About

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us face the difficult decision of choosing between career success and personal relationships. In this episode of Kwentong SEO Freelancer, our special guest shares their personal journey of balancing love and ambition. As career opportunities arise, the demands on our time can grow, making us wonder: What happens if we choose the wrong path between career and love? This episode explores the tough reality of navigating these competing priorities and the long-lasting impact such decisions can have on our lives.

In a candid conversation, our mystery guest opens up about the challenges of balancing a growing SEO career with a relationship that eventually became strained. From exciting career breakthroughs to painful betrayals, they reflect on the lessons learned about self-love, personal growth, and the importance of making choices that align with your true happiness. Whether you're currently juggling these tough decisions or reflecting on your past, this episode offers valuable insights into how sometimes, the most difficult choices can lead to the most rewarding outcomes.

Transcript Summary

00:00 - 00:53

Gab: Introduces the special episode of Kwentong SEO Freelancer for Valentine's Day. He teases the mystery guest, who will share a story about balancing career and love. The story will explore what happens when you make the wrong choice between the two.

00:53 - 01:01

Gab: Welcomes the mystery guest but expresses uncertainty about how to start the conversation.

01:01 - 01:05

Mystery Caller: Asks if it's okay to share their story.

01:15 - 01:23

Gab: Explains that the guest shared their experience because it ties into the theme of love and career, particularly focusing on the lessons one can learn from such experiences.

01:48 - 02:00

Mystery Caller: Explains how they started working in SEO in 2019. Initially, they were a virtual assistant before focusing on SEO. They talk about the early stages of their career during the pandemic when everyone was working from home.

02:01 - 02:19

Mystery Caller: Shares that they started their career in SEO while being in a relationship, and their boyfriend was supportive during this time.

02:19 - 03:24

Mystery Caller: Dives into the growing demands of their SEO work, including side hustles. They mention how they started networking more, but in doing so, they lost track of time with their relationship.

Their relationship was stable during this time, and the mystery guest managed to grow their career while handling side gigs, such as selling items to make extra income.

03:24 - 04:41

Mystery Caller: Describes meeting a new client on LinkedIn, which expanded their professional network. This led to an internship and eventually a job offer abroad, which caused more strain on the relationship due to the long-distance nature of the new position.

04:41 - 05:08

Gab and the Mystery Caller: Discuss the opportunity abroad, noting that it was a huge career breakthrough. The guest's parents were supportive, and their boyfriend was also okay with the decision, but they started losing touch over time.

05:08 - 05:21

Mystery Caller: Shares that they were sent abroad twice for work, first for six months and later for another six months. During this time, the relationship became strained due to the growing distance, and the guest started to notice a gap between them.

06:14 - 06:18

Mystery Caller: Recounts the challenges of the long-distance relationship, but despite the communication being stable, there were still underlying issues.

07:08 - 09:37

Mystery Caller: Describes the decline of the relationship as they were abroad. After months of communication, their boyfriend eventually proposed, but the situation took an unexpected turn when a woman messaged them, claiming to be pregnant with their boyfriend's child. She confirms that their ex had proposed, but then they learned that he had been unfaithful. This revelation shattered the mystery guest’s trust and forced them to confront the situation. They later found out the truth about the pregnancy.

10:33 - 11:26

Gab and the Mystery Caller: Discuss how they confronted their ex about the affair. The guest expresses shock and disbelief but eventually learns that their ex had been unfaithful during their time apart, which led to a breakdown in their relationship.

11:41 - 12:01

Gab: Reflects on the betrayal, emphasizing how difficult it must have been for the mystery guest to handle the situation, especially while being abroad and focused on their career.

13:27 - 14:04

Mystery Caller: Shares their journey of recovery, focusing on career growth and personal healing after the betrayal. They talk about how they overcame feelings of jealousy, anger, and sadness, and chose to focus on their career rather than stay in a toxic relationship.

14:06 - 14:19

Gab: Agrees with the guest’s decision to focus on their career, emphasizing that once someone cheats, it’s often difficult to rebuild trust, making the decision to move on even more crucial.

15:23 - 16:15

Gab and the Mystery Caller: Discuss the decision to choose career over love in hindsight. The guest agrees that they made the right choice for themselves, but admits they might not have gone home to the Philippines if they had known about the affair earlier.

16:28 - 18:31

Mystery Caller: Offers advice for people who find themselves choosing between career and love, encouraging them to focus on self-love and career development, and to not sacrifice their own happiness for someone else’s.

She talks about how they have no regrets about accepting the opportunity to go abroad for work but wishes they hadn’t come home. They emphasize the rarity of such opportunities.

18:40 - 19:22

Gab: Asks the mystery guest for advice for people who might be sacrificing their careers for love. The mystery guest stresses the importance of making decisions based on personal growth, and that people should be proud of their choices regardless of the outcome.

19:50 - 20:17

Mystery Caller: Offers a final piece of advice: always choose yourself and pursue what makes you happy. They also encourage listeners not to rush through life and to focus on enjoying it, rather than pressuring themselves to meet certain expectations.

20:25 - 21:14

Gab: Shares his personal story of meeting his wife through work, comparing it to the guest’s experience. He talks about the value of finding love and support in the same field, like SEO, and how it can help individuals grow together.

21:41 - 22:03

Gab: Wraps up with a final message of encouragement, Gab reflects on how long-distance relationships and sacrifices for love can sometimes lead to challenges, but encourages listeners to keep going and believe in themselves.