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Hey, remember Zen Lauren from last week, ditching the plan and enjoying it? 

SHE’S GONE.

There’s a lot happening right now in my world. This is long. Bear with me. 

Shortly after we started this trip, we got word that my aunt had suffered a stroke. At the time, Justin and I looked at each other and wondered, Do we keep going? Do we turn around? 

Ultimately, there wasn’t a lot we could do, so we decided to press on.

Tuck that away for a second. 

And then imagine, if you will, mama, that you have a Jeep. At one point, you spent $10,000 on this Jeep, which is not a small amount of money.

But the Jeep is old, and it keeps breaking. 

You keep taking it in to get fixed. This costs you more money. It also costs you time, stress, energy. 

It costs other things, too. You fight with your husband about the Jeep.

When you and your husband are upset and worried about the Jeep, you take out that frustration on your kids — you’re short with them. You don’t have the patience to read stories or to play board games. And even when you find yourself in the middle of mountain views, you have to really force yourself to stop for a second and appreciate them, because in the back of your head, you’re thinking, HOW THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO GET THE JEEP FIXED.

Imagine if you will, mama, that your child brings home a math worksheet.

Lauren has a Jeep that cost $10,000. She has already spent an additional $2,000 on Jeep repairs, plus lost several days of work and vacation time to deal with the Jeep, AND THE JEEP IS STILL BROKEN AND NEEDS ANOTHER FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK.

At what point should Lauren abandon the Jeep and look for a different solution?

Obviously, this is a totally hypothetical situation that definitely did not happen in the first two weeks my family was on the road in our RV, flat-towing our Jeep behind us. 

And when you look at the problem logically, it becomes pretty clear that we made the right choice when we ultimately got rid of the Jeep, bought a new one, and moved on with our lives. 

But it’s not always easy to be logical. 

For example, imagine, if you will, mama, that you spent $30,000 or $50,000 or even $100,000 on a college degree. You took out loans, which you have been paying off. You go to work each day. The job costs you: wear and tear on your car and yourself, every day. Childcare costs. The emotional costs of being out of the house every day, worrying about your kids. Dealing with a toxic environment. Fighting with your spouse, and taking out your anger and frustration on your kids.

But you can’t see a way out, because you invested so much in your degree and in getting this job, and doing this work, that the idea of making a significant change is just incomprehensible. 

And there’s all the other stuff that’s happening in your life at the same time, because problems don’t just pause because it would be more convenient if you could focus on one thing at a time.

There’s actually a name for that feeling. It’s called the Sunk Cost Fallacy. You’ll keep throwing good money — and time, and energy, and all the rest of it — after bad, because you desperately want to recoup your initial investment. You’ll make terrible decisions that have an extremely negative affect on your overall happiness, health, and wealth just to avoid “losing” that first investment. 

We bought a new Jeep. Now, of course, there’s a decent amount of privilege here — and be sure you catch next week’s email where I delve into that — but let’s be clear on a couple of things:

We could do that because 

1. I built a business where there is no limit on how much money I can earn.
2. We decided to let go of the $10k we initially spent on the first Jeep, and to prioritize our happiness.

We continued to get updates on my aunt, and we didn’t know if we’d be able to meet up with my parents as planned. Fortunately, we did have an incredible time with them — something I’m so grateful for, for myself, and for my kids, and for my parents.

It was a strange experience, overwhelming joy at seeing my parents, and seeing my parents with my kids, mixed in with overwhelming sadness at what we knew was coming.

When word came that my aunt had passed away, the path forward was immediately clear. We rerouted our trip, and we’re driving four days straight to get to the funeral. 

There are some moments when you don’t have to wonder, “What’s the right thing to do?” You know. Even when it’s hard, or expensive, or not what you planned. 

There are some moments when you suddenly see the world clearly, and you know exactly what matters — and what doesn’t. 

If you’re sticking it out in a job you hate, is it because you desperately want to recoup the investment of your degree?

Are you letting the Sunk Cost Fallacy determine your fate?

