December 9th 2018….
1,056 days ago I launched this little blog with a huge goal. It was a goal I knew would take a lot of work to accomplish; early mornings, late nights, and weekends.
This unwavering goal kept me motivated to work hard on my blog even when I became pregnant for a third time and my energy was drained. With this one singular focused goal, I remained committed to serving my readers with the best possible content I could create.
It’s been 1,056 days since I’ve launched this blog. And tomorrow will be the day that I hit my ultimate blogging goal.
My husband will retire from his corporate job and come home.
Why Did I Want to Retire My Husband So Early
If you’re interested, here is a bit of our backstory before I get into the tips of how I retired my husband so early….
John and I met while both studying to become Industrial Engineers. We spent our days studying in the library and coding computer programs until 4:00 AM.
We were always working on projects together and nerding out over Chick Fil A lunches.
He’s not only the guy I absolutely adore, he’s also my best friend, my muse and my motivator. Once we graduated, we both joined the OMLP program at GE Healthcare.
Again, we were working side by side optimizing processes on the manufacturing floor. A few short years later, John received an offer at a great company close to home. I remained with GE Healthcare as a remote worker and was able to move with John to Florida.
I cried the day he left GE. It mean’t we were no longer working side by side. He would leave for 10+ hours a day and I’d only see him for a few minutes in the morning and then again at night. I missed him dreadfully.
Then our family grew. We became pregnant with our first sweet little girl. After returning to my remote job post maternity leave, I missed my little princess so much, I quit to become a stay at home mom.
Now princess and I were home all day, which was lovely, but I missed John. And going from a high energy corporate job to becoming a stay at home mom was a jolt for me. I craved the challenge and mental stimulation of having a career.
I turned to multiple different work from home methods. Trading stocks, direct sales, and blogging. The last one stuck.
After a few months I was making money with my blog and getting good traffic.
My friends started to ask me what I was doing and how they could do it too. So I started teaching them.
They started making money too! By gollly, this was working!
A few months later, I launched this blog to help other moms build successful blogs too. My confidence came back as I helped more and more moms start their blogs.
And now, almost three years later, I have 40,205 students in my courses. I am beyond blessed to have reached these goals.
I hoped I would hit my goal sometime, I saw other women do it, but I had no idea it would happen so quickly.
Tomorrow my husband will put in his two week’s notice. He’ll come home and blog alongside me. He’s my main supporter and helps me with the finances and research behind my blog. But he also has his own blog he’ll run.
After being apart for five years, he’ll come back and we’ll work together again.
This won’t be your typical retirement of sitting on a beach and drinking mojitos. We’ll be working harder than ever to grow our businesses and be full time parents to our three beautiful little kids.
You can expect HUGE things to come! For the first time since launching this blog, I’ll have a consistent schedule. As two Industrial Engineers, we look forward to standardizing our days so that we’re maximizing our parenting and working time.
We’ll have morning coffee and be able to take the kids to the park together. John won’t sit in rush hour traffic or commute for two hours each day.
We’ll be able to live in “off peak” hours and take a long weekend anytime. We may end up working more, but we’ll be working when we want, on what we want and where we want. And our children will grow up with their dad home. He’ll be at every school event and every sports practice.
We’ll be truly living our dream.
Here is our Live announcement sharing our amazing news.
Video Transcript
hi everybody this is I’m Suzy and I’m |
John and we’re here tonight to share |
some amazing really cool news of you |
guys um we are gonna not tell you |
exactly right now cuz suspense we’re |
gonna wait for a couple people to sign |
on you know at least five oh we could at |
least have an audience before we say |
anything |
hi Johnny how you doing hi Cullen hey |
guys hey um hi Ben so let’s start off |
the conversation with kind of what your |
blogging goals are what’s your ultimate |
blogging goal what do you want to see |
off your blog one day because I have |
I’ve reached mine and that doesn’t mean |
I’m gonna stop now like you know I have |
to keep doing this there are more goals |
to come more goals but tell me in the |
comments like if your blog was making |
10k 20k 30k and months what is your goal |
what would you like what’s your |
motivator and it might not be 10k 30k |
whatever your specific you know number |
is or goal is leave that in the comments |
we’d love to you love to see it |
awesome so um let’s see kind of what are |
you guys hi Roxanne hi Christine yes we |
are lovebirds and so sad I broke Brookes |
my fitness mommy |
hey Brooke I’m Bethany hi Lisa |
and Brookes pregnant what baby to be |
able to leave my full-time job Julie |
awesome hmm interesting |
Julie hi Donna hi sandy sandy wrote |
Cindy a picture frame yeah I know sandy |
yeah you’re awesome and that’s an |
awesome goal yeah are we streaming are |
we still good let us know if we’re still |
on okay we’re back sorry about that guys |
that’s not as his facebook billet love |
hi Heather |
love boards Heather said our alarm to |
come and watch us Thank You Heather hi |
Vicki |
awesome three thousand months spend more |
time with my horses awesome my mom has |
like five mules right now she used to |
ride horses but she switched over to |
mules which is cool that’s awesome those |
are cool to make |
to cover a mortgage and possibly run a |
business from home with my husband |
marriage related stuff that is an |
awesome niche we need more help I’m |
watching this is so cool 16 months to |
quit my job and stay at home with Rachel |
I believe in you you can do it hi ELISA |
hi Melissa |
Melissa’s from college awesome it was |
our neighbor okay cool we got lots of |
amazing people we have a 130 people on |
yeah nice all right so keep leaving |
comments we are going to answer your |
questions any questions that you guys |
have for us at the end so go ahead and |
leave your questions in the comments |
because we’ll just go from top down um |
alright so I’ll start kind of with our |
story where it all started give you a |
little bit of my viewpoint and then John |
will go into and tell his viewpoint from |
the story and how he saw it from like |
the husband perspective alright so where |
shall I begin I was born in South Africa |
but that’s it I’m wearing the merch yep |
um so we both studied together in |
college we both studied to be industrial |
engineers loved loved it and that’s how |
John and I kind of fell in love was |
coding and working on projects and |
always being together super romantic |
yes super oh man she was actually my |
teaching assistant so there’s a little |
taboo there was pretty awesome and he |
had a motorcycle so um so we we’ve |
always been together working on things |
we’ve always had a great relationship |
kind of problem solving issues so we did |
college together we both graduated and |
started working for the OU moppy program |
at GE healthcare so it’s a really |
prestigious program it’s amazing it was |
a lot of fun and had different rotations |
that we had to go through so we were in |
Wisconsin in New Jersey in South |
Carolina but we were always together and |
working on different projects like kind |
of leaning out the manufacturing floor |
so then John got a job opportunity in |
Florida which was closer to home and we |
left GE I was still working remotely for |
them and we moved down to floor |
and we separated paths he went to a |
different corporate job and I stayed at |
home working remotely for GE and then |
when we became pregnant with our first |
little beautiful blessing |
I took my eternity leave I try to go |
back to work it just wasn’t working so I |
quit and I became a stay-at-home mom I |
think he lasted like one week three days |
I rounded up for you it was not working |
no it was it was hard it was really hard |
