…And built a six figure online business.
All while raising 3 kids.
Her name is Laura Fuentes, and this is her story.
Here’s A Glimpse Into The Life of Laura Fuentes
In 2005, Laura Fuentes walked away from her job. Before that, she had earned a Bachelor’s degree in Global Economics, an MBA in International Business, and was excelling as one of the top electronic medical prescription sales people in the south. But she had to give it up. She was pregnant.
(This isn’t an uncommon story for ambitious, and successful people. I’m sure you know someone – or ARE that someone – who put their career on hold for family).
Fast forward eight years, Laura now wakes up at 6:45am, sends her kids to school (she now has 3), and begins work on a simple website that empowers tens of thousands of busy moms from around the world to prepare healthful lunches for their children each day.
The fact that Laura’s wildly profitable business, with its small team of 10 moms, is pursued by some of the world’s largest food brands doesn’t even seem to phase her. She reaches more than 370,000 people each month, but when she said “MOMables is responsible for anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 healthy lunches each day,” her eyes lit up.
How did she shift gears from schmoozing with medical receptionists, to having and raising three kids, to building a profitable business helping other busy parents prepare healthy lunches for their children?
Let’s take you back to the beginning…
Like all moms, Laura wanted Sofia, her first child, to be healthy, safe and happy in her new preschool. Disgusted by the frozen pizza, chicken nuggets and other junk most parents let their children eat, she knew she would have to prepare and pack her daughter a healthy lunch each day. But she was at a loss for what she could prepare that would be delicious, nutritious and fun.
For the first few weeks of preschool, Sofia picked at her lunches of soggy leftovers and sandwiches. She wanted the prepackaged junk that the other kids brought to school. Laura couldn’t send her daughter to school knowing that she was hungry and unhappy, but she couldn’t give her what she wanted, either.
One day, Laura opened her refrigerator, stared into it blankly, and had no clue what to pack. The pressure was on – not only did she have to make Sofia a healthy lunch she would be excited to eat, she also had to consider her daughter’s allergies to some of the ingredients in prepackaged food.
What could she do? She struggled between wanting her daughter to have a cool, fun prepackaged lunch like the rest of the kids and needing her to be healthy.
“I believe kids deserve food free of unidentifiable ingredients,” Laura said.
And that’s when she had the proverbial “AHA!” moment. She thought, “what if I create a prepackaged lunch, one that looks like what the other kids brought to school, with my own creations inside it?”
How a simple idea turned into an online business
Laura spent months combing through cookbooks, subscribing to Food magazines and searching high and low for inspiration before she finally got a handle on preparing a healthy lunch for her daughter. And the best part? Sofia loved it! And even better than that? Years later, when she had two more kids, they loved it, too.
What started out as a struggle for a busy mother became second nature. Laura was whipping together healthful lunches for her children, packing them up in “Easy Lunch Boxes,” and sending her kids to school.
Inevitably, the other parents began to take notice. They wanted to know how the Fuentes kids were rocking the lunch tables in style, with healthy food they loved to eat? What was Laura’s secret behind lunch that looked like this:
And that’s when Laura decided to start a website called MOMables, a destination for parents who were looking for healthy lunch recipes that were perfect for school lunches. Moms were asking for them, and now they got them.
It was 2011, and Laura, armed with this amazing idea, was ready to take the world by storm. Her passion for healthy lunches for kids was now a blog, a business, and more important, a mission to help mothers keep their children healthy.
Here’s how it all worked:
Laura started a blog, where she wrote a TON of free content to: 1) help as many people as possible, and 2) build a loyal readership of moms from around the world.
And while Laura was most excited about helping parents keep their kids healthy, she also knew that to keep this up long term, this site would have to pay the bills.
So here’s what she did:
While she made most of the content on her site free, she also offered a premium option–I use premium loosely as it only cost $6 dollars per month–where busy mothers could get “Done for them” lunch recipes each month.
So, instead of sifting through tons of articles—much like what Laura did when she got started—busy parents could just get lunch recipes that are prepared to get prepared!
How genius, right? Unfortunately, Laura was about to discover that there’s more to building a successful movement and business than just a good idea.
Growing an online business was hard… and unexpected problems were on the horizon
Everything was looking up. She was equipped with a solid idea and a strong desire to help other busy parents.
Plus, the reception of MOMables was already great. After just a few short months, she had a few thousand email subscribers who took advantage of her free content, but only a few hundred paying customers subscribed to her monthly lunch menu service.
But the growth of MOMables stagnated.
Laura realized that nothing she learned while working for her BA and MBA in school equipped her for building an online business.
And she was struggling. “I didn’t have the money to hire a PR company that could create an organized campaign. And I really had NO money. It was January 2012, and I just had my third baby,” she confided in me.
