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“You can’t do it.”  (This phrase makes my blood boil.) Has anyone ever told you this? Someone you care about, a stranger on the internet, or maybe the mean girl voice in your head. For some of us, it’s the phrase that inspires us to move. To prove the person who said it wrong. But for others, these words are what’s holding you back from even starting. From even trying. Here’s the thing. I don’t care if you have a degree or certification (and neither do your potential clients). I don’t care if you haven’t done anything online before. I don’t care if you know nothing about entrepreneurship and if everyone around you works a conventional 9-5. And I REALLY don’t care what anyone else says. There are options out there for you. (In my next email, I’m going to show you exactly what I mean.) In the Facebook group, every Friday, I have you share your #freemamawins and throughout the week, you share them in your posts. And I really do read them all and cheer for each and every one of you. But what I really want to do is share some stories that will inspire you. Because as I mentioned yesterday, I am kind of tired of hearing that it isn’t possible. That you have this story or that challenge and that’s why it isn’t possible for you. That your situation is different. I realize that we all have our own stories. We all have challenges. Along with so many things, these challenges are what make us unique! I always say there is no struggle-free life! (Just totally awesome guilt-free ones.)

I love that you all have a story and your own uniqueness…

But you’re seeing it as an obstacle, and I see it as your super power!

Use your story to fuel your path from here. Don’t let it be the excuse to stop you from even starting.

I am going to start shedding some light on some of our students who have defied the odds.

Who have done things differently.

Who did not give up.

Who used their story as their light to find their way.

Make sure you follow along this week… get ready to help me cheer them on, get ready to be inspired, and watch for something HUGE from me to help light your way, too!

I have seen an increase of self-doubt from you recently. And I GET it. Trust me. I’ve seen it time and time again, I’ve done it myself. We all get in our own way. We all talk ourselves out of things because of fear. Nervous and afraid of failing, you don’t want to step into something new…especially when the world feels so unstable these days. And if you’re new here, you may be thinking: I don’t even know this girl, how can I trust her? How do I know if this whole freedom lifestyle thing is even real? Even possible?! Again, I get it. But I’m just a mom standing in front of another mom (metaphorically), asking for you to trust me. Start by taking a look around The Free Mama Movement Group on Facebook. Search the #freemamawin. There are FIVE YEARS and thousands of wins of people landing clients, making money, hitting goals, quitting jobs, taking vacations and literally changing their lives. Now, don’t tell yourself that it isn’t real. Or that it isn’t possible. Or worse, that it isn’t possible for YOU. These mamas are you. Even if you don’t have the same experiences or background. You each have a story to tell and can achieve whatever you put your effort and belief behind. Starting a virtual business isn’t just for a particular person or a particular experience level. Or really a particular ANYTHING. It’s about doing things differently. It’s about giving yourself an option. An option to live your life the way YOU want to. These mamas in the Free Mama Movement group are proof of that. These mamas are all different ages, with different experiences, stories, family sizes, challenges, etc. What they all have in common is the drive to make their life different. So, tell me, do you want something different then what you’re doing now? More freedom? More options? Then welcome to the Free Mama Movement. This next week we’re going to show you that anything is possible.

Have you ever been told never to mix business with pleasure? Well, I’m here to tell you the opposite. The amazing thing about being your own boss is that you can work from wherever you want, something my husband and I do regularly so we can travel with our family. In this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV you’ll discover some tips and tricks that I’ve picked up during the last couple of years of exploring the country by plane, train and automobile… and RV  If one of your motivators for starting a virtual business is to travel more, this video is for you. I promise it’s value packed! Make sure you subscribe, because next week I’m getting into the nitty gritty of working on the road with kiddos!

P.S.Want a new way to make revenue in your business with no fulfillment on your end? Check out last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV where Lauren breaks affiliate marketing down for you.

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

We are celebrating Father’s Day today, are you?! For a lot of Free Mamas, having a totally awesome guilt-free life also means making life better for our spouses. I mean, just read this post from my friend and Free Mama, Noemi.

