Things I Like About JFDI

What's been keeping me busy these days is my new job as Social Media and Content Marketing Manager at JFDI Asia. In short, I handle our socials and make sure we have awesome content. How I am today – giddy and challenged and fulfilled – is a far cry from what I've been the past few months.

My biggest worry about moving to Cebu was finding the right  kind of work (also, earning a liveable salary). Did you know that unemployment is in the Top 10 traumas for a human being? Going through that was like living a nightmare. Add to that I was also very picky with how I spent my time. I didn't play golf, even if my fiancé often does, as it is something I consider irrelevant.



I didn't take any "survival" job either. I worked in San Diego for year and saved 50% of my salary, so I can be deliberate in finding work in Cebu. I want a position that would force a learning curve in writing and digital media. 

One of the most important points in Dr. Meg Jay's book, 'The Defining Decade' is about spending "your 20's learning." She adds, "Salary is roughly equivalent to your skills. In your 20's don't expect to earn money. You simply don't have the experience. Instead, you should spend this decade learning and absorbing as much as you can. Hopefully by the time you're in your 30's, money shouldn't be a problem." There's a lot of easy-money dead-end jobs, that even my fellow 20-something friends are forced to take. 

One day while browsing Mynimo (an online forum like Craigslist), I saw a job opening in socials for a company called JFDI Asia. Three interviews and a writing trial later, I was hired. I was that overdressed lady you probably saw fist-pumping at the intersection of Cardinal Rosales and Mindanao Avenue on a hot afternoon. At that moment, everything felt so right. 

JFDI Asia is a Singapore-based accelerator. In short, they help venture-fundable startups. Right now my job has me reading and writing about technology, entrepreneurship, risk mitigation, etc. – things I have never written before in my life. This week I had to make an MIT paper web-friendly. I'm racking my brain everyday, but this is exactly the learning curve I'm looking for.



Day One of my employment, I sent out a tweet that JFDI is so cool. Our company mascot is a frog we call Smoochy (#spotsmoochy).


I'll share with you the Four JFDI Principles listed in our employee handbook. I'm very fond of them and believe they can be applied in all areas of life:

4 Principles Of JFDI 

1. Resourcefulness Principle - You should assume that at any given time, other people are busy with their own work, so if you can accomplish something or find an answer to a question without bothering someone else, you should try to do that first. 

This filters all the ignoramus and annoying people out of our offices. It means I can work in peace, except when somebody really needs something from me. I heard this story once about JFDI Chairman Meng Wong. One of my coworkers needed some information, so Meng told the guy to: first, google like crazy; second, hit his head in the wall; third, (if that's still not working) only then ask someone. No spoon-feeding works for us, so we can focus on big wins.

2. Relevance Principle - avoid unnecessarily taxing the attention of people who don’t care. 

3. Searchability Principle - make the communication available on demand to anyone looking for it.

We use the Slack app to make office communication seamless. We don't like email because info gets buried there. So in the Slack's editorial channel, I get almost real-time feedback from my editor, Joyce Huang. All of us gets to read and learn from company 'critical incidents,' something we all talk about weekly. I also get to easily reach out to our CEO Hugh Mason and Chairman Meng Wong, would I ever need quotes. Searchability supports our resourcefulness principle, which in turn supports...

4. Openness Principle - default to the medium which is the most open for the communication at hand.

Openness has long been cited as a hallmark trait in successful marriages. How would I have known these works in company culture too? Everything is online for us to read, check and use. Openness very well ties into searchability and resourcefulness which all, in turn, optimise our work flows. We don't have to rely on other people to 'send us this..' (OK, sometimes we still do). We use Asana for tasks, Nimble for contacts, SlimWiki for company SOP's, and Slack for office chitchat. All open, searchable, paperless, efficient and awesome.

Hi from the office! We use Hangouts to touch base with the Singapore team.

