the more Mr Lim talked about this tenet, the more that I appreciated its beauty. It is quite sad that I am only beginning to fully understand this philosophy now that I am out of Canon but I am glad that he was the one who introduced this to me first. The book I am reading now, The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss talks a lot about doing more yet working less and it is something that is currently blowing my mind :)

5. There will come a time when you have to choose between your career and your family. Always choose the latter. -Agnes Fernando (she was my direct superior as Assistant Director, Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc.)

This, by far, has been my guiding principle and I am forever thankful to Ms Agnes for giving me this kind of inspiration. Women always seem to be at a disadvantage in the corporate world. While there are many rising female CEOs, few of them would have families to take care of and juggling these two can be quite tough. In many cases, compromises are made because women get pregnant or need to attend to their kids. However, I believe that family should always come first. When you are good at what you do, work is a rubber ball that will bounce back but the years you lose watching your kids grow or nurturing your marriage can never be brought back again.

I hope you enjoyed my first edition of Friday's Five for 2015. How about you? What have you learned from your direct superiors? Share!!! :)

xx,
Balot

Read More

Friday's Five: 5 Things I Am Grateful For This 2014

As we end this year, I would like to deliver my last edition for #FridaysFive. As I look back on the past twelve months, I could say that so far, this has been my most "steady" year ever. Yes, there were many big changes in my life but it seemed like all those changes were actually for the better. 

Some time in the past, I have talked about the Attitude of Gratitude. Happy people are thankful people. There will always be difficulties in life but the main differentiating factor between a pessimist and an optimist is how they perceive the situation which they are in. 

Because of the many self-help and happiness books that I read (such as The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, etcetera), I have learned to do a makeover on how I view things. Meditation helps me a lot as well as trying to avoid emotional leeches as much as possible. 

So, for this year, let me round up the five things that I am ultimately grateful for:

1. I am grateful to lose the job I love. 

I loved my work. I loved what I do. I loved my team and the people I worked with. I think you get the drift. Quitting my corporate life had been one of the major setbacks in my life. Or so I thought. If I wasn't shoved by my immunologist to make a hard decision of quitting work to be able to prioritize my personal (family) goals, I would have not given up being a corporate junkie. But so far, it has not been that bad as I thought it would be. Because I quit, I have more time in my hands. I was reunited with my original love - writing. Writing for this blog, writing for clients -- I didn't even expect I'd get some moolah from this but I am and I could never be more grateful. 

2. I am grateful to have no fixed salary.

My first concern when I had to quit work was, of course, our household finances. I have never been financially dependent on Edzel (or anyone for that matter) and this has been a humbling and enlightening experience. Because I have no fixed income, I had to push myself. In the end, I was able to start a business and currently learning on how to invest on stocks. What's more amazing is that there seems to be a Higher Power who continues to provide us with the resources we need. Some people do not believe in Providence but here I am - I am a living proof. 

3. I am grateful to be stuck at home.

During the first few weeks of being stuck at home, I felt like I was going crazy. I was used to an uber busy schedule booked with meetings, answering incessant emails from colleagues, fulfilling projects and tasks. However, as days passed by, I realized that this is the best time to fix myself. Be a healthier, better version of me. I am giving myself time to rest which is what my physicians required of me. At the same time, it slowly helps me to become a better homemaker. I have always had this paradigm that I could never be domesticated -- I am a Type A person who needs to be in the boardroom. Lately though, I have realized that I CAN BE BETTER AT THIS - at cooking, at fixing our home, at taking care of the home and the husband as wives should. I am not yet there but I am getting closer to being better every single day. 

4. I am grateful for my sickness.

I have learned the value of living and of health because of it. I have appreciated the wonders of having a child a thousand times more. Because of my APAS, I have seen the world in a whole new different way. My disorder has taught me that there is nothing more important than building a family - not wealth, not a successful career, nothing can compensate for it. I may have realized it a little too late but I am working sooo hard at getting better. 

