Category: Work

I never thought we’d get here, but we finally did it!

Oh boy, mama.

If you had told me a year ago that right now I’d be living on a farm in Kansas and homeschooling my children, I’d have thought you were crazy. And I don’t mean, “Oh, haha, that’s some clever imagination you have!” 

I mean, I would have thought you were COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY INSANE. 

If you had told me a year ago that right now I’d be living on a farm in Kansas and homeschooling my children, I’d have thought you were smoking cocaine.

SIDE NOTE: I do not actually know if cocaine is a thing that you smoke. 

But I definitely would have believed that you were on SOMETHING, because this is absolutely a thing I could never have imagined a year ago. 

And that’s the thing about a year, you know? You have no idea where it can take you.

We overestimate what we can do in a day, and we underestimate what we can do in a year, and here we are. 

I don’t know about you, but I really could not have imagined this in my wildest dreams. 

And I know that this year has been devastating for many, but I want to take a few moments to focus on 20 things that made me extremely happy this year. 

Some of these are things that happened to me, some of these are things I did, some of these are things that we created in our community, and some of these are — well. You’ll see. Come along. 

1. In January, which was approximately 8 years ago, I went on a cruise with my family, hung out with Russell Brunson, and took a few minutes to celebrate this amazing community we’ve built. 
2. I earned a 2-Comma Club award, a major achievement for my business. It took me some time to be able to say that publicly, but I’m owning it. I’m super proud of it. 
3. When the pandemic hit, we created Free Mamas Unite, a huge, free event, where we came together and learned from some of the smartest people in the world. We pulled over 40 speakers together in a matter of days, and I’m so glad that we did.
4. When the world went crazy, we were able to Elevate Black Voices, because this community has ALWAYS been a place where Black lives matter, where BIPOC women are welcome and celebrated, and where we will always stand up for what we believe in.
5. We launched the Free Mama Squad to create support and accountability for women in our community.
6. My family and I went on an 8-week RV trip — a thing we thought we might “one day” do when we retired. We made that dream happen.
7. We got to see so much of this beautiful country. We had a chance to show our children how we live our values. We got to stand in the streets of Washington, D.C. and speak our truth.
8. When we were forced to suddenly change our plans, we had the ability to be flexible.
9. When we needed to be with family, we were able to be with family.
10. Inner Circle mamas hit the 6-figure mark.
11. We launched Free Mama Radio on my birthday.
12. We spent time with our kids. SO MUCH TIME. 
13. We replanned Free Mama Live as a virtual event that exceeded everyone’s expectations. We brought together world-class speakers and spent two full weeks learning, growing, and doing. 
14. We planned a major move, packed up a house, and got it all done while I ran a 2-week live event from an AirBnB. 
15. We celebrated the first ever Free Mama Awards Ceremony. 13 Free Mamas shared with us their first $5k month in business in 2020. 6 made over $100,000. Some even made over $300,000.
16. We put a woman in the White House. A woman of color. IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
17. We got a dog.
18. We live near family again.
19. We launched the Inner Circle for Life and re-launched the Free Mama Squad Membership.
20. I got to wake up every day and serve you. 

It’s been a year, mama And while I can’t say that I loved every minute, and while there were certainly dark days — for our country, and for the world — there were also a lot of really good moments, and I’m humbled that you choose to share so many moments with me.

Happy New Year. 

P.S. Next week is our 100th episode of FreeMamaTV. Are you subscribed to the YouTube channel yet? You probably want to take care of that, because there just might be something exciting happening…

P.P.S. Did you get a chance to read my blog from last week? I’m giving you a special gift for the holiday season and you don’t want to miss it!

Are you ready to level up your business and start earning the big money?

Rhetorical question time, mama….

Do you want to learn how to make $10k a month from your freelance business?

Well, I did SAY it was a rhetorical question. 

ANYWAY, if you are interested in earning the big bucks, you can. And in this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’m going to show you exactly how it works. 

Because the thing is, it really does come down to a few simple, straightforward truths. And once you internalize those, it’s really just about the math. 

Join me over on YouTube for today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, where I’ll put on my professor hat (it’s not an actual hat), and teach you, step-by-step, how to make $10k a month in your freelancing business.

P.S. Just starting out as a freelancer and want to learn the basics about pricing packages? Check out last week’s episode of Free Mama TV!