um so I quit and I can’t stay at home |
mom but then you deal with this struggle |
of hey I just came from a |
high-visibility corporate job and now |
I’m a stay-at-home mom so it’s like it’s |
like full stop like hitting a wall like |
who this is a new life and that kind of |
jolted me a little bit I wanted an |
outlet for my creative energy I wanted |
to connect with other adults love my |
baby but I still had I was lonely and |
that that happens to a lot of |
stay-at-home moms we get lonely it’s |
like what are we doing |
um so I started dabbling in different |
types of things to keep myself busy I |
really got close to Jim Cramer she |
thought should be the next Warren |
Buffett so funny |
I would time the market and I would buy |
stocks right before earning report came |
out roll the dice it was terrible so I |
gave up on stocks not my forte I tried |
different things |
I tried direct sales tried Etsy try all |
kinds of crafts I finally stumbled upon |
blogging and because of my tech |
background and teaching how to create |
websites I’m like well this is natural |
so I started blogging started doing well |
with that but it was a small niche side |
for Catholic parenting so then my |
friends started asking me like what’s |
going on what are you doing how are you |
making money and then start a mom blog |
was launched just over a thousand days |
ago so a thousand and fifty seven days |
ago start a mom vlog was launched so I |
worked on it so much this was not like |
one hour a day it was like all the free |
time I had late at night early in the |
morning when the baby slept when |
ever I could I would work on the blog so |
I’m not we’re not here to tell you guys |
this is easy it’s a lot of work but it’s |
worth it but also it didn’t feel like |
you’re going to clock into a job and you |
were like suffering this became your |
hobby like you you wanted to go and have |
some quiet time to go work out yeah as |
well exactly it was my way to like |
connect with other moms and talk about |
something not just diapers which it was |
lovely but you know like it’s nice to |
have a creative outlet |
um so working on the blog grew it to a |
huge business now a thousand days later |
three almost three years later we have |
40,000 students in our courses and many |
of you guys watching this are in the |
courses so thank you we really |
appreciate your support you guys um and |
then finally today I hit my ultimate |
blogging goal so I’m not gonna say what |
it is because John’s gonna reveal that |
so I think that you guys might already |
have an idea and I’m looking at |
Christine Bessel’s comment here of goals |
to retire her husband so I am announcing |
my retirement so I have been in |
corporate America since 2011 and even |
earlier than that with internships and |
things like that in school and it was |
awesome like I for the first several |
years my professional life I got my self |
actualization like I got my identity |
from corporate life I was the guy in |
front of the boardroom I was the guy |
oftentimes pitching to the executives |
and leading teams and doing all this and |
it became a big part of me and like Suzy |
said when she switched and we kind of |
diverted paths and she went to the you |
know that working from home and then the |
stay-at-home side you know so much of |
our relationship was built on each other |
and kind of intellectually challenging |
and intellectually like moving each |
other forward and helping each other |
solve problems and we lost a little bit |
of that when that happened yeah I cried |
the day that you left and we split parts |
yeah it’s true and and when I I had a |
little bit of paternity leave but when I |
went back to work and I would come home |
and the conversations were so differ |
you know I would try to talk about what |
happened in a meeting but all that would |
be lost you know it’s just different |
when you have that ones and corporate |
ones in the house and I know you guys |
all understand that so yeah I I started |
to help Suzy primarily just from giving |
her that moral support knowing that it |
was a long road ahead and not knowing |
you know and you all are going through |
that right like not knowing is this |
gonna work out will you last but |
ultimately you find what drives you and |
Suzy has that techy side I have it as |
well and so we love helping people learn |
things that most people don’t like to |
learn like the you know some of the |
email marketing all the platforms are |
really complicated we just for whatever |
reason we like learning all that stuff |
so I helped her out primarily with moral |
support help him with the kids you know |
whenever she would say hey I want to do |
this Facebook live thing we when she was |
first starting out yeah I would |
sometimes take off early from work a |
little bit and come home watch the kids |
let her go upstairs and just we made it |
work |
you would also sit all this up like this |
now before we came live I’m like I don’t |
think the mics working like there’s no |
green bar and then John would help me so |
he’s like pretty much the big brains |
behind it |
I am the support and the IT for start-up |
on blog it’s much better than the IT |
company that I work with from 9:00 to |
5:00 so yeah this morning well really I |
guess a few weeks ago we kind of really |
made our resolution that enough was |
enough we started to feel that you know |
this business is going so well and all |
you need is the time and the capacity |
and the ability to actually serve your |
audience more consistently so we made |
the decision so I put in my two weeks |
this morning it was the craziest thing |
I’ve had to do is the second time I put |
in my two weeks notice but this one was |
so much more difficult because we’re |
diving into the unknown yeah but this |
has been going on for three years and we |
get more passionate about it every day |
I’m excited for the future so what is |
next Suzy so what is neck so it’s um if |
you guys think of the word retirement |
it’s not like we’re gonna go sit on the |
beach and do nothing the work actually |
starts now because scary as it is like |
now |
our income and our livelihood is |
dependent on us I got to make sure that |
I wake up and write a blog post and and |
serve you guys so that’s like the scary |
and the exciting part like we’re now in |
control of our destiny um so golly where |
I was going yes okay so yes we’re gonna |
work like Hoover hard because now we’re |
both industrial engineers we have this |
entire plan that we’re gonna like plan |
at our day hour by hour who has the kids |
and who’s working on the blog who’s |
making dinner and who’s doing laundry |
you should see our spreadsheets and |
who’s cleaning the kitchen but it’s |
gonna be this amazing and laundry well |
hop is amazing just like we’ll build the |
life together and it’s it’s this very |
scary thing to give up that stability in |
that second income and to truly like |
focus on what’s most important for us I |
want to spend time with John and with |
the kids and we have an opportunity to |
do that with having an online business |
so that’s what’s in the future and then |
that also means like now that John’s |
gonna be here to help me like I could do |
so much more like over the last three |
years I’ve never had a consistent |
schedule of creating content or going |
live like you guys know like I’m like |
yeah I’m gonna be live on Thursday and |
like where Susie where she’s not here |
so sometimes I haven’t been consistent |
because it’s really hard to find |
consistent help but now I do have |
consistent help so consistency |
yeah okay um so yeah you guys can expect |
so much more in 2019 for the readers and |
the students of the star tomorrow all |
courses and blog it’s gonna be insane |
it’s gonna be I’ve so many ideas and |
I’ll have a consistent schedule okay |
yeah super happy and you what’s your |
plans so it really all the things start |
to align as we were getting more serious |
about quitting |
you actually got an email from somebody |
we don’t even know how we were on this |
email list and there was a website that |
popped up for sale and it was kind of it |
was it was cold I mean it |
been contributed to in a couple of years |
it didn’t have a big email list or |
anything but it had the the similar |
topic of what I’m interested in and it |
had enough age and authority that you |
know it’s been around since 2014 so we |
made a purchase kind of instead of |
