Category: Work

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. 

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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!

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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!

So you know I love Russell Brunson, right? He’s one of my heroes. In fact, without Russell Brunson, the 12-Week Program would not exist.

But I have big goals this year – for my team, for my finances, and for myself, personally. 

And I’ve realized that the systems and processes that got me here won’t necessarily get me to where I want to be. 

You know how important I think it is to have really high standards when it comes to knowing how to serve your clients and to put a bow on it for your clients? 

Well, I don’t think I can do that for you unless we make a change. 

I have a really clear vision of the service I want to provide for you guys. I want to make our offerings more available. I want ease of access. I want you to just have one login. I want you to have the very best customer experience. 

For example, let’s say you wrote a review for my podcast and got access to Free Mamas Unite. 

Then you attended Free Mama Live and were so blown away you enrolled in the 12-week program. 

To access all this content you’d need 3 different URLS. None of these programs talk to each other. 

The thing is, I love the things ClickFunnels excels in. But there are things that it doesn’t do well for my students (YOU). And I feel like we can do better.

Because let’s face it, you’re a mom and you’re starting a business and maybe you’re working a 9 to 5. Life is hard enough, right? 

At least I can help you by making this part simpler!

So that’s why we’re moving our programs to Teachable, and our emails to ActiveCampaign. My goal is to be fully migrated by April 1 — and I hope you’ll bear with me if there’s a tech glitch or two (or seven) along the way. 

And I’ll be LIVE next week with a free training — and details about all of the updates we’re rolling out in the brand new Free Mama Movement 2.0. Now is a GREAT opportunity to enroll and get ALL the new stuff at the current price.

And while we’re talking about goals, I want to share this with you. 

If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you have big goals too. That’s why you came into this community, why you read these emails, why you do ALL the things, right?

Your goals are personal to you.

You have to invest in yourself. You might need coaching, or software to streamline your systems. You might need child care or a house cleaner. 

You need to get together your posse and your tools, so you can achieve the things you want to achieve.

But here’s something you might not have thought about.

If your goals are just about you, no one else will buy into them.

Your client doesn’t care that you want to make $50,000 this year or to increase your prices unless you find a way that it’s a benefit to them. And that’s how to serve your clients.

Recently, I was talking to a Free Mama who started out — as so many of us do — offering general admin and marketing. But now she’s transitioning and focusing on sales, marketing, and copywriting. 

She had to tell her customers that she wouldn’t be able to help them with all the things anymore — but she did want to keep handling the parts of the work that align with her new goals.

And that’s awesome. It’s so important that you communicate your boundaries definitively. But what I said to this mama, and what I’m saying to you, is:

How can you present this in a way that benefits your clients and gets them excited? 

How can you serve your clients and get them on board with your growth?

P.S. I’m going live next Monday with a special free training. If you’ve been thinking about enrolling in the 12-Week Program, there’s literally never been a better time.

Hi mama!

Today on FreeMamaTV, we’re reviewing the TOP business trends that virtual assistants need to know about right now. As in, these are the skills that clients need your help with IMMEDIATELY. 

It’s an amazing time to be a virtual administrative consultant. The demand for your services is growing every single day. And if you’ve been curious about the MOST in-demand skills or what the business trends of 2021 for virtual assistants are, then you’re going to LOVE what I’ve got for you.

Basically, I’m going to show you exactly where the biggest opportunities are for you, plus how you need to position yourself in order to stand out from the crowd and show clients how ready you are to do the work. 

The good news is that 2021 promises to be a year of massive opportunities for savvy business owners. And the even better news is that you can absolutely be one of those savvy business owners and take advantage of all that opportunity. So get on over to YouTube and start watching and learn what business trends of 2021 for virtual assistants are!

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

P.S. Stressing out about which social media platform is best for your business. We got you covered! Check out my latest Youtube video to determine which social media platform you should use for your business mama!

P.P.S. Need a little push or just simply to do a goals check in? Check out my latest blog post to make sure you stay on track mama!

Which social media platform should i use for my freelance business? Facebook. Instagram. LinkedIN. TikTok. Twitter, Pinterest, Clubhouse, and whatever else has been invented between the time I wrote this email and the time I sent it out.

There are SO MANY social networks out there, and SO MANY things you could be doing. How on earth are you supposed to know which are the BEST ones for you to use for your business?

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Well, mama, on today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’ll tell you.