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

And if you’re looking for even more Free Mama goodness, be sure to check out The Free Mama blog, where Lauren drops a new blog every single Thursday! If you’re struggling with having faith in becoming a freelance or a virtual assistant, definitely check out last week’s blog – she’s giving you a special gift right here: https://thefreemama.com/read-on-for-a-gift-from-me/

I have a special holiday gift for you, mama.

I’m giving it to you today because my family is celebrating Christmas right now — but I’m well aware that your family might have different traditions. (And I’d actually love to hear about them! We’ve started a thread in the Facebook group right here!)

So, this gift starts with a story, and it’s from one of my favorite Christmas movies, The Santa Clause. If you’ve never seen it, Tim Allen plays a man who accidentally knocks Santa off his roof and has to take over his deliveries for the night, and then somehow gets himself into a contract where he has to become Santa. 

SIDE NOTE: ALWAYS READ YOUR CONTRACTS CLOSELY.

Aaaaaanyway, there’s a great line from the move that always gives me chills. 

Seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.

Think about when you were a little kid, and you believed — in Santa, in the Tooth Fairy, in any kind of magic. You believed, even when you had no proof. You believed, even before you could see it. 

That’s the kind of belief you need to have in your business. 

It would be so much easier if you could first see the ending. If you could understand exactly how your business would work, what niche you’d choose, how to land the client, how it all comes together — but that’s not the way it works. 

You don’t get to see the finish line when you’re at the start of the race. 

You don’t get to see how your business turns out before you’ve started. 

You have to believe first, and then you’ll start to see it take shape. 

When I was building The Free Mama Movement, my belief would waver on an almost daily basis. And every time that happened, my coach would tell me, I believe in you. 

So, mama, this is my special holiday gift to you.

I believe in you. When you waver, go ahead and borrow my belief. 

I hope that you and your family have an amazing holiday season, whatever you’re celebrating, and I’m looking forward to ringing in the New Year with you.

P.S. Want another gift? I have a FREE BONUS chapter of my bestselling book right here! This chapter isn’t in the book, it’s totally free, and this is the ONLY place to get it! 

P.P.S. Just getting started with your business? Learn what NOT to do when giving your new business a name!

Is it time for you to build out some pricing packages virtual assistant style for your business?

There you are, having a lovely day, when suddenly a message pops up. 

Hey, mama! I heard about you from a friend of mine. Can you send over your package pricing for me to take a look at?

ACK! What are you supposed to do now? How are you going to put together package pricing on the fly — and make sure that you’re doing it the right way?

Well, in today’s episode of FreeMamaTV, I’ll walk you through the process, step by step. 

You’ll learn when you want to create package pricing — and when it’s NOT a good idea at all. 

You’ll discover what to consider when you put your packages together, and what advice you can safely ignore completely. 

If you’re ready to build and pricing packages virtual assistant the right way — and get paid for the value you deliver to your clients regardless of how long the work takes, then tune into this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV.

P.S. Want to avoid clients who overstep their bounds? Definitely check out last week’s episode of Free Mama TV to learn about the five types of clients you want to avoid!!

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

Let me introduce you to two types of women, mama.

Now, neither of these women is real, but they could be. Meaning, I’m not thinking of any one person in particular, but these are things I see every single day in our community.

First, we have Jane. 

Jane is serious about starting her business. She’s working hard on her website. In fact, she gets up about two hours before her kids do every morning so that she can work on her website, and she’s been doing that for the past three months.

She has a list of 15 potential business names that she’s considering. 

Jane also has a brand board that she created in Canva — it took her about two weeks to get it just right, and she even decided to go for Canva Pro so that she wouldn’t have to compromise on fonts.

She’s getting ready to start putting herself out there. When everything is done, then she’ll feel like she can go out and start connecting with people.

Next up is Susan.

Susan bought a domain name so that she’d have a professional email, but she didn’t bother with a web site. She put up a single page with a short list of services she offers, a calendar link to book a call, and a quick bio. 

After the page had been up for two weeks, she realized that there was a pretty glaring typo, so she fixed it.

Susan spends about an hour each day reaching out to potential clients. She emails and messages. Sometimes she records voice notes and videos. It always makes her want to throw up, but she pushes through and doesn’t stop until she’s sent out at least 10 messages each morning.

Both Jane and Susan feel fear. Neither one has this business thing figured out. They’re equally smart and talented women. 

But between these two types of women, if I were going to bet on which one would be successful, my money would be on Susan.

Because Susan feels the fear and pushes through. 

She releases imperfect things out into the world, and fixes them later. 

