Day: November 28, 2018

Can you believe Thanksgiving was only last week?! It’s a little hard for me to believe, as we’re still wearing t-shirts here in Houston, but Happy belated Thanksgiving if you’re here in the US still in a turkey coma.

 

Now that we’ve kicked off the holiday season, there are all kinds of things going on.  You undoubtedly have family obligations, gifts to buy, parties to attend, and more — and your kids will be home from school once vacation starts. Plus, there’s the whole business of your business — your clients and all the things they need to do before the end of the year.

That’s why it’s important to go head into December with realistic goals and a plan for managing expectations wisely.

Here’s my mantra for December,  and I want you to feel free to steal it for yourself.

“It’s okay to say no.”

Does your family get invited to a dozen Christmas parties? You’re allowed to say no to some of them.

Do your children expect you to buy them toys that cost more than an in-state college education — or toys that run contrary to your beliefs? Saying no does not make you mean or grinch-like.

Last year I said no to sending out Christmas cards, and let me tell you, it felt glorious. And I’m guessing none of our friends or family really even noticed.

Take some time to consider how you want to show up for your business and your family in December. Do you have a client making a huge sales push in December? What does that mean for you and your work schedule? And what does your work schedule mean for your family obligations?

Sit down now and figure out your guidelines for the month of December. If you say yes to everything, you’ll show up exhausted and unhappy. If you decide ahead of time to say no to some things, you can be fully present for every single yes.

Think about how amazing it would feel to go to two or three holiday parties and have an incredible time. Would that fill your cup more than feeling obligated to attend 8 different parties?

If you take a little time now to determine your boundaries, you can sail through December with tidings of comfort and joy… rather than wanting to smash every ornament you see.

For example, my husband and I are meeting this week to figure out who is working when during the two weeks the kids are home from school. By planning ahead of time, we’ll each get the time we need to work, to be with our kids and each other, and to have some totally unstructured downtime.

Realistically, with all the kids at home, we can’t both work full time, and we want to be able to get out and do things with the kids, too.

We’re also going to make some decisions about what we do (and don’t!) want our kids to have and experience this holiday season. We love spending time with family, and we don’t want our kids to have multiple late nights — because late nights for the kids means miserable days for us.

Plan ahead, Mama, so that you can hit your holiday goals with a smile.

P.S. Pop on into the Facebook group and tell us one thing you’re excited for this holiday season!

Do you remember the first time you tried to get a job? Maybe you were in high school, looking to make some extra cash over the summer, or you needed a job to pay for your college education, or you were out there, diploma in hand, trying to start your career.

You sent out resumes. Sometimes, you got a response. Other times, you didn’t.

Sometimes you were invited in for an interview. You got all dressed up, went in, had conversations, and left.

Some of those interviews turned into job offers. Others simply faded into the background. The point here is that it took you some effort to find and land that first job.

A couple of days ago, I was on a call with a student who told me that she still hasn’t found her first client.

I asked her what she’s done so far to find clients, and she told me that she’d contacted one person, and that person hadn’t replied, so she’d more or less stopped trying.

Mama, I say this with all the love in the world: You cannot expect to find clients and build a successful freelancing career if you’re going to give up before you start.

Many of the students in my coaching program tell me that it took multiple followup emails and calls just to have a first conversation with a potential client. Because your potential clients — the people who need your help the most — are stressed, overworked, and frazzled.

Sometimes, first emails go unanswered. Heck, sometimes fourth emails go unanswered — but the fifth time’s the charm.

Your first client could be someone you’ve reached out to, who is simply too busy to reply right now.

If you don’t follow up, you’ll never know.

Every day, people ask me, “Can you really make money from freelancing?”

Well, yeah, you can, because millions of people are doing it every day. Yep, millions. The Freelancer’s Union reported that in the US, there are currently 57.3 million freelancers.

So, yeah, this freelancing thing works — and it’s not going away anytime soon.

When you’re struggling to get that first client, you need to take a good look at what you’re doing. Are you really showing up, getting out there, and offering your services?

Are you wrapping up a beautiful package with a bow on it? Or are you halfheartedly throwing something together and hoping someone finds it?

My student said she was afraid to reach out to anyone, because what if they also ignored her?

So what if they do? Why does that have to matter? Some people will ignore you — but if you let those people define your life, where will you be a year from now?

I’m not a huge fan of the expression “What you put in is what you get out” (I mean, come ON, it’s a total network marketing line, and you know how I feel about that!) — but there is a nugget of truth in there.

If you don’t go after clients, if you don’t show up, if you don’t put a bow on the package — you shouldn’t be surprised when you don’t get results.

There’s no magic pill here. Simply signing up for The Free Mama Movement doesn’t give you access to the Kingdom of Clients. You are the only person who can take action to move your life forward.

On the flip side, Mama, when you do show up and do the work, you have the power to dramatically change your life. It’s happening every day for the women in our group, and for people all over the world.

You have the power to do this, mama. I believe in you.

The big question is, Do YOU believe in you?

P.S. If you need extra support, motivation, and tough love, Lauren-style, take a look at the Free Mama Coaching program to see if it’s right for you.

P.S. While you’re out there snagging all those gifts on your holiday shopping list, remember that the BEST stocking stuffer is available on December 13 — that’s when The Free Mama book hits the digital shelves! Join us in the pop-up Facebook group for giveaways, prizes, and tons of fun.