While Laura was happy with her content, her menu service, and her success, she just didn’t know how to get more exposure and convert that exposure to paying subscribers.
She said, “the big problem was, I didn’t have a course of direction – and I had an MBA. I also wasn’t comfortable pitching my idea to other people.”
This is no surprise. Laura’s passion was for helping parents keep their kids healthy. She hadn’t thought about the business side of her business too much.
While she had a successful run in sales prior to having children, she soon realized that pitching herself and her ideas was much more stressful than selling some electronic device. When people say no, it really IS personal.
And that’s when Laura decided she needed help.
At this point, Laura was a subscriber to Social Triggers, and while she enjoyed benefiting from all the free content on this site, she decided that she wanted more…
Then, seemingly at the PERFECT time, she noticed that I recommended a premium training, a complete system for building an online business, called “Marie Forleo’s B-School” by Marie Forleo.
(Want to learn more about Marie Forleo’s B-School? Marie Forleo reveals everything right here).
Yes, that’s an affiliate link, and if you invest in this program through my link, I’ll get a cut. That’s why I’m giving away this bonus package worth $1999. You can see the full details here “Derek Halpern’s Marie Forleo BSchool Bonus.”
That said…
If you don’t know who Marie Forleo is, she’s on her way to become the next Oprah. She’s built up a community of more than 250,000 subscribers, where she helps people build profitable online businesses.
But more on Marie later…
Laura took my recommendation, enrolled in Marie Forleo’s B-School, and the rest was history.
Here’s exactly what Laura said, “It gave me the direction I needed. I got comfortable with pitching my ideas to people. I got comfortable selling myself. I finally knew what I was doing was actually WORTH something.”
And now, I’m writing this story about Laura, almost a year after she enrolled, and sharing it with more than 100,000 subscribers.
Before I share the results she achieved, a little disclaimer: These results are most definitely not typical because as you can see from this case study, there’s a lot of OTHER things that go into building an online business.
Here’s what happened: Laura went from a few hundred paid subscribers to a few thousand paid subscribers. She also went from a few thousand free subscribers to more than 40,000 free subscribers.
Yes, 40,000!
The best part? Laura was helping kids around the world eat healthy. And that’s what matters. She’s truly making both an income and impact.
How did Marie Forleo’s B-School help Laura… Specifically?
At this point, you’re likely wondering, “This is great. I can totally see myself achieving success just like Laura, but how did B-School help?”
And that’s why I asked Laura to share some of her “Big takeaways” from Marie Forleo’s B-School.
Here’s exactly what she learned:
#1 You Need More Than A Good Idea, A Great Product, And A Desire To Help
Laura reiterated this several times throughout my interview with her. She said, “I had a great product and website. But that wasn’t enough.”
This is an age-old story. In a just and fair world, those who put the work in, and truly care about what they do, should rise to the top, but that’s not always the case. And Laura learned that the hard way.
(Have you ever felt like your hard work never paid off? I know I have).
You see, Laura knew she wanted to help busy parents, but when it came to “promoting an online business,” she was at a loss.
Sure, she knew she had to create great free content to bring people to her site, but it wasn’t until she invested in Marie Forleo’s B-School that she figured out the importance of creating a real content strategy. She learned how to create content with a purpose.
To learn more about Marie Forleo’s B-School, watch this right here.
(And remember, if you enroll using my partner link, I get a cut. And you get this FREE bonus package worth $1999).
What did she do with this new wisdom?
After going through Marie Forleo’s B-School, she engineered a 5 week content push that included reviews of her menu service, and more. What was once a haphazard attempt at creating content that kept children healthy, was now a well-oiled machine that reached more busy parents than ever before.
#2 It’s Okay To Pitch Yourself (and Your Company) When You Truly Care About What You Do
This is something I’ve heard the Social Triggers community talk about time and time again. People say, “I love what I do, but I’m scared to pitch myself.” And Laura had this same fear.
I said this earlier, but creating MOMables wasn’t about the money for Laura. It’s about helping busy parents keep their kids healthy.
(That’s why she gives most of her content away for free. That’s why she only charges $6 dollars per month for children lunch menus.
But that said, Laura knew that if she wanted MOMables to become something sustainable… something that could help as many moms as possible… it would have to turn into a real business.
And if she was going to turn MOMables into a real business, she’d need to pitch herself. She’d need to pitch her premium service to her free subscribers. She’d also need to pitch her company to reporters, potential business partners, and more.
It turns out that B-School helped her get comfortable with all of this. B-School also helped her figure out HOW and WHO to partner with.
What Does Laura’s Life Look Like Now?
While I didn’t cover “everything” Laura learned in B-School, I do think you’d be interested in hearing how Laura’s life has changed over the last year.