She focuses on the things that matter — as in, income-producing activities.

Let’s be clear: Susan makes mistakes. But she accepts the fact that she’s learning, and that she can’t be perfect, and that if she waits for everything to be perfect, she’ll never start.

When Jane looks at Susan, she thinks Susan must have it all figured out, but that’s wrong. 

Really, Susan has simply decided that she has to make this work.

She needs the money so that she can leave her husband, or so that her daughter can take ballet lessons, or so that she can go to Thailand.

She has to be able to leave her job for her physical health, or for her mental health, or because she needs to be home to care for her elderly mother. 

Making her business work is a non-negotiable for Susan. She doesn’t have a choice. 

And she cares more about what she thinks of herself than what other people think about her.

If you see more of Jane than Susan in yourself, here’s what I want you to do.

Head over to the YouTubes and watch my video on the 3N3C framework.

In a nutshell, you have a choice. 

You can decide to stay stuck in your overwhelm and hide behind the need for perfection. Jane lives in that spot, where the possibilities are endless, but nothing changes. 

Or, you can decide to move forward and embrace imperfection. You can channel your inner Susan and choose to make mistakes as you move forward.

There are two types of women. Which one will you be today?

P.S. If you haven’t watched my video on the 3N3C Framework, go check it out — and leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

P.P.S. Do you actually need that website to start your own business? Click here to learn what really matters when you launch!

It’s not you, mama.

It’s 100% them. 

I’m talking about those dirty, no-good, rotten scoundrel clients who have a habit of showing up just when you’re starting to hit your stride in your freelancing business. They can sneak up on you if you’re not careful and all of a sudden you’ll be wondering how to maintain professional boundaries!

You have to be careful out there, Mama. 

Which is why today on FreeMamaTV, you’ll discover the five client types that can completely derail your freelancing business. You’ll learn how to spot them — and what to do if you’re suddenly confronted with one of them in the wild.

Don’t worry — you’ll get all the information you need to successfully step away and reclaim your business boundaries — as long as you follow the steps I’ve detailed for you. 

Tune into this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, and get ready to learn how to maintain professional boundaries and wave goodbye to bad clients — for good. 

P.S. Want to dip your toes into the freelancing world but you’re worried about discovery calls and….what if…YOU GET GHOSTED?! Don’t worry, mama, I have you covered in last week’s episode of Free Mama TV!

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

Do you pick a word for the year, mama?

I used to think it was a silly idea. In fact, last year, I told the story of how the first time I picked a word of the year, I did it because “everyone else was,” and I felt like I had to. 

And now, I do it because I want to.  

Because that word becomes a filter for me, a way to help make choices as I move through the year. 

I use my word as a way to remind myself of what I’m trying to do, to achieve, to feel, to teach. 

This year, the word I’m leaning towards is…

Surrender. 

I’m a highly logical person. I like math and data. I like Asana more than Trello. 

It’s hard for me to get in touch with the more feminine side of my personality — it’s something I’ve long suppressed because society told me those things wouldn’t serve me. 

I believed I had to be strong and tough to accomplish things. 

Back at the end of October, I hosted a two-week event. Maybe you heard about it? 😉

One of the most exciting parts of Free Mama Live was hearing from our many different panelists. These were people who challenged me and offered a completely different perspective to those I often hear — which is a very good thing.

If you surround yourself with people who are all exactly like you, how will you grow? How will you learn?

One panelist asked:

Do you want to be effective? Or do you want to be right?

And, well, I felt that. Because if you know me, mama, you know that I LOVE to be right.

So I’m learning to surrender. 

During the two weeks of Free Mama Live:

• My mom was living with us
• We packed up our house
• The furniture was dwindling as we sold off things
• The wifi got disconnected

Basically, all the things I worried about happening during those two weeks? Happened. 

And then, my amazing husband thought that it would be nice to go on a quick vacation to Galveston just before we left Texas.

It was wonderful. And also extremely stressful. 

Until I realized that I could choose to surrender. 

I could choose to watch my kids play in the ocean, to let go of the stress, to just be. 

For me, surrender means knowing when to lean in, and when to lean out and pause — when to take my foot off the gas.

For you, it might mean knowing when you need support, acknowledging that you want your kids in daycare, or eating food you enjoy without thinking about calories.

Surrender doesn’t have to mean that you change who you are. 

I can be a hard worker, disciplined, and driven. None of those things are bad. But I don’t have to be that way all the time. 

Sometimes, I can surrender and be still.