starting from scratch and kind of |
working which that I was prepared to do |
but this opportunity popped in so we |
scooped it up a little bit and I’ve been |
in the process of remodeling it so it’s |
called income mesh I didn’t pick the |
name I wasn’t the biggest fan of the |
name but it’s it helps people find the |
right tools when they’re going into |
online businesses it helps them |
understand their email marketing |
platforms it helps them pick out the |
best themes and all those cool things |
that most people are like and yeah for |
whatever reason I enjoy testing them all |
out learning the ins and outs and then |
teaching others about them so you like |
breaking sites I do and testing tools |
all the time but now it’s part of my |
niche so like it’s allowed all the |
converted kids and all the Divis and all |
the themes and that’s actually another |
benefit for you guys is as Susie’s |
students and just friends and buddies |
you know Susie has the tools that work |
for her and she can recommend those in |
teach you the ins and outs but you know |
everybody has a different spectrum a |
different thing that works for them and |
if there’s something that I see that |
really would work for different |
audiences of different segments of where |
they’re at I can kind of help out and |
help where I can and make sure that we |
give you not only what’s work for us but |
what might work for you and where you’re |
at in that particular spot the right |
tools that’s awesome yeah so one thing |
that I know my mommy struggle with and |
we’ll get into questions right away is |
do you guys have I know I’m extremely |
lucky I’m very happy to have a very |
supportive partner somebody like John |
who’s like always there to bounce ideas |
off of and even in the beginning when I |
was blogging for months and it wasn’t |
doing anything and I was just spending |
money and not making any money like he |
was still supportive do you guys have |
supportive husbands or support a friend |
and if not how can they get theirs |
to get on board and help them be |
supportive of their logging so from my |
side I think because I had a long |
commute I was commuting over an hour to |
and from work each day and so I listened |
to a lot of podcasts and I think we I |
kind of had the idea about you starting |
a blog because I knew about her |
technical background so I maybe kind of |
outside of that mold where maybe the the |
wife finds it herself and then I was |
trying to convince the husband so you |
know take this for what it’s worth but I |
found a ton of benefits when Susie |
started blogging that even if it didn’t |
kind of pan out or become a huge |
profitable niche it was still a great |
thing for you like for example you got a |
lot of your value as well as a person |
from being you know in the meeting rooms |
kind of being that professional leader |
she was better at corporate America and |
I was like from the get-go and so when |
you lost that I saw like a little part |
of you kind of go away and and a little |
bit that spark in your eyes like because |
I would start to actually notice because |
as I was rising up in my company you |
know there was just that little bit of |
you know sadness from your side that you |
didn’t have that going as well because |
you knew you’d be in the same spot so |
for one as from the guys perspective you |
know you’re our goal as men is to |
support and love and cherish our wives |
right and so when I saw her kind of |
feeling know where that come from so |
when I saw you lose a little bit that |
mojo I was like okay even if it’s not a |
profit Center like even it is not if |
it’s just a hobby that you know cost |
some money but not a lot of money you’re |
not shopping at Target as much if you |
have a hobby that you love and so like |
my goal was to help you be happy because |
I was understanding that motherhood is a |
wonderful journey right but journeys all |
have ups and downs and you needed |
something that when the kids weren’t |
being fantastic you had something that |
you could always kind of dwell on and |
think about and go to your happy place |
so for me that was easy to support you |
but I understand that not every in that |
same situation so you can use our story |
as an example of I think we’re kind of a |
success story right now but also just |
showing that when you have that common |
goal and you’re working toward something |
you guys cannot be the enemy like when |
you have a common enemy |
which what |
Corporate America or anything like that |
it helps people band together sometimes |
the kids but you know that’s gotta love |
these things yeah so I mean if you’re in |
the position of you know maybe not |
having a supportive husband let me think |
about why that is I think sometimes I’ll |
share something that I haven’t shared |
with many people okay so when Susie |
started you know she was spending a |
little bit of money but she wasn’t |
making any money and then she started to |
feel happy because she was actually |
making an impact on other people’s lives |
still not making money but when she |
started to earn like and the growth |
started and she started to almost double |
her income every month you know from |
five dollars at ten there from ten to 20 |
but eventually got to where is from five |
hundred to a thousand and when that |
happened I was like oh my gosh like me |
as in a man like you know you think |
you’re the breadwinner and then you |
start to see your wife catch up to you |
while spending more time with the kids |
so there there could be that insecurity |
that the guys go through about well if |
she starts something now she can also |
beat me at my own game or whatever the |
case may be it’s not right you know it’s |
just probably one of those old-school |
things that are built into us probably |
from the you know our parents generation |
but you just have to have that |
conversation and know that there’s |
always that I named at the team dynamic |
I mean she can’t do what she’s doing |
about me I can’t do what I’m doing about |
her and to know that it doesn’t matter |
where where the minds coming from I mean |
it’s coming for the goodness of your |
family and your community around you so |
that’s that’s my thought about it I love |
it good yes all right cool I don’t have |
answered the question right |
yet all the questions all right guys |
let’s go into what you guys have for us |
oh man okay so we’ll just go sometimes |
it drops off the feed so we’re just |
gonna go from what we are here only 184 |
comments it should be easy you guys are |
such an inspiration thank you Christina |
Thank You Lynette hey Linda |
20:19 that’s right my sister’s here |
thank you sissy um hi Jennifer yeah |
Jennifer so John quit his job |
[Laughter] |
big announcement Julie says can’t wait |
for 2019 cool you’ll definitely get |
there |
Thank You Christine you’re such an |
inspiration I follow your footsteps |
someday okay cool let me know if you see |
hi Lizzy also oh yeah our volunteer |
moderators okay let’s see if we get any |
more okay yeah Alexia definitely okay |
cool cool I understand and this is what |
is different to not everybody has the |
goal of retiring their husband some |
bloggers are super successful |
like I know bloggers that make millions |
of dollars per year and their husband |
still loves his job and that’s just what |
works for them so I’m not saying that |
this is the goal for everybody this was |
just our goal so do what works for your |
family and what works for your dynamics |
too because we can be honest like we |
tried we tried having a nanny for a |
while we are members of the YMCA and so |
we’ll use the kids own and other things |
but we needed that consistency with that |
we could trust you know day in day out |
you know no calling him sick from being |
a dad so it would that’s what we needed |
to take our business forward as well |
awesome |
everybody’s like they have supportive |
husbands that’s awesome for you guys |
okay cool |
I love this I love that you guys have |
good husbands okay no he says no no my |
husband is here but until I make an |
income his mind isn’t with it Vicky |
Vicky husband mr. ute you give me his |
phone number Vicky Oh call me right now |
okay love a jet Oh Oh Amy |
Oh Amy well we’ll have like a a man |
Facebook group where John can like talk |
to all these men because we are so |
social they’re like three people no |
comments |
Linda so if you if you’re single and you |