Cal Newport in his book, 'So Good They Can't Ignore You,' talked about three things that define great work:

1. Creativity

2. Impact

3. Control

My work today is giving me autonomy and flexibility. I can clearly see the impact of my work in Hubspot metrics, feedback from my colleagues and retweets and follows from tech people on Twitter. When I get better, I'll eventually handle Inbound Marketing, a skill I consider highly valuable in today's connected world. So, I cleared all of Newport's requirements.

Every morning I sit in the garden or take a few minutes in the car to pinch myself. This is the reality of where I am at the moment. I've left my life in San Francisco/San Diego to move to Cebu, Philippines. I'm getting married soon. Despite of being picky and specific, I found the job that I'm looking for.

I read this from Paulo Coelho as a kid and it still holds true today:

Crystal Superal is the Social Media and Content Marketer at JFDI, the #1 business accelerator in Asia. She finished her Multimedia Communications degree while playing golf for a San Francisco-based art school. She currently lives in Cebu City, Philippines. For her thoughts about tech and lifehacks, follow her Twitter @crystalsuperal.

Stories And My New Life In Cebu

I SAT IN FRONT OF JAN YANEHIRO IN HER 79 New Montgomery office at downtown San Francisco. She's dressed in a yellow wool jacket over a black top and long pants. Her gently parted bangs and lilac-colored eyeshadow struck me first as I stare at her.

“Crystal, your voice tends to fall off at the end of your sentences. Project like this.”

She proceeds to say a few words. I follow them. 

“Yes, better. Keep practicing.”

Jan is an Emmy-awarding winning journalist. As the Director of Multimedia Communications of Academy Art University, she had been the first person to encourage me to study production. When I was a scared, stressed, teenage girl looking for a scholarship, she welcomed me in open arms saying, “You’d flourish in my department both as an athlete and a student.” And I believed her.

Four years later, I graduated with several awards, one of them an NCAA Woman of the Year nomination. Not only my US education will enable me to provide for myself, I was also exposed to an environment that proved I could live a creative and meaningful life. A private art school education. Traveling the whole U.S. with artist friends while playing competitive golf. Living in downtown San Francisco -  melting pot of wealthy, artistic, free, environmentally and historically adept people and ideas. My brain, my physique, my soul — all expanded the best way possible any young woman could ever wish for.

That bright afternoon, Jan and I had been working to produce a singing show. It will be our last class together. Although I’m thankful for her kind mentoring, at the same time, I was also feeling nostalgic about the near end of my college journey. It’s graduation soon. It was almost goodbye.

———

After graduating, I moved to San Diego, California. The weather is described as semi-arid, mild and sunny throughout the year. It’s essentially all-day long perfect, the kind that would guilt you if you’re not outdoors.

I’ve been driving for almost an hour now, even turning off the radio so I could focus on the directions. But what I could not find is the entrance to Elfin Forest in Escondido, California. I’m right here, but as with most state parks, looking for the “staging” area (the place where the hike starts), is the hardest to find.

“One mile from destination,” the GPS voice cries in unison with the hazard light clicking. After a U-turn and an illegal left turn, I finally found the gate.

The Elfin Forest hike boasts of several trails that vary in difficulty. As a moderate hiker, I aim for maximum three to four hours in the mountain. Asking for more might be a push for a young woman wandering alone.

Fake alone, I would call it, because you're never truly by yourself in nature. I’m walking on half-sand/half-dry soil. Hundreds of miles of it spread in front of me, sometimes wielding like forks into deeper parts of the woods. I learned this thing in college training where we load our butts and thighs and tighten our bellies for every lunge. My trainer advised it’s best for protecting knees, so I used that in my new hiking hobby. That, and breathing in rhythm, made me fall in love with hiking more.

Up in the mountains, mansions in Escondido peaks looked like tiny cars. California is experiencing its worst drought in years. So right now, a typical California view is like an old pastel painting —  brownish, greenish, bluish — real but faint. Slowly rolling mountains but never too small like hills or staggering like the Grand Canyon’s. And there’s always a body of water, this time the Olivenhain Municipal Water District.

