Lauren Marie is a Joy of Business facilitator, acupuncturist, entrepreneur and mother of young twins. She travels worldwide with her babies, facilitating classes and changing her clients’ point of view about life, health and business. Born on the outskirts of Washington D.C., Lauren relocated to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast after an unconventional encounter that led to marriage, pregnancy and premature birth twins. A passionate creator and conscious rule-breaker, Lauren seeks to inspire other mothers to see the possibilities others overlook and to embrace every challenge and choice that parenthood brings.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I love creating! I have always worked for myself and this is at least my fourth or fifth business. When I found out I was pregnant with twins, I knew I had to step it up and take it to the next level so I expanded everything I was doing and created a way to move from the USA to Australia, have the kids, work from home and still travel the world. It never gets boring and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Tell us about your business.
My target is to inspire other mothers to see the possibilities and advantages they have that no one else has – to see the contribution of their children to their work and vice versa.
I do classes and private sessions for those asking to have and be more in the world, and for their families. I train people to get online businesses started on the technical side, as well as overcoming the energetic blocks and limitations we impose on ourselves.
I run workshops worldwide for myself and other facilitators using the tools and processes in the Joy of Business and Access Consciousness.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
You can receive a 90-minute telecall as well as 9 tips on how to become a mompreneur by signing up on my website: www.meetlaurenmarie.com.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
I have a masters degree in acupuncture and I am a certified Access Consciousness facilitator and a Joy of Business facilitator.
Where is your business based?
I am based on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, where I work from home with my twins and husband when I am not traveling.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I started asking questions:
- What would I like to do today?
- What can I add to my life?
- What could I do that would make me money and be fun for me?
Things would come up and I started following the energy. If someone asked me to do a job and it matched the energy of the life I wanted to create, I said YES, even if it made no cognitive sense. That one door would lead to another and another until I had started creating many different revenue streams and avenues in which my business could expand.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Being ME wherever I go, being joyful and living life to the fullest. I ask people questions about themselves everywhere I go, never selling or talking about what I do unless they ask. People love to talk about themselves. When you are happy, when you are successful, when you are making money, people will go, “I want what she is having. How does she do it?” And they will come to you.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
When I came to Australia, I didn’t even have enough money for a return flight back to the states. I fell pregnant with twins with someone I was just having fun with. Choosing to get married, have the twins in Australia and raise them solely on my income was a bit challenging! I quickly learned to prioritize, step it up, launch my business to a whole new level and did whatever it took to provide for my family, have fun and change the world.
How did you overcome these challenges?
My attitude is never give up, never give in and never quit. Whenever I got stuck, I asked for assistance. I asked the Universe for help. I became willing to receive from anyone and anywhere that was willing to contribute. I learned that if, when you feel like you can’t go on, you just take two more steps, literally everything you’ve been asking for shows up… and usually far beyond what you could have even imagined. I learned to trust in myself and in my capacities to create.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
There is only one me out there. I simply acknowledge that I am a unique being, as are you. Even if two people sell the same product, the sale is different because of who sells it. I never tried to be like anyone else or do it like anyone else has done it. I take everything great that I see people doing out there and extrapolate from that into what would work for me and my business.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
Embrace the unpredictable. People get bored if what you offer is consistent and the same all the time. Be willing to change every 10 seconds. Never go to the past to try and recreate a success. Create in this moment for the future you would like to have.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Find one thing you find easiest to do that you think has no value. Chances are, that is the most valuable thing you have to offer. Do that, and be willing to receive money from it, and you will always succeed.
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
The Joy of Business is a set of tools and resources that I use everyday to create my life and my business. Why? Business is the adventure of living! These tools do not separate your life into work, play, travel, home, family, etc. Your life is your business.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
“Getting Out Of Debt Joyfully” by Simone Milasas.
Simone Milasas got out of $187,000 of debt in 2 years and shares the tools she used to do that. It is so much more than just learning to pay off your bills.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
Right now, I’m expanding my team and looking at new fun ways to market and promote what we do. I have been hiring interns and contract workers, so I’ve been playing with letting each person create their position based on what they enjoy and what they are best at. It’s always about staying in question and on the creative edge.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
- I’m in the process of writing two books: one about the magic of having twins and one about the joy of business for moms.
- I am creating several classes that I will transcribe and edited. I have been putting aside 20-30 minutes a day for this project, and just doing a little bit each day so it doesn’t fall to the side.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Website www.meetlaurenmarie.com
Facebook www.facebook.com/meetlaurenmarie
Instagram www.instagram.com/wearetwinmagic
YouTube www.youtube.com/user/LaurenM79
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/1/+LaurenMarieaccess
Soundcloud www.soundcloud.com/access-lauren-marie
Hashtags #twinmagic #joyofbusiness #joyofbusinessmom