have no outside support um see my mom |
was one of my big supporters in the |
beginning she also has a bigger Facebook |
friend following than I do |
she’s a social butterfly she’s awesome |
so whenever she would share my blog post |
I would get like a hundred two hundred |
page views and like whoa this is awesome |
so like I wouldn’t ask her too much |
because |
she would like once a week share my |
stuff so maybe ask your family member |
ask a friend or what you could do find |
bigger Facebook groups where then in the |
Facebook group you’ll start mingling |
you’ll start answering some questions |
and then see to three or four other |
bloggers that are in that group and make |
a small mastermind group if you don’t |
have the support from somebody directly |
in your household see if you can make a |
small Facebook mastermind group four or |
five people maximum nothing bigger |
because then it kind of people lose |
their momentum but that really helped me |
in the beginning to like having small |
groups and I’m still friends with people |
that were in my small groups in the |
beginning other advice I could give on |
that part because I I haven’t been there |
but I know from like the corporate side |
as well in the beginning like it’s |
natural for us to try to think about the |
results as being the thing that makes us |
feel good but for the first year |
like give yourself a year to like and |
the way I’m thinking about is I’m giving |
myself two years and I’m considering |
like I’m leaving my job to go back to |
school or like get my MBA or where I’m |
I’m spending two years of tuition where |
I’m not expecting income for the first |
two years but instead where I’m gonna |
find like the results and the pleasure |
and like the feeling good about what I’m |
doing isn’t what I’m producing and who |
I’m helping so I enjoy YouTube and |
blogging I do not like social media like |
I am I’m here against my will but like I |
I am more about creating content and |
helping people and learning and growing |
myself because I know that every blog |
post you put out is an asset every video |
you put out is gonna last and can last |
as long as it’s relevant so don’t be |
focused so much on your money or your |
traffic yet just focus on creating the |
content because once Google gives you |
that bump you find that one post that |
goes well that one video that goes well |
all the other content can then start to |
contribute to the overall outcome so |
think about the income the inputs first |
the outputs will come I think the way |
you put it was control what you can |
control the controllables like you can’t |
control how much money you’re making |
to an extent or the traffic but you can |
control if you write a blog post today |
or you can control if you create two pin |
images or if you create a video and put |
on YouTube so mark your your progress by |
what you’ve produced and what you can |
control and |
of like how many page views did I get |
yeah and there’s another story of you |
know there’s two writers and they’re you |
know they have a challenge for the year |
one guy says I’m gonna write the most |
amazing story I can possibly write it’s |
gonna take me a year I’m gonna write the |
best story ever yeah the other writer |
says well I’m gonna write one story |
every day and I’m not gonna skip a day |
and at the end of that year who do you |
think is gonna be the better writer it’s |
gonna be the one who wrote a story every |
single day because every day he’s doing |
the beginning of middle in the end he’s |
learning from it he’s improving he’s |
iterating so in the beginning just focus |
on getting the content out and it you |
will get better over time that’s a good |
story |
I like that cool remember that one guys |
gonna help all right cool okay Jeff said |
his friend supported him I hope it was |
Ben Jeff and Ben are together well how’d |
you get there friend that’s fine they’re |
friends whatever um oh cool your mom |
village my hubby and I are both an HR |
corporate and would love to stay at home |
with the kids man these things drop off |
yeah they do okay cool Thomas that |
mischievious Amelia cool oh my hubby |
said blogging made me happier to her |
name her husband’s name’s John as well |
yeah it’s like I’m introducing you to my |
friends good to meet your friend yeah |
they’re all on here um cool cool thank |
you how easier hard is it to change a |
current site over yeah you take that one |
yeah um switching if you don’t have any |
page builder and so if you guys don’t |
know Divi is a page builder it makes you |
allows you make beautiful websites kind |
of dragon drag-and-drop and it’s a theme |
as well so if you don’t have one at all |
it’s not hard to transfer into it but |
it’s gonna be one of those things where |
let’s say you have 30 pages on your |
website it’s it just take one page at a |
time you know all your other pages |
aren’t gonna break they’re gonna look |
the way they look before yeah if they’ll |
be on a different themes so maybe the |
font will be different the color might |
be a little different you can change all |
that but if you’re switching from like |
an element or some other page boaters |
won’t get in all the technical details |
we can talk more about it depending on |
how ingrained you are in one system yeah |
you might need to run both at one time |
and then just transfer over to Divi if |
you choose to go that route |
yeah but it’s not hard to learn to be as |
easy it’s drag-and-drop it’s simple and |
if you by theme by number you get to |
hang out more than me because I do a lot |
of the tutorials there thank you thank |
you guys give so much chemistry thanks |
Amy your three kids okay |
[Laughter] |
[Music] |
angel says how do you stay motivated |
even though you’re not making much um |
like we kind of mentioned angel like |
control what you can and focus on that |
like take pride and like I wrote a blog |
post or I took stock images for my blog |
and like this is what take joy in and |
the creative side of it um and then how |
do I stay motivated honestly the thing |
that drove me for the last thousand days |
was getting John home I missed him |
immensely as he went to his corporate |
job every day for ten hours you got a |
good we have a question we haven’t |
answered yet we should have answered so |
well so it’s a motivator yeah so I had a |
big goal John coming home and now it’s |
keeping him home not going bankrupt now |
it’s like that was very real because now |
that John’s home we are fully reliant on |
the Internet |
supporting us for our bread and butter |
so yeah it’s kind of funny I was talking |
to my sister about us and like how we |
were doing and we’re trying to you know |
promote her to start a website cuz she |
has so much knowledge and she was like |
so how does Google pay you and it’s just |
the Internet is a wonderful place |
so Shanna asked Shayna ass so are you |
going to do the travel thing now or is |
that a future announcement cool okay |
let’s USA sure yeah so we are working |
towards it so here’s we and so for those |
of you don’t know what she’s talking |
about we had probably sent some emails |
and talked about full time RV living |
traveling on the country with our three |
kids and kind of just you know seeing |
the world while they’re still very young |
before they’re deeply rooted in school |
and all that stuff we’re working towards |
that |
so how are we working towards that yes |
step one is the quick job and have have |
location freedom and independence there |
but because we both are kind of workers |
like we like this stuff and we like |
having that area I wanted to be able to |
grow my thing and get it off the ground |
a little bit get to where it was |
providing a little bit as well and RVing |
from those who I’ve spoken to who are |
doing a full time they do say you’re |
scrapping for the time to be able to |
work on on your projects so we want that |
as a goal we’re working towards it |
because we’re about having our square |
footage we’re getting rid of our big |
house and now that it’s a big house |
we’re getting rid of our house and |
moving into a small town home probably |
because I do not like doing yard work |
I’m sorry I just don’t care for it and |
we’re moving closer to your family yes |
and what are you excited about where |
we’re going um it’s a more outdoorsy |
community we’re next door to a park in |
the library it’s much more focused on |
doing stuff outside with the kids it’s a |
