We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Golden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Both of my parents modeled hard work. My mom was the silent, unpaid labor force, but her involvement in my life and the community spoke volumes in terms of commitment and service. My dad, an entrepreneur, modeled problem-solving, resilience, exceeding expectations, professionalism, and trustworthiness. Equally as important, both of them also modeled self-care… getting enough rest, taking time off, having hobbies they enjoyed, and moving their bodies. They were and continue to be great role models and I’m fortunate that these things are second nature to me because they raised me as such!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I would describe myself as a heart-centered entrepreneur. I love business and marketing, but I accidentally became one by trade because of a mission on my heart – to change the way moms do work so that they don’t have to choose between family and their careers. I never would have started a business and quit my job without becoming a mother and feeling the guilt, overwhelm and stress that comes from juggling all the things. As the leader of The Free Mama Movement, I’ve made a lot of changes in the last few years as my kids get older and my personal life evolves. Currently, we are traveling full-time in an RV and I’m homeschooling two of my three children, so I’ve simplified my marketing efforts and my offers. I’ve found fulfillment in doing more writing and speaking. We’re doubling down on doing one or two things really, really well (our membership and our retreats) rather than trying to own all the areas. It’s a much more peaceful model, that’s more in tune with our overall mission!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I remember a time before I took the leap into owning a business and growing myself personally when I believed there was a secret sauce; that there was always just one more thing I needed to know before I would magically feel ready or qualified or confident. This is a myth. Instead, you need these three things:
1. Learn to trust yourself. You don’t know everything, but neither does anyone else – no matter how ahead of you or how successful you believe they are. You are always learning. Failure helps you learn even faster! Trust that you’re the kind of person who can figure it out, own your mistakes, ask for help, and get better and better. Get quiet sometimes so you can feel your intuition, it will help you build the life and business you want to lead, not a reel you saw on IG.
2. Accept feedback. So many people are afraid that negative feedback or a “failed” launch means you suck. It doesn’t! It’s the key to growth. Learning to look at your experiences and other people’s objections as objective information will lead you to where you want to be more quickly.
3. Put yourself out there. Meet new people. Make more offers. Talk about how you help others more often. Take up space. Make some noise. Be who you really are rather than trying to look or sound like someone else. You are fantastic and YOU are the only secret sauce to success you’ll ever have!
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
The book Strengths Based Leadership really changed how I feel about this topic. I find it to be a much more productive use of my time to double down on my strengths in business, that is to say, professionally. I don’t want to learn accounting (I’m bad at it), instead, I want to hire the best CPA I can. I’m a great speaker, so how can I get better. I’m an awesome marketer, who can help me grow there? If I have a weakness, I want to hire someone to fill that gap for me, because they’re going to be better and faster than my own learning curve.
With that said, personally, I want to grow and challenge myself! I hired a fitness coach who is making me track my macros. This learning curve was a nightmare, I really resisted it. But now? It’s second nature, and I might even have abs soon! The payoff for challenging myself to grow in an area that previously wasn’t my strength is so rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefreemama.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurengoldenfreemama/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenmartygolden
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LaurenGoldenfreemama
Image Credits
The Mamones