Earlier in this long writeup (congratulations for making it this far, by the way), I shared that Laura’s team is now 10 moms strong (Between those 10 moms, they have 21 kids combined!).
But here’s the best part:
All of those moms work remote. This part is key because one of the reasons why Laura started building the online business was because she was able to do it from the comfort of her own home. As a full-time mom with 3 kids, she NEEDS that home time. And that’s why Laura lets all of her moms work from home too. They have kids, and need the flexibility to run their lives.
And while Laura continues to focus on helping as many busy parents as possible with MOMables, she still leads a busy life. When she’s not traveling for conferences (huge brands often send her as a brand ambassador), she’s working on new stuff to help her fast growing community.
But I was left wondering, “How do you do all of this while raising 3 kids? What’s your day like?”
Here’s what she said:
“I wake up at 6:45AM, and I focus on getting my older two children to school. When I get done, about 8AM, I feed the new baby and put him to sleep.”
And this is when Laura made me burst out laughing…
She said, “Nap time is business time.” I’m not sure why I cackled, but I imagined a superhero like image where Laura drops the bottle, and exposes an S on her chest. Or maybe in her case, a big M (for MOMables).
Then throughout the rest of the day, she continues working, watching her baby, and by about 2:45PM, it stops. Her two oldest kids come home, and she shifts from Mrs. MOMables, to Mrs. Mom. And she stays a full-time mom until her husband gets home around 8PM.
At which point, she often works until the wee hours of the night. Just last night, actually, I shot her an email at 3AM Eastern time because I had a last minute question for this article. And she responded within 30 minutes. She was up. Working.
So while she built up this wildly profitable online business, with a team of 10, she’s putting in the time to keep growing. If that’s not a picture of a woman who cares about her community, I don’t know what is.
You can learn more about Laura at MOMables, and say “Hello” on Twitter right here.
Also, leave a comment sharing what you think about this great story!
Now Here’s What Laura Thought About B-School…
Now you probably saw me talk about Marie Forleo’s free training videos. I linked them earlier in this article, and shared them with you earlier this week.
Enrollment for Marie Forleo’s BSchool is now open. The one that Laura Fuentes invested in on my recommendation last year. So I asked Laura what she thought, and she said:
- “B-School will give any entrepreneur a solid foundation either before or after launching his or her business. Each of the modules in the course is designed to teach but also to re-think how you plan to run your business.”
- “As a busy mother of 3 I loved the flexibility of B-School. I was able to watch, listen or read the transcripts of each module from my ipad or in the car while waiting for the kids at car line or between naps.”
- “I paid a lot more money for my MBA and spent a decade paying off my student loans. What I learned was “text book” and barely applicable to my online business today. B-School has been hands down the best knowledge-building investment for my business.”
Here’s the best part:
As you know, when you invest in B-School through my affiliate link, I get a cut.
So I thought, “Hrm. Why don’t I Just sweeten the deal for the Social Triggers community?”
And that’s what I’ll do.
When you enroll in B-School through my affiliate link: I’ll give you an exclusive bonus. So, make sure you click this link right here:
See what B-School is all about
And if you’re curious what I’m giving away…
You can read my full Marie Forleo Bonus page right here.
And it’s a no brainer to grab it through my affiliate link (above) because I’ve got 4 exclusive bonuses just for you…
If you still have questions about Marie Forleo’s B-School…
Questions like:
“How much does Marie Forleo’s B-School cost?”
“Is Marie Forleo’s B-School Right for me?”
“Is the price of Marie Forleo’s B-School worth it?”
Here’s what you should know:
I highly recommend you watch the B-School video right here.
And then peruse her site. She’s got case studies, frequently asked questions and answers, and more.
Thanks for this post Derek, and thank you Laura for the inspiration. It is vital for more of these mompreneur stories to be shared to inspire the many that are struggling to find balance in being there for the kiddos, contributing to household income and being personally fulfilled.
Kudos Laura – you inspire me. Now I am going to hop on over to Momables to see if I can find some ideas for my picky preschooler 🙂
It is great to hear about another mom of three who makes it work, working from home. As we speak I wait for the school bus, living the life of entrepreneur and mom.
Good luck Laura and thanks for the info Derek.
And that was it. Derek nailed it. Great post and a real inspiration especially for moms. Wishing Laura the best and hopefully, I am stealing some of her ideas away… *winks*
What a truly amazing story. I absolutely love the fact that Laura has not just set up a business around her kids but is clearly making an impact in a massive way.
I came across MOMables a few months ago when my daughter started school and I was making her a packed lunch every day. I love it.
Keep up the amazing work Laura – you are helping so many parents around the world and are a true inspiration to other mums who are setting up their own business.