walking community so we’re downsizing |
the house like John said having |
everything with three kids living and |
moving into a townhome so it’s like that |
transition like we’re gonna do this for |
a couple years get our feet again as two |
online entrepreneurs grow John’s blog |
and then the goal still is in two years |
or so when little baby boy is not |
crawling around the floor when you can |
at least walk then boom then we’ll hit |
the road and go full-time RVing and then |
we can rent out the townhome and that |
will be a great real estate asset but |
for now we’re taking like a slower |
transition we’re moving closer to my mom |
which I’m so happy about I’m so excited |
to be closer to my mama and and just |
living like a simple life less stuff |
less stress being with each other like |
that’s that’s our ultimate goal but also |
our goal does not be your goal so we |
like simplicity we don’t like a lot of |
stuff we like complexity when it comes |
to the internet and all that fun stuff |
but you know for example I met a blogger |
at a Cars and Coffee show I worked in |
the automotive industry until today so I |
was at an event over the weekend and |
he pulled up in as you know 200-300 |
thousand dollar Lamborghini and he was a |
blogger who blogged about fancy cars and |
that was his path and that that’s not |
right wrong or indifferent that’s just |
what was right for him so we like |
simplicity but we all we know a lot of |
people who get big houses and big |
properties because the blog even though |
it’s not like a w-2 a full-time job it’s |
been incredibly consistent there’s been |
more ups than there have been downs on |
that side so if you are going that route |
of going both into it I would obviously |
like warn you you just be cautious and |
don’t overextend yourself but it’s it’s |
a real business definitely love that |
yeah Lamborghini maybe we should have |
gone that route Thank You Maya Toyota |
Camry isn’t isn’t hot enough for you my |
friend if you guys read my email this |
morning so I saw her the first time |
after three years she’s a doctor she’s |
amazing she doesn’t have kids yet but |
she was asking me cuz now that I have |
three she’s like so what do you drive |
I’m like miss Deana she’s like oh |
there’s two fancy doctors portable potty |
in it cool okay let’s see if we can get |
some more questions um Christine says |
are you two running the blog by yourself |
still or do you have a team working with |
you now good question good question |
Christine so I have somebody who helps |
move some blog posts every now and then |
she’s amazing and I also have somebody |
who helps me move emails so I have two |
part-time ladies that are phenomenal and |
they’re super sweet so I do have a small |
team just for the times that I just I |
cannot get to it and I’d rather have |
somebody create that content or at least |
keep it alive when the kids are sick or |
I just I’m working on updating a course |
so honestly because the school is now so |
big there’s 40,000 students in there |
like that takes up the majority of my |
time focusing on helping my students and |
making sure the courses have them |
most in the best knowledge that anything |
else I do get some help on – yeah it’s |
amazing |
and also like that’s a choice right |
that’s a choice we’ve made you you can |
choose like there’s only so much time in |
the day so you if you want to go solo |
like absolutely you can do that |
I run teams of up to 40 people at a time |
and managing other people is for some |
people it’s not for other people yeah so |
you know there’s nothing wrong with |
saying I’m gonna go solo and I’ll get to |
the point where I’m overwhelmed and I’ll |
stop the growth at that point it’s |
entirely up to you and also like the way |
you set your your world up you know Suzy |
one of the things that’s great about her |
is she makes herself accessible to |
people you know – amber it on her |
website that has the challenge of |
there’s only so much you can scale your |
time yeah so it’s really one of those |
things that’s different for every person |
myself I’m not gonna have a team for a |
while |
exam creating value of the time and |
helping you with the kids and all that |
good stuff but you know over time you |
just go naturally what feels right and |
what you what you know you’re great at |
you do what you think you’re kind of |
struggling to get by with those are the |
first things you want to outsource when |
you can afford it yeah yeah and I love |
that the blog can now like help other |
people make it income as well not just |
through affiliate sales from if you guys |
sell my courses but also other people |
that are working for stardom on blog is |
they’re getting money that’s also yeah |
that’s cool um cool Thank You Lynette |
yeah patty says what kind of wine are |
you drinking |
yeah we’re not drinking wine don’t know |
if you’re allowed to say that on |
Facebook so well we’re drinking a |
beverage a beverage |
lovely my one friend said it’s the brown |
stuff the brown stuff yeah she’s like I |
can’t drink brown stuff I’m like I guess |
that’s what they call it so we’re just |
going to say it’s that it’s Coke Zero |
and brown stuff just a little additional |
love goodies um cool thank you Jordan |
started about four months ago all my |
blog is thriving as well as my ieg |
awesome I’m so proud of you good |
question Sheena um cool yeah Sheena is |
really good question yeah so Shana |
you’re you’re you’re with the news here |
so is a new WordPress block |
are a lot like divvy so for those of you |
don’t know divvy is like herb sorry |
WordPress is shaking it up and they’re |
switching up the editor they’ve had |
forever and they’re introducing |
something called Gutenberg who was the |
guy that invented the printing press for |
those of you geeks you want to know why |
they call things so weird and it’s |
getting closer to a divvy I know so what |
I mean by that is instead of just having |
a big paragraph and just going straight |
down the line you can add blocks like |
you can add in an image block layout |
blocks all sorts of cool things it |
becomes easier to build good-looking |
blog posts where I don’t think that |
Gutenberg is going to be replacing Divi |
or element or breezy or any of the crazy |
page builders that are out there because |
their focus was on helping you get your |
content out there it’s not necessarily |
helping it become professional and |
beautiful and and all of that so like if |
you be around Saruman blog.com for a |
while you’ll notice she has all these |
cool colors and gradients and |
backgrounds and she’s a awesome design |
taste that stuff if you can do it in |
Gutenberg it’s gonna dry it it’s gonna |
make you pull your hair out to try to |
get to that point and and you played |
around for a while with good yeah I’m |
like it oh yeah but but like where it’s |
now updated right it should be a little |
bit better now yeah I haven’t been risky |
enough to change over yet so I was |
thinking about this the other day and |
like my guidelines are if you’re making |
a blog post Gutenberg is great if you |
want to make a page like a sales page |
that’s a really important page that you |
want to like your home page your sales |
page your about me page those ones that |
you really care about and they’re gonna |
be like that and static for a while |
that’s where the page builders are all |
right cool they love you an LVN hey |
awesome Thank You Ali so glad Thank You |
Roxanne Julie says I like my website and |
blog but I can honestly don’t know if |
it’s good what can I do |
keep writing honestly it’s gonna take a |
while I’m sorry yeah yeah but she she |
maybe not like the themes Oh how its |
laid out yeah I’m not sure yeah Julie |
send me an email and I’ll look |
get it yeah you don’t like it that I say |
no no that’s okay send me an email but |
okay so I guess we can answer both sides |
of it so if you think like if you find |
the website but no sugar no no if your |
content is good that’s that’s where you |
should be right now if you’re starting |
out and your content isn’t good yet |
that’s fine the Internet is a big place |
there’s articles posted every second of |
every day so that’s not like dis way to |
you it’s to tell you keep writing |
because every blog post is gonna be a |
little bit better than the last one and |
so eventually you’ll get to that point |
where you just strike a chord with a |
specific segment of the world they’re |