THIS is what being a Free Mama or Papa is about… creating a freedom business that lets your family really live. Shout out to the mamas easing the financial burden or even trying to retire their spouses! And, of course, a massive Happy Father’s Day to the dads of The Free Mama Movement! You are a small but mighty crew of brave men who resonate with our mission, and we adore you! Not to be mushy, but without the support of the Original Free Papa, Justin Golden, the Free Mama may not even exist. Becoming a Free Mama means putting in the work and even asking for more help with kids or housework, and that may not always be the easiest for your husbands, but I promise it pays off. Being a true partner is about taking some of the weight off the heavy things, but also getting to actually enjoy the release of that weight. We hope you (or your spouse) is enjoying the Free Papa life today. Happy Father’s Day!

Yesterday I listened to a teenager who is making hundreds of thousands of dollars online reselling shoes. Shoes.

I’m in Phoenix, Arizona at a Clickfunnels event. But it isn’t a normal business conference. This one is called Unlock the Secrets, and it’s an event for families. Half of the speakers cannot even vote yet, and have made more money than I ever got paid at any 9-5 job. Audrey and Henry are more interested in the food and games, but Daphne is SUPER into it. While I’m still here, I wanted to share with you some of my biggest takeaways so far in case they also help you (or your kiddos) take the next step: 1. Our limiting voices are there to protect our Ego from feeling badly. Ever told yourself you’re not good enough so you don’t even try? The problem is that by protecting our ego we can destroy our life. 2. Ever not feel supported by the friends and family in your life? That’s because people don’t want you to change for the better, they want you to stay just like them. 3. When you help your customers/clients find the “easy button”, they will buy from you…. How are you making your clients’ lives/decisions even easier? 4. Want to know what success habits a child millionaire recommended to a kid in the audience? Just 4 things to incorporate into your daily routine to change your life: watch one educational video, read, meditate/pray, and publish something valuable online…every…day! 5. “Don’t think, just do!” This last one was the secret to that teenager’s multi-six-figure success, not shoes. He gave an entire presentation on how his messy action and consistent publishing online eventually clicked and started producing crazy results. There isn’t ANY one service, product or tactic that will get you where you want to be. But if you’re sitting back thinking about every little thing instead of actually doing it you certainly will not get there. So, which takeaway landed with you right now? Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to read your comments while I’m soaking in Day 3 tomorrow!

What if I told you that you’re wasting your time? I’m not talking about procrastination, either. I mean, the majority of your dedicated work time isn’t really accomplishing much of anything at all… I’m talking about the Pareto principle which tells us that 80% of your outcomes actually come from just 20% of your efforts. The flip side of that means that 80% of your work time is being spent to produce ONLY 20% of your results. So basically, you’re working too hard. Or, at least, working too hard on the wrong things… Does that make you a little mad?

When I first heard it, I was a little frustrated and even tried to prove it wrong, but then I realized the Pareto principle could be exploited to get exactly what I want… more freedom! 80/20 means we can work less (by ditching the ineffective tasks from the 80%) and produce more (by putting the emphasis on the 20% that actually results in cash money sales). The concept, and how to take advantage of it, is broken down in The 80/20 Principle by Robert Koch, our Free Mama Squad book club choice this month. Not so coincidentally, I was listening to this audiobook while putting in mayyyyyybe 20% effort while on vacation during my birthday last month and simultaneously bringing in about 80% of our revenue for May. You may have heard this concept before, and the author gives examples of 80/20 in everything from book stores sales to car accidents, the clothes you wear in your closet to who is responsible for divorce rates. But everything I heard my mind automatically related back to YOU, the Free Mamas. In fact, my team and I often operate off of a similar phrase when evaluating our goals and actions on a quarterly, monthly, weekly or even daily basis: “Input vs. Impact”. In other words: how much effort does it require and how big of an impact is it really going to make? Chances are, the things that you’re worried about in your business (and therefore spending entirely too much time on), aren’t actually the BIG things worthy of your focus. Things like your business name, brand colors, the perfect social media post, or launching a website… So. How do you find and exploit the 20%? I wanted to give you some tips on how I do it: 1. Take an honest look at all of your daily and weekly tasks and identify which give you the most return. What are the most needle-shifting things you’ve done? Where did your last client come from? Where did your highest-paying project come from? What activity generated the most leads? 2. DROP (Delegate, Remove, Outsource or Partner up on) the 80% of tasks that aren’t contributing to the majority of your results. 3. Adjust your time blocking to spend more time on the revenue-generating activities that are actually working for you, instead of just working to work. If you need help doing this, I want to remind you about my Daily 5 productivity tool that helps you focus on the 20%, so you can prioritize your most outcome-driven tasks first. You can download a PDF here, or a digital version is now available on The Free Mama App in the App Store or Google Play Store. The next time you’re worrying about redoing your website again or changing your business name, remember 80/20. Input vs. Impact. Work smarter not harder. If you found this helpful or needed this reminder today, hit reply and let me know!