Since moving to San Diego, I learned to relinquish the outdoors. My work ends early so by afternoon, I’m free to sleep under the sun. Without any friends, school or social obligations, I’m living in melancholy, peace and solitude. 

“Aloneness is not the same as loneliness,” one of my favorite quotes would say. The San Diego life, paired me down to what really matters to my core - a purpose (my first employment after school), nature (hikes and coastal views), books (to feed my brain) and lots of reflection time. 

When my working privileges ends, I’m moving back to my home country, the Philippines. My VISA is expiring soon. It’s almost goodbye.

————

And now here I am in Cebu living an entirely new life.

Two weeks ago, I left my siblings in Cavite to move to Cebu permanently. I bawled on the plane until I got bloodshot eyes over missing the three little people I love the most. 

"Why do you want to drop me off at the airport?," I asked my nine-year old sister Ace. 

"Kasi wala na akong ate (Because I will no longer have an older sister)," she said so straight and emotionless, I wanted to crumble inside. A notable hurdle in this new life: Leaving my family. 

A week ago, I sat on the bathroom floor away from screens and noise. My future husband had to rescue me, probably thinking I just went mad. But I needed the space to internalize my losses. I’m waking up everyday depending on one person. I have no place to go or nothing (not even household chores) to do. A notable hurdle in this new life: a loss of a purpose. No work, no dignity.

Two hours ago, Jovi and I, were being toured by a sweet lady around Radisson Blu Hotel. I could not follow her words because she’s speaking in Bisaya — the dialect of Cebuanos. I’m born and raised Tagalog and adopted English from my college days. Bisaya is spoken fast and there are still many words I don't understand. A notable hurdle in this new life: language.

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I went to school in San Francisco for four years, then I moved to San Diego for a year. That’s five years of building a life — the first time I would call my real “own” life without much of anybody’s help. I decided to pick my major. I cleaned, slept, cooked, washed and ate in an apartment I chose. I hosted breakfasts with my own adult friends. In those five years I grew up, not only in age, but in a hey-I-can-survive-alone kind of empowering way. 

Goodbye to my independent U.S. life, artists friends in San Francisco, to the crazy mornings of waking up beside my nine year-old sister, or even just the familiarity of my Cavite home or the San Diego freeways. I don’t think a husband is enough to replace all that. And that’s okay. Because when I sleep at night and wake up in a this new life of uncertainty, only one strong, ironic and quizzical thing hits me. The eliminator of all my notable hurdles: Gut-wrenching joy.

"Uncertainty is where things happen. It is where the opportunities — for success, for happiness, for really living — are waiting.”

How I Learn By Samm McAlear

THIS SERIES IS ABOUT PEOPLE I admire answering the question: "How Do You Learn?" According to the dictionary:  learn (verb) means to gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, experience, or being taught. I want, and hopefully my readers as well, to pick up lessons from individuals who are happy, socially responsible and uniquely successful. 

I started off by answering this question myself, and now it's time to pass the baton to Samm McAlear. He and I knew each other as student-athletes at Academy of Art University. Equipped with the grit of a baseball player, Samm is turning his competitiveness and drive to graphic design. He is currently working at Nike as a Product Designer intern. 

Location: Beaverton, Oregon 
Current Gig: Product Designer and Product Graphics Intern (NIKE), Student (Graphic Design, AAU)
Website: sammmcalear.com

HOW I LEARN BY SAMM MCALEAR

What inspires you?

Travel. It's crazy how you can take a 45 minute flight from one city to another and you can tell you're in a completely different enviroment. Culture is everything and I love seeing the differences between people and communities from one place to another. Everyone of us was brought up with different values and family history that contribute to who we are, and what traits we pass on to the next generation. You don't even have to travel the world to find this, you could drive a couple hours to the next state over and gain a whole different perspective on life. I've been lucky enough to be able to travel all over the world and it's definitely influenced me as a designer. Sometimes we get so caught up in doing things a certain way because it's comfortable for us and we fail to see there are other ways to accomplish the same task. 