5. I am grateful for my losses.

I have lost two pregnancies. I  had post-partum depression on my first one and my marriage crumbled down at some point because of that. I slid into my black hole and forgot that there were other people who I needed to take care of. I poured myself over work because it seemed that it was the only area in my life which was inside my circle of control and where I could succeed. But my losses taught me that relationships (with my husband, with my family, with my friends) are the most important parts of my being. My losses had brought me and Edzel much closer than ever to each other, to our family and to God. 

So you see, my difficulties could have left me broken. However, I realized that I was am a much stronger person and that whatever my situation is now, it is because of a higher purpose -- I am prioritizing the most important things in my life.

As they always say, it is all a matter of perspective and this time around, I'd rather be Happy Tigger than Depressed Eeyore.

I wish you an awesome last stretch for 2014! Cheers!

Love,

Balot x 

Read More

5 Tips On How To Survive A Virtual Job

I have been slacking on the blog for the past week and it really frustrates me. I have been very busy and still adjusting to my new VA role. Anyway, it's Friday once again and time for another #FridaysFive!

It has been more than two months since I have quit corporate, and yes, I am still counting. Well, not that often now but...

I have taken on some part-time jobs just to pass the time off - some writing stints, a part-time virtual assistance for an offshore client and some marketing consultancy on the side.

I have realized that the world has become so technologically advanced that there are a lot of things that you could do despite not being in the realm of cable wires, servers and other things you have to deal with when you are in a traditional office setting.

However, there are some things that you also need to do to make things easier as you take on a virtual job. Here is a little rundown of the five things I have learned on how to survive a virtual job.


1. Equip yourself with the basic tools - good internet connection, good laptop, an email account, office software and so on. 

Have a credible email address for your clients to contact you. You might want to get rid of that akoayseksi@blahmail.com. Most clients would require an internet speed of 1.5mbps and would usually require a speed test profile. Also, make sure your laptop is reliable so it does not conk out in the middle of doing your work.

2. Update yourself with the latest apps or software that could possibly make your life easier. 

Before I go on, can I just say that Google is awesome!? There is a wide variety of business tools that one can use to make a virtual office as efficient as it can be. Google Drive with all the Google documents that you need, Google Calendar, Google Hangouts for video-conferencing! Everything! It is sooo uhh-mayy-zing!

I just recently discovered Canva and I use it everyday. Now, I don't have to open Photoshop and do my layouts there all the time unless it needs to be a high-resolution file or something more complicated. Canva is so easy to use and gives you some inspiration on how to create interesting images for your online requirements may it be a blog post or a social media feed.

3. Manage your emails well. 

Back when I was in corporate, I drowned in the number of emails that I received per day. It followed the Pareto Principle still. Only 20% of those emails were really for me, while 80% were just for my information or where I was only copy furnished. Sometimes, I missed more important emails just because of the sheer volume of the other emails that I was receiving.

What I learned recently is to let go of my chronic email checking. It is so easy to fall into the trap of waiting for emails from your clients. This creates unnecessary stress -- the wait and the immediate need to reply.

I have set two time slots per day to check my emails -- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I have also set up an autoresponder (Yes, you can do this in Google!) to inform the people who email me that I cannot respond immediately and should there be any urgent concerns, they can contact me through my mobile.

4. Take breaks every hour.

Working at home is actually more engrossing than working at the office. Why? Because you are at your comfort zone. No one calling you for a meeting. No one popping inside your cubicle for something. No unnecessary telephone calls.

I have read though that for one to be most efficient, you need to work in spurts. Take a mandatory break (I set an alarm for it) and go take your dog for a walk.

5. Plan your time. 

Every day, I still create my to-do list. The good thing about virtual assistance and these other online jobs is that the projects are results-oriented and are time-bound. There are no rush items (at least, not yet) and you are usually given a lead time (the minimum I had was at four days). This gives you ample time to prioritize and plan your days and weeks ahead.

So there! All of these are still new to me and these are my own learning from the new role I have started on just two weeks ago.