Maybe it’s time to change things. 

And thus concludes today’s episodes of More Life Lessons From the Road: The Golden Family v. The Jeep

P.S. Did you know that I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of our trip on Instagram! Come on over and check it out!

Some people call me a control freak, mama.

And they’re not wrong. 

Some people talk about being in flow. I talk about creating the flow and bending the flow to my will. 

So when I told people that I planned to spend the summer driving around the country in an RV with my family, some people were… surprised. 

And, truth be told, I was a little bit nervous. I thought that being in such close quarters with my family would be tough. I thought I’d hate showering in a tiny bathroom — and sharing a single bathroom with my family didn’t exactly thrill me. 

But guess what? It turns out that Covid was the best possible preparation for this trip. We’re used to tripping over each other and lots of forced together time. We’ve been in each other’s space for months now, so that hasn’t bugged me a bit.

Sure, the kitchen here is so tiny that I have to cook meals for one person at a time, while small, hungry humans clamor around me like baby birds. I’m okay with that. 

In fact, all of the things that I thought would be hard haven’t been an issue. 

I mean, yes, it is not exactly fun when the Wifi is bad — or nonexistent. In our instant gratification world, we’ve (I’ve) become impatient. When I click a button and nothing happens, it’s a touch annoying.

When I’m trying to run a coaching call and the other person says I keep freezing and the audio is cutting in and out, I feel guilty.

But I’m reminding myself to be patient. 

Zoom issues happen even when I’m in my home office. 

So I may as well be out here, surrounded by amazing views, taking a trip my family will remember forever. 

I’m learning to surrender a little bit of control, and to just be. I’m learning to go with the flow as a mom.

If you had told me before this trip that at 10:45 am on our second day in DC, we’d be sitting in the RV Park, and I’d be working while the kids play in the dirt, I’d have showed you my Google Calendar and said,

UM, NO, WE WILL BE OUT AND ADVENTURING AND DOING ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME ACTIVITIES, THANK YOU.

But guess what? We spent the first day in DC adventuring and social distancing our way through once-in-a-lifetime activities, and on the second day, we rested a bit. And so I threw the plan away and decided to go with the flow.  

Don’t tell anyone, but I kind of like it.

P.S. Have you joined the waitlist for The Free Mama Squad yet?

Oh, Mama.

June 2020, the month where every week contains entire universes of action and activity. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m at the point where I need one of those “Previously, on The Free Mama” guys to catch me up. 

I’m guessing you might feel the same way, so let’s do a quick catch up on what The Free Mama news is in June.

• We opened the doors to the Free Mama Scholarship
• We announced FML 2020 — The Online Edition
• The Free Mama Squad Waitlist is up — sign up so you can get in when we open the doors!
• Mia from Team Mama had a baby, went on maternity leave, and came back to us
• I’ve been in an RV for 31 days.
• Free Mama Radio has 11 episodes and has already hit 6k downloads
• And we are BACK next week with an ALL-NEW episode of FreeMamaTV! Don’t touch that dial!

So, thats the Free Mama news! What have you been up to? 😉

Seriously, it’s been a month, and we’re learning, sharing, growing, and getting things done over in the Free Mama Facebook group. Check it out — and let us know how you are!

P.S. Want some expert advice on how to start an LLC or how to manage your freelance taxes? Tune in here.

So, you’re getting ready to leave that day job behind and work for yourself… but you’re not quite sure how to have the conversation with your boss, or what you’re supposed to do to prepare yourself for the Free Mama life.

No worries — today’s episode of FreeMamaTV has you covered. You’ll get my 10-step plan for how to quit your 9-5 respectfully— even if you hate your boss. 

Even if you’re just starting to think about this whole freelancing thing, this 10-step plan will show you just what to do, starting right now, so that when you’re ready to step away, you can do it respectfully — and even potentially turn your boss into your very first client.

Yep, Mama, that’s a thing — and you’ll see exactly how to do it. I’ve helped hundreds. of mamas do this exact thing and make their. work from home dreams a reality.

