Freed Stories: Turning Five and Six Figure Businesses into Seven and Eight Figure Legacies This podcast shines a light on everyday entrepreneurs and business owners who are scaling their ventures to new heights. Each episode features a member of our community sharing their Freed Story - a journey of challenges, breakthroughs, and invaluable insights. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, these real stories of grit, determination, and creativity will educate and inspire you. Join us as we explore the diverse paths founders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners take to achieve their unique personal and professional freedom. Freed Stories is your companion on the entrepreneurial journey, proving that while the road may be challenging, you don’t have to travel it alone. Tune in for practical wisdom, innovative strategies, and the motivation to turn your business dreams into reality
Episodes
Thursday Jul 25, 2024
Thursday Jul 25, 2024
Episode 30: In this episode of Freed Stories, we connect with Lauren Gall, co-founder of VaVa Virtual Assistants, our December 2023 Freed Fellow, and a true visionary in the world of virtual assistance. Lauren shares her journey from "accidental entrepreneur" to leading a service that helps small business owners elevate their operations by mastering the art of delegation. Discover how VaVa Virtual Assistants helps transform businesses by allowing owners to focus on growth rather than getting bogged down by day-to-day tasks.
3 Key Takeaways:
- The Power of Delegation: Lauren discusses how learning to delegate effectively can free business owners from the weeds of daily operations, enabling them to focus on strategic growth and personal freedom.
- Building Trust with Virtual Teams: Transitioning to working with a virtual assistant (VA) involves trust and a shift in mindset from seeing help as an expense to viewing it as an investment in the business's growth.
- Evolution of Business Roles: Lauren details her personal experience and the broader implications of moving from doing to managing, reflecting on how business owners can transition from frontline tasks to leadership roles.
Resources Mentioned:
- How to Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
Connect with Lauren Gall:
- VaVa Virtual Assistants Website
- Follow VaVa Virtual on Facebook
- VaVa Virtual on Instagram
- VaVa Virtual on Twitter
Continue Your Journey: Don't forget to subscribe to Freed Stories on your favorite podcast platform. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and stories of entrepreneurship that inspire and guide. Visit our website for additional resources and support at Freed Growth.
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Follow Freed Growth on Instagram
Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast
info@nextdaypodcast.com
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Episode 29: In this inspiring episode of Freed Stories, we meet Crystal Nelson, founder of Save the Milk and August 2023 Freed Fellow. Crystal shares her journey from teen mom to successful entrepreneur, detailing how her experience as a surrogate mother led her to create innovative breast pumping products and affordable breast milk shipping kits.
3 Key Takeaways:
- Personal Experiences Drive Innovation: Crystal's journey as a teen mom and surrogate inspired her to create solutions for breast pumping challenges, demonstrating how personal experiences can lead to valuable business ideas.
- Resourcefulness in Entrepreneurship: Despite limited resources and experience, Crystal leveraged platforms like Fiverr and even her son's 3D printing skills to bring her product ideas to life, showcasing the power of creativity and resourcefulness in building a business.
- Resilience and Adaptability: Crystal's story of overcoming setbacks, including a significant inventory loss and the need for an SBA loan, highlights the importance of persistence and adaptability in the face of entrepreneurial challenges.
This episode offers a wealth of inspiration and practical insights for aspiring and current entrepreneurs, showcasing how determination and innovation can turn personal challenges into successful business ventures.
Links and Resources
Follow Save the Milk on Instagram
Follow Save the Milk on Tik Tok
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Wednesday Jul 17, 2024
Wednesday Jul 17, 2024
Join us as we introduce the relaunch of Freed Stories, the podcast dedicated to exploring the transformative journeys of everyday entrepreneurs and small business owners. After a hiatus, we’re back with fresh, inspiring episodes that delve into the lives of everyday business owners turning challenges into legacies.
Subscribe to uncover actionable insights and stories of resilience that could redefine your path to success!
Links and Resources
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Ola Swarn, founder and owner of J'adore le Décor, joins us today to share her Freed story! Having gotten started by opening a business in 2016, Ola is an interior stylist who specializes in transforming spaces of 1,000 square feet or less, a specialty that she describes as her passion. Ola shares how she got into interior design and how she started her business, and she reflects on some of the lessons that she has learned along the way, such as being sure to communicate effectively with others. She also gives some helpful advice, encouraging people who want to walk a similar path as hers to invest in themselves and in their businesses and to find a mentor, especially since, as we always say here at Freed Media, entrepreneurship is a lonely road.
Ola also dives into some of her other passions and priorities such as listening to podcasts from which she can learn and grow, studying other languages, and reading books about personal growth and challenges. Speaking of personal growth and challenges, Ola also reveals where she hopes that she and her business will be in five years, emphasizing that she hopes to be considered the expert in small-space design and living well in small spaces! She closes by taking part in a Freed Stories tradition – revealing what her superpower is!