Look, you’ve probably already figured out that trying to be in all the places at once is NOT a good strategy. In fact, it’s one of the fastest ways to burn yourself out — and all the time you’re spending “engaging” in fifteen different places is time you’re NOT spending on income-generating activities. 

That’s not good. So which social media platform should i use for my freelance business?

Head over to YouTube and learn which social media platform is the best one for you to be on. 

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

P.S. Finally landed the ideal dreamy client and now you’re so excited? But now what? Check out my latest Youtube video and find out how to manage client expectations — the right way.

P.P.S. Need a little push or just simply to do a goals check in? Check out my latest blog post to make sure you stay on track mama!

It’s mid-February, so I’d love to do a goals check-in. Are you on track, mama?

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe that’s because according to US News & World Report, by the second week in February, 80% of people will have given up on their new year’s resolutions already. 

I’m more about goals — annual, quarterly, and monthly goals. 

Now, you’re a Free Mama, and you’re awesome. But you miiiiiight have slipped up on a resolution or two by now. So… should you throw in the towel and give up?

Nope. You don’t have to wait until January 1 to make a change. You don’t have to wait for the start of a new month, a new week, or even tomorrow. Every day is the chance to start again. Everyday is the chance for you to figure out how to bring your dreams to life!

This very minute can be the minute where you start something new. 

And if you tend to get intimidated by all the goal-setting stuff, here’s how to make it really easy. 

Start with a good old brainstorm about what you actually want your life to look like.

Now, I get that this can be a challenging exercise, especially for women, and especially for moms. We are notoriously bad about thinking about ourselves.

But take some time to think about what you want, and then what’s realistic for this year. And break these into SMART goals. (Need help? I talk about goals here, and here, and also here, here, and here.)

But here’s the kicker:

You need to know how you’ll measure success. You need benchmarks.

When I did this exercise, I decided that after 10 months of being locked-up with my kids, I want to go on a trip with my husband. I mean, I love my children, but honestly? I could not be more sick of them right now. 

And I want to go skiing. I have never been skiing before, and I want to give it a go!

But right now, these aren’t goals. They’re just words I’m tapping on a keyboard.

So I decided, by the end of 2021 I’m going to go skiing, and I want to take a trip with my husband. And yes, I also set business goals — and you’ll hear plenty about those.

By the end of this brainstorm, you’ll have a whole list of the things you want to do. And it gets much simpler because you can identify overlaps.

I can go skiing with my husband. That takes care of two things on my list. I can earn money while I serve my customers — there’s another overlap. And so on.

And once you have a list of goals, create a calendar and fit them in. So instead of just dreaming about them, you start to put a plan in place – that’s how to bring your dreams to life.

This should be an active process. You need to look at what you want and literally map it out.

And you definitely DON’T need to do this on December 31st. I do this multiple times a year. Now is good!

So anyway, I’m going skiing with my husband, and it’s happening THIS WEEK because after I spoke these words to my copywriter, I BOOKED THE TICKETS. #accountabilityforthewin

Watch my Instagram stories to hear how many times I fall down.

P.S. If you need some help getting through your daily to-do list so that you can achieve your goals, might I suggest that you check out The Daily 5? It’s the last productivity tool you’ll ever need. 

Life is GREAT, mama.

That dreamy client said YES, and you are SO EXCITED. You’re daydreaming about living the freelance lifestyle you’ve been working so hard to get. You’re thinking about upgrading your laptop, imagining what it’ll be like to work from the beach — or, like, the couch, whatevs, and everything is just awesome.

Listen, I’m THRILLED that the client said yes. And I want all that joy and freedom for you, but we need to talk about your next steps. 

Specifically, we need to talk about setting expectations with your brand new client so that your honeymoon doesn’t turn into an absolute disaster. 

This week on FreeMamaTV, we’re getting real about the house and the kids and your to-do list and your other responsibilities — and how all of that fits into your new freelance life.

You’ll learn how to set expectations from day one so that you and your clients can keep loving on each other all the way to happily ever after — instead of turning your fairy tale relationship into a total nightmare.

Check out FreeMamaTV to learn how to keep the magic alive for you and your clients. 

P.S. Want to take The Free Mama on the go? Be sure to listen to Lauren’s podcast where she chats with other successful entrepreneurs about freelancing and living the mom life!

P.P.S. Need some motivation? Check out the last blog post for a mom-sized pep-talk to help you through tough decisions in your business!