Ready to dive in? Learn how to quit your 9-5, and let’s get you set up to rock out your Free Mama life. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to FreeMamaTV so you are the first to know when a new episode drops!

P.S. Thinking of quitting that 9-5 to start blogging full time?! Watch this episode of FreeMamaTV and learn how much bloggers are ACTUALLY making! And, you’re also going to discover the fastest path to making a profit from your blog, so you can start earning money right away.

I’m NOT a big fan of working harder than I have to. In other words, if someone has already figured out how to do the thing I need to do, I am ALL ABOUT letting that person lead me across the bridge. 

Pros: 

I know I’m following a system that works.

I’m not wasting my time or money making mistakes.

If I have any questions, I know exactly who to ask.

Cons:

Umm….. none? Unless you count having more time, more money, and more success as cons. 

Soooooo, this week, I’m happy to re-share a couple of my favorite expert advice for starting your freelance business, so that you can learn from them.

First up is the amazing Meagan Hernandez, who shares all the best tax tips for freelancers so that you don’t have to let numbers drive you nuts. 

Next, learn from my lawyer, the exceptionally talented Kailey Jacomet, who will help you ensure you’re staying on the right side of the law. 

And if you haven’t figured out how to get your spouse on board with your Free Mama life, check out this conversation with my husband, Justin. We’ll help you see things from your partner’s point of view so that you can address his concerns and move forward. 

Finally, if you want to see me fangirling AND get some STELLAR business advice (seriously, game-changing stuff here), check out this interview with my friend and mentor, Russell Brunson. 

Go put your feet up, and let this expert advice for starting your freelance business carry you across that bridge, mama!

P.S. If you need to land more freelance clients in your business, you won’t want to miss out on these episodes of FreeMamaTV

Back in April of 2019 — a lifetime ago, back when you could meet with people and hug them — I sat down with the Free Mama team in Salt Lake City, and we talked about our mission. 

We brainstormed a bit on the words and feelings we associate with the FMM: community, inclusivity, accessibility. 

In the past year, the Free Mama Movement has grown. That fills my heart with joy — and it also means that my team and I work hard to get everything done. 

If you’ve been here for more than a minute, you know that nothing would happen here if it weren’t for the dedication of Jordan, my right-hand woman. And Jordan and I frequently talk about the way she came into my world. 

Jordan watched my free training back in 2017. She knew that she needed to be a part of this world. It absolutely had to happen.

There was just one problem. Jordan’s family had just declared bankruptcy. She had no credit — and thus, no credit cards.  

A lot of women would have seen that obstacle as insurmountable. Jordan didn’t. She reached out to me. She calmly and gracefully explained her predicament, without getting defensive or blaming anyone. And she proposed a solution: She suggested specific tasks she could do for me to work her way through the 12-Week Program. 

The rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward to today, 2020, and Jordan is working harder than ever. So hard, in fact, that we recently sat down to figure out how we could get Jordan the support she needs to continue supporting everyone in this amazing community. 

And thus was born (this is the big announcement part)…

The Free Mama Scholarship.

This brand-new program will allow us to bring on four interns each year who will work their way through the 12-Week Program. If you’re selected for the scholarship, you’ll receive:

• Complete access to the 12-Week Program (currently priced at $1997)
• Three months of Group Coaching (Value: $441)
• The chance to work on a variety of tasks with a profitable business and brand (priceless)
• The skills you need to change your life forever (SO PRICELESS)

And in exchange, you’ll spend 3 months working with my team, taking on specific tasks assigned by Jordan and reporting directly to her.

Rest assured — the application process for this program is serious. You will have to prove to us that you can do the work, that you’re committed, and that you have what it takes to show up properly. 

And on the flip side, we will show up for you and give you amazing support and education. 

Are you up for the challenge?

You can learn more about the Free Mama Scholarship and start the application process right here.

P.S. Remember, the application process is detailed for you here. Please don’t reply to this email — that’s a sure way to show us you don’t follow directions!