The Freedom Formula: Strengths, Visibility, and the Right Business Model

In this episode of How to Win Big at Business, Joe talks with Marianne “Coach Yanyan” Labonete about the real path from corporate work to entrepreneurship, freelancing, coaching, and business freedom. Marianne shares how she navigated career changes, income pressure during the pandemic, online work, bookkeeping, client acquisition, and eventually built a powerful personal brand and community that opened major doors for her business. 

This conversation is full of lessons for self-employed professionals who want to attract clients, grow their authority, and build a business around their true strengths instead of staying trapped in work that drains them. Marianne explains why authenticity matters, how trust drives sales, why consistency on LinkedIn works, and how mentors, community, and trial-and-error helped shape her path. 

Joe and Marianne also talk about:

•  the pain of career transition 
•  the realities of freelancing and entrepreneurship 
•  how to use social media to build visibility 
•  why personal branding creates opportunities 
•  the importance of mentors and coaches 
•  finding your “why” and your real superpower 
•  building freedom through service and alignment 

This is a powerful episode for anyone who wants more than income—they want freedom, purpose, and a business they truly enjoy building. 

Suggested Show Notes Bullets

•  Marianne’s journey from corporate finance to entrepreneurship 
•  What the pandemic taught her about adaptability 
•  How she got started in freelancing and online work 
•  Why trust and authenticity matter in sales 
•  How she built visibility through LinkedIn content 
•  The role of community, mentors, and coaching in growth 
•  Why entrepreneurs need to find their strengths 
•  How personal branding leads to clients and opportunities 
•  What freedom really means as a business owner 

Buzzsprout Hashtags

#Entrepreneurship #PersonalBranding #LinkedInMarketing #BusinessGrowth #Freelancing #SelfEmployed #ClientAttraction #OnlineBusiness #Coaching #WorkFromHome

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If you want fewer headaches, fewer IRS surprises, and more smart systems running your business (so YOU don’t have to), let’s talk.

Book a strategy call: www.timewithjoe.com

Because running a business shouldn’t feel like wrestling an octopus… alone. 

Also check out:
www.Bedrock360BusinessSolutions.com (Complete Coverage)

www.Bedrock360TaxSolutions.com (Tax Gaurd 365) 

www.Bedrock360BusinessTraining.com (Courses)

Thanks for listening!

If you want fewer headaches, fewer IRS surprises, and more smart systems running your business (so YOU don’t have to), let’s talk.

Book a strategy call: www.timewithjoe.com

Because running a business shouldn’t feel like wrestling an octopus… alone. 

Also check out:
www.Bedrock360BusinessSolutions.com (Complete Coverage)

www.Bedrock360TaxSolutions.com (Tax Gaurd 365) 

www.Bedrock360BusinessTraining.com (Courses)

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Hello everyone, Joe DeCara, CPA and Lifelong Entrepreneur, bringing you another amazing special guest who I'll introduce in a second. Welcome to How to Win Big at Business. And this is our fourth guest episode. And this woman who you see here, if you're watching the YouTube channel, she obviously she has a beautiful smile, she's she's gorgeous, but more importantly, she has a wealth of knowledge about business, how to get clients, and a whole lot more. She's one of the top hundred Philippine people on LinkedIn, which, if you know anything about LinkedIn, is about a billion users, and just in the Philippines is over 12 million. But if you're in the Philippines, if you're in Mexico, the US, it doesn't matter because the information that she has is applicable everywhere. So let me introduce you to Marianne Labanete, also known as Coach Yan Yan. Hello, Marianne, how are you?

SPEAKER_00 1:27

After everyone, or it depends on the time zone, maybe good morning, US, and good afternoon in the Philippines. Yes. How are you? Yes, happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

