Gelyka Dumaraos For three years, I was his VA. He was my boss, my mentor. However, today we had our “closure meeting.” Our working relationship finally ended. It felt like a breakup—only this time, it was a good one.
I’ve been freelancing for over eight years now, jumping from one project-based work to another. Three years ago, I was hired by a startup founder in California and offered a full-time, remote role to manage his content and marketing. It was a quick discovery call, he liked me, and I liked the pay and flexibility, and so we started right then and there.
During our first meetings, he’d talk about his wife’s pregnancy with so much excitement. Over the months and years, he shared stories about welcoming their baby, her first birthday, and their random afternoon beach trips.
In those years, I also learned to open up beyond my usual weekly updates. He saw me at my lowest – when I had to undergo surgery, when I fell sick, when I got engaged, when my fiancé and I were planning our wedding, and just about anything family-related.
He gave me Christmas bonuses even when it’s not mandatory in our working setup. He reimbursed my government contributions and even gave me extra so I could upgrade my eyeglasses and headphones. He paid for online courses so I could upskill. It’s through him that I learned a lot of tools, consistently strived to learn and earn certificates for project management, data analytics, and digital marketing. Our discussions are filled topics on AI, automation, and the importance of embracing new technology for both professional and personal growth. It was all about continuous learning and self-improvement.
He was the ideal boss. I came in as a marketing VA and ended up managing a team, communicating with contractors and stakeholders from the US. He placed his trust in me as a project manager, and I took pride in seeing the business grow from where it was three years ago.
During a weekend fair in his city, he tried Filipino food and proudly shared his first-time experience with the team. He took pictures of his first try of chicken inasal, pancit, and shanghai. We talked about him going to Manila one day to visit the team. I told him he needs to see Boracay and Palawan.
He was down-to-earth, humble enough to accept his shortcomings, and always asked for my opinion before making decisions. I felt seen and heard.
Two months ago, we had a meeting. That’s when he broke the news that the business is shutting down. The recent issues in the US have been a challenge to small businesses, and with limited funding, he had to make the difficult decision to close down.
For the first time in three years, I cried. Not because I was losing a good paycheck, but because I may never find another boss like him.
This should have been a swift, abrupt goodbye if it was not him.
After years of freelancing, I’m used to being ghosted by clients abroad. It’s common in this industry. One day, you wake up with no access to your email and Google Drive, only to find a quick message saying they no longer need your services.
Sometimes, there’s no message at all – just a bruised heart and a painful reminder that maybe you’re not good enough. Maybe you are not cut out to thrive in this dog-eat-dog industry. It’s always a job where you are on the edge. I got used to it – the rejections, the ghosting – it stopped hurting. I no longer cried over lost clients.
But when he told me his business was shutting down, it was different.
I realized it’s more painful when a boss actually says goodbye – in the most empathetic and human way possible. It dawned on me that it was actually painful to part ways with a client who became more than just a boss, but a mentor in work and in life.
And him saying goodbye – not through a quick email, not the usual ghosting, but through an hour-long meeting where he honestly explained why his business is closing down, choosing his words carefully, knowing when to pause, giving me time to gather my thoughts, and offering to pay me for two more months so I have time to find another job, that was the silver lining. Such a heartwarming gesture that I truly appreciate.
You see, work is never permanent. Jobs come and go. I’m just grateful that even at the very end of this work relationship, there was so much respect.
After this meeting, we’ll go our separate ways. He’ll return to corporate life, and I’ll be looking for my next opportunity. We’ll now just be LinkedIn connections, but these three years will remain a special chapter in my freelancing journey.
After all, it was indeed a good run. I pray for his success, and for everyone in our team to find a mentor like him—or better yet, become the kind of mentor we were fortunate to learn from—wherever our paths may lead.
