I spent years leading operations before I knew the role had a name.
I know what it feels like to carry management-level responsibility while still being positioned as support. I built this Academy so experienced Filipino professionals can recognize their value, develop the right skills and lead with stronger standards.
How the work found its name.
A working student in the most literal sense.
I began working online to put myself through nursing school. My days started with school or hospital duty at 5:00 a.m. and ended with online work at midnight. I started in a call centre, then taught English to Japanese students for six years, reached the highest hourly rate in the company, and became the first tutor they sent to Japan as an ambassador. I also became a Registered Nurse and placed Top 23 nationwide in the June 2012 Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam.
Every role led me back to operations.
A US events company hired me to support projects and operations. That grew into coordinating freelancers and contractors across 23 countries, organizing international education expos, and travelling to roughly 20 countries. With nearly every client, I entered through one role and became the person organizing the operation.
Being dependable became my identity.
I worked 14 to 18 hour days and often carried multiple clients. At one point I calculated I was spending 35 hours a week in meetings alone. I was doing operations management work, but still thinking, positioning and pricing myself like a VA.
The work was not new. The language was.
Someone finally gave the work a name: Online Business Management. I invested roughly US$7,000 in intensive international training through OBM School, and I am working through the OBM School Accreditation now. It isn’t finished yet. I teach from active practice, not from a perfect summit.
I teach what I continue to practise.
Today I lead operations for established international businesses through TAP Virtual Solutions: systems, project leadership, team coordination, reporting, launches, priorities, and the difficult conversations that keep a business moving. My shortest client relationship has lasted two years. My longest, more than eight.
For a US healthcare staffing business, I helped build hiring and compliance functions around a founder who was carrying too much alone. The team expanded, the business grew, and the founder gained the support needed to step out of daily bottlenecks.
For a US live-events business, I led the end-to-end launch of an industry directory product: planning, team coordination, systems, timelines, communication and follow-through across eight months.
These results belong to those specific client situations and reflect the work of a whole team. They are examples of operations work, not a prediction of what any student will achieve.
Founders and students, on working with Annikka.
Annikka has brought real clarity to our day-to-day operations. There’s better organization, smoother communication, and more consistency across the board.
Ms. Annikka’s Masterclass gave me a much clearer picture of what an OBM actually does, the different areas where we can support a client, and how the role goes beyond simply completing tasks.
Annikka was the first person I brought into EliteFlow, and she played a big role in helping us get the business off the ground.
Annika was an amazing speaker! I learned so much from the 90-minute OBM Launchpad webinar. She was very generous in sharing her knowledge, and I loved how practical and easy to understand everything was. Even with my experience in operations, I still walked away with new insights I can actually apply to my work.
Credentials, stated plainly.
- Working online since 2008
- Founder of TAP Virtual Solutions
- Working Online Business Manager for established international businesses
- Trained through OBM School; currently working through the OBM School Accreditation (not yet complete)
- Coordinated contractors across 23 countries; led projects across roughly 20
- ClickUp Admin training
- Registered Nurse; Top 23 nationwide, June 2012 Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam
She isn’t doing this alone.
An Academy that teaches operations should be run like one. Here’s who keeps this business moving.
Builds and maintains the site, the funnels, and the systems that get you your access, reminders and materials on time.
Keeps the operation running behind Annikka: scheduling, coordination and follow-through.
Welcomes new members, keeps the standard of the room, and makes sure your questions get answered.
Our marketing partners, getting the Academy in front of the professionals who have been looking for it.
Filipino talent belongs at the operations table.
Filipino professionals have spent decades keeping global businesses moving. We are known for being hardworking, loyal, resourceful and easy to work with. Without boundaries and confidence, those strengths can also keep us overextended and underpositioned.
- Recognize management-level responsibility
- Develop operations leadership skills
- Communicate with greater authority
- Build stronger professional boundaries
- Price work based on scope and responsibility
- Represent Filipino OBMs with a high standard
For years, I believed being Filipino meant I had to be the cheaper option. The Academy exists so the next experienced Filipino professional doesn’t spend another decade waiting for permission.Annikka Aborro
Start with clarity.
Join the OBM Launchpad and take an honest look at the responsibilities you already carry, the skills the role requires, and the path in front of you.