gonna find you know you like you trust |
you and eventually become your avid |
follower and fan but if you think your |
website’s just not good looking see |
advisor on that side you’re the more the |
design person um so I loved and used to |
be so you could go the paid route and |
get the divi paid for theme that is |
comes with a page builder and it’s |
phenomenal or you can go the freeway and |
you can do tools like Astra and |
Elementor and those types of tools which |
are amazing but they’re just not what I |
use but maybe John will put up a |
tutorial for the pro versions of those |
yep yeah so like I said that’s my world |
so I play with all of them on my |
websites right now I’m running with |
thrive they’re they’re really geeky |
they’re great you can split test |
everything under the Sun but that’s me |
that’s probably not where you guys are |
at and that’s totally cool but there’s a |
lot of options just be open to them |
brightness says what will you do about |
health insurance ooh |
Medicare Medicare yes sending blessings |
to each other it’s great like I don’t |
know yet we haven’t like broken a leg |
yet but from what I’ve heard well you’re |
from a family of entrepreneurs and |
they’re pretty much all on Medicare and |
they’ve had nothing but good things to |
say yeah yeah where my my dad my brother |
my sister everybody’s an entrepreneur so |
they’re all on Medicare – share and also |
another thing that enabled us to do this |
and to take this this risk is that we’re |
we’re as a family we’re very blessed and |
we’re very healthy so we don’t have any |
medical issues |
all the kids are good we’re good so it |
would have been a harder decision if one |
of us had a chronic disease or something |
that costs a lot of medical bills but |
we’re blessed and happy and we’re gonna |
take the risk and do this but yeah so |
step one is Medicare step two is not |
live outside our means we we’re very |
risk-averse people you know we could |
afford a bigger house than the small |
house were moving into but just for us |
the freedom of being together as a |
family and like to spend our days |
working on things we like instead of |
boardroom meetings and boardroom |
meetings and all that I’m getting away |
from that’s that’s the step two is live |
your life for the values that are |
valuable to you we’ll have a little |
kitty somewhere like in case money |
emerges yeah emergency fund the war |
chest |
Brooke says how many hours a week do you |
work on the blog um Brooke so it depends |
because I haven’t really had a |
consistent schedule so as much as I |
possibly can with the kids and with kind |
of the schedule that I’ve had the best |
times that I get to work on the blog is |
waking up super early with John so one |
thing that was nice and well lots of |
things that were nice about his job but |
he woke up around 5:00 to go down the |
road and go to his job so I think we’re |
still gonna continue waking up at 5:00 |
because I’ll make breakfast later but |
waking up early really helps or than |
working really late um but gosh you |
can’t do that you do need your sleep and |
especially if you’re pregnant and you |
have kids you do need your rest |
so do the essentials what you can on |
your blog when things there’s there’s |
peaks and valleys when you have more |
time and when you have less time just do |
what you can as long as you’re pushing |
it for it a little bit every day and you |
don’t stop all those little pieces of |
actions are gonna help yeah and also |
when we go into our next life as you |
call it you know what we’re hoping to be |
able to do is kind of do some swap offs |
where you know you can have some focused |
time on the website and I can have |
focused time with the kids because |
another challenge that we both had and |
you know myself especially is I’ll come |
home from work but I have this |
tired and build a blog as well and |
support Susie and be a good husband and |
then also have time for the kids you |
couldn’t do them all so now that we have |
that focused time when I’m with the kids |
I can be fully present back of my mind |
I’ll probably think about okay what’s |
the next blog post right but you know we |
all have those old thoughts North the |
kids but then when you’re here and |
you’re at the computer you’re you’re |
working your focus you don’t feel guilty |
because you just came off of a two hour |
shift with the kids right right right |
so I’m excited for that me too and we |
also have this idea well let you guys |
know how it goes |
but having like creative days so that |
like on a Tuesday |
I’m full-on mom all I do is like kids |
all day long I take care of the house |
everything of John has 10 hours to work |
on a new course or record videos or just |
have a creative day to work on his blog |
and then we’ll switch off and maybe like |
Thursdays he’ll take the kids and I’m |
hopefully still working and then |
Thursdays like I’ll have a super |
creative day on the blog and I can just |
take ten hours and create content so |
we’re we’re in a amazing position now |
that will we’ll be able to create this |
beautiful schedule that works for us |
it’s just it’s huge I’m so I’m so |
excited because we found if you work for |
longer than two hours on one thing |
you’ll start to dilly-dally and just you |
know waste time yeah but there’s those |
one days we have that big project where |
you need the full day to do it so I mean |
that’s the whole point of the the |
freedom that I hope our I hope our |
stream is working yeah let us know like |
the stream is coming in and out from our |
side Hey Sienna I love my Sienna oh yeah |
cool we drive is Sienna a nice grey |
Sienna it looks like a big tick |
you know there’s big ticks on why would |
you go there blueberry jelly bean |
they’re something big gray ticks and |
then when you pull them off the dogs and |
they would bleed South Africa yeah when |
I was a kid I would used to pull ticks |
off dogs yes Teresa keep living within |
or below your means that’s exactly |
Delina are we so it’s already done well |
no we’re buying it we’re building it |
that time I was being built it should be |
ready in March or April but yeah we |
mentioned this all this |
not Hawaii Berra awesome look at that |
she knows to fire me yeah the |
financially independent retired early |
movement |
I love mister money mustache cool how do |
you check the analytics on your blog I’m |
just getting up and running and I don’t |
know what sort of plugins to install |
maybe I missed this in your courses |
alright so I actually made a video where |
I install and show you how to use |
analytic I which is a really hard thing |
to say but it’s it’s a free plugin |
there’s a paid option and it puts google |
analytics directly on to your website it |
makes there’s no code or anything it’s |
very easy so if you go to wordpress.org |
and you search for analytic I which I |
can probably type in here but then also |
I try to how do you how do you post a |
video to this like kind of link to the |
YouTube video yeah in the comments we’ll |
go through that links yeah yeah any kind |
of links will give you yet it makes it |
very easy to understand John is gonna |
stay at home wait they’re moving to a |
white no we’re not moving to know why |
now I’m moving to Orlando know kind of |
like Hawaii kind of like that it’s so |
hot exactly like Hawaii |
awesome Thank You Kathleen yes I’m still |
working on a happy mom happy wife happy |
life |
mom life happy life but but Brooke to me |
that’s very true happy wife happy life |
so you were still correct you’re correct |
um Brooke mostly that that blog is a |
guest post blog so all my readers and |
all my students support the blog and |
provide the content I’m just there it’s |
like kind of like them the editor and |
the what do you call it you look |
something over admin the admin and then |
I publish so it’s not my blog it’s your |
blog it’s all you guys yes better than |
the new WordPress is intimidating but |
exciting oh thank you Lucia |
and could just buy everything you’re |
awesome Jennifer Jennifer is awesome |
Jennifer’s legit yeah Jennifer knows her |
stuff try Guttenberg and no like Amy I |
like it oh the other thing about |
Guttenberg that’s kind of useful is |
they’re opening up for others to be able |
to create plugins that just add |
additional blocks so one of the things I |
like to do is I like to have little |
toggles where I can like put some |
content and it’s a click on toggle to |
