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Oh, mama, the DRAMA.

Last year, my daughter Daphne joined the swim team. I had no idea what I was in for when we started, and if you were here for that saga, you got to see it all unfold in real time.

Well, it’s time for the sequel. You can think of this as Swim Team 2: Henry’s in the Pool.

There are a few differences between last year and this year — and a big part of it is that this year, I have expectations.

For example, last year, I was stunned (and terrified) to discover that signing Daphne up for swim team didn’t mean she was on the swim team. She had to prove her worth by swimming the length of the pool, which is approximately the length of the Atlantic Ocean.

(Maybe I am slightly exaggerating.)

Anyway, last year Daphne gave me this whole teachable moment. It was amazing.

This year, I was super nervous about the whole “swim through the shark-infested ocean” thing… and then something incredible happened.

We were at the pool, and all the kids were swimming with their kickboards. Meanwhile, I was chatting it up on the sidelines, filling up my daily social needs, and not really paying attention.

Suddenly, I realized that all the kids had tossed their kickboards to the sides and were swimming the length of the pool.

Unassisted.

Just swimming.

No one said, “THIS IS THE SWIM TEAM TEST.” No one made it a big deal. The kids just…

… swam.

It was oddly calm.

We love to hype stuff up in our heads — but does it really help us when we do that?

Would it have helped if Henry were totally stressed out about the swim team test?

When I told Henry, “You just made the swim team!” his reaction was, “Okay, cool.”

Henry focused on swimming, and the rest just happened.

In other words, am I telling you to jump in the pool with your kickboard? In a manner of speaking, I guess I am. Here is some freelance business support:

When you’re trying to land clients, it’s easy to hype up every interaction in your head.

However, if you build up every single discovery call in your mind, and convince yourself that signing this client is a matter of life or death, you will be stressed and tense. As a result, you will NOT be at your best.

In short, you should keep your focus on making a connection. You will be amazed at how much less stress you will feel. You will be able to connect — and the clients will come. Here’s a little more on that.

Give it a try — and share your experiences in the Facebook group!

P.S. Have more questions about starting your freelancing business and landing clients? Wanting even more freelance business support? You can find lots of answers right here.

Let me guess: you want to start earning money again, but you feel like you’ve been out of the workforce for way too long.  

Going back to work after sahm life can be scary!! What exactly are you supposed to tell people when they ask about your work experience? How do your mad LEGO skills and your ability to get your toddler to eat her peas translate to something a client would be interested in?

You might be surprised to hear it, but motherhood is arguably the best possible preparation for rejoining the workforce. Parenting your kids has given you all kinds of skills.

In this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, you’ll see exactly how being a stay-at-home-mom has trained you to serve you clients better than any college course or corporate program ever could. Plus, you’ll learn how to show potential clients just how qualified you are — even if you haven’t had a job in years.

Check out this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV right here — and get ready to show the world what a superstar you when you are going back to work after sahm life.

Last week’s episode was all about juggling motherhood and work – creating more time and energy! Does that sound like something you want? Check it out here!

Don’t forget to subscribe to FreeMamaTV so you never miss another episode!

SUMMER IS COMING.

I guess there’s a reason Game of Thrones is always set in the winter — Summer is Coming doesn’t have quite that same ring to it!

Of course, for Mamas like us, those words can, at times, strike fear into our heart — summer can be a stressful season when you’re managing kids along with building a business.

Summer always strikes me as a season of contradictions — equal parts laid back and stressful.

Laid back: no school, lazy days, we don’t have to be anywhere first thing in the morning.

Stressful: the kids are home, we need to find something to do, and SWIM TEAM.

Last year was our first year as a swim team family, and it’s fair to say that the experience was not without a good bit of drama. This year, we’re back for more — and Henry is also going to be in the game.

Thoughts and prayers are appreciated, Mama.

Here’s the thing: to me, summer is about the planning. It’s about being productive with kids. It’s about figuring out your Daily 5 — for work and for your family. What must get done today for your business? What must get done today for your family? What will move you closer to where you want to be as a Mama and as a Free Mama?

Sometimes, my non-negotiable for the day is “We are going to have a picnic in the park.”

Other days it’s, “I need to record the next episode of FreeMamaTV.”

With smart time blocking, you can fit both into your schedule, Mama. And here’s a little something to remember: just writing the things in your calendar doesn’t magically make them happen. You have to actually show up and do the things you said you would.

True story: during one especially busy period in my life, I blocked out time on my calendar daily to text my husband, so that I would take the 5 minutes needed to send him something that wasn’t a passive aggressive, snark-filled comment.

When I say I live and die by my Google calendar, I am not kidding.

We’ve got a thread going in the Facebook group where we’re sharing our summer planning strategies. Come and check it out. Find some inspiration, and add your own ideas for being productive with kids.

Because this may be the final season of Game of Thrones — but it’s just one season in your Free Mama journey. And you’re going to rock it out.

