Planning My Next US Visit

Well, it’s confirmed- my flight to LA is on May 30.  That means I have roughly just a little over a month to get ready for it.  This time, I’ll be staying for about a month, then I’ll be flying back with Mom, my sister and maybe a couple more aunts to meet up with the rest of my relatives to attend my brother’s wedding in July.

A month is still quite a bit of time.  And yes, I do have a plan to work out.  The ultimate goal, really, is to prepare for our eventual move to the US- for Cristina and myself.  I’m more like the advance party, to figure out our options and to get some business done.

First of all, I gotta get me a social security number.  I’ll need this to get me a bank account, and get my credit going.

Next, I’ll need to get a license, and hopefully, a car.  I’m thinking of a Honda.  Just a preference, really.  Have you heard? Honda launches VCM 643-  supposedly it’s great on fuel economy.

Then I gotta work on my business prospects- hopefully close a few new accounts, attend a few trade shows, build up a new network of suppliers, contacts and clients.

Lastly, I gotta start considering getting some real estate.  No idea how the market is right now, but I know I’ll have a better feel for it once I’m there.

Definitely there’s lots of stuff going on in-between.  Need to get me a new PC, the DSLR I’ve had my eyes on for so long, a new digital handycam, meet up with some old friends, spend some time with mom and my sister, and just basically have a good time.

Wish me luck

Cheers, everyone!

I Will Start Me A New Life

Well, nothing’s really wrong with the life I have at this point.  But there comes a time when an opportunity stares at you right in the face, and you just have to acknowledge it and take hold of it- simply because it’s just ripe with endless possibilities.

I am taking a trip to the United States once again (in May) to carve out a new life for myself (and for my fiancee).  I’d like to get some business done, check out how the properties are doing, maybe even continue my education, or at least pick up a new skillset or two.

And while I do have family there, the ultimate goal really is to be as independent as possible.  All these years of living on my own has actually done its job to give me that needed boost of confidence and a strong belief that I can handle this without breaking a sweat.

So everything now is geared towards preparing for that trip in May.  I’ve taken a more active effort in stepping up my activity online- because online assets can be managed anywhere in the world- so long as you have a trusty laptop and a decent internet connection.

For me, that means taking in more writing jobs, managing more blogs (clients’ and my own) , dabbling even more with internet marketing, and dipping my fingers into e-commerce as well.

I have to admit: for a while there, I was really iffy about relocating somewhere else, mainly because I saw my personal network of contacts, suppliers and business partners as a key strength, and something that couldn’t come into play if I move to, say, Los Angeles.  Now I realize that, that network of mine can still very much work out for me- if I look at it through entrepreneurs’ eyes.  Especially with the internet and the ease of travel and communication- you just have to look at it differently now.

With that, I start organizing my stuff, deciding which ones I take with me, ship out, store elsewhere, stash away for safekeeping, or just give away.  I’ve been converting all my songs, TV shows, games and movies into digital media- so I could take a couple of hard disks with me instead of a whole slew of CDs and DVDs.

So much needs to be done, but I’m happy I’m doing this.

Cheers, everyone!

You Gotta Have a Killer CV!

I’ve spent the greater deal of my day going through an entire pile of resumes. See, we need a few new additions to the on-air team, and to be honest- I wasn’t impressed with the lot in front of me.

Then again, maybe I shouldn’t pass judgment on the basis of these CV’s alone. I’ll most likely invite a few over for a quick chat, and hope they’re a whole lot better in person than they are on paper.

I mean, it could have been worse- I remember a time when I was going through an even larger pile back when I was still handling operations for a BPO company several years back. You can just imagine how many careers have possibly been shot down because of a shoddily-written resume. A recruitment person can have dozens- maybe even hundreds of CVs to go through in any given hiring effort. The last thing any applicant would want is for his resume be dismissed just as that- one of the many hundreds.

The goal, really, is to come up with a kick-ass resume. At the very least, you’d like to be given the chance to have some face time, so you could sell yourself even more.

It’s not really very hard, since these days you have a lot of online guides and tools to help build a better-than-average curriculum vitae. One such resume writer is ResumeServicePlus.com, which is worth checking out if you’re really serious about landing a job, and even more so if it’s a highly competitive industry.

Remember, a CV that stands out can get you your foot in the door.  It’s all about selling yourself and showing your prospective employers why they should hire you over all the other applicants, and what you bring to the table.

With that, I dive back into the pile of CVs in front of me, hoping to find a couple of good ones to interview tomorrow.

Cheers, everyone!

Fixing and Re-positioning This Blog.

To be completely honest, I may have neglected this blog a bit- it’s been weeks since I last posted anything here. Mainly because I’ve been working on a few other projects these past couple of months.

The good thing is that is has given me a sort of clarity- an understanding of what this blog is supposed to be in the grand order of things.

