Welcome to 9 to No Thank You! an interview series with freelancers who kicked their 9 to 5 habit and now kick serious business butt. These inspiring ladies are sharing the stories of their cubicle escape, and giving helpful tips along the way.
Today we’re talking to Shawn Fink from the Abundant Mama Project. Shawn shares how she balanced a full-time gig, motherhood, and starting her business all at the same time, and what it took to make her business dreams a reality.
Hey Shawn! Let’s get started.
Where do you live?
I live in Pennsylvania on the East Coast.
What do you do? What is your business all about?
Currently, I create and sell eCourses and eBooks for busy moms who want to be more peaceful, playful and present. I am also preparing to launch my own business consulting website soon.
How long have you been freelancing? What were you doing before?
I started freelancing when my daughters were very young — a year old. However, I’ve been in this business of Abundant Mama LLC since 2012 when I launched and sold my first book on Amazon.
What was your transition into freelancing/entrepreneurship like?
I worked for years full-time getting up very early and staying up very late at night to make it work. I was passionate for it, though, so it never felt wrong. It always felt right.
What do your days look like now?
I believe in a business that feels good so my days flow nicely between being a mother and being a business owner. I take a lot of walks and do yoga and clean the house in between creating content for my community. I wake up early to get my self-care time in and I go to bed pretty early as well because sleep is essential for me to operate and function well.
What is your favourite part of being a freelancer/entrepreneur?
The freedom to do my own thing all the time. I love that I can work when I need to and want to and not when someone tells me to. I also love the freedom in creativity. I am free to go with my ideas when they come up and feel right.
What were some of the doubts or roadblocks you had when you started, and how did you work through that?
I definitely doubted if I could make enough money to pay our mortgage, which was the deal my husband and I had when I quit my full-time job. I lost a lot of sleep the first year. At times, too, I’ve doubted whether or not my message was going to be heard and respected. I was wrong on both counts.
Is there something you know now that you wish you would have known when you were first starting out? And what are you best tips for freelancers just getting their start?
Just do it. Start and try it. Forget the numbers and the money and just have fun. And always put fun at the top of your to-do list.
What are some of your favourite tools for running your freelance business?
Wunderlist is my BFF. It keeps me organized.
MailChimp has been my main business tool all along and I believe in their product wholeheartedly.
My MacBook Pro laptop. At first it was a very strange feeling to use a Mac but once I got used to it it just felt right and I feel like everything works much better and faster.
What’s next on the horizon for you?
As I mentioned earlier, I am about to launch shawnfink.com, my own business consulting website all about helping women build abundant businesses of their own.
Find Shawn!
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