"I Hire 80 Shitty Filipino Writers, and I Earn 60 Grand A Week" This is Not a Hook

I only have one rule as a content creator and storyteller inspired by one of my mama besties. When sharing a post or creating content, I intentionally ask myself...

"Is this still a wound, or is it already a scar?"

If it's the former, I will still process my emotions and give myself space; if it's the latter, I will pour out my heart, mind, and soul while making that content. This one is one of them.

The incident that changed everything

In 2024, I attended Ahrefs Evolve 2024 conference, which was so far the first for many years since I bid goodbye to my digital nomad life when I was still single.

I came here to learn. I came there excited and calm. But it was also unforgettable.

There was a time when this guy came to us, ladies. I met two wonderful women, one a Singaporean, the other American.

We were having our conversations when he began asking, "So, who's the smartest lady in the room?" That alone tells me this is NOT going to be a good one.

He began bragging about himself and what he does; that self-glorification resulted in him nonchalantly telling us that he just hires 80 shitty Filipino writers and earns 60 grand a week...

My new Singaporean friend looked at me, and I saw her facial expression, but I was there, stunned. Shocked. I didn't know what to say. I was silent.

The American lady took the guts and took charge of stirring the conversation, and I thanked her for that.

It was a relief when the guy finally left us. OMG. Thank you Em, I'll be forever grateful for your bravery to speak up that time.

While I can still feel the tension back then, I tried to brush that incident out of my mind.

I wanted to enjoy this conference, and no amount of racist and discriminatory comments and conversations will stop me from learning and meeting new people.

That situation taught me that how I will respond will determine whether I am emotionally mature enough to speak for myself next time it happens, or whether I will embrace the victim mindset and not mingle with anybody else again.

I chose to be a victor, not a victim, in that incident. With the help of our in-house counsellor at my full-time job, we processed it together. After a month, I reached out to Tim Soulo on LinkedIn (CMO of Ahrefs) and told him the story.

My hands were still shaking as I typed. Tim responded and said he could have kicked the person out if I had reported it to the organizers sooner. Relief came.

Little did I know that situation left a burning desire in my heart that I couldn’t figure out in the coming months.

Then the world started shifting

And then January came. That was last year, 2025, and I saw a huge change in everything.

I saw the deployments of AI and burgeoning startups from a few years ago when it started, versus January 2025.

Everything was moving fast.

The technology I used to work with and for, like when I was still starting back in 2011, (then 2015, then 2021), is different.

I mean, tech giants at the time would deploy features, products, and services at their own pace.

But when last year came, I saw that every day (every week) there was something new in the AI space, and all the changes were trickling down into my industry.

And that's where fear came in.

The fear of being obsolete. FOBO.

What if AI can replace me anytime soon as a content marketer, as an SEO writer, as somebody in the digital marketing space?

Because every day, I also use these AI tools. And that's where it hit me.

From fear, again, as you can see, the pattern is still here.

There is fear. It's still in my mind. And it doesn't mean fear is negative. For me, it's amoral. It isn't good or bad–it just is.

For me, fear is like a gauge because it signals: Are you protected? Or is there something else? And I turned that fear into curiosity.

What fear made me do next

And I finally told my husband that I will become a content creator.

I will try it. That was around January when I told him my plan, and he supported me.

By March, I began my journey. I dedicated a space for myself, which I called "Sette's Corner." This is my office studio.

Since I'm working from home and have a full-time job, I'm also handling some fractional work with agencies and other consultants, so I'm just doing the content creator side as my time permits.

I set one goal for myself: to become a persuasive and effective communicator.

Every decision I made for the next six months was threaded through that; the books I read, the people I connected with, the conferences I attended, and the content I consumed. Everything was intentional.

And as I began my journey as a content creator, everything was cringey.

But from cringe, it became confidence along the way.

I will do the things most people fear: public speaking.

I started scrappy—30 minutes to an hour a day, part-time, replacing my doomscrolling with content creation.

And as I kept doing that, I found clarity.

The moment I saw myself in the mirror

Fast forward, that burning desire, that incident, it popped up again.

Somewhere along the way, a situation reminded me of that conference. I saw that there were senior, experienced people belittling junior ones, publicly on LinkedIn and other socials.

And that triggered me in a good way, because I am an experienced one, and I saw myself sometimes doing that, too.

I saw myself sometimes nitpicking even the Oxford comma of a junior writer's work. Just nitpicking and criticizing how awful the content was and how it was all AI slop.

But that's the turning point for me.

When I started, I knew that the reason I wanted to do this was to share what I know about SEO, about content, about AI, about mental health, about performance, about the books I've read.

And a lot of traditional marketers and even some content creators will say, "Hey, you should find your niche." But I scrapped everything off.

Heck, I didn't mind the algorithms, despite being a marketer and I understand how it works.

I became the niche. I am the niche.

The rooms that made me feel small

And so, as this situation unfolded, I didn't know it at the time, but everything just fell into place. That incident that happened at the Ahrefs conference?

It didn't just happen randomly. It happened for a reason.

Before, I used to think, "Why did it happen to me? Why did it have to be me?" I was there in that room, and the opportunity to be in those rooms is something most Filipino talents, especially those working from home and servicing clients remotely, don't always get.

And believe me, with all honesty, I have been in many rooms where I feel so small.

Because when they ask where I live, and I say I am from the Philippines, the body language changes. The voice changes.

And somebody will even say, "Oh, one of our domestic helpers is from the Philippines," or "We hire cheap VAs in your country." I feel so small whenever I hear this, and they say it right in front of me.