I love talking to people who were around before technology and hearing how they created. There is an authenticity you get by doing something with your hands, and that seems to get lost in the modern technology age. Part of my reaction to this is now whenever I take photographs I shoot everything on disposable cameras. There is something about capturing a moment on a disposable that is so authentic because you can't snap off 14 frames in a row like you can on modern DSLR's. What you shoot is what you get. You capture that authentic moment and something is so real about it. 

And music. I can't work without listening to music. It sets the tone and allows me to zone into what I'm working on. 

Describe a typical day. 

Wake up. Eat some breakfast while checking Instagram. Spending 15-20 minutes sketching random things to get my brain started up, sometimes the sketches lead to other ideas, sometimes they're chicken scratch. Then sit down at the computer and log into my online classes and try and knock some HW out of the way. Once I get bored of that I'll check my usual design blogs and then get started on whatever freelance work I have. Eat lunch, Work out and shower then get back to either client work or homework depending on the day. 

On travel days I try not to get on my computer. Instead I'll either read a book or draw, but things always change depending on my workload. 

A doodle on a plane

Anything cool you're working on?

I just finished some stuff up at Nike that should be releasing here very soon, and continuing to release throughout the rest of 2014 and into 2015. 

I'm also finishing up Art Direction a national campaign for Monster Products, a headphone company based in the bay. Currently looking for more cool projects too!

How do you get news everyday? 

By watching the news in the morning, the internet, and Twitter. 

How do you share what you know? 

I use Twitter mainly to share what I know. I use Facebook mainly as a way to stay connected to old friends and family that live all over the country. 

What continues to influences your life?

One of Samm's design for Nike

Music and the incredibly talented people that I have the opportunity to work with. If you told me when I started college in 2010 that I would have worked for Nike, and get paid to work for and with musicians and athletes that I look up is still pretty crazy to me, and sometimes it doesn't even feel real. That alone influences and inspires me to continue to grow as a designer and never stop learning. 

An unforgettable quote.

Don't think about what can happen in a month, or what can happen in a year. Instead, focus on the 24 hours in front of you and do what you can to be closer to where and what you want to be. I have no idea who said it, but I love it!

Your Top 5 Fascinating People and what would you like to learn from them?

 Kanye West, Benjamin Franklin, Rick Rubin, Warren Buffet and Nelson Mandela

Warren Buffet - the man started with nothing and now he owns damn near half of the US it seems like. 

Rick Rubin - The guy has produced for everyone from the Dixie chicks to Kanye. He makes a hit album, then seems to disappear for years, then all of a sudden is back making more classics. 

Kanye West - beneath all the craziness and antics there is hints of true creative genius that I feel tends to get misunderstood just because of how passionate he is about what he loves. 

Benjamin Franklin - the way at which he approached problems and discovered solutions really fascinates me. 

Nelson Mandela - He witnessed people at there worst, and was still able to forgive and focus on the good of the greater people, changing the history of a country,  and in turn impacting the world in a way which I think he never imagined. 

What is a book or movie that changed you?

The last book and movie that really made me think were 'The Butler" (Film) and "Lullaby" by Chuck Palahniuk.

What do you know for sure?

I wake up every morning excited that I get paid to do what I love. 

Lastly, I would love for  Andrea Nieto  to answer these questions.

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Contact: Follow Samm's Instagram here.

To see the rest of his work, go to:  sammmcalear.com

Saving Money (Part 2)

(This is the continuation of my 'Saving Money' series. For Part 1, click here.)

The book that started it all for me: "Your Money Or Your Life"

SAVING MONEY TIP #3 - CREATE BARRIERS

The illusion of superiority states we are not who we think we are. So, it helps to have specific anchors to guide us. When it comes to consumption, I create barriers that limit me. 