Best wishes
Nicola
So inspiring! I going to be like Laura when I grow up 🙂
Do it Amber! 🙂
Great story. Watching your FREE live webinar Marketing Online Sales and loving it. I’m a student at IIN and in BSchool right now. I’m a mom of two (ages 7 & 4). I’m also a full time employee wishing to leave the corporate world within the next 1 to 2 years and work for myself.
Wish I could walk away and work on my personal business FT NOW! Working on our family budget to do just that.
This is so inspiring! As a mom of four and owner of two businesses I can totally relate. I just signed up… Looking forward to being your next case study!
This is a great story Derek! I am a mama balancing parenting and building my online business. Laura, I love that you are present with your children and schedule your work hours when they are not around. I am really trying to work on time management while my website grows so quickly. I am enrolling in B-School this year, and I am so excited!
Another great story Derek!
I took Lewis Howes’s course to start an Online Business (you were in the thing :)) and was wondering how much it differentiate from Marie’s course.
Definitely a motivating story – AND it really does attest to the fact that if you have a passion for something, with the right tools and direction- you can make it work.
Always great to read about successful people. The quality of production of these sites and videos have really gone up over the last few years. So much for the blogger in the basement…
Derek – – – This topic just literally spoke to me. I have a three year old and have been amazed at what daycares are serving our kids and the bad habits they get into through eating heavily processed and sometimes outright junk food. I’ve had this idea of doing something to encourage healthy active kids, but for ages have had no idea how to approach it. Probably led me to your site. Thank you so much, and a feel extremely encouraged and inspired to do something on this topic that is uniquely me. Thanks again.
I think her story is brilliant as a business model but am I the only person to find it dreadfully sad that people didn’t know how to make a lunch box like the one pictured? It’s not rocket science; it’s just some chopped up fruit, some edemame beans, a few crackers and some stuff to go on it. I am incredulous that her business was even warranted. I’m now knocking her in any way – she’s helping people and saving them time and I think she’s brilliant. I just have to say what a shame that people aren’t sure how to put some healthy snacks in a box and make them look interesting enough for their kids to eat.
We have paid for others to provide food for us whether it is growing it or cooking it for so long that we have forgotten how to do it. Many live out of packets and if there were no packets some would starve. Those who used to demonstrate cooking once could presume that people would have a cooker with a hob and oven. That is no longer the case. Some only have a microwave and an electric kettle. Therefore it is much harder to prepare meals from scratch. Cooking your own food is becoming increasingly unusual. It is becoming a hobby related to the olden days. Youngster need those who learn these skills to keep them alive via the internet. VEry dad.
Hi Derek…
I’m SUPER DUPER happy u sent me the link to Marie’s free videos! It was just what I need cause I’m currently in a similar situation as Laura (Just one baby though). But after leaving my job, with degree in Psych. and, very little job opps. I decided to try working online, and it has been STRUGGLING! Your advice on blogging have been good, but it wasn’t quite hitting the nail on the head…then I met Marie…and the rest is history. Just the feminine touch would do it! Thanks for Laura’s story! Now its for me to get into B-School!
What a great story! Thank you so much for sharing it. I’m a mom (to five!) too and totally hit that stagnant phase about a year ago. It is awful, soul crushing agony to get stuck, especially when you’ve put in all the hours and late nights to build your online business. I’ll definitely have to check this out!
Hi Dereck.
A great story and very inspiring, congratulations Laura.
Regarding Marie Forleo, I think the most successful women on the internet, I know of another person who is as professional as it, I love the truth.
Greetings from Spain.
Great story. As a mum to 3 kids it appealed immensely. I enrolled in B-School last year & it totally changed my life. I resigned from my job & started a new business. Since then I feel so much more in tune with myself. I’d been a business owner before B-School – for 13yrs. I’d built a successful IT company, grew it to be worth millions, yet B-School still taught me things I didn’t know. I found it was worth every single penny! (I’m in the UK!)
Great post, Derek, and very inspiring, Laura! B-School also helped me take my business(es) to the next level, and the confidence to “sell” yourself was definitely one of my takeaways too.
Thank you for sharing Laura’s story. It’s a great inspiration.
Marie’s videos are great. I got a lot out of the free one’s let alone B-School.
I have an online business helping forex traders achieve success. I’m keen to take it to a new level and beyond so I can help more people.
Cheers Rach
Laura!!! I LOVED reading your story on hear and learning more about you. After finding you through B-school and admiring what you do, it’s AWESOME to read how much success you’ve found through Marie’s program. Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Thank you so much Beryl! I wish you much success as well! 🙂
Laura is such an inspiration to so many of us! The fact that she takes the time to reach out to other bloggers and offer her wisdom and encouragement is also what makes her such an amazing woman of God! Many of us have been inspired to leave our 9-5 careers to pursue our passions via online blogs because of having mentors/examples like Laura. I owe so much to her, and after reading this, I can’t believe how giving she is in taking the time to encourage so many others, on top of all she does to run her home, business and loving & giving her best to her family as her first priority! You’re right, Derek, Laura is a super hero!
