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This week is the due date anniversary of the baby I miscarried. Even in a regular year, it’s a time when I’m carrying heavy things. 

But this year, for the first time, when I think about that period in my life, healing from miscarriage, I see it a bit differently.

What happens when the worst thing that ever happened to you ends up being the best thing? I’m just starting to process this.

Because that miscarriage most definitely was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Even though I had people around me, I felt so isolated. It was the lowest point I’ve ever had, by a long long way.

But without that low, I never would have created the Free Mama Movement which is the thing that has enabled me to really become the person I feel like I was meant to be.

When you have a miscarriage and you are healing from miscarriage, all these voices in your head say to you, Where do you go from here? What are you going to do next? 

And it feels like you’re at the bottom of a hole trying to find the energy to crawl out. 

But with hindsight, I can now see that this was the trigger that made me quit my job in search of something better. 

My desire for change finally outgrew the what ifs.

You know the ones. 

What if this doesn’t work? What if I can’t figure it out? What if I’m not good enough? What if I fail? What if other people make fun of me? Or don’t support me? Or don’t get it? 

But, look at it from another angle. What if the worst thing ends up being the best thing in life? What if I had never had my miscarriage? What would have happened then?

This email (which I wouldn’t have been writing – but bear with me, Mama!) would have read very differently.

Dear mama,

Today I did my normal crazy school drop off — 20 minutes in one direction to drop Audrey at daycare and then 30 minutes downtown to take the others to school and then another 30 minutes to get to work. 

I sat in my chair for nine hours, because that is what I was hired to do. I had three pointless hour-long meetings that could have been resolved in a 3-sentence email, and I warmed my seat for most of the rest of the time because I’d done my work by 11 am. 

It wasn’t all bad. I had a nice lunch with my co-workers. But I was constantly thinking about the kids, and I felt especially bad about Audrey because she’s so little and I wanted to be with her. 

And then I did all the driving again to pick them all up. And once I got home, the nightly rush started. Rush to make dinner. Rush to tidy up dinner. Rush to do laundry. Rush to get everyone clean. Rush to get everyone to bed at a decent time. Rush rush rush, with no meaningful quality time whatsoever. 

And all the time I was thinking about something at work I should have done better. Before I numbed out to Netflix, and fell into bed exhausted so I can be ready to get up again early tomorrow to do it all again.

Lauren 

Most days I wore huge sunglasses in the car just so no one could see me crying. 

Although I would NEVER want to go through that time again, after healing from miscarriage, I have enough distance now to see that the life I live now, that I love with my whole heart, came out of that hard time. So rather than just feeling heavy about it, I’m now starting to feel grateful.

And I also feel hopeful. Because maybe you feel heavy right now. Maybe you have a lot of what if’s in your life. And maybe The Free Mama Movement is what you need to give you hope that change is possible. Find out what happens when the worst thing ends up being the best thing in life.

_{P.S. On Monday March 22nd, I’ve invited Amy McCready from Positive Parenting Solutions to join us LIVE in the Facebook group. If you would like to be notified, click here and Suzy, our awesome chatbot will send you a reminder! If you’ve been feeling heavy and (like me) sometimes take that out on your kids, you should DEFINITELY join us for our conversation.}

P.P.S. Don’t miss this week’s episode of Free Mama TV!

In the online business world, you see a lot of hashtags, IG quotes, and buzzwords — and collaboration over competition is a BIG one you’ll see just about everywhere. 

But here’s my question for you: are you all hung up on who else is offering “your” service? Or are you genuinely living that collaborative life, looking to lift up your fellow Free Mamas as you grow together? Is collaboration over competition for mom entrepreneurs even a thing?

There are so many clients out there in the world. You really, truly don’t need to worry about not having enough. 

So let’s take a look at how you can bring more collaboration — and less competition into your life.

APPETIZERS

Start with something new and exciting!

Is it REALLY all about attitude? Its been a crazy couple of weeks in the Golden household and yesterday I shared how its not always about having the right attitude, but rather about finding the right perspective… Check it out!

Fan Favorites

Once upon a time, I went to live events and talked about the BIG lie you tell yourself — and how to stop. 

I seriously miss live events so much…and hugs!

MAIN DISHES

Chef’s special

Learn how to collaborate FOR REAL on FreeMamaTV. You’re not competing for clients — you’re only making your own business the best it can be.

Dish of the day

On Free Mama Radio, Lauren answered pretty much every question you’ve ever asked. We covered A LOT. Dig in.

DESSERT

Something sweet

Check out this Free Mama win!

Something savory

Check out how Free Mamas refer each other!

A Little Something Extra

Last week I was honored to join Allie Martin on an episode of the Selfish Podcast and share my tips for growing your business with social media that included:

✨How to leverage the skills you have to make the life you want
✨How to ditch the 9-5 and run a business from home
✨Overcoming mom guilt by taking it into your own hands
✨How effective time management is crucial to working from home
✨How to diversify your business and maintain stability

Check it out!

Got a #FREEMAMAWIN to share with us? Post it in the Facebook group!
We LOVE celebrating you!

I hope today’s post fills you up with all kinds of Free Mama goodness

Can you believe it’s the anniversary of the Pandemic, mama? I mean, as anniversaries go, this one pretty much sucks, but it’s important to look back and celebrate how much we’ve achieved in the most difficult of circumstances, like parenting through a pandemic.

Because being a parent can be hard, right? And being a parent in COVID times is a whole different ball game. 

A year ago we took our first trip in our RV to a farm my mom’s family owns. It’s one of those places that’s warm and fuzzy in my memories because I loved it so much when I was a kid. It was a magical place for me and I really wanted my kids to experience it. 

We had a great time. And then on the day we got back, the President was on television and the country shut down. We didn’t leave the house for 2 months. 

After that, we were SO ready to go somewhere. We had this whole 8 week RV trip planned. We didn’t know exactly what to do. Was it safe to travel? Should we stay home?

In the end, we decided that we’d be safe in our own space, and we could figure out ways to stay away from other people on the road. We were yearning for open spaces so much, we decided to get out there and see the country.

I think we kind of forgot that we’d basically be shut in a really small space a lot of the time.

Now, Mama, I don’t know if you’ve ever lived as a family of five in a small, tin box. There were some stressful moments, that’s for sure. 

When you live in an RV with your family, when one person wakes up, everybody wakes up and nobody goes to bed till everybody goes to bed. 

And stuff happened. Like our car broke down about 19 times and we had to buy a new one. For the record we still have a bungee cord holding part of the RV together. 

I’m not great without sleep. And no sleep on top of everything else? I was not the nicest person to be around. 

It’s been a crazy tough year for everyone. Maybe you’ve been dealing with family or friends who got sick, or who passed away. If so, I’m so sorry.

Maybe you’ve been working in a hospital or on the front line in some capacity, in which case, you’re a hero. Thank you SO much.

Or maybe you’re a Mama who’s been at home dealing with all the things. You’ve had to step up to learn how to be an educator, you’ve spent even more time with your children and had even less help. You’ve had zero time to take care of yourself, which is something we always neglect, right? And, maybe you’ve had to cope with work on top of everything else, or you’ve gone through the upset and worry of losing your job. 

Parenting through a pandemic has been hard. I’ve definitely found it tough. And I’m not proud to admit that I’m not great in these circumstances.

There are days when I feel like the worst mama in the world. I get tired and frustrated and I yell. Then I get to spend the rest of the day feeling bad about it. It really isn’t pretty.

So after 8 weeks in a tin box with my family, I bought my first ever parenting course – Positive Parenting Solutions from Amy McCready, to help with parenting through a pandemic

There are LOTS of things I love about this course, but the biggest one is this. I’m a real all or nothing girl, but Amy has shown me there really is no such thing as a good mom or bad mom, good kid or bad kid. We’re all just doing our best.

She has a whole host of little tools. Like When – Then. When you’ve picked up your toys then we can have a snack. 

There are lots of pearls like this. Just knowing a few of them can completely change the trajectory of your day. It’s AMAZING. And it’s all broken up into chunks so it’s digestible.

To be honest, just listening to her made me feel better! So, Mama, I want you to listen to her too. I invited her to have a conversation with us inside The Free Mama Facebook Group on Monday, March 22nd at noon central. Come and hear what she has to say. 

P.S. It’s been a tough year. Parenting through a pandemic is not easy. If you’ve been homeschooling, or virtual schooling, not getting the socialization you need, and dealing with all the hard things – you are a warrior. And if, like me, you need a little help along the way, come and join in my conversation with Amy McCready from Positive Parenting Solutions on Monday, March 22nd @ 12 central in the Free Mama Facebook Group. See you there!

Hey there mama!

Starting a new business requires a lot of energy. You have to build momentum. It’s like climbing a mountain. You start at the bottom, and you look up, and you might think, Yeah, that peak is REALLY far away. 

You can walk away, or you can start climbing. 

Here in the Free Mama Movement, we climb. Sure, we slip sometimes, but we get back up. We keep going, a little bit at a time. Because we KNOW that we can make it to that peak. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but if we start, and we just keep going, we can get there. 

Of course, we’re going to need some fuel to get that momentum going. 

Listen, I don’t know about you, but I LOVE food. Sushi 🍣 pizza 🍕burgers 🍔 — it’s all good. And today, we’ve got some absolute delicacies on the Free Mama Menu. So, have a look around, see what you’re in the mood for, and maybe pick something to share with a friend?

APPETIZERS

Start with something new and exciting!

The ALL NEW Free Mama Movement 2.0 is here. Check out our free live training! 

Fan Favorites

Need a mindset boost? Here’s something from the archives for you. 

MAIN DISHES

Chef’s special

Momentum is what will keep you moving forward. Learn more on this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV. 

Dish of the day

Are you trying to show up for your audience in all different places?

I’m here to give you permission to stop doing that.

In this episode of Free Mama Radio, I am talking to you about why you need to stop doing what other people tell you to. This has shown up multiple times for me in my own business when I see someone else doing something. Listen now!

DESSERT

Something sweet

What a great WIN we saw in the Free Mama Movement Facebook group!

The takeaway: Put your name out in the world, and keep taking action to move your business forward! It WILL pay off. 

Something savory

I get SO EXCITED when I see Free Mamas having moments like this. 

Got a win to share with us? Post it in the Facebook group! We LOVE celebrating you!

A little something extra

In our Free Mama Squad Private Membership Community, the amazing Jordan recently dug into optimizing your Facebook profile and shared some STELLAR tips AND walked through some LIVE profiles. It was INCREDIBLE.

If you’re not in the Squad, there’s never been a better time to join. You’re eligible for membership if you enroll in the Free Mama Movement 2.0, so  check it out!

I hope today’s email fills you up with all kinds of Free Mama goodness

Hey there mama!

You heard that we’re relaunching The Free Mama Movement, right? Well, we’re aaaaaaaaalmost ready and I’m crazy excited! The Free Mama Movement 2.0 is coming!

The original program was awesome. But three years and 4300 students later, Team Mama has learned a thing or two!

After all this time, we know exactly where you get stuck. So we’ve dug in to make it even easier for you to be successful. 

The biggest change you’ll notice is we’ve followed the Freedom Framework you loved so much at Free Mama Live. 

You’re busy, I’m busy, WE’RE ALL BUSY, so it’s super-important that the content is packaged in a way that’s easy to understand and – MOST importantly – propels you into ACTION. 🚀

So now we have 7 modules:

🌟 Foundation

🌟 Relationships

🌟 Exposure

🌟 Expertise

🌟 Discipline

🌟 Overcoming obstacles 

🌟 Momentum

There’s nothing like a snazzy acronym to keep you focused, right?!

ALL the bonuses are new. You told us you looooove swipe copy ♥️ so there’s way more of it. You get a revamped onboarding checklist, AND every single document has been revised and improved. 

There’s even a done-for-you website bonus (I KNOW, it’s AMAZING!) because we don’t want you going down the rabbit hole of perfection. You’ll be able to GET IT DONE FAST so you can start talking to clients and earning money. 

PLUS, we realized all the software tutorials were distracting – as in, I’d say “You DON’T need these right now, come back to them later,” but they’d be sitting there all shiny and tempting and sucking you in! And then you’d feel like you couldn’t move past that lesson until you had COMPLETELY MASTERED ClickFunnels and Canva and WordPress and everything else, even though that’s EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what I intended.

So we’ve extracted them all and created a separate Need To Know Software Lab in Teachable that you can access when you’re ready to actually use them. 

Not to mention the fact that we’re adding new trainings every single month — and you’ll get access to all of them as a lifelong member of the program.

But out of all the things I’m excited about, hands-down the MOST exciting is the Content For Exposure Matrix. 

I know you hate talking about yourself… I get it. The Internet is FULL of people who are TOTALLY gross about marketing. You definitely DON’T want to be that person. So now you have a unit that is everything you need to know about marketing for non-marketers.  

You pick your theme – and there are a whole BUNCH of choices – business, personal growth, travel, parenting, marriage, family, love, diversity, education, hobbies, health and wellness quirks interests, holidays…

Then you pick your content – quote, interview, question, share, recommendation, social proof, poll article, Q&A, statistics, challenge, hashtag, story, goal news, offer, feedback, tutorial, behind the scenes, fun facts, sneak peek…

And then you just POST IT. 

So you know exactly what to say and when to say it! It’s SO easy! You’ll LOVE it! I hope that my use of exclamation marks is helping you to understand How! Amazing! It! Is!

Everyone at Team Mama has worked so darn hard on this, so make sure you give them a HUGE high five when you bump into them in the community 🙌

Want to hear more? The BIG reveal is in my ULA on Monday March 8 in the Facebook Group. I literally CANNOT WAIT to show you, Mama!

P.S. Can’t wait to get a sneak peek inside the shiny new Free Mama Movement 2.0? Make sure you’re at my ULA in The Free Mama Facebook Group, at noon Central on March 8. It’s going to be FUUUUUUUN 😛

Here we are in MARCH. How the heck did that happen? 

If you’re sitting here saying, UM, WAIT, IT WAS JUST JANUARY, you’re not wrong. And if your business isn’t exactly where you want it to be, then this email is just what you need. 

Think of this as your Free Mama Menu. Take a look, and dip into whatever looks tasty right now. Then come back later when you’re feeling snacky and see if there’s something else that appeals to you. 

APPETIZERS

Start with something new and exciting!

If you missed out on yesterday’s ULA — that’s Update/Lesson/Announcement — in the Free Mama Movement Facebook group, then you’re going to want to hightail it over there and give it a watch, because we went BEHIND THE SCENES of the all-new and totally-revamped Free Mama Movement 2.0! Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Fan Favorites

Also, just for fun, I found THIS video from almost exactly a year ago. I was sitting in the parking lot of Henry’s school, and I talked about the alignment test — that is, how you can determine if what you’re doing right now is SERVING you. The short version: CREATE MORE THAN YOU CONSUME and CONSUME INTENTIONALLY. It’s a short video with a LOT of takeaways. I’d love to hear what you think! 

MAIN DISHES

Chef’s special

This week on FreeMamaTV we’re talking all about how YOU can stand out as the superstar you are, EVEN IF there are 73 million other people offering the same service as you. You’ll learn why it really doesn’t matter who else offers “your” service (and why, actually, the more people who do what you do, the better off you are!), plus why you want to FORGET about McDonalds. Think STEAK. Think GUACAMOLE. Think MICHELIN STAR. 

Now go grab a sandwich and check out FreeMamaTV. 

Dish of the day

Tune in to Free Mama Radio to check out my interview with Sahar Twesigye. We talk Pinterest marketing, leveling up, real life routines in pandemic parenting, and more. I can’t wait to hear about your biggest takeaway from this episode! 

DESSERT

Something sweet

Got kids? Got kids with sleep issues? You’re not alone, Mama. 

Last I checked, this post had over 100 comments with helpful ideas and advice! 

Something savory

Plus, in the Free Mama Movement Facebook Group, I stumbled across this win from a few weeks ago, and couldn’t help but love on it all over again! It’s AWESOME when Free Mamas step into their superpowers!

I hope today’s email fills you up with all kinds of Free Mama goodness!