How about you, loves? Can you share any other tips to a noob like me? 

xx,
Balot

Read More

5 Things I Love With My New Work-At-Home Role

I keep on asking myself if I miss my corporate life. During my first month, the answer of course was a resounding YES. But now, that desire is becoming a little fainter.

If there is one thing I miss most working in the office, it is the unlimited interaction with a lot of people. To some, this could be a burden, especially for anti-social people. Those who know me though, know that I am a social butterfly. I love talking to friends in the office, conversing during office breaks, even talking to my team about a project or to my boss about a great vision. This is was my way of learning. Of course, I cannot do that now at home when all I have with me is Sachi and her eyes can only implore. I really wish she could talk. Haha. I try to compensate it though by bugging all my friends over Viber.

While I miss working in corporate, I am having a new-found love working at home. It has been two months (already!) since I have quit work and so far, so good.

Since I started staying at home, I was able to increase my shop's sales because I finally had the time to focus on it. I was also able to land several writing jobs (which I love, by the way) and it comes almost every week. I have a marketing consultancy work which I attend to once a week and just this week, I landed a virtual assistant job for an awesome Australian company (which I got from a network of awesome work-at-home moms in Facebook, thank you sooo much!)

So yes, I AM BUSY :)

While it may not look that stable for me yet, working at home looks quite promising. One things that gives me a lot of confidence is when I hear stories of many WAHMs (work-at-home moms) who have been very successful in providing for their family without having to join the rat race.

So without further ado, these are my five reasons while I love my new work-at-home role:

1. I spend my time more productively and more efficiently.

Time Flies by Robert Couse-Baker
Creative Commons License 2.0

I don't have to pretend that my mind is working when it is still dozing off. As of the moment, I am required to do four hours of work each day for my role as a virtual assistant. Everything that I do is results-driven without the burden of doing it at a specific time of the day. I was told that I could do things on the time of the day that I am most productive. As long as I deliver what is required, everything is okay.

Isn't that awesome?!

For me, this has been the most liberating and more daunting task. Liberating since you don't have to do the usual time-in and time-out but it is daunting because you have to be accountable for everything that you do.

At the end of the day,  your integrity plays a major role because offshore clients trust that you are doing your job during the times that you said you were.

2. I learn new things every day. 

Learning by Anne Davis
Creative Commons CC BY-NC 2.0

I thought my world would end when I quit corporate. My fear was for my mind to become senile. No more spreadsheets, no more presentations. But alas, there are many new things that I learn. Every day.

Learning is everywhere.

It does not need to be contained in the office. Now that my work is based online, I get to expand my horizons more. I have discovered the amazing world of Google apps. All awesome social networking tools.

What's more, I get to upskill myself even in the areas not related to work but to my role as a wife - homemaking :)

3. I have three additional hours per day and because of that, I can do more. 

What I hated most when I was working (as I am sure, with everyone else who has to endure the same) was the traffic. It took me around an hour to get to the office in the morning and it was just thirteen kilometers away!!! The worse part was the drive home -- almost two hours.

By the time I arrived at home, I was already deadpan tired.

Now, I have saved three hours just because of that -- enough time to be able to cook for my husband and play with my Sachi.

And yes, an additional hour for a little stretching or reading a chapter of a new book is not bad, too.

4. I get to rest. 

I can definitely say that I have slowed down which was my doctor's requirement when she asked me to quit. Whenever I feel tired, I take some power naps. I still maintain my 6:30 AM waking hour though. But I think the naps really help and this set-up, really, is causing me less stress.

5. I actually save more because I spend less. 

Save Money by 401 (K) 2012
CC BY-SA 2.0

It is quite ironic that I get to save more now with a fifth of my previous salary. But staying at home means no expenses at all. No expensive lunch outs. No gas money. No toll fees. No office clothes, high-heeled shoes or makeup to buy.