We really appreciate Ola sharing her Freed story with us in this episode of the podcast, and we look forward to catching up with her in a few months! Be sure to check her out, and be sure to continue tuning in to Freed Stories as we continue to feature guests who share their Freed stories – stories of success, failure, lessons, goals, hopes, and so forth! Please also be sure that you hit that subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and don't forget to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – The Freed fellow featured in this episode is Ola Swarn of J'adore le Décor.
[1:22] – Ola gives us some background information about herself and her business.
[1:56] – Ola reveals what got her started in this business.
[4:13] – We learn that Ola was doing marketing before this venture which allowed her to eventually fund this venture.
[5:30] – Ola recounts some failures and challenges along the way and what she learned from them.
[8:46] – Ola encourages people who want to go on the same path to invest in themselves.
[11:51] – The book The Leadership Challenge Workbook is recommended to us.
[13:22] – Ola reveals that she listens to podcasts to personally grow.
[14:22] – Ola discloses the importance of the name J'adore le Décor.
[15:01] – We find out where Ola hopes she'll be in five years.
[16:20] – Ola reveals that she is currently in the early stages of a new construction project in Chicago.
[17:15] – Ola reflects on what her superpower might be.
[18:25] – We learn where we can find Ola online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
J’adore le Décor - Facebook Page
J’adore le Décor - Instagram Page
J’adore le Décor - Twitter Page
J’adore le Décor - Pinterest Profile
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner - The Leadership Challenge Workbook
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
We welcome Freed fellow Antonia Royal-Whitmore to the podcast in this episode so that she can share her Freed Story! Antonia is the founder of Mind of Gold, a publishing company whose main mission is to educate, empower, and entertain via media and literature. Antonia has loved to write since she was very young, having realized just how much she truly loved to write after having done it for a little while. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology which she marries with Mind of Gold via self-help books such as I'm Calling You Out and Dear Black Parents, both of which can be purchased from the Mind of Gold website!
Antonia gives us some helpful advice such as how you need to be patient when it comes to making your dreams come true, to not give up because the work is worth it. She also encourages us to find a mentor, someone with more experience in the field. She reveals her superpowers to be her creativity and her knack for coming up with solutions, and she even reveals new projects on the horizon, including a game!
We had such fun talking with Antonia about her story, and we hope that you have as much fun hearing it! We look forward to catching up with her again in the future, but until then, be sure to check out her website and her books online, and be sure to continue tuning in to Freed Stories as we continue to feature more guests who share their Freed stories – stories of success, failure, lessons, goals, hopes, and so forth! Please also be sure that you hit that subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and don't forget to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – Today's featured Freed fellow is Antonia Royal-Whitmore of Mind of Gold.
[1:22] – Antonia tells us a little bit about herself and Mind of Gold.
[1:53] – We learn how Mind of Gold started.
[2:18] – We discover what Antonia did prior to Mind of Gold.
[2:48] – Antonia tells us a little bit about the types of books that she writes.
[3:31] – Antonia discusses lessons that she has learned along the way such as the need for patience.
[4:21] – Antonia gives advice to anyone who wants to go on a similar path as hers.
[4:48] – We find out what a couple of Antonia's favorite books are!
[5:17] – Antonia credits Gary Vaynerchuk and Toni Jones as inspirations to her.
[5:56] – Antonia shares with us where she sees herself and her business five years into the future.
[6:29] – Antonia credits her creativity as one of her superpowers.
[6:53] – Antonia quotes from one of her books.
[7:28] – We learn that Antonia is working on a course and even a game!
[8:15] – Antonia shares with us where we can find her online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
Louise Hay – You Can Heal Your Life
Dr. Joy DeGruy – Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
We hope that you will join us in this episode of Freed Stories as Chantel Estrada of Designs By Moneè shares her Freed story with us! Designs By Moneè has been in business for six years now and makes shirts, birthday outfits, shoes, candles (which is her favorite product that she offers), and so much more! Chantel shares some of her past with us, such as how she liked making things even from a young age, the setbacks that she initially experienced and what she learned from them, and so much more!
Chantel also shares some helpful advice, encouraging listeners to not give up no matter the obstacle and to focus on your own talents, not others' talents. She enthusiastically reveals that Freed was the first resource that said yes to her and helped her, and she also shares her hopes and dreams for her company and where she hopes that it will go within the next five years. She closes by revealing her superhero name – as she has been dubbed by others, Supermom!