open up the content and you can get a |
you can just search for Gutenberg blocks |
and you’ll get a bunch of free plugins |
that can add additional functionality so |
it is nice for that it’s more extendable |
than the original one was one that looks |
like 1997 yeah okay Angie that’s a good |
one for you yeah Vivian beaver builder |
they’re competitors it’s different |
strokes for different folks I honestly |
haven’t spent much time with beaver |
builder i do like Divi I’m still on the |
fence there’s a few that are like vying |
for the top spot for what I like TVs up |
there John quit his job that’s right |
yeah I’m good yeah to be fair I’m still |
working for two more weeks and I’m not |
gonna slack like I’m gonna do what I |
need to do and have a good transition |
yes no Natalie we’re not coming to South |
Florida we are coming to Orlando so a |
little closer to you so if you bring |
your kids up to Disney where else we’re |
there that’s right and maybe we’ll have |
like a big start of my own blog |
conference in Orlando because all the |
mommies want to bring their kids to |
Disney other kind of fun right do it |
cool Oh Christine |
so Kali I’m not a big fan of ads I could |
put ads on my site but because I’m much |
more focused on affiliates in my own |
product sales I’m not and my blog |
doesn’t get like insane traffic so I |
might put ads on mom life happy life one |
day so that might be in the future but I |
mean you know on from like a higher |
level you have to think about what’s |
important to your website and with ads |
you’re picking up pennies at the expense |
of the user experience sometimes like |
nobody likes to see ads pop up all over |
the place so what’s more valuable to you |
a little ad revenue or potentially |
getting a new customer that will follow |
you for a while so it’s just different |
different strategies yeah Oh Thank You |
Natalie |
haha cool that’s awesome we’d love to |
meet you guys too early in do thank you |
yeah so crap on my normal blog sorry |
it’s been 49 minutes um it’s called the |
Whitford life and right now I’m moving |
hosts so I need to go repoint DNS |
servers so hey thanks for the reminder |
thank you that right now yep and then |
mom live happy life yep okay that’s okay |
I know you’re pregnant it’s alright mama |
oh sorry about the this the feed not |
working well streaming yeah man that’s |
not as it’s Facebook cool hi Sherri come |
to Arkansas we’ll be there Arkansas |
that’s how I used to say it Arkansas |
that could work yes yeah hey Lucia we’ll |
see you in Orlando Oh |
Greggy we’re gonna be neighbors I met |
her at fan con awesome that’s awesome |
which is totally cool we’d love to be a |
speaker there yes we would love to be |
speakers at VidCon one day okay happy |
wife happy life that’s right your mom |
village hi Natalie hi Cory |
hey Cory yeah hey you went to college |
Cory |
yesterday and we worked at the same |
company yes go ahead disclose so while |
she’s saying that it’s always nice to |
have a fallback plan so even if I don’t |
enjoy blogging after a couple years |
Disney’s in Orlando so I’m still good |
started bad blog |
we’re not gonna start at that blog I |
almost click the Buy button I’m going |
down to get it but I held off cool |
that’s another good |
Michelle Vivian Elementor we can go into |
like a long difference between them I |
think the main difference is Divi is a |
theme and a page builder and Elementor |
is just a page builder but everything |
else there’s a lot altima tick what’s |
what works for you the nice thing about |
Elementor is there’s a free version you |
can test out and then you can commit to |
it but the challenge is like you can’t |
do a lot of things you would want to do |
on the free version because obviously |
they want you to buy the paid version so |
but the thing is Divi has a reef |
money-back guarantee you could get you |
could pay for Divi and see if it works |
for you oh that’s a good point |
Elementor you I don’t think they have |
any lifetime payments so Divi you can |
pay 250 bucks I think it is and have the |
theme and the page builder and monarch |
which is a social sharing plug-in and |
bloom which is an email like a good |
suite of tools for a reasonable fee |
you’re in pay about that much every year |
for Elementor Pro and some of the other |
add-ons stuff yeah but they’re both good |
builders yep I think from users |
perspective Divi is the I think stronger |
than element or from a paid side Pamela |
yes I have a website it’s it’s in the |
process I think it’s pretty cool it’s |
awesome website it’s just weird to say |
it is one of those I didn’t pick the |
name so I’m still like growing into it |
but I like it is income mesh mesh so you |
can get income mesh calm and give me |
some feedback I’d love to hear what I do |
different cool yes Greg he can speak at |
the start of own blog conference we |
already have speakers all right |
Oh guys that was awesome that’s the end |
of our comments right now yes yes any |
last words that you want to say this is |
a huge announcement like we are I’ve |
worked I calculated back and Google 1050 |
seven days ago I launched our tamam blog |
with the goal of retiring my husband so |
that he can come home and we can hustle |
even harder so going from 40-hour weeks |
just 70 hour yeah we’re gonna work |
hard to make sure that this like |
sustains yeah last word for me is thank |
you guys for helping make this possible |
I mean it none of this would be possible |
without Susie but no no even in Susie’s |
effort would be impossible without you |
guys who saw her message her vision and |
you know aligned with it so thank you |
very much for giving me my freedom |
really appreciate it thank you guys we |
love you guys let us know send emails |
would you guys need we are gonna have |
more capacity to help you guys now yay |
yay all right already |
yeah there it is |
alright see you guys |
Tips to Retire Your Husband early
Of course this dream is not for everyone. We all have different goals and my goals may not be exactly what yours are.
I know many dear blogging friends who run super successful blogs who do not want their husbands to retire. Their husbands enjoy their jobs and that dynamic works for them.
Blogging and building a business online enables you to achieve any goal you desire. Pay off your mortgage. Donate to charity. Help others. Retire your husband. Go on vacations. Life debt free.
Have a Big Goal
My advice for you is to have a big goal as you start your blog. Let it be your motivation during the difficult days of growing an online business. Your goal may not be the same as mine, and it doesn’t have to be.
But your goal will help you reach success, so write it down and let it drive you.
Have a Plan
If you want to grow your blog into a success, you’ll need to follow a plan. And work on it daily.
Your blog won’t magically make $10,000 per month if you only work on it for a few hours per week. This is going to hard work. You’ll need a step by step plan to follow so you stay focused.
Not every blog post will get lots of traffic. Not everything you do on your blog will make it grow.
But each piece of content you create becomes a little brick in the foundation of your blog. And the more you create, the better you’ll become, and the more you’ll grow.
It’s Going to Be Hard Work
It took me over 1,000 days of consistently working my tushy off to grow a blog into a business we can retire to.
It may take you more or less time. But it won’t be overnight, to this will require a lot of work on your part. I always compare blogging to working out. You won’t see results immediately when you join the gym.
You’ll have to workout consistently, choose healthy meals the majority of the time and stay focused. And only after months and months of doing this, will you start to see results.
Yes, it is hard work. But oh by golly, it is worth it. In three short years I’ve been able to pay off our mortgage and retire my husband. The hard work is totally worth it.
Find a Shortcut
Blogging takes work and will require dedication to turn into a full time business. Why not find a shortcut and learn from someone who has already achieved what you’re trying to reach?
I pump all of my best tips and tricks into my signature Blog by Number course. I also update it frequently to help my students reach success.
If you haven’t started your blog yet, or you’re stuck, the Blog by Number course is your step by step plan to a successful blog.