Kelly, helping great women such as yourself is my way of giving back as well. I am grateful to have your encouraging words and prayers on days that I feel like I can’t do one more thing or change one more diaper. Although I’ve never met you, I am grateful to have you in my life.
Laura I love how passionate and resilient you’ve been with MOMables. As a dad I can say you’re simply amazing.
My week has been 3am, 2am, 4am and last night 4am to finally launch (to a private group).
Nursing a business takes as many sleepless nights as those first 6 magical months with a new born 😉
P.S it feels incredible to make sales while you sleep (when you finally make it to bed that is!). I made 3 last night … I’ve been dreaming of this day for over 5 years.
Thank you Chris! Once I realized it was my mission and purpose to help others through my talents.. the pieces “fit” better. I now wake up every day excited to create, share and help others. It’s not easy – Like yourself, I’ve spent many sleepless nights trying to “get it all done”… even if the list never seems to get shorter. A lot of coffee helps… 🙂 Congratulations on your new launch!
I’m inspired every day by Laura – this article just adds to that.
A great woman, mother, and mentor. I’m a better person for knowing her!
Her passion shines through in all she does – her care for her family, her mission, and even for those surrounding her.
I actually love the fact that Laura combined entrepreneurship with a high impact cause – the basic right of children to have healthy food at school. So many parents (and shockingly) teachers I have seen are complacent in knowing how food has an exponential impact on future mental and physical development of our kids. There is no reason whatsoever a parent is too busy to give the right foods to children and stop school staff from their convenience of feeding pizzas and nuggets. Thanks Derek for the article and Laura for doing what you do. Going to check out the B-school as well. Best.
Corey, I am able to juggle because I have people like you in my team! Thank you for all that you do and being my helpful hand thousands of miles away!
Love this Derek! Laura is an inspiration to us all. Her passion and drive compares to no other and she has built MOMables into an amazing business. I have no idea how she juggles it all!
My kids are both up and grown 🙁 but I am really excited to read a success story of a mom with little ones. To know that she is responsible for a new up and coming generation to be eating so heathfully–and having fun while doing it, warms my heart. I’m sure MomAbles will continue to be a smashing success! 😉
Thank you so much for your encouraging words Penelope!
Times have changed. When my grandparents were married in 1931, my grandmother gave up her job. My grandfather was the provider and if his wife had to work it meant that he was not fulfilling that role. For his wife to have to work was something shameful in that community. The sort of job my grandfather did no longer exists.
Today it is reversed. The shame rests on the woman who does not add to the income of the household. Thankfully now it is so much easier to work from home. It is possible to have it all if you do it right. Many of my grandmother’s generation would have been grateful for the opportunities the internet now gives women.
Susan, I was raised by my grandparents in Spain… I know exactly the generation you are talking about. I am grateful that my grandmother had the “homemaker” skills… she has taught me everything I know around the kitchen. Making things from scratch is the way things were back then… the way I try to let them be in my family. My hopes is to inspire and teach my generation of parents (mostly mothers) some of those skills again… through making fresh school lunches. School lunches, after all, are 1/3 of the food our children consume in their diets. In my menus I teach parents basic kitchen skills (making rice, pasta, salads, soups…). My husband was never pushy about me going out to make money; quite the contrary, he was supportive when I quit my corporate job even when I made more money than he did at the time and encouraging when I ran the crazy idea of planning school lunches. I feel bad for those who feel shamed to stay home and raise families, there isn’t a more honorable job out there than raising little humans. I am sure your grandmother would be proud that you yourself are on the internet, seeking out information and gaining helpful knowledge for yourself 🙂
Strange I was just reading the other day that Spaniards are struggling more today because they have lost the art of survival during hard times. There is a real need for people to teach updated versions of old skills using modern technology. Many have not had the chance to learn the skills our grandparents took for granted and need help to do so to protect and help their families.
Here in the UK we are in week 5 of a food scandal revolving around prepared meals that were supposed to contain beef but in reality contained horse meat or even pork. A serious breach of trust has occurred as retailers have pushed suppliers to keep costs down despite inflation. Some of the products that have been proved to contain a different kind of meat than expected has been used in school meals. No one knows if they have fed their children beefburgers or horseburgers. Those of us who rarely if ever buy such products are breathing a sigh of relief but others are worried about what they and their families have actually been eating.
Those are two good reasons why sites like yours are desperately needed. Keep up the good work.
Derek, to say I was excited when you mentioned that you would start featuring others on your email is an understatement; to know that my dear friend Laura Fuentes was the first one, sweet!