Do you pick a word for the year? I’d love to hear YOUR word. Join us in the Facebook group, and share your thoughts!

P.S. Next week is the two year anniversary of my book! Have you read it yet?

P.P.S. Ready to stop consuming and START DOING? I break down how to not get overwhelmed with all of the content available on the internet over on the Free Mama podcast!

Let me practice my mind-reading skills on you, mama.

I’m too new at this.

I don’t have any skills.

Why would anyone pay me to _________? 

How’m I doing?

That’s because I’ve met just a few Free Mamas who said EXACTLY the same thing. They were wrong — and you are, too. 

But, fear not! Because in this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV, you’ll learn how many skills you really DO have, and how to turn those skills into cash dollars paid to you by clients who really, truly do need your help. In other words, I’m teaching you the best virtual assistant services for beginners you can offer.

Yes, they want you to charge them money to do things you know how to do. For real. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. Promise.

Check out this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV to learn the best virtual assistant services for beginners!

P.S. Want to dip your toes into the freelancing world but you’re worried about discovery calls and….what if…YOU GET GHOSTED?! Don’t worry, mama, I have you covered in last week’s episode of Free Mama TV!

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

Imagine for a moment, mama,  that you’re driving a U-Haul with all your world belongings across several states as you prepare to move into your new home.

As the miles stretch out before you, you think to yourself about what you’ll do when you reach your destination. You have a plan. 

You’ll unpack your office first and get that set up. No matter what time you arrive, you know that those are the boxes you have to get to first. It’s critical. 

And then, you pull into the driveway of your new home, and you realize that your entire plan was predicated on furniture deliveries that did not happen.

There are two twin beds that have been delivered, which you and your husband plan to claim (hey, you’re grownups, and back pain is real) — the kids can crash in sleeping bags for a night. They’re young. They have strong bones and healthy muscles and things. They’ll manage. 

Except that the kids reject this plan outright, and instead you and your daughters somehow cram into these beds, and no one sleeps at all. 

By the next morning, you realize that The Great Plan is not going to happen, but it’s all going to be okay. So what happens when when your plan falls apart?

Your office will be the last space to be unpacked and set up properly, but the beds are arriving, and everyone will sleep in their own rooms. 

The den is set up — it even has a rug. 

So, yeah, things aren’t happening the way you thought they would, or the way you planned, but they’re happening. 

It still feels hard, but there’s excitement and motivation driving you. 

Imagine for a moment, mama, that you’re building a business.

As the possibilities stretch out before you, you think to yourself about what you’ll do each day when you sit down to work. You have a plan. 

You’ll get your website up and running. That’s what you have to do first. It’s critical. 

And then, you start digging into this whole “start a business” thing, and you realize that your entire plan was predicated on “if you build it, they will come,” which is NOT going to work.

You regroup. You focus on building connections. On income-producing activities. You take your steps, one at a time, even when you are not sure there even IS a path to follow. 

Each day, you do one small thing — or more — to move your business forward. 

So, yeah, things aren’t happening the way you thought they would, or the way you planned, but they’re happening.  That’s what you do when your plan falls apart – you keep going!

It still feels hard, but there’s excitement and motivation driving you. 

It’s going to be a wild ride, mama, and I’m SO EXCITED to be on it with you.

P.S. Are we connected on Instagram yet? If you want ALL the behind-the-scenes dish on my family, my kids, my dog, and more, check out my stories!

P.P.S. Have you heard about The Inner Circle? If you are ready to scale your business to $10k+ months, click here to learn more!

WHY WON’T SHE CALL?

It’s SO frustrating when you just KNOW that you and that client could make beautiful magic together. I mean, the discovery call was AMAZING. The proposal you sent was a work of art. 

But all you’re hearing is a whole lot of silence. 

Well, mama, you’re not the first freelancer to be ghosted — and you probably won’t be the last. BUT, this could be the last time YOU get ghosted, if you listen closely to what I have to tell you about proposal follow up in today’s episode of FreeMamaTV.

You’re going to LOVE the trick I have for you. It’s a super-smart, super easy tweak you can make to your proposal follow up process that will help you avoid the whole “WHY WON’T SHE CALL ME?” mystery. 

Head on over to the YouTubes, and check out this week’s episode of FreeMamaTV for a foolproof proposal follow up you can start using today. 

P.S. Are you stuck on naming your business? Well, mama, you’re in luck because I went into the juicy scoop about your naming your business on last week’s episode — and you can tune in right here

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