One of them is to simply avoid temptation. I’ve stopped going to the mall, the money-sucking machine. Instead, I spend a whole lot of time at my favorite lake. Simple Dollar’s Trent likes to leave his wallet in the car, buy  bulk in Amazon for basic nonperishables (to avoid shopping), stick only to the grocery list, carry cash only, etc. Little things like these seem pedantic but everything counts.

SAVING MONEY TIP #4 - MAXIMIZE INCOME

Ramit Sethi argues that there’s a limit to what you can save, but not what you can earn. The book, “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” details a very specific plan on skills growth, so that the person can be indispensable. Imagine a never-ending stream of skills that every employer dreams of. Or being someone or building something so remarkable and unique, you or your work is considered a “purple cow.”

I started writing this blog for practice, to have fun and to share all I know from stuff I read. After several months of consistent posting, I finally received a request for a paid article - a first in my lifetime. It’s not about the money. But how my theory of self-development, combined with time and effort, finally paid off. Plus, this side gig gives me joy.

Aside from my work and blog, I am an avid cook and baker. I have a binder with a collection of alphabetized recipes, focusing on healthy, affordable meals for a family. I'd love to become a Filipina version of Ina Garten. I also workout every other day, read extensively on health and nutrition, travel, color, essays, personal finance… Point is, I do not ever want to get stuck. I’m maximizing my plethora of knowledge because generally speaking, the more education you have, the more opportunities you get. Therefore, the better quality of life you’ll have.

THE DOWNSIDES OF FRUGALITY

Excessive frugality, a.k.a cheapness, is being such a tightwad that it makes your companions uncomfortable. For example, I always take home my own extra food from restaurants, but I will never scrape down anyone else’s plate for it. I remember once a family friend who got obsessed with recycables. He stops at almost every garbage can and dumps the stuff in his smelly car. Is it worth his time and annoyance of his friends for a few bucks of picking bottles?

Scarcity mindset is believing that there’s not enough in this world to go around. It is rooted from a poverty mindset, where long-term growth is overshadowed by short-term needs. It’s when we are selfish. My tendency is to get guilty of splurging or sharing since my budget is so transparent. I also tend to buy cheap things instead of quality things. (Working on it!) The opposite of scarcity mindset is the abundance mindset.

Limits of saving too much money. Many things are worth the expense -- things that save time, enrich life, education and relationships, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to draw the line between what is enough or when to extend one’s comfort zone.

CONCLUSION

"Your life is the sum of your choices." - Albert Camus

Personal finance is a life skill, something that everyone has to deal with, yet very few know about. I’m thankful for having read “Your Money Or Your Life,” that started me on track. Granted, I cannot explain credits, stocks, retirement accounts or investments yet, but I’m starting to get a good grip on saving.

I do not know if any of my peers take such care in budgeting as I do. I cannot preach them either, because principles are useless unless one experiences them. If my siblings ever come for help, I’m here as a living example. So far, my careful planning has lifted a huge weight off my family and I get tremendous satisfaction on self-reliance.

I have no inheritance or mortgage, nor do I belong to a high-income tax bracket, therefore my finances are simple. I’m young. And that’s precisely the reason why I’m starting as early as possible -- for the highest possible return on investment in this lifetime.

-C. 

(This is the continuation of my 'Saving Money' series. For Part 1, click here.)

A 23-Year Old Finding Work

It's no surprise that you'll constantly find articles arguing if a college degree is still even relevant.  In the US, the unemployment rate is 12.2 % for 20-24 year-olds. 33% of those who work in jobs that don't need a college degree. According to Time, there are two things stacked against Millenials:

1. An increasingly unstable Earth to raise our families
2. A move from manufacturing to tech jobs, that demands increased level of training  and experience

Long before I graduated, I was already anxious about job prospects. I knew that I don't want to cohabit with strange roommates anymore and that living in downtown San Francisco is too expensive. I'm also an international student, so my VISA is subject to laws by the USCIS.