P.S. Need a beach read, Mama? I have the perfect solution for you. Grab a copy of The Free Mama. It’s the perfect poolside companion, because it tells you how to make every day feel like a vacation. 💖

The struggle is REAL when it comes to juggling motherhood & work! When you’re working that 9-5, there are three BIG struggles you face:

1. Not having enough time (to be with your kids, to get your work done, to live your life).

2. Not having enough energy (to cook dinner, clean up or do laundry).

3. Not having a clear separation between work and home, so you’re always stressed and feeling torn.

It’s no fun to come home after a full day of work and snap at your kids because you’re worried about the 47 unread emails in your inbox.

It’s exhausting to spend a day at work worried about your little’s sore throat.

In this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I have 3 tips for you to put into action TODAY so that you have:

• More time for all the things you care about.
• More energy for your family and your work.
• Clearer boundaries between the two parts of your life so that you don’t have to waste time feeling guilty in either area.

I’m super excited to share these tips with you — and I can’t wait to hear how you’re using them to make a difference in your life!

Click here to subscribe to be notified each time a new episode of FreeMamaTV drops!

Feeling like work-life balance in millennials doesn’t exist? Come take a peek over here!

Here’s the deal, mama.

I’m feeling like a pretty bad mom right now, so if you read this blog and your instinct is to email me to tell me that I’m a bad mom, let me save you some time: I’m already feeling like a bad mom and beating myself up, so you don’t need to do it.

Growth matters to me. Investing in my business matters to me — and the data shows me that investing in my business is the thing that has produced the greatest return on investment, without a doubt.

So, a few months ago, I signed up for a coaching program that included an in-person weekend mastermind session.

Once the calendar was released, I learned that attending that very expensive session means I’m missing Henry’s preschool graduation ceremony.

Here are some of the conversations I’ve had in my head over the last few weeks:

Lauren I: Can you really put a price on a child’s smile?

Lauren II: Are you freaking kidding me? He’s FIVE. Give him a Happy Meal, and he’ll forget about it.

Lauren I: My son will grow up thinking that I don’t care about him. He’ll never get into college. He’ll become a serial killer. And it will all be my fault.

Lauren II:

Lauren I: You paid a LOT of money for this mastermind. Are you really going to skip it because you feel bad?

Lauren II: I hear you, but I would really, really like to be there for Henry. It makes my heart hurt to think about missing this moment.

Lauren I: Let me ask you something. When did preschool graduation even become a thing?

Lauren I: What would you advise someone else to do in your position?

Lauren II:

From these conversations, you might conclude that I am NUTSO. That’s not entirely inaccurate — but really, are any of us ever logical when it comes to our kids?

On the one hand, I built this business so that I could be present for my kids, and now I’m skipping out on Henry’s preschool graduation. On the other hand, I built this business, and that means I can decide to take a random Tuesday in June and take Henry to an amusement park, just the two of us, and create a day that I KNOW he will remember forever.

So, yes, there’s this nagging voice that’s calling me a “bad mom,” but I’m doing my best to tell that judgy, mean voice to mind her own beeswax.

I don’t believe that choosing yourself makes you a bad mom. I know that I need to say no to some things — so that I can say YES! to others.

Have you ever made choices that left you feeling like a bad mom? Maybe you need to give up some Netflix time, a couple of date nights, and mornings with mom friends so that you can build your business. Maybe you need to sacrifice some of the time you want to spend with your kids so that you can build a business that puts you in control of your decisions.

You’re not a bad mom. And neither am I. And even if we just have to keep repeating that to ourselves, for now, it’ll sink in.

Pinky swear.

P.S. Need some support, Mama? Come hang out in the BEST Facebook group out there. We got you.

P.P.S. Did you hear my big announcement?? Free Mama Retreating happening – Get all of the details here!

Balance for millennial mamas – is there even such a thing? Let me know if any of these sounds familiar to you…

Millennials are lazy.
Millennials just want things handed to them.
Millennials = entitled.

Are you as tired of hearing this as I am, mama?

Here are three things I want people to know about our amazing generation.

1. Over 60% of us feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world.
2. We thrive on diversity and celebrate people from different cultures and races.
3. We give generously to charity — with money, time, and ourselves.

If you’re a millennial mama (like me!), you probably crave balance in your life. You don’t want to have to choose between family and finances — and you don’t have to.

Check out this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV to see why millennials are primed to be highly successful freelancers — and how you can have work-life balance and earn the income you deserve. Get the balance for millennial mamas you crave.

Click here to subscribe to be notified each time a new episode of FreeMamaTV drops!

Have you ever searched “Side Gigs from Home”? Last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV was made for you! Check it out!

Are you sitting down? You should sit down, because I have big news.

This October I’m hosting my first Free Mama Retreat and you’re invited to attend. It’s a mompreneur retreat weekend!

Now, let me be really clear: this isn’t your typical conference. This is an in-depth, hands-on event for Free Mamas looking to start or grow their freelancing business.

This 3 Day Event will be a sort of #FreeMamaMeetup on steroids… packed with all the things you need to go from overwhelmed to got-my-stuff-together:

• Speakers
• Breakout Sessions
• Roundtables
• Community
• Gift Bags
• Self Care…massage anyone?
• Child Care…yup, you read that right
• Mimosas….
• And so much more!

