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Last year was my hardest year in business (for reference, I’ve been self-employed for 7 years.) I felt so isolated. I didn’t know anyone in my “real life” who understood and was embarrassed to even share some of my struggles with my internet BFFs until it felt too late to even do something about it. I often questioned why I was finally starting to be seen and acknowledged as an expert at the exact same time that I was feeling like such a failure and wondered if I should keep it up, or if I wanted to at all. If you ever feel like this, I want you to know that you CAN turn things around. This week I dropped an exclusive 3-part podcast series showing you exactly what it takes to start, run and grow a virtual business. More importantly, I shared with you what’s necessary to do it with FREEDOM at the forefront. If you enjoyed the podcasts, you will LOVE what we’ve got in store for you at Free Mama Live. We are getting into the crunchy tactics of how to build a lifestyle-based business, which means insight into how to set up recurring, semi-passive, and multiple revenue streams  all without burnout or spinning in circles. To get ready for Free Mama Live, I’m hopping in the Facebook group tomorrow at 10am CT (11am ET, 9am MT, 8am PT) to show you a behind the scenes of what you can expect if you join us virtually! Oh, and since we kick off the event next week, the podcast and BTS won’t be available for long. RSVP here!

If you are like most of the women who come into my world, you started your virtual business to be able to quit your job and work from home. Somewhere between clients 1 and 4, you realized, holy moly, I am freaking amazing! I can do this! I can make money! I can make a difference! And so you started dreaming bigger. You set higher financial goals. You clarified your ideal client (usually after working with a couple of crappy ones). You narrowed your focus and really learned how to be pretty awesome at just a few things. Still, you realized that you are pretty maxed out, and don’t have any more time or energy to give. Stuck sucks. How will you make more money without compromising everything you literally just created for yourself, and can you get it up and running before burnout hits?

What if I told you that you can increase your income while also working fewer hours? It’s not too good to be true, I promise. I’ve actually done it myself. In the 3rd and final episode of the Put the FREE back in Free Mama Exclusive Podcast Series, I am giving you the 5 steps to do it, too. This is by far the most practical episode this week, so get your notepad ready to rock and roll. These exact steps took me from covering the bills each month to paying off two cars and all of our credit card debt in one year. Oh, and the following year I traveled each and every month! NO debt. Monthly vacations. How freeing is that? It’s time for you to reach freedom status in your business.      Tune in to episode 3: 5 Steps to a Freedom-based business

Did the pandemic send you into survival mode? And now, here we are 2 years later, and moms, teachers, nurses, and pretty much everyone with a pulse is still burning at both ends. By the end of 2021 I was so emotionally and energetically drained by people and problems that weren’t serving me, that I was OUT. But rather than throw in the towel completely, I looked around and cut everything in my business that wasn’t working. If it wasn’t making me money, it was out If it wasn’t making a difference, it was out If it wasn’t making me happy, I was out.

Deciding to cut these things wasn’t the hardest part – actually cutting them was. I was so afraid to do the big, scary things required of me to claim my own freedom and get my business back into alignment for me and my goals. In Episode #2 of the Put the FREE Back in Free Mama Exclusive Podcast Series, I am going to share: ✔️What you have to do if you ever find yourself at rock bottom ✔️Exactly how I trimmed down all of the areas of my business that were no longer serving me (including my most expensive offer!)How to trust yourself, even when you’re going against the status quo, getting name called, or pissing people off ✔️The only number that actually matters in business ✔️When you are willing to put the time and effort into facing uncomfortable challenges, having difficult conversations, and growing in alignment with your values, the result can be life-changing!   🎧 Tune in to episode 2: My $50k lesson and $15 decision 🎧

It’s either going to be freaking awesome or I’m not doing it at all. Have you said this to yourself? You see yourself, or at least your business, as either a massive success or a complete failure. You have this image of a picture-perfect business in your mind, an unattainable goal and you’re worried about not knowing each and every step to get there… so you do nothing. And when you do make progress, you often don’t celebrate your wins, because you tell yourself you should be farther ahead by now. Is this you?

I used to think like this too – black and white, all or nothing. In fact, when things got hard in 2021 I almost walked away from it all because if it wasn’t working anymore, then why bother? Blow it up  The good news is that I did NOT blow up The Free Mama. I did, however, go through a massive identity shift, and I came out the other side feeling more inspired than ever! But 2021 was hard. I had to shed what I believed made me a success to the outside world because it wasn’t fulfilling on the inside. I had to trust my own instincts, even when my inner critic was screaming “failure!” I had to learn that I am a success and I have absolutely nothing to prove (or fear). The result? I feel freer than ever. I am clearly aligned in my values and beliefs. I’m sleeping better and feel less anxious. I’m working less and I’m still making money! I created the Put the FREE Back in Free Mama Exclusive Podcast Series to be the business-bestie in your pocket that you seriously need right now. Over the next 3 days, I’m going to break down my break down, and then give you the exact same steps I used to go from maxed out on time to 7 figure Free Mama (and paid off ALL our debt in one year!) that I’m implementing again right now. Episode 1 is now LIVE and there is no sugar coating here. You’ll hear all the behind-the-scenes of how 2021 was my LEAST profitable year in business to date, and the drastic decisions I made to do to turn things around.   Tune in to Episode 1: I almost burned it to the ground