With respect to them, I do appreciate the work of most OFWs, and I know what it's like to start from zero and work in humble beginnings.

Inside my head, I wish we're NOT JUST labeled as such.

Those were the times I didn't have a voice.

I didn't have the confidence to say,

"I can't tolerate this kind of conversation with you."

I wish I could have said those words.

And I'm sharing this not because I'm judging anybody who says these things.

I've also spoken to people whose responses are very different, they're very keen and respectful.

And I should say that Filipino talent? Yes, we are resilient. Yes, we are bubbly. Yes, we are fun-loving, caring, and hardworking.

But I just hope, with this story that I'm sharing with you and with the experience that I've had, that you realize what the internet has made us, and even what AI has made us, is we forget what it's like to be human.

We forget humanity. We forget what it's like to connect with a person.

Most of us now tend to operate in a very transactional way.

We forget what it's like to connect genuinely. On socials, we sometimes glorify ourselves for what we are capable of.

Most of us have been doing this on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, wherever.

We're curating our lives and ourselves so that we can look good and make transactional relationships. And it's a sad reality.

But here's what I choose to believe

And this is how I'm capping things off: I am hopeful.

Because not all people are like this. And that's where I saw myself being pulled into this space, into this platform, where I can speak for myself now.

I have the confidence to speak, and to speak for somebody else, too. And I have learned and gained the confidence and also the empathy that if I am not invited in the room, if I am not being recognized or approved of, it doesn't matter.

Because I know that I can make a space for myself and for others to shine.

And I have been doing that.

I just recently hosted a Women in SEO, Content, and Digital Marketing meetup. And my heart was so full. All of us are hungry for connections. All of us are hungry to belong, to have a community, to be seen and to be heard.

23 women walked into a coworking space this morning. By noon, strangers were exchanging numbers, planning collabs, and saying “omg, where has this group been my whole career?” 3 things I learned… | Krisette Lim

23 women walked into a coworking space this morning. By noon, strangers were exchanging numbers, planning collabs, and saying “omg, where has this group been my whole career?” 3 things I learned hosting the Women in SEO, Content & Digital Marketing Meetup: 1. People are craving in-person connection more than ever. AI is everywhere. But human energy? That can’t be automated. 2. Women in this industry have SO much to say, they just need the room. Give them the space, and the magic happens on its own. 3. Community building isn’t just a marketing strategy. It’s a long game that starts with one genuine question and zero expectations. You really know if it’s for you. It’s organic.. you don’t panic. You don’t force things. They just bloom. Mine started with a random Facebook post while I was sick in bed. I posted a question on Gabriel Valimento SEO Facebook group without any expectations. (And may meetup na ang mga “laging tama!”) 😂 Next time sama na kayo? Today, it became a room full of women who are now friends and connected. That’s the ROI I care about. 💛 House rules were simple: → Be nice. → Be helpful. → Be genuinely interested. And honestly? They didn’t even need reminding. Appreciating the speakers who said yes immediately the moment I reached out and asked. Thank you for your hearts willing to serve! 🎤 Angeline Licerio 🎤 Ma. Kristina Soriano 🎤 Andrea Toribio In a world where AI can write your content, build your strategy, and even sound like you… The one thing it can’t replicate? Human connection. That’s why we’re here. That’s why this matters. How I got connected to some familiar faces? Krista Melgarejo and I met at Ahrefs Evolve 2024, we stayed connected ever since, then Angeline Licerio and Ma. Kristina Soriano we bumped into Chiang Mai SEO, while Andrea, my marketing bestie and Rosella Jane T. Vargas, we were exchanging DMs on LinkedIn as if we’ve known each other since and today it’s our first time to meet IRL. Angela Leoncio and I are colleagues and we always meet virtually. 😂 You’ll never know what could happen in one event. And one connection. Til next time! ✨ Signing, Your SEO and Content Bestie

LinkedInKrisette Lim

Another thing I'm doing is being intentional about building my public speaking portfolio and sharing my advocacy... and, most of all, teaching others.

I'm also conducting face-to-face bootcamps and workshops, like my IRL Hands-on SEO Content Strategy Bootcamp in Makati, Manila this April. This is my tiny revolt and a way to uplift other Filipino talent.

I saw that I may not change the entire economic system, my country's "political system", or how people think, how globally we are called the cheap labor (whether they say that intentionally or not).

But one of the things I can do, in my small ways and in the space where I am, is teach others to do the same.

I was able to conduct a 6-week coaching cohort with a course, and journeyed with other non-native English speakers who are also writers and marketers.

I want to help them, too—a global community for junior writers and marketers from emerging countries. The Undaunted Community is the space and platform for that vision I cherish.

As I circle back to that situation, not only have I forgiven this person, but you know what I'm seeing now?

I feel sad for this person.

Because if those hurtful words come out of his mouth, I can just imagine the environment where he was raised, the environment where he is, the people he talks to and hangs out with.

That speaks volumes about the person. There is no grudge towards him, but rather empathy. I hope he finds a welcoming environment that is nurturing and empowering.

Because when the environment, the community, and the people around us are at that level of being positive, being encouraging, being able to celebrate others' wins, how amazing the future would be, not just for us but for our children and the next generation to come.

We all know that we can't change the world. But in our own ways, we can sparkle together.

If you find this blog helpful or inspiring, feel free to share. I know probably some of you have also experienced what I’ve experienced.

And I’m telling you: you have a voice, you have a story. And it may be a scar right now (or it’s not yet a scar) but what is important is that someday, your scar can be a blessing to others.

That scar could make someone feel seen, heard, and loved.