What if I told you there was a way to make money, help connect people with the products and services they need to improve their lives, and you didn’t have to worry about fulfilling on those results? Let me introduce you to my favorite revenue stream inside of my business today. Affiliate Marketing is when you promote another company’s product or service and you receive a commission on the sales you bring in. Now I know what you may be thinking, but it’s not like network marketing at all. For starters, there’s zero recruitment on your end, plus you are not responsible for providing the actual product or service, either. In this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’ll walk you through the dos and don’ts of successful affiliate marketing. Who knows, this could be the revenue stream that adds hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands to your business! Make sure you watch this video about affiliate marketing and subscribe to FreeMamaTV so you never miss an episode.

P.S. Have you been wanting to learn about the Cashflow Quadrant but don’t want it mansplained to you? Check out last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV where Lauren breaks it down for you.

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

When you search “Cashflow Quadrant” on YouTube, your results will be full of men. In a world full of Finance Bros, I wanted to make a video breaking down the Cashflow Quadrant… for women. I wanted to make a video for YOU. This principle has helped me make a massive shift with my business-owner mindset, and I have a feeling you should know about it too. Make sure you join me for today’s episode of FreeMamaTV and send us an email at hello@thefreemama.com with any other topics you don’t want to be mansplained to you.

P.S. You may have been thinking of your niche the wrong way! Check out last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV to learn how to pick the right one.

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

These last few days I’ve been telling you about how moving from self-employed to business owner has been a huge game-changer for me and my family. 7 years ago, freelancing helped me take control of my time and work from home, allowing my family to move and schedule things around our priorities. After a few years, though, we were still living somewhat paycheck to paycheck, and after Audrey was born I realized that if I stopped freelancing, those invoices stopped, as well. I knew I had to take everything I’d learned as a 1:1 services provider and my passions and expertise and package it into the type of business that would earn and work, even when I wasn’t. I needed a machine. In 2017 I started building the freedom machine that’s allowed me to scale my business, pay off over $100k in debt, travel whenever I want, and create a community of the absolutely, most amazing humans I didn’t even dream was possible (that’s you!). I’m going to go into much more detail at our upcoming virtual event (apply for your free invite here), but here are 3 things I did to transition from being a freelancer and into a business owner: Move from 1:1 services to a 1:many business model There are so many different ways to do this (remember earlier this week I told you not to believe the gurus who tell you their way is the only way). You could write an ebook, design templates, launch a newsletter or a membership, record a video course or workshop, or a million other ideas. The key is to productize in the digital world. Not only will inventory not run out, but you build it one time then sell it over and over again! Adjust marketing efforts to reach more people more efficiently and effectively When you’re a freelancer, you often only need a handful of clients at any given time and the most effective marketing strategy is often talking to humans. When you invest time and energy into relationships with other business owners, you can grow your own network exponentially and often build a very healthy referral-based business. However, when you switch to a 1:many model, you’ll need more eyeballs on your offer to generate consistent sales. Learning new traffic and marketing strategies is important to feeding your freedom machine! Step out of the manual execution of marketing, sales, and operations Perhaps one of the hardest transitions into business ownership is looking at your expenses as investments. Whether you’re paying for a team or software, when you choose to automate or outsource you’re literally buying back your time, improving your efficiencies and astronomically impacting your earning potential. It’s scary if you’ve never done it before, or technology isn’t your jam, or you’re making these investments before you have a ton of proof. I understand, I’ve bet on myself many times, and sometimes I still feel nervous about it. With that said, I literally wouldn’t be where I am today as the founder of The Free Mama without making these mindset shifts!