Are you having a crap time right now? Gas prices are depressing, what’s happening in the Ukraine is horrifying, and getting through the day sometimes feels harder than ever. Acting like these things don’t have an impact on running a business would be bananas. And also, what we do (or don’t do) in our business IS inside of our control when so much of the world is just not. Last month I got pretty vulnerable about the ups and downs of 2021 and how I’ve recently gone through a bit of an identity shift leading me back to the thing that got me started in this online world in the first place – FREEDOM. You sent a bunch of replies that you’re feeling the exact same way. You’re sick of business owners who aren’t transparent online. #toxicpositivity You’re tired of pushing yourself to the verge of burnout. You’re fed up with doing #allthethings and the pressure of constantly showing up. It doesn’t have to be that way. I know from experience. I’ve gotten it wrong, no doubt, but I’ve also gotten it very, very right. So I decided to go all in and hold nothing back. Starting tomorrow I’ve got an exclusive podcast series called: Put the FREE Back in Free Mama Starting Monday, March 14 I’m rolling out 3 special episodes titled…   I almost burned it to the ground   My $50k lesson and $15 decision   5 Steps to a Freedom-based business I’m going to give you a super vulnerable look under the rug at the last year+ here at The Free Mama: the good, the bad, and the incredibly painful  There are so many business owners who only want you to see their success, and that does not serve you. I know what it’s like to chase a goal that isn’t even real. I hope that hearing my hardships will help you get to your totally awesome, guilt-free life a little faster, or help you feel less lonely on your journey. Click here to make sure you’re signed up! Episode 1 is a doozy and it drops tomorrow morning.

When McCall analyzed me, it helped me understand things that I knew about myself deep down… It’s not that I think I’m bad on video… I actually like connecting with you all with Livestreams and Instagram stories… But now that I know my Charisma Styles AND my “Too Faces” that she talked about in the workshop, I feel powerful about my ability for you all to see the best version of myself, every single time I turn on the camera. I want you all to be able to have that too, so you should do two things: 1. Rewatch the recording of our workshop with McCall in the Facebook Group 2. If you feel called to commit yourself to being your best self on video like me, join Charisma Styles Academy here and get the exact same 1-ON-1 training that I got. Can’t wait to see the amazing things you do by being your best self!

Oh my Charisma, Mama. Did you see this?!

We just finished “The Non-Pushy Way To Get Freelancing Clients w/ Video” with McCall Jones. If you missed it, go watch the recording in the Facebook Group now! If you want to make it easier to get clients, you have to watch it, that’s non-negotiable. Also, you have to go check it out because of the 2 extra bonuses McCall dropped for the group! Go watch, go watch, go watch!

“How do you get your kids to do chores?” “How do you get your friends to take your advice?” This was NOT a question I was expecting when McCall was coaching me on improving FreeMamaTV. But that’s why I love when she coaches, and why I’m excited for her custom free workshop “The Non-Pushy Way To Get Freelancing Clients with Video” she is hosting for us on Thursday at 1pm CST. RSVP here to let us know you’re coming. She has LITERALLY customized this workshop specifically to freelancing mamas, the same way she coaches me with training specific to my experience as a mom. If you want more clients, and you want to present yourself in a way that is totally  100%, authentically you, you need to come to the workshop. You’ll walk away seeing why sometimes your video outreach and zoom calls work, and why sometimes they don’t. AND If you are worried about missing the workshop, submit your phone number here and we’ll send you one text message 30 minutes before we start as a reminder!

McCall Jones (my personal video coach and amazing friend) says this all the time in her coaching. She HATES when she hears people give the advice to “not say um” or “slow down your words” when it comes to video. She shows how the secret to being great on video isn’t removing “ums”, it’s making sure that the authentic, likable person you are in real life comes across in video as well. She even coached me on this for FreeMamaTV! McCall will be talking about this and a dozen other important tactics in the free workshop “The Non-Pushy Way To Get Freelancing Clients with Video” she is hosting for us on Thursday at 1pm CT. It will be in The Free Mama Movement Facebook Group. You don’t want to miss it!

So many mamas stress about selling to clients. So many mamas stress about using video. And so many mamas stress about having to do both at the same time! McCall Jones is doing her workshop “The Non-Pushy Way To Get Freelancing Clients with Video” for FREE and it’s game-changing for all my Freelancing Mamas. Video doesn’t have to be stressful… it can be a secret weapon. And best of all, McCall has a system for bringing out your authentic self on video!

McCall is going to teach us “The Non-Pushy Way Freelancing Mamas Can Get More Clients w/ Video”. It’s this Thursday at 1PM CST (2PM EST, 12PM MST, 11AM PST) in our Free Mama Movement Facebook Group. Are you going to be there?