God works in misterious ways for sure. Before getting the ST email, I was just finishing Marie’s videos and debating if I should use my professional development budget for B-School or for a couple of conferences. Your story gave me the push!
Yoly, I am so honored to have met you in person at the conference back in August ’12! I think you are on to some great things… and so glad my story helped you! I was surprised to get your message -of course I didn’t know you followed ST or Marie- so I am more than thrilled to say that overly used phrase.. “it’s a small world!”
Derek,
Thank you for posting this inspirational story. It is nice to see blogging experts, such as yourself, focus on ‘us – mommy bloggers.’ I stepped away from the corporate environment to focus on my children and work from home several years ago, now finding my passion in the blogging realm. Your posts are an inspiration to me – especially this one.
Thank you Brenda for taking the time to leave a comment! I am a big encourager of “mommy bloggers”. The stories are often untold and yet we have the ability to reach so many! Here is to the success of your blog and health of your family 🙂
Thank you, Derek! (And, Laura!) I am a stay at home/farm mom who began my online business when I was pregnant with my 4th child. So, of course I appreciate any inspiring story about a stay at home mom achieving success in her business – but more importantly I appreciate the down to earth tips for obtaining that success. All the inspiration in the world is worth nothing if I don’t have direction. Thank you, both Derek and Laura, for being real with us! (And, I’ve been LOVING Marie’s videos, btw.)
Alexandra, I love that you have a home/farm business! It shows that we all have our individual strengths and passions… it’s what we do with them that matters! I hope to one day add more little lunchers to our family.. but for now… I am trying to keep it together the best I can -which isn’t close to perfect most days.
I loved hearing Laura’s story today! I submitted my scholarship video for B-School yesterday and I am really pushing on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. As scary as it would be to make this investment just months before my first baby is born (due May 11). I don’t want to wait a year for the next time around. My product (moneymakingmakeupartist.com) is something I just started last fall and it is an online resource and coaching program for people starting their own freelance stylist/makeup artist businesses. I have done it 4 times in 4 states and I am now super passionate about helping others do the same. But you are right, I have a great resource that people need but I don’t know how to turn it into a business to help people while I stay home with my baby.
Emily, I hope you get the scholarship! I remember submitting my own scholarship video -it was nerve wracking! I even talked myself out of my final decision that I would sign up win or loose. In the end, my husband encouraged me and reminded me that I spent over 40K for my MBA… so that was his quote. 🙂
Derek, I’m so glad you chose to profile a mummy business. Some people think that mummy businesses aren’t serious because we women pursue flexibility to balance childcare and business. So thank you for this feature.
Also you got it spot on – nap time is serious supermummy time. Emails and phone calls need to be made before the little boss wakes!
Thank you Griselda! I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am for the opportunity to share my story. Here is to lots of supermummy time!
Great post, Derek.
A lot of times the idea of a woman quitting her job to have a family is really unpopular – but it was obviously important to Laura. It is very cool that she was also able to start an online business so that she could have the best of both worlds.
Marie’s training sounds really cool. Is it weird that I’m a man and secretly want to go to B-School?
Michael, go for it! The guys in the group are like superstars. As long as you don’t mind being surrounded (and supported) by smart, interesting, ambitious women, you’ll be just fine. 🙂
Michael, do BSchool. It’s not just for women. Well, Derek is “in” it… that should tell you something.
In all seriousness, it is worth it. Men in it or not, you need to do what is best for you and if you like the way Marie presents the content… well, that makes a huge difference. I wish you tremendous success.
Great post, anytime you drop Marie’s name I’ll read it thoroughly! Her Q&A Tuesday is how I found you and social triggers 🙂
None of this is surprising. I have worked with Laura for over a year and she is truly an inspiration. The coolest, most down to earth Chica who knows her stuff. I have adopted her as my sister from the very beginning. She is a GREAT!!!!!!
Thank you Eileen! I’m grateful to have you in my support network and now in the MOMables team!
It’s not easy juggling it all, and building momentum for any business, let alone when you are the primary caregiver for your family.
What’s amazing to me most of all, as a working Mom, is the level of flexibility that exists with an online business. Saving time and being able to work flexible hours has made all the difference in the world. Plus, I LOVE what I do, and I GET to do it, and still juggle family duties. Katherine Hepburn said you can’t have it all when talking about women and careers. If she were around today, she could have it all. It might be hard at times, but the possibilities and opportunities DO exist now.
So thrilled for Laura Fuentes, and as a charter Blog That Converts member, and B-Schooler, it is so empowering to see others reach their business dreams.
And equally exciting to know that there are so many incredible opportunities ahead for BOTH men and women to create online businesses from home- an idea that really wasn’t possible such a short time ago.
Derek,
You really inspired me with this story.
