There was a moment in my early 20s where I had a choice.
Do I go home and tell myself, “It’s okay, at least I tried,”
or do I march into a stranger’s office and risk embarrassment?
I was 21 years old then.
No formal company.
No registered business.
No “SEO Hacker” yet.
No proposal deck.
No proper website (SEO hacker’s website did not exist yet).
I wasn’t even a businessman in my own head.
I was just a kid doing SEO as a scrappy freelance thing—trying to survive, trying to prove something, trying to figure life out.
And that day, I decided: I’m going in.
The Commute That Forced My Courage
Here’s the funny part.
I remember thinking: “Sayang naman yung pamasahe.” (“What a waste of commute money”)
I came from Parañaque and the meeting was in Yakal, Makati.
If you know that commute, you know it’s not a cute little hop.
That’s the kind of trip where you’ve already paid:
- Jeep
- Bus
- Tricycle
- Plus your dignity
Three to five rides, easy.
So in my head:
“Wala na, nandito na ako. Might as well do the scary thing.” (“Well, I’m already here. I might as well do the scary thing.”)
Sometimes, courage starts with something like… ayaw mo masayang yung pamasahe.
The Client Was a Big Fish in the Industry
The guy I was meeting owned Scuba World — at the time, it was the biggest scuba diving company I knew of.
Fleets of ships.
Sizable operation.
Years of Operation.
And here I come… with my “portfolio.”
SEO was largely unheard of in the Philippines then.
This was 2010.
So picture the scene:
A 21-year-old kid, no company, no brand, no “authority”… walking into a big boss’ office to sell something most people didn’t even understand yet.
My Portfolio Was a Christian Blog…
And now the part that still makes me laugh.
My portfolio was a blog.
A Christian blog.
It wasn’t even big.
I was just starting it.
And it wasn’t related to diving.
It wasn’t related to business.
It wasn’t related to anything corporate.
It was basically my faith, written out loud, as a single Christian guy trying to make sense of life.
Nakakahiya. Legit.
But that’s all I had.
So I showed him the blog and said, in my own way:
“Sir, look… it’s ranking.”
That’s it.
No fancy pitch.
No inflated promises.
Just proof that something I touched was showing up where people could find it.
He Signed.
He signed the deal.
My first real monthly retainer: $1,000/month.
And I’ll be honest with you…
Even that pricing?
Ni-research ko lang sa Google.
I didn’t know how much SEO cost back then.
I just winged it.
I was being scrappy, and I had the guts to do what needed to be done.
The Real Lesson: Leadership Starts Before You “Deserve” To Lead
Looking back, that moment didn’t just teach me about business.
It taught me something deeper:
You don’t wait until you feel “ready” to lead.
You lead when it’s time to lead.
Startup entrepreneur ka man, team leader, manager, parent, whatever—
There will be days where the only thing separating you from the next level is courage.
Not talent.
Not credentials.
Not even experience.
Just courage.
Because the truth is:
- Nobody hands you confidence.
- Nobody grants you legitimacy.
- Nobody crowns you with “Okay, you’re ready now.”
You step forward first.
And sometimes, you step forward while you’re shaking internally, with a portfolio that doesn’t match the industry, with zero branding, and with a commute that already cost you too much to back out.
Do What You Must Do
If there’s one line I want you to remember from this story, it’s this:
As a leader, it is so important to do what you must do.
Not what’s comfortable.
Not what’s safe.
Not what makes you look impressive.
What you must do.
Because the world doesn’t reward hidden potential.
It rewards courage expressed through action.
And if you keep showing up like that—scrappy, honest, willing—
You’ll be surprised how many doors open.
Not because you were “qualified.”
But because you were brave enough to knock.