You can do this. And you certainly don’t have to do it alone. This is your last chance to apply for an invite-only sneak peek to our Freedom Founder Society virtual event next Wednesday and Thursday, June 8-9. Each FFS virtual event has a theme, and this time it’s PROFIT AMPLIFIERS. Wouldn’t it be nice to grow your bank account without having to do more work? Of course! So, let me tell you a little bit about who is presenting. Mark Stern will be talking about how you can make your digital products explode with intentional experience design and incorporating physical products (there are also operational benefits to doing so)! How’s your relationship with money? Brie Sodano is going to blow your mind while discussing paradigm shifts for more profit. Stephanie Dove Blake is giving you the 411 on how to use an integrator to quit being the bottleneck of your own growth and get out of your business operations. And our very own Free Mama Sales Coach Michelle Terpstra is teaching you how to get premium clients to come directly to you with their wallets out through success story-telling. It’s all going down in 2 power-packed half days. Want to join us for this exclusive sneak peek? Apply before Monday, June 6 and we’ll follow up with you either way.

When you hear “scale your business,” what does that mean to you? Oftentimes when people say scale, they mean they want to grow their business, especially their income (revenue). In order to scale a business, you need the ability to add revenue at a significantly greater rate than cost (expenses) or resources (your time), which is very difficult to do as a 1:1 service provider. To have a business that can scale, you have to build a machine that works even when you aren’t.

Before you can scale, you have to grow first. If that’s you right now, that’s amazing! Here are 2 huge tips for helping you get one step closer to scalability: Niche – In order to capture anyone’s attention, you have to be so clear about what you do and who you do it for that your name becomes synonymous with the service you provide. Systemize – Move away from custom services and personalized proposals toward a premium offer so you can STREAMLINE your workflow and stop accommodating each client individually. Pro tip: In order to do these 2 things, you’ll likely need to part ways with some of your existing clients. It’s hard, I get it, but it’s necessary. Now, maybe you’ve done this already and you’re wondering what’s next. How do you get to that 6-7 figure business range without burning out or sacrificing your values? You need a machine. If you feel like you’ve grown to the point where you’re ready to build something scalable, I have something for you: an invitation to join us for a sneak peek into our newest program, the Freedom Founder Society. We’re having a virtual event June 8-9, 10am-2pm CT, and I want you to come for a special sneak peek. Before I tell you how to apply, let me introduce you to the program. FFS is a 3 phase approach to upgrading you from self-employed to freedom-based, machine-loving business owner: Strive, Scale, Shift. Strive -Everyone who enters FFS starts with a 1 month sprint. The purpose is to take what you already have and earn back your investment in the first 4 weeks. -Don’t worry, you won’t be doing this alone! You’ll meet with a Sales Strategist and a Mindset Coach to come up with a specific game plan so you know exactly what you need to do to get a massive cash injection. Before the program even started Leandra and Katrina, aka The Bot Sisters, earned back their initial investment in just a few days by taking action on the feedback they received from our coaches! Scale -This is the meaty part of FFS and where a handful of coaches walk with you as you build a scalable, freedom-based business utilizing strategies and tactics that not only work, but feel in alignment for you. All of the information is stored in a HUB to make accessing the resources you need to succeed super easy. -You’ll get access to multiple trainings per month on topics the group requests, as well as 2 action calls per month with an implementation coach. You also have a personal Mindset Coach to help you get out of your own way and knock down any limiting beliefs you may have as you (and your business) grow. Shift -It’s easy to get stuck in the day to day of being a business owner, and nothing motivates and disrupts quite like an event! There will be 2 in-person retreats in exciting and freedom-inspiring locations each year where we’ll challenge what’s working and what isn’t and infuse our businesses with new thoughts and strategies. -Freedom Founders also come together for quarterly virtual events with some of the best experts and coaches in the industry where they’ll discover in-depth tactics and strategies that are currently dominating the online space. And you are invited to join us at next week’s virtual event. If you qualify, you’ll get a FREE sneak peek to the program. Make sure you apply by Monday, June 6, so we have time to review submissions and get back to everyone personally. Oh, and stay tuned for my email tomorrow (the last one I’ll send about this event!) because I’ve got a few tips for how to start building out that freedom machine, plus all the details about what you’ll learn at next week’s virtual event. Hopefully, I will see you on June 8 and 9!