That's a good good point. You know, they say even a broken clock is right twice a day. Yes. Yes. So, you know, you you're a friend of mine, you're a partner. I trust you, I love you. We do a lot of work together, and I know there's a gazillion things that that we could talk about, and they'll all be valuable. Unfortunately, we only have about 30 minutes because that's people's attention span now. So I'm just we're just gonna, you know, the style here is, and let me point out that if this is the first time you're you're listening or watching this podcast, this is all about the entrepreneurial journey and more specifically, the pain and suffering that we all go through. Because if you're a if you're an entrepreneur, you know what I'm talking about. If you're thinking about getting into business and you listen to this, you might think twice about it. But let me also point out you know, the no pain, no gain. Well, a lot of people go into business thinking it was gonna be easy, myself included. Oh, this is gonna be easy. I know what I'm doing, I know how to make money, and then you you know, very shortly after that, you get the shock of your lifetime. Can you resonate with that, Marian?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, life is full of surprises, even in entrepreneur, being a business, business owner. Sometimes you think you know already, but it doesn't work that way. So it's a roller coaster ride, but at the end of the day, you will find it so worth it. And again, with the help of Larry and Joe, uh, the significance, some people will not understand being a business owner, but we have a deeper purpose. That's I think that's my mantra. So doing what I love to do and just keep doing what I'm good at, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yes, yes, and you know, the point I was I was gonna make, and you just made it for me. Uh, yeah, there's a lot of pain and suffering, but if you stick it out, if you have the tenacity at the end of it, you can be unbelievably successful or even mildly successful, which is which is fine. You know, the thing for me is I always just wanted to write my own ticket, and and Marianne, I know you for what over four years now, and I've seen you writing your own ticket, and I've seen you grow and develop. And so let's go back to you know, what were you doing right before the pandemic, and we'll bring it up to what you're doing now because I think that's a pretty uh yes, important you know, picture of of what it's like to be an entrepreneur.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah, so 2019, before pandemic, of course, a finance manager, they call it controller in one of the manufacturing company. And uh there's something in me that really I'm looking for a career that will help me to obtain my freedom. I don't understand or I don't know where it will happen, but I know for the fact that I'm longing for some growth and freedom. Uh, but pandemic happened, so the reason in 2019 I resigned and then I somebody reached out to me that you're in good on recruitment of people and sales. They saw some potential in me and I trust those people. Really, you see that, so I will try. So 2019, October, I sign up as a life insurance unit head. Eventually, I strive on that. 2020, before pandemic, March 2020, I'm one of the top recruiter. I bring 12 people, uh, financial advisors on my team. Uh, even I'm rookie, just three months, and then I close sales seven to ten lives in a span of uh three to five months. I think March 2020 and April, I'm the top, you know, salesperson, closing client.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

So yeah, from you know, that that's that's impressive because I'll tell you why. I believe it or not, at one point was selling life insurance, and it's probably the hardest thing in the world to sell because no, nobody wants to think about oh, someday I'm not gonna be here, and if you have a family member, anyway, that I didn't even know that about you.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

So yeah, I think they didn't share that maybe in some of my webinars. I share my journey just to give them how those experiences mold me into where I am right now because this experience manager and sales give me a compound skills that I have that now I understand why I didn't, I did, I did those parts. So it's very important to you look back where you came from because sometimes, oh, it's I I I know it's hard, but eventually those hardships on having a sales is a trading for you on a level in a higher level soon. So I didn't realize the importance of being good on sales, actually, not on sales marketing, branding. So in in totality, I believe sales is just not selling. I I think I mentioned to those webinars, it's uh not only transactional, but it's more on relationship when it comes to sales. People would love to buy on something, or people they trust like so. It's a it's not a racket science, actually. It's just you know the foundation of doing sales.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

So yeah, I I think a big part of your success is the the fact that you're yeah, you're not selling, you're you, right? You're transparent, you're not putting on an act, and that's what I I believe people want because then you know obviously they're gonna like you, you don't have a problem getting people to like you, but getting them to trust you, that's that's a whole nother story. So that that's a great point.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Yes, that that's why everything I've always realized those is a training ground for me on where I am right now. So in business, it's so important. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

So you're three months into your sales career, your your insurance career, is that when COVID hit?

SPEAKER_00 8:03

Yes, uh, I joined 2019, pandemic hits March 2020, and then we locked down. So from that period, the the income is slowly decreasing. So I have to look for another option, which is because uh I've seen also the in the COVID days, the people with adaptability caution is the bet the person who will survive. And that's again when I when I look back that March 2020, I learned how to create FB ads. That's where I get clients. So the next day, what will I do to have a client even I'm at home? So I've learned FB ads. So something new to me, but I explore. Maybe that's also my tips. You have to explore in different things, what will work for you? But that time it worked, but it doesn't support, so the client also doesn't have work, so they can pay also their uh their uh you know insurance. So I have to look for a way. I remember November 2020. I searched on YouTube, just you know, so YouTube, Google, how to earn income from home. So that's it. That's that sparked my my my uh interest on really how to start working from home.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Interesting, yeah. You know, a lot of people, and and especially once COVID hit and people had to work from home. Yes. In the US, they call it the great resignation. It was like four million people didn't go back to work, and even today, it's hard for big companies to get people to come into the office, so that it's a constant like, listen, we need you in the office, and a lot of people are on now what they call the hybrid. Yes, two days they come in, three days they're off. So, yeah, working from home is it's it's freeing, right? It's like you don't have to go into traffic, you don't have to travel, but uh so quick, just cure out of curiosity, what were you selling on Facebook? Because what did you have to sell?

