2024 is The Year of Sustainability
If I were to pick a theme for 2024, it would be “sustainable”.
2023 was a year of tremendous growth for me and my businesses. It was a year of hard lessons and incredible wins. To be honest, it was a bit chaotic — but in the best way.
In 2023, we gained momentum. This year, my goal is to keep that momentum going
Let’s take a look back at the year that was
To put things in perspective, let’s take a look back at how 2023 went.
It marked the start of my personal brand: we launched this blog, revamped my approach to video creation, and started building a social media presence on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
Slowly but surely, I built a team of talented creatives to help me spread the opportunities of remote work to more Filipinos.
It’s been a wild ride since. If you’ve been following me from the beginning, thank you so much!
Shepherd also had an awesome year of growth
Two people that I look up to, Nick Huber and Shaan Puri, joined us as investors in 2023. I have been following Nick and Shaan online for the longest time, finding inspiration from their podcasts and content. I never thought that Shepherd would allow me to work with not just one, but two of my role models!
Growth also meant expanding our leadership team in the US. This year, I officially let go of my daily operations tasks and handed them over to our new COO, Benjamin. We’ve also hired a Head of Marketing and are looking for someone to head sales. Exciting times ahead!
Memorable milestones
I finally checked off a long-held dream: to visit the US.
It was so awesome to physically hang out with friends I’ve only ever interacted with online. The energy is just different!
I also got to visit a lot of iconic places around Texas and New York, including Times Square and Brooklyn Bridge. To say that this trip was memorable is an understatement. I’ll share more of my US trip — including visa approval tips — with you guys soon.
The cherry on top of this very productive year is perhaps FeastCon.
Shortly after I returned from the States, I began another adventure, this time on stage as a FeastCon speaker.
I’ve spoken at smaller Feast events before, but this is my first time teaching a main class! It was nerve-wracking but exciting.
I talked about how employment can make one rich, together with two of my friends and fellow remote workers, Chanel and Bea. This experience is one for the books.
Things I’m looking forward to in 2024
After the whirlwind of growth that was 2023, I’m looking forward to sustainability.
The dictionary defines sustainability as “being able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.” If 2023 was a year of taking off, this year would be the year we start setting ourselves up for longevity.
This means pursuing meaningful growth for me and my businesses. I want to pursue balance, playing the long game instead of bagging short-term wins. I’m not a big fan of growth at the cost of my personal relationships, health, or time. I’m also aware that this level of success will not last forever.
That said, I’m keen on building things that will last. Now that I’ve handed off most of my Shepherd tasks to the COO, I want to focus on exploring other ventures beyond Shepherd.
Investments
I’ve started investing in a handful of businesses. They’re quite varied, but one thing they have in common is that I’m personally passionate about all of them. In the future, I want to support more startups and small businesses through angel investing.
Content creation
The best is yet to come in my content creation journey.
This year, I want to continue educating and inspiring other Filipinos about the opportunities of remote work. Given all that we’ve been able to accomplish last year, I also believe that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s possible. We are just getting started.
Please look forward to more collaborations, more educational content on remote work, and some fresh takes on how to be a Filipino digital nomad in these fast-paced times.
Travel and personal pursuits
Europe and New Zealand are on my travel bucket list this year. Let’s see what adventures await us in these regions!
Pura Vida is at the heart of what we do
Lastly, I want to continue living the Pura Vida mindset this year. I want to go back to doing things that I am personally passionate about. I am making my way back to one of my first loves, podcasting, and I can’t wait to share this with you guys very soon!
2023 was good in many ways
Many lessons were learned and lots more experiences were unlocked. I’m excited to see what 2024 has for us. Let’s hope that I can live up to my theme of sustainability this year.
How about you? What’s your theme for 2024?