I was just reading Aaron Wall’s SEO Book the other day (which is a highly recommended read, if you haven’t checked it out yet), and it sorta gave me an idea of how to go about fixing up my site.

Simply put, I have to consider three very basic things:

1. Who’s my target audience? Or more like, who would I want my blog to appeal to?

2. What do I plan to offer? Exactly what kind of content do I plan to put in “The Life and Times of The Renzie Man?”

3. What makes this blog different from all the millions of other blogs out there?

Those things considered, lemme go ahead and figure out what this blog really is all about. Here we go…

My Intended Target Market.

Who do I want to talk to? I want to reach out to an online audience who’d like to know how it is to live in the Philippines, from the point of a 30-something dude. That means reaching out to all kinds of travellers, locals interested in the bachelor lifestyle, my fellow Filipinos abroad who’d like to have a glimpse of home, and pretty much anyone genuinely interested in me- though I can’t imagine who, and exactly what kind of people those would be :).

What Kind of Content Would Be in this Blog?

This blog is a personal blog masquerading as a lifestyle-oriented piece of work. So while it is definitely something for shameless self-promotion, it aims to share useful tips, articles and opinions along the lines of…

• Bachelor Living in Metro Manila.
• Living Life Easier - Work-life Balance Tips and other useful bits of info to get the most out of our 24 hours a day.
• Workplace Woes and Worries- Don’t quit your day job- but don’t let your life revolve around work either.
• A Healthier Lifestyle- my attempt at losing the extra weight at least.
• Fun in Metro Manila- where to dine out, great spas to visit, local destinations, etc.
• My current projects
• Making money online- a little extra cash is always good, wouldn’t you agree?
• What I’m into- again, it’s all about me.

My Unique Selling Proposition.

The truth is, the blog is all about me, and therefore, I am selling me. This blog represents one of my first efforts in blogging. It is a true online journal of me and my little misadventures, not some blog meant positioned towards a particular niche. Of course I will come up with a concept blog from time to time, or pursue some online project- yeah, I’ll be linking it up here, so anyone who’s also interested can also check it out.

Now that I’ve pretty much figured it out, let’s get back to blogging now, shall we?

The Master Plan.

At any given time, in any given situation, your actions have to be governed by your Master Plan.

You do have a Master Plan, don’t you?

The Master Plan is more than just a plan- it’s really more of a roadmap of where you want to go with your life, or probably more appropriately, what you want to do with it, and what you want to be.

Just like any map, there are a number of ways to get to your destination.  What truly matters is the end goal, and the choices you make getting there.

My Master Plan

No, I don’t see myself slaving away at a 9-to-5 job when I hit, say, 40- which is a mere 6 years from now, incidentally.

Obviously I would like to do the things I want to do.  Blogging is obviously one of my newfound passions.

I like my job now- I definitely like what I’m doing. But in the not-too-distant future, I’ll probably have a number of people doing things for me instead.  So yeah, I would very much want to have a few companies under my name.

I’ve already started on that- I do have my own marketing communications company now, and an events group.  But I’d also want to have my own online stores, get into the toy retail business, set up a pet supplies shop, probably my own grocery store.

I also started my travel agency, but I still haven’t quite decided how to position it.  Besides, I got my hands rather full at the moment- so maybe it will have to be shelved for now.

What’s The Point?

Of course, there must be a point to the Master Plan.  I want to break away from depending on regular employment.  Not that it’s a bad thing- heck, if you can have both, go for it.

But there’s nothing as fulfilling as having your own thing going on.  And success is intoxicating.  You taste a little, and it just fuels your ambition, urging you to do more.

The point really, is to get to a point when your money and reputation is working for you, that you can spend time doing the things you want.

I sure would love to spend more time with my loved ones, my family, my friends, heck even my cats.

I would like to enjoy leisurely afternoons of gaming, reading, playing the guitar, or doing whatever I want to do.

I would like to have weekends out of town- whether at a spa or a resort, and maybe have the occasional vacation outside the country.

I would love to build my collection of books, toys, music and movies- and actually have time to enjoy them.

The Final Word

In short, I’d want to be able to take it easy when I hit 40.  Do the things I want, and spending time with the most important people in my life.

Make Money Blogging!

The following post originally came out in one of my other blogs, “Blog. Blogger. Bloggest!”. Check out the rest of that blog for more insights on the world of blogs and blogging. Particularly useful for you who are just starting to blog, and those wanting to build better blogs. Enjoy!

If you’ve been spending a great deal of time online, you’ve already probably checked out a couple of sites that suggest that you can make money just by blogging.

Or answering surveys, or clicking ads, or signing up for some service, etc. Those don’t quite appeal to me as much as blogging (sorry guys)- and face it, once you get int