SPEAKER_00 10:00

Before that, I that's why when I was in the corporate 2018, I remember 2017. I'm selling Korean products. That's the time I've learned how to sell, just sending link ep pages to all of my uh oh, so you're selling selling products, products, and that's the where my my previous boss saw me if you have potential on sale, that's why you have to join on our and people like you. People I saw your people some commenting and looking for your for your services, that's why they joined. So, yeah, so basically social media again. My tips, I think there's one influencer said social media is the platform that you can sell services, it's free, Linkin, FB. It's a matter of just showing up on on that platform, then you can get clients.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Yeah, okay, so you're up to November of 2020. You're in Detroit. Oh March 2020.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

No, no, November 2020 2020. I I I'm very clear to my to my memory that I'm asking God and I pray, Lord, where's the the path for my freedom that I'm looking for? Now I'm having a hard time to have money. So, what will be the best way or platform I can get out on this situation? Because I have you know senior citizen with me, and then I have kids, you know, I have to support them. But what's the way? So, YouTube, of course, then eventually I go back to corporate because I don't have choice. So, in the good thing about being an accountant, you have a lot of choices. So, I just choose a work that is near on my place 20 minutes away. So, I work on March 2021, but I still have already this uh uh eagerness to really, you know, leave the corporate and can work online. So I I juggle uh grind, you know, hassle and grind. So March 2021, I try online jobs. The first platform that I knew this March, exactly March 21, to be exact. So I registered and applied. So luckily I've been interviewed in EST as a shopping company for part-time, but it's very hard because there's no one teaching me on how to do it. Even that that's why even the client don't know what's the task that I need to do. They just give instructions and then when I have good internet that time, just using hotspot that time my phone, and then that's it. This struggle, but I'm looking or finding ways to really get through that to that opportunity to work online. So I got the job part-time bookkeeper.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

Okay, so then what? So now you're back to where you didn't want to be, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Yeah, so I decided uh a non-stop application, and I'll hired as uh accountant in New York accounting firm. So the good thing about that it I July 2021. So the the the corporate setup that time is doing hybrid on and off, sometimes office, and then when I this I have a full-time work as EST, I have to really let go of the corporate because of the you know, I don't have sleep enough sleep. Literally, I only have three to maybe two to four hours sleep a day, so it's very hard.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yeah, that's hard. So now you are uh I want to get to where you know you start uh becoming adept at social media because so when did we you because you applied to work for my company for bedrock, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

When was uh because 2021, uh I already tried being a freelance bookkeeper for 2021. So again, I'm a person of looking for something uh eager to learn. So I always seen an observant, I always seen on the job post they need someone who knows to do the tax. I think December always seen how to do the tax, but how can I get there? How can I be a and then I saw there's a huge salary for being tax preparers whatsoever. So, and then I saw your post on of course on online jobs, uh January to be, I think December to January, because I hired January. So December maybe there's already a post. Then I saw specifically you will you uh I'm hiring a tax preparer or accountant, but you will you will be trained off in our team. So that's the one I'm looking for. Even if a new B, I will try my best to get into this company. I will do my best to really get into that company. I don't know what company it is, but the thing is, I really want to have some training on that uh tax preparation.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

So that's so I want I want to touch on something that you know we we joke about all the time, but it it was it was extremely important. You mentioned Larry, Larry Broughton was my mentor, and at the time he was my my coach, my business coach. Uh, because to be honest with you, even though I'm a CPA, had decades of experience, I said, you know, I'm not scaling my business. I'm I'm you know, I'm successful, meaning that you know I made money, I helped a lot of clients, but I but I had hit a ceiling.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