It has been a short while so I really do not know where the roads will take me yet. I am not closing any doors and I am always open to opportunity. However, for those who are forced into this stay-at-home situation for whatever reasons, there is so much things that you can do. It is not the end of the world. This I have learned.

It is all a matter of maximizing the skills that you have. What would be nicer is to do the things now that you are most passionate about since you have the option to choose what road to take. In my case, I am grateful that I am able to write again and even get paid for it.

Quitting corporate is not bad. Not bad at all.

xx,
Balot

Read More

5 Reasons Why You Are Never Promoted

I am loving my Friday's Five list. Today, I would share something that I have learned back when I was still in corporate. I have had my share of climbing up the ladder. I am very grateful for all my mentors and the two companies that nurtured my professional growth.

Over these years, I have also had my share of recommending staff and evaluating peers for promotions. I have encountered many instances when people ask, "When will I be promoted?" or "Why am I never promoted?" Well now, I would like to share with you five reasons why that prized promotion eludes some people:

"When will I be promoted?" or "Why am I never promoted?"

1. You are incompetent. 

Well of course, this goes without saying. Almost ten years of working and you will really encounter people who cannot (or would not) do their jobs right! They do not have initiative to create new systems to improve current workflows. They cannot execute a plan. I could go on forever. 

On the other hand, those who get easily promoted are usually the ones who are self-driven. They do things without them being asked. They have initiative. They are catalysts of the organization -- looking for ways to improve processes; generally, they help in finding ways to make things better.

2. You do not have relational skills.

There is this school of thought that argues that competence and skills are everything. However, theorist Daniel Katz outlined that human or relational skill is very important as you climb up the corporate ladder. Staff do not like slave-driver bosses nor those managers who would treat others as minions. Peers would love to work with someone who they are at ease with and bosses, they want someone who are on their side, turning their vision into smaller chunks of reality. People who they can talk to easily and can relate to them (because yes, your bosses are human, too!) 

Source: http://5bs.net/management/

I learned this lesson the hard way. When I started, I was all about getting the job done and had no time for tittle-tattle. 

Then, a mentor told me this (and this stuck to me really well): If you would like to request someone to do something, do not just rely on email. Give them a call, talk to them in person. Give it a personal touch. While you are at it, try to get a sneak peek of who this person really is. Build a relationship. Because this [personal connection] gets things done easier and faster. You are not in the workplace to make friends, yes. But it is sure a hell of a bonus!

3. You keep on making excuses. You are late for a meeting. Excuse. You don't show up for the meeting. Excuse. Your mailbox is always full and you do not reply to emails. Excuse. Something went wrong in an event. Excuse. You get the drift.

The funny thing that I have noticed is that most of the time, the people who are usually like this are the ones who have entitlement issues. What a pity!

4. You do not have a sense of accountability. This is one of my pet peeves - people who keep on playing the blame game. When shit hits the fan, they feel that it is everyone's fault but theirs. 

In my observation, the most successful managers are the ones who rise above a calamity or a challenge and solve a problem even if it was not part of their jurisdiction. They extend a helping hand not because it is equivalent to an increase in salary or another step up in their career but because they just sincerely care.

5. You do not have passion [or love] for the company. When management decides on a promotion, they would usually evaluate their decision based on your long-term commitment to the company. Even if you are that good, you still won't get promoted if you keep on criticizing the establishment you work for. This is similar to all relationships. How you would expect your husband or your boyfriend to treat you right if you continue giving them flak?!

There is this one saying that always reminds me of this: Don't bite the hands that feed you. Sure, your company might be having some problems in this area or what-not; but seriously, which company doesn't? Cut it some slack. If you can't, the door is always open for you to look for your perfect company [which I believe does not exist]. Just stop bashing.

There you go! Working in corporate is fun and as long as you enjoy it, the opportunity for growth and learning is really immense. I would never trade my experiences in corporate life for anything else. Those lessons have made a character out of me and made me stronger and wiser in dealing with the challenges that extend to my personal life. 

