How MK Bertulfo Built a 500K+ Community for Filipino Virtual Assistants
"I see that there will be a trend where freelancers can transition to being SaaS entrepreneurs. Instead of just providing day-to-day service as a regular virtual assistant, they can build a service or a platform for their clients. It's amazing to know that we are in an era where Filipinos can start building. For the longest time, we've been known globally for taking care of other people, but now we are encouraging our community members to start building their own apps and platforms to provide solutions." - MK Bertulfo, Founder and CEO of FHMoms
"If you are a virtual assistant, you're literally doing all the things in your power just to keep the business running. I wanted to find a safe space for myself because many of the other communities were toxic, with a lot of bullying and shaming. Since I couldn't find one, I created one. What is nice about FHMoms is that if you are a mom, you need inspiration and someone who understands the exact same challenges you are facing." - MK Bertulfo, Founder and CEO of FHMoms
"FHMoms is the largest online community for work-at-home mothers in the Philippines, with 540,000 members globally. What we do is help Filipina moms get an online job through our digital skills training, apprenticeships, and scholarships, and we also connect them to international clients. There is real money in tech and a lot of opportunities in the global digital world." - MK Bertulfo, Founder and CEO of FHMoms
Join Jeremy Au in this inspiring episode with MK Bertulfo, Founder and CEO of FHMoms (Filipina Homebased Moms), the largest online community for work-at-home mothers in the Philippines with over 540,000 members. MK shares her raw and authentic journey of transitioning from a struggling, overworked call center agent on the night shift to becoming a trailblazing community leader and tech entrepreneur.
They unpack the realities of the remote work industry, diving into the daily challenges virtual assistants face, the intricacies of bridging employer-employee expectations, and the heavy burden of "mom guilt." MK also discusses the critical turning points in scaling FHMoms from a simple Facebook support group into a structured social enterprise and corporation, navigating online bullying, and building hyper-local tech partnerships. Finally, the conversation explores the undeniable impact of Artificial Intelligence on the freelance economy. MK shares how Filipino virtual assistants are actively upskilling to avoid being left behind, utilizing AI tools, and evolving from service providers into SaaS entrepreneurs.
00:00 - The Reality of Virtual Assistant Work
02:00 - The Genesis of Filipina Homebased Moms (FHMoms)
04:40 - Escaping the Call Center Grind & Transitioning to Remote Work
08:45 - Managing Client Hoarding, Burnout, & "Mom Guilt"
14:10 - Scaling FHMoms from a Facebook Group to a Corporation
17:40 - Creating Value via Job Matching & Hyper-Local Tech Meetups
20:45 - Bridging the Gap Between Global Employers and Virtual Assistants
25:15 - AI's Impact on the Freelance Market and Recruitment
27:55 - Upskilling for the Future: AI, Coding, and SaaS Entrepreneurship
34:55 - Overcoming Online Bullying & Building a Sustainable Community
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcE4GSX_OE&list=PLl9u6ECOP8_7scb97PE3whKu4yJVizIOd
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nyEcvSj2GMpMvO9Nx4cR2
Keywords: Philippines, Virtual Assistant, Work From Home, Remote Work, FHMoms (Filipina Homebased Moms), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Automation, Freelance Economy, Female Founders
