Knitting Anniversary

Today is my knitting anniversary! It’s been a year since my fateful Knitting Adventure at the Banaue Rice Terraces. It was where I first learned to knit. The lesson wasn’t easy for me, and I did struggle at first. But with a lot of practice, I did get the hang of it. And I even re-learned how to crochet along the way!

To celebrate this important milestone, I crocheted and knitted this infinity shawl using chunky yarns from my favorite notions store, The Attic Yarn and Craftery. The ladies behind this local shop has become my friends, and it is touching how this friendship has also become a source of strength and inspiration for me to keep going. 

My knitting and crochet abilities are in line with my goal to diversify myself through continuous learning of skills. You may be wondering how this connects to my goal to work in a corporate setting. Well, knitting and crochet has taught me patience, perseverance, resilience (especially when I would drop a stitch and have to start over!), creativity, and imagination. I have also learned these skills from scratch through workshops (like the advanced crochet one I attended with Mayown last year). If I can train my mind and hands to manipulate yarn, needles, and hooks, then I’m sure that I am ready to learn new programs, business platforms, and skills. 

I have also started a new scarf using the knitting needles that came with my kit at Banaue. Using these 6mm bamboo needles again is humbling, as I recall the awkward stitches that I have made 365 days ago in the mountains. Now, I am in my room in the city, with pop music blaring in the background. I have yarn from Pasig, the yarn bowl that I gifted myself with on Valentine’s Day, my first knitting needles, and the determination to keep going. I have amazed myself with how far I’ve come in my creative journey. 

I know that this is only the beginning. 

Mayown Workshop

I attended the crochet workshop hosted by Leen Van Dyck of Mayown, a social enterprise based in Manila. She has taught a team of poor moms to crochet, and the impact has been tremendous. They are able to make high-quality stuffed toys, and they are paid fairly for their crochet work. They are able to provide food for their families, and their confidence is also boosted by their skills trainings. 

I am down for some training in intermediate crochet. As Leen is a certified teacher in an international school in Makati, she’s very patient. I was assured that I will learn how to read patterns and improve my stitches.  

My three classmates were learning basic crochet, while I got a kit enough for two palm-sized stuffed animals- an owl and a snail.  

I had a fun five-hour class while sipping coffee and chatting with Leen. It was enjoyable and humbling at the same time to read a pattern and correctly form a stuffed animal. 

I finished my owl and snail at home. It was so fulfilling! 

I am more confident about my crochet skills after the workshop, and I am determined to continue crocheting- not necessarily make amigurumi stuffed toys, but to apply the skills when I crochet. I am thankful to have met Leen too as she is now a friend that I have gained during the class. I can’t wait to continue making!

Business Insights Over Breakfast

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to attend the BIRLA Breakfast Forum at the Asian Institute of Management. The topic was Traversing the Family Business Path: Insights from Non-Family Leaders. I was there early, so I was able to register and eat brekkie before the event began. 

The speakers were business leaders from the Philippines’ top corporations. 

I have learned from these leaders that trust is important in a family business. Non-family leaders do not necessarily have to use (and show) their talents all the time. They must be good listeners and balanced thinkers in order to win their employer’s trust and confidence. A family business cannot grow if they will not hire the best talent, and this means expanding beyond their family ties. It is also important to hire people with skills who could complement the family’s vision and values.

I have learned heaps from this morning, which I will eventually apply on my future corporate job. Most of my roles were in family businesses, and as a non-family employee, I did have to earn their trust by listening to their requirements and advice. I look forward to attending more business forums at the AIM.  

Day 7: Yearn to Earn

I am currently blogging from home. While I do enjoy freelance research work, I miss working in an office. So, while I am looking for the best role to fit my qualifications, I am now focusing on self-improvement. I have uncovered my skills and shared with you how I attract blessings into my life.

Today, I will each you how to determine the ONLY five things you need to build your career or side hustle.

It is my second day of Susie Moore’s Side Hustle Prep School, which I have learned from her guesting at Melyssa Griffin’s Pursuit with Purpose podcast. I am not yet considering a side hustle at the moment, but it helps to take this short course because I want to know what skills I already have. I also want to know how these skills can help build my career so I can shine without trying too hard. After all, these skills are already innately in me and it would be fitting to optimize them for my own good.

You know the drill- I am sharing with you my actual answers to the workshop questions. 

You only need five things to build your career or side hustle:

1. An Idea.  List down what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and what people are willing to pay for.
2. Community. List down who your mentors are (they may even be authors, podcast hosts, bloggers who influence you) and hustle buddies (who are in your support group?)
3. An Understanding of Your Market.  List down who and what your pegs are. 
4. A Goal of What You Want (even if it’s small!). List down what you really want to do in your life, your career, your business (if that’s your plan), education, etc.
5. Time to work on your side hustle/career improvement/continuing education. List down a reasonable time to work on improving yourself and upgrading your skills. Take your current working hours and personal commitments into consideration so you won’t miss out on your priorities.

Rememeber, living deliberately will lead to a yearning for earning by doing what you consider to be meaningful. Focus on these five things to improve yourself and upgrade your career. Self-improvement never goes out of style, and it is an important part of self-care. 