We had such a great time chatting with Chantel and learning about her story, and we hope that you have a blast listening to it! We look forward to checking in with Chantel again in a few months, but until then, be sure to check out Designs By Moneè online, and be sure to continue tuning in to Freed Stories as we continue to feature more guests who share their Freed stories – stories of success, failure, lessons, goals, hopes, and so forth! Please also be sure that you hit that subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and don't forget to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:02] – Today's guest is Chantel Estrada of Designs By Moneè.
[1:18] – Chantel tells us about herself and her business.
[1:42] – Chantel reflects on her lifelong desire to make things and help people.
[2:22] – We learn about some of the setbacks that Chantel initially experienced but how she grew and learned from them.
[3:18] – Chantel gives us a couple of tidbits of advice, such as encouraging us to not give up no matter what obstacles we face.
[4:35] – We learn what Chantel's favorite product is that she offers.
[6:00] – Chantel enthuses over Freed having been the first resource to say yes to her.
[7:20] – Chantel thinks about where she hopes her business will be within five years.
[8:34] – We discover that Chantel is often referred to as Supermom.
[10:01] – Chantel reveals where she can be found online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
Designs by Moneè - Facebook Page
Designs by Moneè - Instagram Page
Designs by Moneè - TikTok Page
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Join us as we welcome Sheri Munsell of Legit Work from Home to this episode of the podcast! Sheri is the C.E.O. of the company which helps people who don't wish to work traditional brick and mortar jobs find work-from-home jobs that they can do from the comfort of their own living spaces! Sheri shares so much with us during this discussion, reflecting on her childhood and upbringing and how that led to what she does today, her chronic battle with mental illness, and so much more!
Frequently having found herself losing jobs because of her chronic battle with mental illness, Sheri realized that she needed to turn to working from home which is not only what led to her founding and becoming C.E.O. of Legit Work from Home but is also what inspired her to work to help others find work-from-home jobs! Sheri also shares with us that her biggest failure was initially listening to people who told her that she would never be able to make it big without a college degree but that she overcame that via mentors who encouraged her that that wasn't true.
Sheri's main goal with her company is to help people realize that not all work-from-home job offers are scams, that some (as the name of her company would suggest) are actually legitimate. She also gives herself credit for her empathy, her ability to put herself in others' shoes and understand where they are coming from, an ability that she suggests all people who struggle with mental illness in some capacity likely have.
We hope that you enjoy listening to our conversation with Sheri and hearing her amazing and inspirational story. We look forward to touching base with her again in a few months, and we also hope that you will continue to tune in to the podcast because we will be featuring plenty more guests who will share their entrepreneurial stories – stories that involve their successes, their failures, their goals, their hopes, etc.! Be sure to also hit the subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and remember to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – Jackie announces today's guest as Sheri Munsell of Legit Work from Home.
[1:21] – Sheri reveals her job title and what inspired her to start her company.
[2:25] – Sheri discloses some details about her childhood and her upbringing.
[3:28] – We learn what Sheri considers to be her biggest failure and what she learned from it.
[4:52] – Sheri reflects on what advice that she would give her younger self if she could.
[6:03] – Sheri credits groups, communities, and Clubhouse as her most helpful resources.
[7:04] – Sheri explains what she hopes people will take away from her company.
[8:10] – Sheri shares her hopes for the future regarding Legit Work from Home.
[9:07] – We learn that Sheri considers empathy to be her main superpower.
[10:22] – Sheri reveals where she and her company can be found online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
Legit Work from Home – Website
Legit Work from Home – Facebook Page
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Founder and owner of Equipped to Impact Solutions, Alexis Jefferson-Huff joins us today to share her unique Freed story! She goes into detail about Equipped to Impact Solutions and where her love for etiquette comes from. She always loved to serve others, and she discusses the gap that she noticed between different generations when it comes to manners and social etiquette and how bridging that gap is her ultimate goal!
Alexis also shares with us her greatest success and her greatest failure in relation to her business. Revealing that her greatest failure was initially her lack of knowledge, she talks about how she overcame it and what she learned from it, advising us to always be sure that we do research! She also touches upon social media and how she had to move away from it for a bit to make etiquette her own, credits two different mentors as her most helpful resources, and even reveals what she considers her greatest superpower to be!
We really hope that you enjoyed listening to our conversation with Alexis and that you will continue to tune in to the podcast! We will be featuring plenty more guests who will share their entrepreneurial stories – stories that involve their successes, their failures, their goals, their hopes, etc.! Be sure to also hit the subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and remember to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – Today's guest is Alexis Jefferson-Huff of Equipped to Impact Solutions.
[1:20] – Alexis lets us in on some background information about herself.
[1:57] – We learn about Equipped to Impact Solutions and how it came to be.
[3:12] – Alexis discusses how what she wanted to do when she was young morphed into what she does now.
