“Without Ripple, I wouldn’t have the time to sit down and write my book. I know that writing is my life’s purpose, and it's amazing how God orchestrated my life to come back to the same purpose—to inspire other people through my works.”
These are the exact words of a twenty-five-year-old on his experience as a Virtual Assistant in Ripple. Karl Bryan H. Bago is from Malaybalay City in the province of Bukidnon. He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a major in Financial Management from Bukidnon State University, where he graduated as a Cum laude.
While being a student, he enjoyed school campus ministry and volunteering for community service organizations. He enjoys writing and has held positions as editor-in-chief of a college newsletter and a feature writer in high school. In 2017, Karl leveraged his passion for writing to begin freelancing on sites like Upwork and Fiverr for extra income.
Before being a virtual assistant, he worked at his alma mater as an Administrative Aide for three years. Over time, he grew tired of the administrative paperwork and refused to continue with this level of stress and lifestyle. He felt he had progressed, but his pay remained stagnant. As a person who loves words and creativity, he despised the idea of working on mundane routinary tasks.
After three years, he decided to leave his corporate job and begin his full-time commitment as a Virtual Assistant. In September 2021, he found his way to Ripple. He learned about the mission of Ripple from a friend and decided to apply.
His path to finding virtual assistance was never easy. He developed a mental disorder because of a traumatic experience in 2020. This condition made it physically and socially impossible for him to leave his house without experiencing panic attacks. When he needed complete bed rest, his home-based job as a Virtual Assistant allowed him to recover without the stress of commuting and ensuring workplace quality. Shifting his career allowed him to aid financial burdens while also developing his skills and character.
Being a virtual assistant is a completely different experience. Every task is unique, as are the needs of each client. The challenge of developing the best marketing strategy and output while being fairly compensated for the amount of effort he devotes to his work excites him.
Currently, he has no intention of changing careers or leaving Ripple. He firmly stated that he plans on staying for as long as the company needs his assistance. Ripple was life-changing to him. It was an answered prayer for which he will be eternally grateful. He considers that the immense breakthrough in this job was his personal growth and healing from his condition. He sought help by paying for medication and therapy with his VA benefits.
Because Ripple is a ministry, he witnessed God's grace and love in his experience. It enabled him to enjoy his work while also seeing God's provision. The most amazing aspect of working as a VA at Ripple, he says, is that clients become your partner and best friends. He developed strong bonds with them that extended beyond work and business. Virtual assistance allowed him to work on his passion on the sidelines because of the flexible work environment. It allowed him to continue creative writing and finish his debut novel published in September this year.
His words for aspiring virtual assistants are these: “Virtual assistantship and Freelancing is a competitive industry—learn to keep up by learning new skills, building your portfolio, and at the same time never forgetting to enjoy the process. Find purpose in everything you do. Do not just think about the compensation but most importantly your personal development. This is a generation where skills are more important than mere knowledge, so leverage this. Lastly, do not forget God along the way. For we may make plans, but God always has the last word.”
Karl's journey may be different from that of every other virtual assistant. It demonstrated how passion helped him find purpose in his work. His experience showed how he overcame various obstacles, trusted God's plan, and inspired others through his passion.
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