How about you? Have you ever asked why you were never promoted? Or if you are the boss, what is your reason of promoting or not promoting someone? Let me know! <3

xx,
Balot

Read More

Beijing Foodtrip

Staying in China with no skills in speaking Mandarin is so troublesome. Going around can be difficult because very few people understand English. Since I was hesitant to go around when I arrived for my conference last Wednesday, I decided to eat at the restaurant where my colleague and I visited last year. I remember the place because it was just several blocks away from my hotel and they offered Japanese (Japanese=comfort food).Since I could not remember if it was a good or bad dining experience (thanks or no thanks to my short-lived memory), it was like eating at a new place altogether. 

Aside from the fact that this seemed to be the only restaurant which is accessible to me except for Starbucks in front of the hotel, the look of the place was inviting with its Japanese garden setting at the entrance.  Later, I found out that there is an APM mall a few blocks more, which housed dozens of options, ugh! Too late for that.

Anyway --

Outside, it just says "Japanese Restaurant (uh-huh)". The actual name of the place is Jiang Hu Chuan.

I ordered something familiar -- Enoki Mushroom wrapped in beef slices. It was a big plate with 8 big bites. It was on the greasy side but quite a large serving.

And ebi tempura -- how safe can I get? Lol. These were some of my Japanese staples : better safe than sorry, I suppose. 

The tempura is okay, have tasted better ones. It is a lot though considering my appetite, around 6 pieces of big prawns. In this restaurant, it is more like quantity over quality.

I felt like treating myself for a cheat day (currently cutting off my caffeine consumption) and ordered a cola which is pretending to be a Kirin beer. 

I was thinking, this blog has more uses to me more than to anyone probably. Because of my Dory tendencies ( Finding Nemo?), I could usually not flag if I have had some bad experience with certain establishments. Hopefully, this will somehow be my reminder. Haha. 

I spent around RMB150 (USD20-25) for this huge meal; quite expensive actually. I could have spent the same amount and enjoyed a wild and awesome Japanese buffet in the Philippines. 

In summary, this will not be my first option (again!) if I should look for a place at the Wangfujing area.

Try the ones at APM mall as they would have more variety for whatever craving you may have. 

On my last night, we were taken to Bellagio located at this mall. Food was S-U-P-E-R-B!

This is their specialty - braised pork knuckles (or hooves?!!) and chicken basil.

Some sort of water spinach?

Egg omelet --

Surprisingly, I loved this the most. Very flavorful tofu.

Shrimp (I know, I know! I am having a hard time identifying what the name is exactly because they were in Chinese and the ones who were ordering were my Chinese peers.)

So there goes my food (mis)adventure in Beijing. Hope to try better ones next year! 

Cheers!

xx,

Corporate Junkie

Read More

Day 94: A Different Friday

"You're a lola," my friend quipped when I told her I didn't want to go out on a Friday night. No offense taken. I really do feel like a lola! Everything in my universe now is drastically changing. Quite surprisingly, I don't despise it. I know that this is in preparation for something big.

My Friday nights used to be a galaxy different from the ones I have now. I used to party all night, go home tipsy and waste all my Saturday nursing a hangover. This is a perfect Fri-DIE night for me. Death to sobriety!

Now, however, I am required to be healthier. I am taking a break from all the liquor. In fact, what used to be fun doesn't seem appealing anymore. Of course, the downside to this is not being able to spend time with my friends if they invite me for a drink. Yes, I could opt NOT to drink but man... Jack and Johnny -- they are too appealing to be around with and I do not know if I have the restraint to stop myself in their presence. So in the meantime, I distance myself from them.

So then, what was my Friday like? A nightcap with Chris Evans. A Mediterranean dinner. A full recognition  of how my day ended and saying goodnight to it. Sane. Sober. Sleepy.

Ahh, Fridays. I still look forward to you despite severance from what is supposed to be fun. You offer me the glimpse of freedom. It's just we spend it a little more conventionally now, and I hope you don't mind. 

xx,

Corporate Junkie

Read More