Then, I had to move to San Diego, a city where I had zero network. If you've ever tried looking at job boards, you might as well sob in despair. Despite my honest qualifications, I was about 80% under-qualified in producing media jobs. They require 2-5 year industry experience. As the irony goes: 

"You need a job to get experience, but you need experience to get a job."

Selfie from my desk. Double-screen, ergonomic chair, etc. and work is only from 6AM to noon.

Turning Point

When I came back from a vacation/engagement, I reached a turning point: find a job within a month or move back to the Philippines. But I have to give it 100% because I do need the experience and savings before I settle down.

I armed myself the best way I know how - read books. Two of them helped: One is Katie Couric's, "Best Advice I Ever Got." For the nights that I cried out of frustration, it helped to learn about how extraordinary people shaped their lives in their 20's. Two is "New Marketing and PR Rules" by David Meerman Scott. He discussed tangible steps of an effective job search. A tip that actually landed me a job: follow up with after interviews emails until they are clear to turn you down. 

Finally, I was called in a second job interview, one that offered me a salary on the spot. I knew that moment I stepped in that I wanted to work there. New building, calm office, full studio, and friendly hosts. I accepted the offer.

What I Do For A Living

As a programming assistant for Money Biz Life Network, I research stories for the hosts, transfer callers to the studio, and edit the show for web upload. Recently, I've also started working on producing a sports commentary by Lee Hacksaw. These are the top two most amusing things about my job:

1. I'm awestruck at the enunciation and charm of TV hosts. As their colleague, I get to talk to them and see them work magic everyday.

2. People from all over the US call us for financial advice. One retiree goes: "I need help.... What should I do with my $2 million?" And he was so sincere in his query.

Everyday, our hosts and manager say "Thanks for your help, Crystal." I read massive stories about horrible bosses, but there's not even a hint of drama in our office. My colleagues come to work, play music, run to the studio laughing two minutes before broadcast starts. Professional and kind, if I were to summarize my work environment.

Ray Lucia Sr. nicknamed me after the 70's song, 'Crystal Blue Persuasion.' One day he said, "Crystal, I'm using one of your articles, so I'll mention you on-air." 

What's Next?

When I was in school, all I wanted was to graduate. When I did, I got anxious about job hunting. When I found a job, I worried about earning more. As Gretchen Rubin said in "The Happiness Project":

"We are all constantly in different stages of happiness."

In hindsight, I shouldn't have been afraid of finding work. The common phrase from my graduating friends is: "I just need the stability of a job." That stability comes with routine (for me, waking up at 4:50 AM everyday)  and this question: "What's next for me?"

I'm obsessed about life-long learning, from Dan Coyle's LARP theory to Cal Newport's emphasis on deliberate practice. In fact, I'm currently enrolled at a Duke University MOOC on writing.

I did something two days ago that gave me an emotional high: volunteering for the OneDayInSanDiego project. I crafted questions for two veterans of Workshop for Warriors, drove to different locations, and worked with a filmmaker and a sound guy. One of them said at lunch: "What did you study in college? No wonder you sounded so natural."

Here is San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and filmmaker Jodi Cilley after our interview:

Mayor Kevin Faulconer (middle) attended a home building project in Ocean Beach.  Filmmaker extraordinaire, Jodi Cilley (right), urged me to help with the One Day In San Diego Project. I constantly volunteer to refresh my producing chops.

Cal Newport' sums it best. According to him, there are three main components for great work:

1. Impact - When your work positively affects people or the world
2. Creativity - When your work enables to you personalize, deconstruct, think, and create
3. Control - When your work allows you to be flexible in terms growth

That's a tall order for a 23-year old. I'm sure even or older folks! So, I am not there yet. But this is a lifelong thing anyway. I'm leaving you with Pope Francis' remarkable take on work: