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Registration is FINALLY open for the Free in 23 Day Challenge! If you’re ALL IN – skip this post and head here: challenge.thefreemama.com You may still be wondering what the heck these #freein23 posts all over the Free Mama Movement Facebook Group are all about, so if that’s you, let me fill you in on what we’re doing and who this is for. This is for you if… You want to get that first client but you have NO idea where to start…⁣ Or… You’ve been inconsistently plugging away at this freelancing thing, but it isn’t really working… Or… ⁣ You need to gain a few more clients in order to FINALLY be able to quit that job, but you’ve hit a wall.

Putting yourself out there can feel scary, especially when you are brand new to the online space, and you aren’t sure where to go, who to talk to, or what to say. Plus, it’s easy to get crazy distracted by all the “sexy” marketing tactics out there, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing. I’m talking about things like dancing in reels and TikTok videos, feeling like you have to post every single day, go live on video or create a blog. Don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to do ANY of those things. Because the truth is, none of that really matters when it comes to finding your next client as a freelancer, coach, or any other service provider working 1:1 with clients. Do you think when you’re getting started as a freelancer that implementing these high-level strategies is easy? Of course it isn’t! Which is exactly why it won’t help you when you’re just starting out. What IS easy is following the steps in our 23 day challenge, delivered one day at a time into our private Facebook Group. Each day, we will show you, on video, exactly what networking or marketing strategy you can implement all by yourself. Plus, we’ve made most of the steps plug & play for you. You’ll receive templates, tools, and formulas you can use to go along with the daily tutorials. JUMP INTO THE FREE IN 23 DAY CHALLENGE NOW! But you don’t have to jump in alone.⁣ ⁣ I, along with my entire team, am going to dive in with you.⁣ ⁣ Inside of the Free in 23 Day Challenge.⁣.. ⁣ Inside this Challenge, we are going to work on getting that next client WITH YOU.⁣ ⁣ No more excuses.⁣ ⁣ No more playing small.⁣ ⁣ No more staying frozen in that same spot.⁣ ⁣ We are going to sign your next client with you.⁣ ⁣ I am going to personally lead you through 23 days of resources, videos, and tips to expand your network, market your business, and gain your next client.⁣ ⁣ You’ll have your own FB group to keep you motivated for the full 3 weeks and 2 days… ⁣ You’ll get a free pre-challenge checklist to make sure you get started on the right track…⁣ ⁣ You’ll get a live workshop at the end of the challenge to answer any lingering questions with me live…⁣ ⁣ And you’ll get every one of these resources and trainings for ONE DOLLAR per day.⁣ ⁣ Be one of the first to say YES and jump into the Challenge group early. We start August 1!

Do you believe in timing? Now, I want to be clear that you’ll never feel ready to jump outside your comfort zone or that there’s a perfect time to put yourself out there, but I do believe things happens for a reason. A few years ago, I mapped out a challenge to help Free Mamas make big moves, one small step at a time… I called it Free in 23… because, 1. Rhyming and 2. Isn’t freedom what we’re after here? Catchy, right?!  I literally do not remember why we didn’t move forward with this idea, other than the fact that it could not be more needed than RIGHT NOW. After two years of COVID fatigue, the Great Resignation, and now worrying about inflation… There’s never been a better time to take control of your financial situation as a freelancer. Now is the right time to launch the Free in 23 Day Challenge to help you land your next client. We’ve never done this with our students before, but after mapping out in extreme detail what I have in store for you and sharing it with my team, they responded with different versions of:

Why did they say that? Because it is just $1 a day for 23 days of day-by-day, step-by-step actions for you to take to improve your networking and the marketing of your services. If you’ve been freelancing, this challenge will hold you accountable to be more consistent in keeping that pipeline full and positioning you as the go-to in your niche. If you’re brand new, don’t worry, we’ve got you. The challenge includes a bonus Pre-Challenge Success Kit to make sure you’ve got what you need to be implement the daily tasks. PLUS, you’ll get access to a private Facebook Group where my team and I will not only be cheering you on and answering your questions, but we’ll also be going through the challenge right alongside you! And because your results in this challenge are super important to us, we’re also going to host a LIVE workshop with Lauren during the challenge to work on whatever mindset blocks or logistical questions are showing up for you. But I need you to do me a favor… because there’s a really good chance if we do this again, it will cost a lot more. And because I love automation, we may not do it live like this again in the future… So here comes the favor… I need you to show up for yourself on this one. You may have a last-minute summer trip planned. Maybe you’re already focused on kids going back to school. Maybe you’re nervous, scared, intimidated, or second-guessing yourself. Here’s the deal – you’re always going to be able to come up with a reason NOT to do something. I want you to remind yourself of the reasons you MUST show up for yourself on this one. The sign-up page isn’t quite ready yet, so here’s what I want you to do to show us (and yourself) that you’re all in. Post in the Free Mama Facebook Group, your profile, IG, all the places (don’t worry we’ll share it if you tag me @laurengoldenfreemama on IG) that you’re ready to rock and roll. Let us know who you are and what you do and use the hashtags #freein23 and #imdoingit Whether you’re looking for your next client or your very first one, this challenge is for you. We kick off on August 1…

One of the perks of freelancing is that you can work from anywhere in the world. (Are you team #workfromhome or team #digitalnomad?! Email me at hello@thefreemama.com and tell me what you’re working towards, I’d love to know Whether you’re transitioning from a classroom, a hospital, a corporate office, or you’ve been home with kids for year, the internet can feel like an overwhelming place. Learning to sell your services online can feel super intimidating. How do you talk about your business without sounding salesy? How do you post comments that actually stand out? How do you know when it’s time to go from the comments to DMs. And from the DMs to a sales call? And how the heck do you do it all without getting banned from groups or without feeling like a spam-opotamous? My community manager, Wendy Brick, is hopping online with me today to walk you through her exact process for selling services online. What’s really cool is that Wendy is just like you! She left her job as a nurse practitioner to start her freelancing business and now she’s sold over $1.65 MILLION for her clients as a social seller. So yeah, she kinda knows what she’s talking about   You’ll love what she has to say about how selling online is not that different from working in healthcare… Make sure you join us over on YouTube to learn how you can make sales to grow your freelancing business, too!

P.S. You’re wasting your time looking for Stay-At-Home Mom Jobs! Watch last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV to find out what you should be doing instead.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

I’ve been thinking about you all day. Okay, that may have sounded a tad strange, but I mean it in the least creepy way possible, so stick with me. After I dropped my kiddos off at camp this Friday morning, I had a meeting with a few members of Team Mama where I literally spent half an hour telling them how much I wish I could sit and talk with you personally about your freelancing business. Yes, you. I love showing up in the Facebook Group. I’m literally there every single day answering as many questions as possible, pointing you towards helpful episodes of FreeMamaTV, or holding you accountable to taking brave steps forward. I also do my best to respond to as many IG messages as I can, or direct you to a resource we’ve created that can walk you through the steps or provide the templates. Not to be creepy (again)… I am constantly watching you and cheering you on, even when you don’t hear from me directly, and having to have my team help me support you is actually pretty hard for me. Guiding you through your tech troubles, marketing strategies and mindset blocks is seriously one of my favorite things to do. If I could do it all day… I might. Plus, we’ve got a pretty big mission to help as many mamas as possible, and I simply cannot do it alone, which is why my team and I invest so much time and energy into the content we produce for you. The truth is, I strongly feel called to help you figure this thing out. In fact, just this morning I shared a plan that would allow us (the entire team!) to work alongside you in getting your next client… And not to brag, but it’s a really good plan. Would that be helpful for you? Someone to tell you exactly what steps to take, day by day, and hold your hand as you walk through it? If so, keep your eyes peeled for more information… and maybe hit reply or send me a DM on Instagram to let me know you want it! Until then, just know, even though we may not talk every day, I’m thinking about you a ton. I believe in you so much.

This post is for perpetual planners (you know who you are). You’ve been applying for jobs non-stop. You’re fussing over your website, portfolio and brand. You’ve polished your resume 14 times. You have everything that you think you need. Here’s why I’m telling you you should stop…

You’re wasting so much time and energy and not actually getting anything done.

The truth is there are two main reasons why we see moms get stuck in perpetual planning and not the actual doing.

Click here to find out which one you are guilty of..

I promise I’ll also give you the solution to your problem 😉

P.S. Want to learn how to get freelancing jobs without having to apply to them? Watch last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

Have you ever noticed how the same people get tagged for jobs in Facebook groups over and over again? How cool would it be if you could be one of those people? I remember a few years ago I was coaching Casey, an aspiring copywriter and all she wanted was to be known for copywriting the same way her mentors were. Once she decided it was possible, everything changed for her! I also remember working with Meagan Hernandez (you met her in last Thursday’s email). In January of 2019 she went from no one knowing who she was to being tagged in every accounting, bookkeeping and tax-related question inside the Free Mama Movement Facebook Group. Both of them now get a steady flow of quality referrals…without having to apply to freelancing jobs. Do you want to be like Casey and Meagan? Do you want to be tagged in every post relating to your niche, so that referrals just land in your lap? Then you’re definitely going to want to watch today’s episode of FreeMamaTV.

P.S. Have you been dying to become a Digital Nomad but don’t know how because you have kids? Learn how Lauren has been doing it for three summers on last week’s epiosde.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

When I ask my students what “freedom” means to them, or what they would do if money wasn’t a concern, the vast majority say “travel the world.“ But the whole point of The Free Mama is to teach moms how to live a totally awesome guilt-free life NOW… not someday. We have a ton of resources on how to fund your dreamy trips, and so I wanted to put together a video diving into exactly how my family travels so much while working and parenting. If you’re ready to stop dreaming of someday and live the nomadic life (or just take that long vacay) you’ve always wanted, this episode is for you. Be sure to let me know in the comments where you’re going on your adventures!

P.S. Want some tipss and tricks on how to travel and work remotely? Check out last week’s episode to find out how to make travel and work a breeze.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Free Mama TV so you’re alerted each and every time a new episode drops!

I need to tell you about Leandra, because I feel like her story really hit home and could help a lot of you with where you may be right now. So many of us can relate to feeling stuck…having to leave our babies…the guilt…the heartbreak! You are NOT alone in how you are feeling, and Leandra’s story is proof of that! I’m going to let her tell it herself: “I started my career as a research chemist for 6 years, then while I was pregnant with my first daughter I worked on becoming a certified high school math teacher. As my family grew, my priorities changed. The extra time during the summer and around the holidays was nice, but I was working so much during the school year that some days the only time I got with my kids was a story and snuggle before bed. I was exhausted, had no energy to interact with my kids, and was struggling to bond with my second daughter who was born after my second year of teaching. I distinctly remember sitting on the couch one evening in early January 2019. It was the end of winter break. We had spent all but the last 3 days traveling from Texas to Iowa and Wisconsin to see family. My 6 month old daughter was sick and I HAD to return to work the next day. My husband would stay home from work with her. I was tired, I was heartbroken, I was snuggling my babies on the couch, and I didn’t want to go back. I started googling legit ways to make money from home. I remembered a post someone had made in a local mom’s Facebook group months earlier about The Free Mama Movement, so I went searching. I scouted it out and a couple weeks later I bought the course. I took it slow. I got my first client in July 2019, and a few months later decided that the 2019/2020 school year would be my last. It took me a long time to find my niche, but I never gave up. I did IG engagement, Pinterest management, general VA work, Google ads, tried to be an OBM, and more before finding ManyChat chatbots. I now am co-founder and co-owner of The Marketing Sisters with my real-life sister.” Do you see a pattern here?

Leandra, too, didn’t know where to begin.

She tried different niches (I’ve got a plan to help you with that if you are struggling in this area or not sure where to start), some that weren’t for her but SHE KEPT GOING.

She declared that the 2019/2020 school year would be her final year teaching…

And she figured it out!

Now she gets to lead a business with her sister, be home with her babies, and create opportunities and a life they both are excited about.

Do you dream of getting out of that stuck feeling and leading a business where you can thrive mentally and financially while ALSO being home with your babies and PRESENT with them every day?

Let me tell you that it’s possible.

All of these mamas we’ve been telling you about started with the Free Mama Movement and went for it.

I’m telling you these stories, because I want you to believe that you can do it, too.

And this summer, I want to help you do it even faster, so I decided to open up a few bonuses for this week only.

EVERYONE who signs up for the Free Mama Movement this week will get the full program and bonuses PLUS:

-A 1:1 call with yours truly (I don’t offer these anymore!)
-One month’s free access to the Free Mama Squad group coaching program
-ALL 6 of our trainings in the Riches in the Niches workshop series

What’s the Riches in the Niches series?

It is a series that is going to help you STOP stressing about the services you should offer or what you “might” be good at.

You can’t just be a “Jill of all trades” forever, and you won’t get anywhere if you “learn to death”. If you really want to take this to the next level you have to niche down and get really good at ONE thing, and I am going to help you discover what AND how in this series.

And you get it FREE…usually we charge for EACH of the series of trainings separately!

If you want in, join us here!

Here’s to freedom, mama!

I’m not going to lie…sharing all of these Free Mama spotlights is getting me pretty pumped. So pumped that you’ll want to stick around until the end of this to hear what I am doing about it.  Today I want to tell you about Jessica. Jessica was previously an industrial engineer that led a team of engineers from all over Texas. After she had her second son she decided to stay at home with her little ones and try out an MLM… Like many of us, including me, Jessica soon found out that business model took a ton of her time and energy with very little reward, so she looked into something different. She went on to get certified as a professional airbrush makeup artist and as she gained clients in this space, she found herself doing makeup for a ton of weddings and her Saturdays were soon all booked up…those Saturdays were prime days for her son’s sporting events and she quickly realized that wasn’t the goal in all of this either! She said, “As my boys continued to grow up, I kept looking for something that would fill me up and something I could do that would allow me to not run around town, and work from home. I loved being a mom, but I knew I needed something for myself, too.” Like many of you here, a Google search of how to stay at home and make money as a mom landed her here in the Free Mama Movement. Jessica actually found out that I lived in Texas at the time as well and signed up for our first Free Mama event after learning about it from all of the videos she consumed on YouTube! She decided to enroll for the Free Mama Movement the day before the event. She said, “I was so excited and somehow I knew this was going to change my life. Literally the day before the event, I decided to sign up for The Free Mama Movement course. It was truly the most life-changing event and being surrounded by so many like-minded and successful women was so exciting.” At that event, she started hearing about podcasting and it caught her attention, but she didn’t start in this niche. She actually began freelancing as a social media manager, but it didn’t feel like the fit she was looking for. She tried Funnel Hacking…it was interesting, but still not for her. She had one potential client that wanted to launch a podcast and she decided to help her and that’s where it all began for Jessica! She now offers complete podcast management which includes audio editing, show notes writing, audio/videograms, guest management, and of course podcast launches, with a bit of video editing for YouTube and corporate clients thrown in there, too. Her clients are some of the most interesting people that interview amazing guests from authors and Oxford professors to celebrities! Jessica shared something so important that I want you to take in right now… “Finding your perfect niche might not happen overnight, but it will come to you, you just need to start with something because the skills you learn along the way will be beneficial for the niche you end up with. Even though social media management wasn’t my love, I do use the skills I learned doing this by making my client’s posts and audio/videograms for their podcast episodes as well as Podcast Cover Art.” Read that again…IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT but it will come to you through action! Mama, you don’t have to have it all figured out before you start. There is no perfect time to start your business, invest in a course to help get you there, hire a coach, quit your job, etc. There will ALWAYS be something that you could use to hold you back. If you want options, if you want something different, you have to take the chance. Jessica heard about an event happening in Houston from some girl (me, ha!) she saw on YouTube. She took the chance, she registered for that event just days before it started, and actually signed up for the Free Mama Movement Course BEFORE the event because she wanted something different for her future. The last thing she said in her interview was, “I will be forever grateful for Lauren and her vision for her company. I would not be where I am today without her guidance throughout my online business journey.” Jessica, I will be forever grateful for you being here and sharing your amazing journey with me and this community. You deserve everything you have worked for! Keep crushing it, mama! Are you ready to be like Jessica? To take the leap, the risk, the chance on yourself? If you have been reading these stories and you’re feeling inspired I want to invite you to join me in the Free Mama Movement. ANYONE WHO SIGNS UP FOR THE COURSE THIS WEEK IS GETTING SOMETHING SPECIAL. What, you ask? Anyone who joins us in The Free Mama Movement course this week is getting:  A private 1:1 call with me as you get started (we’ll talk goals, fears, strategy, etc.)  One month of access to the Squad group coaching program  All 6 of the trainings of the Riches in the Niches Workshop Series (learn all about niching down) I am going to dive into the juicy details in my emails this week, but if you are ready to dive in NOW you can join us here. This opportunity closes this Friday (July 1) at MIDNIGHT so if you have any questions hit reply and send them over! Excited for you to be our future Free Mama spotlight,