Thank you for the major conficence boosts that:
– It is more than possible to grow a business and family as a woman entreprenuer.
and
– BSchool rocks. I am planning on joining this round to figure out some direction for my budding event planning business.
I found you through Marie and you both are changing the world in BIG WAYS. Many thanks.
Nicholle- I wish you the best and huge success to your event planning business! You will love BSchool…. and I know it will help you reset your sense of purpose and set you in the direction you want to go. I firmly believe you CAN build a business and be “present” for your family. Nobody says it’s easy… but it is possible. Here is to you landing on the stars!
I certainly hope Marie is on her way to becoming far more than Oprah.
It is hard to realize I have tons of content and could be where Laura is, except for not knowing what to do. I want to know what to do, if it is humanly possible for me to do it, at my age. Sorry it is so scary to me.
Hi Katharine! You can achieve anything you want at any age. I really believe that! At 23 I had my MBA, spoke 4 languages and couldn’t get a “job” because I had no experience! I was scared to do something “different” than what I had studied… I learned to trust that “I am enough” and go from there. You have great content, you have the desire to do something with it… all you have to do is do it. If you don’t think you can do it “alone” at first, seek out one or two accountability partners who will help you through the tough times. I know this has been very helpful and continues to help me and my business. You CAN do it! Here is to no regrets!
This was such an inspirational read! Thank you Darek!
As a mom of 2, I also left my career in accounting (I didn’t enjoy it anyway) to be home with my babies and started a business last year. It is hard, especially if you don’t have a strong support system. But when you are passionate about what you do, there is nothing stopping you! I stay up till 2am every night working on my business. It takes time and dedication to go after what you believe in!
I am SO excited for B-School and know that it will be a game changer for me and my business!!
Thank you again for your amazing content!
Xo
Vicky
Hi Vicky! Congrats on the launch of your new business! I am thrilled that you will be taking BSchool and learning how to propel your business in the direction you want to take! Here is to you, your dedication and your success!
Great great great.
Marie is a real deal. Watched her free videos last time she launched this program and they are full of great content – Aint a mom nor near to be a dad but Marie’s video helped my internet business.
Sheyi
Awesome profile Derek! As a mama of 3 year old twins (& expecting my third literally any day now), it’s SO IMPORTANT to find women to connect with who are blazing this new path. There is an awesome community of BSchool Mamas who are truly up to amazing things – it’s one of the untold perks of the program.
Laura you have a great story that can inspire other moms. Thanks Derek for sharing
Thank you for this inspiring story, and way to go Laura. I relate to so much of the story. I opened my brick and mortar business eight years ago one month before having my first child. It was hell and heaven at the same time. Now I just had my second two months ago, and working hard on launching a blog and online services to reach farther than our geographical area, and serve more people. There are days when I look at my colicky baby who is crying her heart out, and all I can do is hold her. I feel stressed and so helpless both for her and for the work I have to do. This story was like strong short of uber-boosting energy. I needed this! Thank you Derek! And than you Laura! Now I better go subscribe to your site, God knows I need help planning my lunches. Every day I sit and stare at the fridge. I have a feeling that’s about to end.
Hi Natalia! I know exactly what you are going through. Hang in there! I launched MOMables when I was 6months pregnant with my 3rd child (can you say SURPRISE!) because I knew it was my purpose to help other parents feed their family healthy foods.
I too have had many (still do) stressful moments while nursing my baby and trying to reply to “run the business from my iphone” and days of “zero business productivity” because well… I had a colicky baby or a sick child at home. As the baby gets older it will get better… and thankfully, developing our businesses online doesn’t have to be done between the 8-5 business hours. I still panic and feel restless at 2 and 3am many nights… but this is growing pains and the unease of navigating through new waters. Here is to your success and ability to stay sane. Remember that you can do everything… just not all of it at once. 🙂
Great story Derek. There are also some lessons here that I learned from your class:)
Thanks for this story Derek, very inspiring indeed. I myself am a work from home mom entrepreneur (French wedding blog) with 3 kids and pregnant with my 4th.
I find it’s an everyday battle to stay sane while doing SO many things every day, getting so little sleep (especially now at 7 months pregnant). But I love what I do and I love my kids, so I wouldn’t have it any other way ! 🙂
I love Marie’s videos, very useful (found her through you, so thanks for that too 🙂 !
Anne, being a mompreneur can be a lonely job and one that is very difficult to manage at times. I am so glad that you love what you do! You are setting a great example for your children, so hang through the tough times. Kuddos to you for doing both. I wish your website huge success!
This is such an exciting case study, and I am a firm believer in the power of women starting businesses that change lives. And B-school is most likely responsible for more shifts in women’s businesses than anything else out there.
Exciting!