And if you’re wondering if this new event might be connected to Version 2.0 of the The Free Mama Movement, well then you’re a smart cookie!

Yep, Version 2.0 of the program is almost ready for release — I just need to put a bow on it. 😉

In fact, this training will be part of the new program, so you’re getting a sneak peak of the goodness we’ve been pouring in there over the last few weeks.

I can’t WAIT to see you there, and to show you EXACTLY how to start your business the right way — and get exactly the clients you want. While you’re waiting for the ultimate mompreneur retreat weekend,hhave you checked out FreeMamaTV? It’s jam packed full of free trainings!

You can also check out my other blog posts here!

“Side Gigs from Home”….You’ve done those Google searches, right, mama?

You know:

How to make money from home
Legit work from home jobs
How can I earn money from home FOR REAL

Well, I have good news for you: you can QUIT those searches. Head on over to YouTube and check out the latest episode of FreeMamaTV, where I’m reviewing the 5 most common ways side gigs from home. You’ll walk away knowing the BEST way to earn money from home WITHOUT network marketing, WITHOUT selling weird products, and WITHOUT spending thousands of dollars.

You want to know a legit way to work from home and make money? It’s right here, in this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV.  See you there!

Click here to subscribe to be notified each time a new episode of FreeMamaTV drops!

Have you seen last week’s episode of FreeMamaTV? It’s all about Tips for Stress-Free Mornings!

So, mama, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of moms in the world.

There are the moms who LOVE it when their kids prepare them breakfast in bed: undercooked eggs with shells (AND LOVE), pancakes with a healthy serving of whatever was on their unwashed hands (AND MORE LOVE), and a stack of every dish in the house in the sink to top it off.

And then, there are moms like me.

I like to stay asleep past 5:27 am, and when I do venture out of bed, I like to have my (iced) coffee in silence.

I love my kids, but I prefer not to get salmonella.

That’s why this year, I’m turning Mother’s Day into a TWO DAY EVENT.

This way, we don’t have to cram all the awesomeness into a single day. You can have one day for sleeping in, and one day with “breakfast” in bed. One day for quality Netflix time, and one day to actually, you know, BE with your kids.

If we decide that Mother’s Day is two days, it takes the pressure off, you know? We can have ALL the things we want, and you know that I truly believe you can have it all.

This is our day, and we need to make the most of it. So let’s turn it into two days — and let’s hang out together.  

I’m going to be doing a FREE, LIVE Virtual Assistant training on YouTube on Monday, May 13th — and you don’t want to miss this. There will be giveaways and prizes — you could snag a copy of my book or my planner, or get some sweet Free Mama swag, or…

…maybe…

… YOU could be the mama who wins a COMPLETE copy of The Free Mama Movement 12-Week Program. I’ve only done a FULL PROGRAM GIVEAWAY one other time in the past, so this is kind of a big deal.

And in addition to all the incredible goodies I’m giving away, I’m also going to be teaching a whole bunch of content over the course of this live stream extravaganza.

You’re going to get access to PREMIUM training on

• What services you can offer your clients
• How to do all the behind-the-scenes things so that you can go out and GET the clients
• How to set up your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles the right way to get the BEST clients
• How to connect with clients so that you don’t even have to ask for the work
• And SO. MUCH. MORE.

This is a no-fluff training that I normally charge for, but you’re going to get access to it FOR FREE..

Here’s what to do so you don’t out on any of the free LIVE Virtual Assistant training!

1. Click here to subscribe to the Free Mama YouTube channel.  
2. Click the little bell icon at the top right of my channel page (right next to the current subscriber count) and SAVE your settings so that you get notifications when I’m going LIVE!

Side note: do you think we could get #MamasAndMargaritas trending? I bet we can…

Get ready for the Mother’s Day you really want, mama.

P.S. Don’t forget, subscribe to the Free Mama YouTube channel so you get notified when I’m going LIVE!

P.P.S. We’re just about to close the doors to round one of our BRAND NEW program called the Movement Maker Accelerator. We only have a few spots left in our May intake. Those spots have filled with us barely promoting it, so if you’re ready to get going on your version of success, we have your back, but you need to act quick!!

Tips for stress-free mornings? Confession time, mama: I absolutely LOVE mornings.

Sometimes I feel like moms are in a competition to see who can have the most stressful morning. I don’t know, Mama, but this doesn’t seem like a contest with a winner.

Mornings in our house aren’t stressful, because we’ve taken the time to create systems and routines for the whole family — and I’m sharing the step-by-step process in this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV!

When you tune in, you’ll get my complete 4-part system for tips for stress-free mornings for you and your whole family. You’ll discover a super-simple tip we implemented to keep our kids on track. Plus, you’ll learn the one rule I swear by when it comes to morning routines (and everything else!). These aren’t just tips that you’ll watch and say “Oh, yeah, sure that works for her…”. These are tips that you are actually going to say, “YES! We can do that!” and I can’t wait to see you begin to love mornings, mama!

Check out this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV right here — and start implementing and loving your tips for stress-free mornings.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to get notified each time a new episode drops!

P.S. Have you been wondering if freelancing is right for you, but you’ve had some naysayers? Check out my latest blog post here.