Remember when I told you it was time to stop getting in your own way?! I want you to know that there isn’t one type of background, degree or skill set that succeeds in this online world, and you don’t even have to have been doing the same type of work before… Meet Sam. Sam started as a cosmetologist but knew it wasn’t for her…but she still stuck that out for 6 years until she had her first baby. That’s when she went back to school to become a medical assistant, which she loved! She shared with me that she did that for another 8 years until her 2nd born was 6 months old and “I realized I was done paying a ridiculous amount of money to allow someone else to raise my child and care for him. I was essentially working to send him to daycare for 10 hours a day Monday-Friday.” Gah, been there. Sam tried to take a work-from-home job, but it just wasn’t working with her employers expectations. Trying to work full time and be able to deliver what was expected of her job while having two little ones at home just wasn’t possible for her. (Or anyone for that matter!) After 8 months of trying to make it work, Sam dove into the Free Mama Movement. Check out what she said… “Exactly 1 year TO THE DAY that I quit my job and doing all of the things Lauren teaches us to do, I started working with a dream client and discovered the world of YouTube Strategy and Management. I became OBSESSED. I spent hours learning how it all worked and figuring out all of the tricks and now, never having had video editing experience or any ‘formal’ SEO training, I have my very own established and flourishing YouTube Strategy and Management business where I get to do EXACTLY what I love with EXACTLY the clients I want to work with. This year, I am working on transforming my one-woman show into an agency. I am SO incredibly grateful for the things I have learned, and continue to learn, from Lauren! I don’t know where I would be now if I never watched that original webinar or joined the Facebook group. It’s truly amazing the power that taking one, tiny chance can hold.”

My point in sharing this with you is to show you that things don’t happen overnight.

It takes time to learn new things and figure out your way…

But if you never start, you never try, you won’t ever get to that place at all.

Sam went from cosmetologist to medical assistant to IG strategist to YouTube strategist before she found what lit her up.

Don’t be discouraged that you don’t know where to start or what to do at this moment.

Take the time to learn from people who have walked that path before and dive into your why.

Whatever is pushing you to do this, lean into it.

Sam didn’t want to pay for someone else to raise her babies anymore and she realized working as an employee full time, even from home, just wasn’t for her.

You’ve got options.

Don’t be afraid to take them.

Not sure of what they are? Reply to this email and we’ll tell you the different ways we can support you.

And make sure you keep your eye on your inbox tomorrow because this is just one of the inspiring stories we have lined up for you this week!