[4:25] – Alexis enthuses over how Equipped to Impact Solutions enjoyed a successful launch.
[4:53] – Alexis discloses that a lack of knowledge was initially a failure for her but that she overcame and learned from it.
[6:56] – We are treated to some advice from Alexis about doing your research and gaining knowledge.
[7:55] – Alexis credits two different mentors from whom she has learned.
[8:30] – Alexis hopes that her business will be able to hire other consultants within five years.
[9:08] – We discover that Alexis considers her resilience to be her greatest strength.
[9:59] – Alexis asserts that etiquette is about more than just rules.
[11:02] – We learn where we can find Alexis and her company online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
Equipped to Impact Solutions - Website
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Co-founder and owner of Skate Bud Zach Moldof joins us in this episode of the podcast to share his Freed story! Skate Bud is a marketplace and community for skateboarders that was born about four years ago but came to be what it is today about a year ago. Skate Bud even has a book and a free video game!
Zach shares with us how he grew up with skateboard culture and what that meant to him as an adolescent. He goes into detail about what Skate Bud is and how it came about and walks us through how he got started as an entrepreneur, attempting to get into the cannabis industry in California when he was eighteen years old, revealing how that was not a success but led to other things. He also offers a couple of helpful pieces of advice, emphasizing how important of a tool that a camera can be and also encouraging us to brush up on our writing skills.
We, in closing, learn what Zach considers his superpower and superhero name to be, and you'll definitely want to stay tuned for that because it's definitely unique! We hope that you enjoyed listening to Zach's story, and we can't wait to see where Skate Bud goes in the future! We also hope that you will stay tuned as more guests share their entrepreneurial stories – stories that involve their successes, their failures, their goals, their hopes, etc.! Be sure to also hit the subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and remember to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – This episode's guest is Zach Moldof of Skate Bud.
[1:20] – Zach fills us in on what Skate Bud is all about and how it came to be.
[3:53] – We discover what skateboard culture meant for Zach growing up.
[5:44] – Zach reveals that he attempted to start a cannabis business in Berkley, California when he was eighteen.
[8:43] – Zach pinpoints the attempted cannabis business as his biggest failure.
[10:53] – We are treated to a couple pieces of advice from Zach if we want to walk a similar path as his.
[13:16] – Zach points to Instagram as the main place he uses to share photos.
[14:38] – Zach gives credit to his most helpful resources.
[15:55] – Zach shares where he hopes Skate Bud will be within five years.
[18:02] – We discover what Zach would consider his superpower and superhero name to be.
[18:58] – Zach explains what features his website has and what it offers.
[22:16] – We are informed where we can find Skate Bud online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
Zach Moldof & Friends – Skate Bud: Welcome to Skateboarding!
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
We are joined today by Lauren Fleming, founder of The Factor Formula, a skin care company that caters to all types of skin. The company has grown from a multivitamin to a skin cleanser to a skin toner and, most recently, a moisturizer, so Lauren has been growing the company a little bit at a time since its inception two years ago in 2019!
Lauren joins us today to discuss how The Factor Formula came to be, what its mission statement is, what the biggest struggle has been for her and what she has learned from it, what her favorite product that she offers is, and so much more! She also offers some advice to up and coming business owners and even reveals what she believes her superpower to be!
Lauren's story is so inspirational especially because of how much she is thriving, and we hope that you enjoyed listening to it! Please stay tuned in to Freed Stories as more guests share their stories of entrepreneurship – their successes, their failures, their goals, their hopes, etc.! Be sure to also hit the subscribe button so that you never miss an episode, and remember to free your mind; free your media!
Time Stamps
[1:03] – Today's guest is Lauren Fleming of The Factor Formula.
[1:20] – Lauren fills us in on her job with The Factor Formula and what the company does.
[1:54] – We learn why and when Lauren established The Factor Formula.
[3:25] – Lauren reveals what her biggest struggle has been and what she has learned from it.
[5:08] – We are encouraged to follow our dreams and go for it if we have similar ambitions of starting our own business.
[6:30] – We discover that Lauren wanted to be a fashion designer when she was younger.
[7:48] – Lauren credits Fearless Fund as having been a valuable resource for her.
[8:58] – Lauren projects toward the future, hoping that the business will considerably scale up within five years.
[10:01] – Lauren shares that her favorite The Factor Formula product is the aloe cleanser.
[10:53] – We discover that Lauren's superpower is efficiency.
[11:41] – Lauren shares where we can find The Factor Formula online.
Links and Resources
Apply for our Freed Fellowship Monthly Grant
Free Training to Help You Grow Your Business
Email Us: team@freedfellowship.com
The Factor Formula - Instagram Page
The Factor Formula - Twitter Page