Life is GREAT, mama.

That dreamy client said YES, and you are SO EXCITED. You’re daydreaming about living the freelance lifestyle you’ve been working so hard to get. You’re thinking about upgrading your laptop, imagining what it’ll be like to work from the beach — or, like, the couch, whatevs, and everything is just awesome. 

Listen, I’m THRILLED that the client said yes. And I want all that joy and freedom for you, but we need to talk about your next steps, specifically the next steps for managing client expectations for freelance office hours.

Specifically, we need to talk about setting expectations with your brand new client so that your honeymoon doesn’t turn into an absolute disaster. 

This week on FreeMamaTV, we’re getting real about the house and the kids and your to-do list and your other responsibilities — and how all of that fits into your new freelance life.

You’ll learn how to set expectations from day one so that you and your clients can keep loving on each other all the way to happily ever after — instead of turning your fairy tale relationship into a total nightmare. 

Check out FreeMamaTV to learn how to keep the magic alive for you and your clients when it comes to managing client expectations for freelance office hours.

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

P.S. Not at the point where you have a client yet? Don’t worry, if you’re terrified of cold pitching your dream client, I have just the thing for you — check out last week’s episode of Free Mama TV!

P.P.S. Feeling like you’re losing motivation and just need a good pep talk? Check out my latest blog post and get the motivation you need, mama!

Hey there mama!

Looking for motivation for mom small business owners? Let me tell you a story…

Do you remember the saga of my kids and the swim team? The lessons in letting go. The tears. And the trying-not-to-yell. And the motivational speeches by mom. 

Well, we have a whole new swim team thing going on. This time it’s soccer. 

My neighbor’s friend set up a soccer team and needed more kids. Somehow, this sounded like a GREAT idea.

So we rock up there this weekend. 

In the car, I tried to use motivation on myself, “It’ll be fine. It’s a bunch of 6 year olds. It’s just friendly, right?”

Wrong. 

Six kids turned up for our team. I’m pretty sure only two of them had seen a soccer ball before…

…and Henry wasn’t one of them.

The other team was an army. They walked out in formation and did hardcore drills. They had four dad-coaches. It was INTENSE.

Thinking about it, maaaaaaaybe Henry needed more prep than the YouTube video we watched in the car….

Anyhow, I’m sure you can guess how it went. Thankfully, they capped the goals at 10, otherwise the score would have been about 37-1.

Henry and his buddies were sheep to the slaughter. He cried three times.  

And, just in case you think it couldn’t get any worse… They also had a game on Sunday.

So I had to convince poor exhausted, demoralized Henry that rather than forgetting the whole miserable experience for a week, in less than 24 hours he had to strap on those shin guards all over again and haul his butt back to the soccer field.

This time it was 16-5. Not great, but a whole lot better than the day before.

To get him out on the field, though, I had to do the whole speech. You know, the one about being on a team, and being committed, and the other kids counting on you, yada yada.

The thing was, he really wanted to be the goalie. That was his motivation. So after I’d done the whole, “It’s not all about you. You’re in a team now. You have to play where you’re put,” the coach was like, “You wanna be the goalie? Get at it!”

And it turns out Henry is a pretty good goalie. I mean, he got a lot of practice as the other team was hauling shots at the goal every four seconds. And he saved a decent amount.

There are approximately 97 business lessons you can take from this experience, but let’s go with three big ones. 

🥵 You’d never let your kid join a team and give up because it was too hard the first time they played.

😫 You’d never let them commit to something and then let them off because they didn’t feel like it.

🤐 You’d never let them talk trash to themselves.

Give yourself the same coaching! 

Your clients trust you to be part of their business. This is such a freaking honor! Make sure you show up and give every project 150%.

Sometimes being an adult sucks, right? When you have a tough day and nothing goes your way, you feel like crying and stamping your feet or crawling back under the duvet and pretending it’s not happening.

But if you wouldn’t let your kid do that, you can’t do it yourself.

If it helps, imagine me jumping up and down on the bleachers cheering you on, just like I did for Henry. Seriously, I was super-embarrassing. 

But just like him, you’ll never know if you don’t try. This thing might be your thing. So there’s your motivation for mom small business owners — now go do the thing!

P.S. Looking for a new thing? Make sure to check out the training on getting paid to write with my friend Abbi in the Facebook group!

P.P.S. Do you DREAD cold pitching to a client? Read the latest blog post to find out a much better way of connecting!