Woo hoo! Moms are the best at multi-tasking, creating “something out of nothing” and following their passion to profit!
Kudos to Laura and all of the other WAHMs who have become BRAVE and taken that first step. Fear is, sadly, what holds most people back. I know because I have struggled with it, and while it isn’t totally gone (for most of us even), I know that holding onto it will never take me where I want to go!
So happy to have been working from home for over 19 years, never had my kids in daycare and was also VERY passionate about school lunches and the garbage served out of the box, these days!
Took Marie’s virtual class about 3 years ago and it really helped me with some areas where I struggled!
Thanks for the GREAT review.
Very inspiring indeed:) As a fellow B-schooler and super mom who burns the midnight oil building my dreams, I sooo relate and love how Laura shows us what is possible! Great post, Derek:)
Thank you Deana! Here is to you and your success!
What an inspiring story Derek! Congrats to Laura and I agree that having a good idea is not enough but marketing and promoting it is the best way to achieve results. Laura’s business is greatly appreciated when we know that obesity became an epidemic not a concern and kids obesity is increasing with 1 out of 3 kids is diagnosed with diabetes. I work in the health and wellness / nutrition industry and teach people good healthy lifestyles through eating healthier, supplementation and working out.
I also left my corporate career to stay home with my kids =)
Thanks for sharing ~ Niveen
Hi Niveen! I am so glad that you too work in health/wellness/nutrition! It’s so important to have more of us being advocates for health! Here is to you and your decision to raise your children!
What an inspiring post! And, just what I needed to hear! 😉
I am definitely struggling with how my passion and business can truly work online. I am a Mom who wants more time with my Little Man, and still contribute to my family’s bottom line… thank you again for the inspiration, I’ll check out the videos and look forward to hear about the “sweet deal”!
Love Laura’s story. Thanks for sharing it Derek! So many people feel that becoming a successful online entrepreneur is out of their reach but it is stories like this one that will inspire many to act!
Stop thinking! Start doing!
Derek – great profile and post. Laura, like many of us, have a purpose and motivation that goes much deeper than simply making a dollar.
For me, I walked away from a 200K+ job because I wanted to design a life that allowed me to spend as much time as possible with my daughter. She was 5 then and just turned 16, last November. After more than a decade, this path was certainly the “road less traveled” and it indeed made all the difference.
Thanks for all the great, actionable data you share…keep it up!
Laura’s story is one of those mom stories that gets everyone inspired to go ahead and do what you love doing. I’d definitely also wish to hear a Dad story that begins like Kevin’s walking away from a corporate job because of different priorities.
More than happy to share my story.
Glad you enjoyed it Kevin!
Hi Kevin! Thank you so much for seeing that my purpose drives me to succeed much more so that making a dollar. I see that you too, walked away from what society considers “successful” yet I am 100%sure that you wouldn’t trade some of the sacrifices for lost time. I am happy to see that fathers can make these sort of decisions and put their children first.
This is truly inspirational for us moms out there. I just have one kid, so it’s great to know that women with many kids can go out there have successful businesses and still put family first. No excuses. Awesome.
Also… Laura and Derek, thanks for introducing me to BSchool!
I wrote my reply above before I had a chance to watch the videos from Marie, but now that I’ve seen them, I’m totally psyched about it and the possibilities.
That’s right. Laura is definitely a model for success!
Thank you Maia! You are right, I have a “no excuses” type of personality. Whether you have one kid or three, it doesn’t make it any more/less difficult to juggle it all. Here is to your success!
LOVE Laura! Great person to feature and inspire! Proud to call her a friend. She is proof that if you want it bad enough, there is a way. She has helped me so much with her advice and guidance.
Love to hear this, and thanks for stopping by Isra!
Proud to be another work from home + mama that was inspired and learned from Marie too! Thanks for covering Laura’s story Derek!
Thank you Erin!
Your story will be told soon too 😀
Derek, I LOVE that you’ve profiled Laura, one of my good friends and business colleagues today! You’ve completely captured her passion for healthy lunch-packing, as well as her unstoppable drive to help others feed their kids nutritiously, without a lot of fuss. But it’s clear, from Laura’s success, that without the business smarts and social media skills she’s learned and implemented, it would be hard to spread that passionate voice.
So grateful to you Derek, for all the insanely helpful content you regularly share. Your invaluable advice keeps all of us in the know and moving forward with our businesses. Thank you!
You’re welcome Kelly!
When she told me you two were friends, that was a pleasant surprise! She also let me know that you let her know about this site to begin with. So thanks for that1!
A while back, your generous advice about how to redesign my home page was so appreciated Derek… I immediately told Laura how helpful and knowledgeable you are… and I hope I don’t embarrass her (and you) when I tell you that you’ve got us both a bit smitten 🙂