You know, so I hired Larry because he's a world-class entrepreneur running a huge business. And because he was a friend of mine, he agreed to start working with me because he doesn't work with everyone, you know, he hand picks who he's gonna work with. So I was like, wow, you know, this is what I need. And so he started coaching me. And like a couple of weeks into it, he says, Joe, I have this new business I'm launching. How you know, hire my VA, and it's it's like uh the second phase, and we want somebody to to try it. So would you be willing to try this? And I said, like for free, and he's like, Yeah, you're like a beta tester. So I said, okay, and the whole training was it what he did was because he had personal experience with hiring Philippine VAs for years. So he had like one person that was with him for over 15 years, and I was like, wow, I've been all over the world. I never I never hired anybody from the Philippines. So he the course taught me things like okay, so you wanna you know you want to whittle it down, you don't want you know a hundred resumes to go through. So what you do is you put a secret word in the job posting, right? So I so that was the first thing. I said, okay, in the middle of the post, I put so answer this post with the word baseball in all capital letters, and if you don't do that, I'm not even gonna respond. Yes, you know, the amazing thing was like 80 percent of the respondents didn't follow direction. Now think about this: you're applying for an accounting job and you're not following the instructions. So I was like, oh my god, this is because it was overwhelming. If you've ever, you know, had to look for a candidate, you get bombarded with I just did you know with your friend Nick in the uh the talk, and when there was an HR person that said, you know, I get a thousand resumes every time I post a job, and so it whittled it down. But the other thing was he said you have them make a video, so two things the secret word, and what the secret word does is it it eliminates the people that are just copying and pasting, and then the video, and you know, you know this, and this is one of the things you teach in your coaching that you gotta get comfortable if you're working from home, you gotta get comfortable in front of the camera, right? Yes, so you did that, you said baseball, you did a great video. I I hired you, and and here's the other thing because and because this is very, very important. And I talked to about this with Margie. We weren't looking for people with years of experience, we were looking for people that want to learn, had capacity, and and aligned with our values, okay? So you were transparent, you were, you know, and you told us where you were in your journey. So you fit the description. So we gave you a shot, and you know, the rest is history, so I'll let you pick it up from there.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Yeah, uh as you always told me there's no such thing as coincidence, everything is already planned, so you just have to really work on every day. Just now, I just suppose you have to look for your wise. Uh huh. What what you really need. You be have to be specific on that thing that you want and dream, and it will open doors, not only open doors, but windows. You will be surprised one day. This is something I prayed for. So uh those things when I look back, I'm always super grateful with the journey, and that's why I'm always sharing with the coaching that uh the important the thing that I've learned on this this journey is one of the priorities of being successful successful is they have a coach because those coaches already do those hardships, they've already been there than that, they say. So they just shorten the process, giving you some holistic approach the real life experience that you've been through. The good thing about me, that's why I they always resonated. I've been to corporate, I've been to sales, selling all the products, looking what I'm good at, but I cannot identify what I'm already 40 that time. Imagine when I transition to it's I'm already at 40. So they say life begins at 40. So now I'm asking myself, I'm already 40, but what is happening? What is really my purpose? What's really something that will make me happy? So you have to really look on your whys. That's why there's a book that you mentioned. So the good thing, yeah. Finding your why. So maybe that's it. Finding your why, and you have to move. Don't stop looking for that reason of your why, I think.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

So now one of the things, and I remember this. Uh, you mentioned in in the uh interview was that you had a small Facebook group you started, you had 1500 members where you were you were trying to show Philippine accountants how to become a freelancer. Yes, and you were doing everything for free. And I said, Oh my god, this woman is like just uh she has a big heart, she's trying to help people, and that was another reason why we we hired you. And then what what happened? You're working with us for a month, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

So that happened when I that's why the good thing I maybe I can uh reiterate the the thing that you mentioned. The the the thing, if you will really need a job or you want to be part of the company, something's alignment. I realize uh you have to be aligned on the values and you have a room for learning and growth. Maybe that's the thing I have when I go to bedrack and I really, really want this job. So I will do my best, just follow all this action of Corinne and uh the CFO and then you. But uh I got in, then I mentioned that I have a community that I I started. It's just a matter of a small initiative. Maybe I think that's already a Born a natural you know character in me that I have to initiate because if nobody will do it, who will? So looking back again when I was in high school, college, I'm always the one raising hand to the initiative. So I think in real life or in business, you have to create an initiative to people, to suggestions, to growth on anything. So that's the thing. I think the values that we have is initiative. And then that that one accountability because also commitment. Because if you have a Facebook community, you have to commit, you have to protect your community, you have to show up to the people who adjusted you on that community. So I did it every week. I have a webinar, and then I'm teaching Perfect how to get clients, how to do Loom videos, how I land clients using App Work and online jobs, LinkedIn. So those things.

SPEAKER_02 22:52

Yeah. So what was the for us? What was the watershed event? Because I I want you to let everybody know what happened.

SPEAKER_00 23:01

Yeah, so after that, you told me I think October 2022, when you and I, Mr. George, talked to me that hey, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 23:09

I thought it's just another you skip the whole you skip the whole part.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Oh, what's that?

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Sorry. After 30 days, you call come to me and say, you know, I have to resign back. This job, this isn't for me, and I don't want to hold you back.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, I still have the email of the resignation. Then I told uh sorry, uh they get to inform you that I will leave or the sign on this position. I don't want to hold you back because I have other clients and I have a community, so I don't want to be the cause of delay because I know for the fact that this is taxis and BC. I'm so unfair to the team of Abedra, especially to Luz High Lou. So uh so I have hunting, I think six to eight clients that time that I have to really, you know, suffer those clients. We're using WAVE that time, so that's the first time I've learned WAVE also. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 24:00

You know, because I I remember it like it was yesterday. I was like, okay, thank you for being honest. You know, I appreciate it because a lot of other people would have just milked it and just taken the the pay until you know they got fired. But I said, you know what, you that this is why I hired you. You were transparent. And I said, but what are you doing with that group? You know, because I have this old course that I I taught people how to become bookkeepers, but I could tweak it and add US taxes, and and maybe we could teach your group how to become freelancers and get into the US uh tax business, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:43

So I think it's a perfect much of the time, it's just a matter again, complementing the strength and weaknesses of one another, right? So perfect much of the time, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:53

And just as a side note, today we have probably 40, we're working on 50 different courses. We've taught over a thousand of your fellow Philippine accountants. We've had you know OFWs come home. If you don't know what an OFW, it's uh what's an OFW?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Uh overseas Filipino Boiker.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

Right. So I never knew what that was. I was like, wait a second, you mean like mothers and fathers like go to another country and they leave their family so that they could say I was like, that's not good, that's not good for the family. So, you know, over the last four years, I know that we've helped, you know, people come back and be reunited with their families and and and you know work from home and get and become free, yes, free, and that that's what a lot of people want now. They just they want the freedom. Yep, so you had 1,500 people at that time, and right now you're at like 24,000.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

20 to 25, yep.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Yeah, so yeah, and then you started to mention about the meeting that we had with with Sir George.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

Yeah, that's the time I remember July. You asked me to take Gallup test, and then September I took the Gallup test, and then October, I think we have a zoom call, and then I thought it's just a you know a normal Zoom call checking on me. What are you doing? But I didn't know that I have the superpower that you see in me. You know, sometimes we are also questioning or disqualifying ourselves, we don't believe ourselves until some people see you're shining, you're like a kryptonite, you have the superpower, but how come you didn't see it? You're so blinded, you're again uh synchronous.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

What did Larry teach us? Who's the most negative person in your life?

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Yeah, so that I think I'm guilty on that. So I'm always yeah, so but I I think the thing that I've learned if people saw a potentials in you, you have to trust them because again, you're only one-sided, but they see the whole whole being of you, so you have to trust people. So that's what I did. So now I have over 1,000 mentees and I'm still counting, and I'm proud to say that some of them already land their clients. And the good thing about the community, it's open doors. Actually, I'm always grateful to the community because it becomes the you know the safe space for learnings, not only uh support, but learnings, coaching, so collaboration. So that's the power of the community. That even in freelancing and business, I've learned that you have you don't have to do it alone, so you need a support system and again complement with your weaknesses.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

Yeah, not only do you not have to do it alone, you really can't do it alone. Yes, and I think that's one of the keys. You know, you have to be humble enough to say, you know what, I don't know everything. You mentioned the Gallup uh test, and it's funny because I I just we I talked about this with Margie, another one of our friends, one of my clients. Uh, Gallup is the strengths finders test. You can take it for free, and what that does so the free version will give you your top five strengths. If you take the paid version, it'll give you like uh a whole analysis. Uh so that was eye-opening for you, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:26

Yes, I saw that I am a communicator. Now I understand myself that I'm really born to communicate again. I'm something natural to me that I'm not it's not very hard for me to do it. It comes naturally, it's my day-to-day uh nature. So why not focus on that? So it will be you will not be burnt out, you are happy, and there's a result doing what you love and what are you good at. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

So now you're now you start coaching people on doing something that you enjoy and what you're really good at. You're actually one of the best that I've ever seen. Uh, so you know how to open the doors, how to get clients, and let's talk about that a little. So, where are we now in the journey?

SPEAKER_00 29:12

That that was about that's still and then I have a task-wise which I simultaneously, but I do that on 2021, but I also don't know where to start. But somebody saw me that hey, you're getting clients on LinkedIn, because I'm really post a poser, they call it poser on social media, because I've also learned that people on social media it's just watching, you know, they're watching, observing until such time, you're top of the mind, and then when they're ready to to buy, you're the first one to you know point person. So that's exactly what I do since I'm selling. It's it's something that works for me, that I believe it's really working psychologically. There's a psychology or science behind that. But then, yeah, I've task-wise, then I have 17 clients on at work. So they say you have to outsource. But again, as a business owner, my segue, a business is sometimes doesn't work the way you want it. So there's a loopholes, client go, be a go. So again, don't stop looking for the valid proposition and the strength of your business. You have to be have at least core business. I thought I've learned this from you, right? You have at least three core business models that don't rely on only one structure. So you have at least three streamlined of income. So I've learned that. So yeah, so basically that's my journey. Then I'm teaching simultaneous, collaborating affiliate. So I have a lot of affiliations to you, to bedrock, to other CPA review, MBA courses, those businesses. So I'm affiliated because I believe in a collaboration. So sometimes those clients come to me, they're leaning on my strength. You're good in marketing, you should post this. So I'm willing to help as long as we're having the same core values.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

Yeah, so let's get into so now you're posting on social media. When did you start like building up the steam on LinkedIn? Because I know now you have almost 50 48,000 followers, right? Which is a lot of and it's going up all every day, it's going up. So talk about what you so first I want to point out so now you're a business owner, but you're doing stuff that you don't really enjoy. I know this because now you have 17 accounting clients and you don't really like doing accounting, right? But you're building up this LinkedIn following. How did you do that? Because everybody starts with zero, right?

SPEAKER_00 31:48

Yeah, I remember zero. I remember when I took my MBA class way back in 2018 when I'm still working, and again, I'm a person of looking for growth, so that's why I enrolled, although I didn't finish. I'm planning to finish hopefully this next year. But they said you have to go to LinkedIn instead of going to Facebook, LinkedIn is the best platform. So I followed. That's also the tip. When you have a teacher or a mentor, follow what they've been saying to you. So I go on LinkedIn 2018, but I don't know how to build it. But I remember 2021, I saw some people posting on LinkedIn and then top 100. So again, as a person who's always an ambitious one, or you know, there's some in a way, envy, a good envy. How can I be a top 100 Filipinos on LinkedIn? What are they doing? I didn't know, but again, the community helps me. The community is the one who nominate me that I have a platform where Am Sienan is helping. So, meaning community plus I've learned how to create content on LinkedIn. So on the LinkedIn, people there are just again watching, like a Netflix watching, and then if they're ready to to to buy, they will buy. But there's some again science, psychology, and that you have to gain their interests and you have to be aligned on their values, what they wish for. I want to be like that, I want to be like her. She's good on that. I want how to become uh her. So you will tell story, people by story, and there's entertaining, inspiring, and educating. So it's a mix of those content, so it's not boring in a way. So even people didn't see you in person, they see the authenticity, that's the term. They say, I am authentic, I can share whatever I want without without hesitations.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

Then they make that connection because they're like, Oh my god, I went through that. Yes, and yeah, and so because I'm watching you all this time, like, oh my god, because I I can't do what you do. I'm like, yeah, I'm not posting videos and and putting up pictures of me going out to dinner with my girlfriend, but so you're you're putting up valuable content, okay, educational stuff. You're teaching people, like, hey, this is what you got to do to you know get an interview. This is what you got to do to you know build your resume, but then you're posting things like working out in the gym, yes, and going to you know, having dinner with your son and your mother, yes, and I'm like, okay, so all these so I'm like, oh my god, she's like building up this huge following, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:40

Yeah, I think it's like an influencer, so even my co-founder, every time we have in a networking event, they will introduce me. This is Miss Yen Yan, she's influencer on LinkedIn. I didn't even know I'm influencer on LinkedIn. I'm just a typical you know writing story. Just to give you again a uh throwback, when I started the freelance bookkeeper, the thing that also show on social on Google what is the switch the best highest paying job is copywriting. I didn't know how to do copywriting because it's not good on communication, there's no AI at that time. So, how can I do copywriting? Then I realized I'm doing now the content creation, a copywriting in my own way, right? Yeah, that's it. So now it's fulfilled, it's fulfilled.

SPEAKER_02 35:26

So when I think 2023, you get nominated to be one of the top hundred influencers in the Philippines. So there's what? Because you give me the numbers, there's like over 12 million users in the Philippines.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

And you're one of the top 100. So imagine the the recognitions and the health of that when it comes to your branding and visibility.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

Yeah, so now I know you know you didn't just get a you know, be put nominated and and achieved the top hundred, that opened up all kinds of doors for you, right?

SPEAKER_00 36:12

So let's yeah, so it builds trust for every time they show the banner on my link in. Oh, this is top one-handed, because being a leader is not something, it's not a title. Sometimes being a leader is someone who takes responsibility. That's why they love people because I've learned also in sales that my mentor told me also you should find a way to have a recognition, do whatever it takes. I don't care how you will do it, but do it. So I create recognition, best sales, but ever. So I just did what I need to do: show up, call, follow-ups, social media. So it's a mix. Then even in Tap 100, you really have to have to show up, and then eventually, if you're being recognized, this is something people will trust you because you are being recognized.

SPEAKER_02 37:02

So there's already Yeah, but not only do you do you get recognized by your followers, you got, you know, I because I know this working with you, you made some substantial connections with other you know, it's like a whole nother community. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:21

Singapore, I have a connection now in Dubai, now in Ashali. So I have about to mention that we have supposed to meet last Saturday anyway. It's a different story, but I wanted to meet him. So but uh, you know, I that that guy on LinkedIn saw me way back May 2024, and then he said specifically, I was really what are you doing? Soon we will be working together. So it happened this year, so now he's here helping us to do what I love to do, creating opportunities and a collaboration.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

So I want to make this point, you know, because I I same thing with Margie that this morning when I interviewed her, you know, people look at at people like her, people like you. Oh, she's successful, she's beautiful, she's in the top 100. It must be easy for them, right? But you know, if you go through the whole journey, it wasn't easy, right? It it's it was tough, but like I said, you know, everybody starts at zero, and it takes time. You know, this is one of the one of the things about being an entrepreneur, Marianne. We entrepreneurs are impatient, we want it yesterday, right? But it never happens that way, so that's why I find people like you to interview to to go through, hey, it I didn't start out as the top 100 influencers, right? But now, so what happens is it it snowballs, so now everybody's recognizing you, now you're making connections. So, you know, to me, the way I look at it is the best is yet to come, you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:08

It's I'm always surprised on what's the opportunity that comes along my way because again, uh always grateful for the focus of the people, it's all aspect of people, you've been surrounded with the people you really uh you know trust again with the alignment of values. I've learned to say no now. Before I'm just yes to all the opportunities, that's why I burn out, and I realize you have to say no also. But as a business owner, they said if you will become a freelancer business owner, you're relaxed, but definitely not that way. Although we have a freedom right now, maybe that's our success. But it's 24-7. You're all you have a team, you're looking for scalability, you have to look for a client, you have to create a decision. But again, at the end of the day, as a business owners, we always uh when we wake up in this morning or evening, we always say who will be the one to serve the next day. What's our purpose for this day? So that's it's very cheesy or you know clingy in a way, but it's it's for those people who doesn't on the stage of being a business or entrepreneurs, it's really a super deeper purpose on what we are doing. So Miss Margie, as a deeper purpose, Larry, you all of a business owners, but again at the end of the day, uh it's very worthy and uh something you will be grateful because you you're given the task to lead, you know, to lead yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:39

You know, Larry said something, two words that changed my whole perspective, and it it's how we, you know, all of us, Margie, you, Larry, and the two words were serve first. Okay, we're here to serve, so it's not all about the money, the money follows. That's one of the things I learned from Larry, but let's bring it, you know, all the way to the present because you had 17 clients, you mentioned this task-wise uh brand that you had. So now I know what you're doing now. I'll let you talk about it. How did you transition from you know doing affiliate marketing, you're networking? Now you got 17 clients, and you have task-wise. So, how did you get from there to where you are today?

SPEAKER_00 41:35

So when I started, uh again, it's important that you do the trial and error. I think in life, uh, don't be afraid to fail. So I think I have this kind of even I fail, I will bounce back, I will look, I will find way, whatever it is. So, trial and error, although outsourcing that time when I have 17 clients, it didn't work my way. So now I realize I'm only good at recruitment. So maybe filtering the candidates based on my experience, what are the client wants on the candidates? So I know already because I've been there. So when the client told me this is what I want, I know to bring those people. So I'm just happy with the recruitment or placement fee. I'm not doing the outsourcing because I hate that. You know that we hate bookkeeping checking. We're impatient to check. We know how to the financial report, we know how to do projection, but when it's come to checking people of the work of people, since I'm like an empathetic person, sometimes I cannot call, you know, correct the person because it might hurt them, and they will they for sure they will leave. So I'm happy with just facing them. And the important thing is they are direct clients, so I don't have a fee at all when they have an agency fee. You know, if they get ten dollars, that's very straightforward. So that's basically my structured, and sometimes, yeah, uh successful hire commission-based affiliate. If there's some sales coming from me, they will give me a referral fee. So uh I'm happy with that right now. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:05

So explain exactly what task-wise is what what's your because you talked about branding valid precision now.

SPEAKER_00 43:15

The valid proposition of I'm yan-yan connecting you with the right people with the right businesses, so I'm connecting the right people based on the needs of the business.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

So you're you're basically doing what what is in your definite strength, power, yes, yes. You're building communities and on both sides of the spectrum. You're you're building, you have a huge following with people that want to be freelancers, and even people that are freelancers that want to upskill. So you have also this coaching business, right? So that's why we call you coach Yan Yan, and you have this other following of People that need the helpers. They need the workers. And you know, and I know that there's a severe shortage of accountants. So we have all these accountants in the US and Australia and Canada looking for help. And they're just like me. They're like, oh my God, if I put this ad on LinkedIn, I'm going to get 3 million resumes. How so that's not an option? So you're sort of like the in.

SPEAKER_00 44:31

Yeah, I'm cutting the hiring process, which some of the business also doesn't like. They want, you know, just give me that at least the top shortlisted, and then we will interview them if they're right fit with the culture. That's why they get our services on that.

SPEAKER_02 44:47

Yeah. So, you know, I gotta tell you, being a lifetime, I'm not only an entrepreneur, I'm a student of entrepreneurship. You know, from the time I was young, you know, 15, I was like, how do people build these huge businesses? You know, I'm like you, I wanted to know, I have to know, because they all didn't start out big. Okay. What are the components? And you explained it in a nutshell. It's like you had to find your your you know what you're good at, find your why, right? And trial and error. That's the you can't do this without failing. You you mentioned that, right? And little by little things start falling into place, right? So it's amazing to me. I'm watching you, you start out as, oh yeah, I want to work for you, I want to be an accountant, I want to and now today you're like a top influencer on LinkedIn and Facebook, right? You you you have your what your superpower. Not only so a lot of people have superpowers, but they they're not utilizing right. So I'm looking at you, and I gotta tell you, you know, I love you, and I'm so proud of you because you're like the the poster child for this is how you do it, this is how you become successful, right? So, you know, we're we've gone on a lot longer than than I like because people short attention span. But this has been a great, great conversation. Like I said, I think the best is yet to come for you. So let's do this. Let's uh give your final words of wisdom and let people know how they find you if they haven't already figured that out.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

Yeah, uh, last word, maybe I think life is never build an in an easy path. This is again, it is uh designed to lots of failure, maybe 70% failure, 30%. So maybe God created that kind of percentage. So when you come to that point that you are on a good uh situation, or they say it's successful, you have already a freedom, you will be grateful. Because the thing is, if you didn't come with those trials, you will not be grateful and you will not call call him that's saying thank you, thank you for making for having those hardships. Now, in a little simple way, we appreciate small things now. Sometimes they say success is a lot of money, you know that it's not all about the money. Sometimes success for me is a freedom. Freedom to work with the people I want to, the people who want to be with, and freedom to do what I really want. So it's a long journey, I may say, but if you wouldn't stop on looking for your wives and your superpower and looking for people who will really support you, like Joe, Larry, those people who inspire me, Margie Abisa, for those people who inspire me, Sir Francis Kong. They're all compound uh, you know, factors that affect my growth. So I always again grateful for those factors because they really help me to to be who I am today. They say successful, but I'm not successful. I'm just uh in a way, free, freedom. I can say yes.

SPEAKER_02 48:23

You're on your journey, yes. You're you're on your journey, and I could tell you, you know, I see your smile, you're happy, I see you in action, and I was like, this is somebody that's not only great at what they do, but they love it. You love what you're doing. You you love when when you're coaching people, when you're teaching, and and I love that. That's why you know we have the the same, we have very similar values. It's really it comes down to helping people, right? And when you help enough people, it's amazing how successful you become, right? So, how do how do people find you?

SPEAKER_00 49:06

So, uh, of course, I'm very active on LinkedIn. Oh, this FPG's freelancer yan, but basically, I'm on LinkedIn doing content every day, sharing my stories, inspire, educate, and entertain you with my story. So, yeah. Uh, YouTube, Yan yan la bonete, uh coachan yan on FB, but I cannot accept friends anymore. I'm loaded with a 5,000 friends, even in my own account. So sorry for the five.

SPEAKER_02 49:31

I think they could follow you.

SPEAKER_00 49:32

So follow, yeah, but uh cannot accept friends anymore. Sorry, that's why you link in. We can connect on Link in Marian La Bonete. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 49:41

Yes, yeah, God bless you. That's our story, folks. We're gonna stick with it. God bless. If you enjoyed this uh episode, please follow us, give us a rating, it helps, and uh, that's it. Over and out. Thank you so much, Coach Yanya.

SPEAKER_00 50:00

I miss you soon till next time.

SPEAKER_02 50:03

Thank you, everyone.