Also, money and educational qualifications are important, but these five things are already available to you no matter what your circumstances are. Focus on these five things, and act on your goals today! 

  ***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***

Day 5: Online Skills

Yesterday, I shared with you how I design my life with intention. One of the cornerstones of living deliberately is practicing discernment in EVERY choice I make. As I am now building my career trajectory in the corporate world, I have to be mindful of the skills which I already have. That way, I get to apply them more effectively and make excellence a habit. 

It is remarkable though that even in a corporate setting, my personal growth is made possible through skills which are valuable in online businesses. Corporations have an online presence, and knowing which online skills I innately have is going to make me a more valuable asset to my employer.  

Are you curious to know which online skills will enable you to thrive beyond the interwebs? Let me teach you how! 

I am on the third day of The Bucketlist Bombshells mini-course which I have shared with you a few days ago. I found out through the video class that I am proficient in tech skills more than graphic design, and it is an area where I can develop my potential to have an online tech business. This does not necessarily mean that I will be setting up my own tech business. It could simply mean that I could diversify my role in the company I will belong to by applying my innate skills in project management, web content strategy, writing, and blogging should there be opportunities in their online campaigns. I have also learned that I can grow and expand my tech skills by learning more about social media management and coding in the future.

To determine if you are more of a graphic designer or a tech professional, take the Day 3 video class in the mini course. You should also reflect on what excites you. Do you like browsing through typography, colour schemes, and mood boards online? Then you are most likely to be a graphic designer at heart. If you are more excited about managing online content, writing blog posts, and thinking of practical solutions to everyday tech problems, then you are more of a tech whiz. You do not have to be a coder or developer to work in tech. In fact, you can simply write content and have a potentially fruitful career online if you continuously research and study on ways to amp up your skills.

There are plenty of online courses to teach you how to acquire graphic design or tech skills, and there are also affordable classes in schools, univeristies, and even co-working spaces. Choose what works best for you and focus on the skills you want to develop, learn, and apply!

As always, I am being real and sharing with you my actual answers to the worksheet provided in the video course. I hope that this will inspire you to uncover which online skills could help you setup your own online side-hustle or diversify your current role in your company. Who knows, you might even have a more meaningful life in the process. Let me know how it goes, and tomorrow, I will teach you another lesson on self-improvement which you should not miss!

 ***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***

Day 1: Skills Discovery

I have decided to commit to self-improvement by listening to podcasts. You might be thinking that this is not an effective strategy to overhaul my personal life and career trajectory, but I would like to prove that podcasts can positively impact my journey. I will share with you my notes and even my lessons so that you too can change your life. 

My favorite podcast right now is Pursuit with Purpose. It is hosted by Melyssa Griffin, who gives easy and actionable steps to self-improvement. I find her show engagingly practical, and she features guests who share their strategies in building their brands and careers. I learned that it is possible to improve your life and career through finding your purpose. 

Let me show you how.  

Today, I will teach you how to discover your skills based on what I have learned from two of Melissa’s guests on her podcast.

The first one is Susie Moore of the Side Hustle Academy. By listening to the podcast episode on How to Create a Successful Side Hustle and Life, I have learned that it is possible to work full-time and still pursue a passion project. By doing so, it could positively impact my life and give me a sense of accomplishment. I also received a free workshop on starting your own side hustle which you can also participate in just by accessing this link. I started the workshop yesterday, and the first module is about determining which skills you have using her ingenious Skill Distiller Formula. 

I applied the formula and reflected on my own journey so far. Here’s what I have uncovered: 

By using the Skill Distiller Formula to unlock my unique strengths, I managed to validate myself. I was able to solve problems and innovate along the way. Most of all, I can apply my skills to new ways. I have then decided to listen to another episode of Melyssa’s podcast to discover more of my skills.

Enter Cassie + Shay of The Bucketlist Bombshells.  They are two best friends who travel the world while teaching other women how to run their own online businesses so they can do the same. Their guesting on Melyssa’s show resonated with me because (while I intend to work in corporate for now) I want to know what skills I can capitalize on and how I can develop them as I go along. I started taking their free online course on how to be a girl boss. It takes four days to complete, and I finished the first module yesterday.

The first day consisted of uncovering my soft skills. Here’s what I have learned: 

I already took the 16Personalities test for an interview, and I revisited the results to determine what my soft skills are. I never focused on them until now, and I learned that my weaknesses are basically my strengths on steroids. I have a Commander personality, which makes me an analyst who thrives in social engagement. By focusing on my soft skills and combining them with a closer look at my career path and workplace habits, I landed on career options that I can consider. This is invaluable as I am currently pursuing a corporate role while managing my website.

Can you imagine how amazing skills discovery can be for your life and career? You can innovate and diversify in your current role, or level up by taking a side hustle or becoming an entrepreneur. The choice is yours, and it is made easier through today’s lesson. I hope that you enjoyed learning with me, and I will be back tomorrow with Day Two of my self-improvement lesson! 

 ***Comments are welcome at speakoutsam@gmail.com***