“Work from home ba? Sarap naman! Madali lang yan!” Raise your hands if you ever heard this line from relatives and friends. From those who only see us as working from home or a coffee shop, the job may look easy. Little do they know that it took us years before we got to where we are. As you all know, I was in the corporate world for 18 years before I made a life-changing decision. Our guest for FBP 160, Carlo Mercado, was in the telco industry for 12 years. In 2017, he decided that it was time to leave his comfort zone. Carlo transitioned from a telecommunications engineer to a book author and eventually to a financial advisor in February 2017. Carlo and I have almost similar experiences. The mindset shift took years before we decided that it was time. As most long-time freelancers would know, this process was not easy and not as picture-perfect as we would like to think it is. In FBP 160, Carlo shares what motivated him to start a plan B outside of his telco career, how he found his niche, and what inspired him to make the shift to the insurance industry. His story is proof too that you need to make preparations for the life that you want. Shifting from being a full-time employee to a freelancer does not happen overnight. It takes planning and effort before making the leap. Listen in as Carlo’s story is one of those that inspires. On top of that, Carlo shares valuable investing tips for freelancers! Key Takeaways * The journey from being telecommunications engineer to a champion of personal finance * How joining a freelancing community helped him to transition from a structured day job to a career full of possibilities * The non-traditional way of client lead generation via Facebook * Advice to freelancers on how to start a  good investing practice * How he formed his client acquisition system based on what he learned in the freelancing community * His strategies to reach out and connect with clients * His thoughts on the usual misconceptions about life insurance * Advice on choosing between investment and life insurance (if you really had to choose one…) * His personal investing strategy and recommended investment vehicles Quotes On finding your niche: “Try things out. Trial and error yung naging journey ko.” On making a life-changing decision: “…(Your) Pay is the means of sustaining the life you choose. The question is is this the life you choose?” Links * Carlo Mercados site: carlomercado.net * Order his book The Black Book on Common Cents from his website http://carlomercado.net/commoncents/ * Follow him on Facebook and Instagram – @mr.common.cents * Watch more successful freelancer stories on Freelance Blend TV * Want to hear more inspiring stories from freelancers? Join us on July 19th for the Creatives + Entreps Mixer * Do you want to get more tips for fellow freelancers? Join us on Facebook and connect with hundreds of Filipino freelancers! www.freelanceblenders.com