Make Enough Money
If you want to retire your husband, you’ll have to make sure you’re financially stable to do it. This can look different for everyone.
If you have thousands in student loan debt, extra credit card debt, a high mortgage and low savings account, you’ll need to take care of those issues first before retiring your husband.
For quick back of the napkin math, if you want to retire your husband, you’ll need to:
- have no debt
- have 3-6 months of monthly living expenses saved up
- have a blog that is making more than your monthly living expenses
Please know that I am not your financial advisor. Please do your due diligence before quitting your job.
I am here to help you build a successful blog though 🙂
Do You Want to Retire Your Husband?
If your blog was supporting your family and you could live the life you want, what would your typical day be like?
Would you want your husband to retire his job? Would you travel full time? Would you downsize, upgrade or move?
I’d love to hear your stories below, please share them in the comments!
Update – Our First Week
Want to know how our first week went? Here’s a recap of the systems and tips we use to declutter and simplify our lives as now two work from home parents to small kids!
[…] yeah, this is how I retired my hubby at 30 years old […]
Raise your hand if you got a brand new Echo Dot for the holidays? Both of mine are up! Amazon had some pretty spectacular deals throughout the season, so I got my mom one…and she got me one! Plus, I received one for this post, which I gave to my teen son to replace his 2nd Gen version. So now everyone in my house has their very own 3rd Generation Echo Dot!
[…] only a few years of starting my blog, I’ve been able to retire my husband at the age of 30. And now he is working side by side with me again and I couldn’t be happier. It’s a remarkable […]
[…] your dream is just to make a little bit of money from home, or to retire your husband completely, read on, because if I can do it, you can […]
[…] that last thing to change my life so much. Since starting a blog I’ve paid off the mortgage, retired my husband and allowed my students to do the […]
[…] fact, I’m so passionate about the power of blogging that I was even able to retire my husband this year! Knowing that the entire course of our lives changed because of this “side-hustle”, is […]
[…] a parenting blog, teach others how to start blogs (with success!) AND…drumroll please…retire my husband at the age of 30 as well. I PROMISE you that if you want to start a blog and make money, it can happen. Understand that this […]
[…] expectations. Blogging is going to take work. You can definitely grow a successful blog that will retire your husband from his full time corporate job. I’m here to help and support you! I have blog posts, courses, ebooks, Facebook Lives and […]
[…] after starting to blog have changed my life entirely. (Raise your hand if your goal is to retire your husband from his full-time job. And accomplish this JUST off the income that you’re earning from your mom blog…This […]
I would love to be able to pay off all my debts and then pay my way through college.
I’m currently in the process of applying to University as a 34 year old mum of 4! Terrified and excited at the same time!!
I’ve toyed with the idea of blogging for a long time but never taken the leap.
[…] I’ve been able to grow my blog from $0 to over $40,000 per month, paid off the mortgage and retire my husband all within three […]
Wow, congratulations! This is what I really wanna do. I am sure you guys will succeed on your goal! Continue inspiring other couples and parents. ♥
[…] How to Retire Your Husband at 30 | Suzi @ Start a Mom Blog has spent the last almost three years building her blog with a goal in mind – to work from home (which she does), and bring her husband home full-time (which she just accomplished this month! Congratulations, Suzi!) I love how they tell their story in the video connected to this post and they are the cutest lovebirds! […]
Wow! Congratulations. I have been a silent follower of yours and I just wanna say you are amazing. You have been very inspiring and this motivates us mom bloggers that it is indeed possible to have a successful blog and live off with its income as long as we do the hard work.
Thank you so much Mrs. MFB! You are so so right. Do the hard work and don’t give up – it’s 100% possible to build a successful blog. Even as a busy mom 😉
You’re encouraging but as soon as I get one step forward, I fall two steps back thanks to the system upgrades with WP. Congrats on getting your business to where it is and I understand those early mornings, weekends, and late nights very well!
I feel you! WordPress 5.0 was a major change with their new editor. But it’s honestly paving the way for the next 10 years of WordPress.
After the initial learning curve I’m falling in love with the new system and am putting together a free course to help simplify it for people in your shoes 🙂 Stay tuned!
Congratulations, Suzy!! I’m thrilled for you and your family!😊 You’re an inspiration to me and encourage me to keep going with my blog. I’m going to provide a nice retirement income with my blog. Yes, it’s a LOT of work, but it’s possible. And isn’t that all anyone really needs-possibilities and opportunity. Well done, friend.
Love the positive attitude – that is powerful Kay! And yes, give a hard worker possibilities and opportunity, and they will conquer mountains 🙂
Congratulations!!!
I’m a little late reading this I think, but what a wonderful and inspiring post to read. I have yet to watch the video but just seeing the thumbnail makes me teary eyed.
I love your courses so far, I’m very extremely new to blogging, and I’m reading various things online. What I really cannot wrap my head around is how blogs generate money. Specifically, how do email lists generate money, why do we want to grow the list? I get the part about selling courses and providing a service, I get the parts about affiliate links to purchases but what about links to worthwhile blogs like yours Suzi? who is handing out all this money, I don’t understand..help! My other question is, if there are blogs talking about child development for example, reporting as it were, about research studies relating to children and parenting… there is no real course one cld possible provide …right? If there are no courses, how does income exist..?
Sorry I shall end question-rant now!
Congratulations again! It’s truly wonderful news !!
<3 from Singapore
Oh I love that Safira, “who is handing out all this money”. You don’t just have to create online products to make money with a blog. You can have advertisers pay you to show their ads on your blog, you can have companies pay you for being an affiliate, or you can offer your services and have clients pay you. 🙂 There are so many possibilities! This post may help you dive a big deeper: https://www.startamomblog.com/how-to-make-money-blogging-small-medium-large-mom-bloggers/
Congratulations to your family!! I’ve loved being a follower of your blog and enjoy reading your emails. You are such an inspiration and I would love to make enough income so my husband can quit his part time job as a swim coach because it consumes a lot of his time and I know he’d love to be home by 3:15 every day and be home more on the weekends. We are expecting our second child any day now…he is due December 31 so I know life will become hectic, but will try hard to keep this goal in sight as I try to work my butt off like you did!! So excited for you, your hubby and your family!
Thanks so much for the comment Gwendolyn! And praying for a safe and happy delivery!
I have been blogging for over 2 years and I can’t seem to find any success with it. Please let me know about your consulting. I really would love to retire my husband.
Lori, golly, more and more people are asking me for consulting. I may consider doing group consulting in the new year. 🙂
My goal for 2019 is to get my blog started, I want to cushion our savings so my husband will be comfortable with the idea of retiring. He works so hard and very long hours, I want us to retire and have the health to enjoy it.
YES! Health with no time isn’t fun. Time with no health isn’t fun. You have an awesome goal to maximize the years you have of both!
This is so very exciting, Suzi! Praying that I can stick this thing out long enough to make it happen for my husband who has been in lighting production and traveling for 25 years and just wants to be home to watch our son’s soccer games! I work full-time and just started my blog in hopes to get him off the road and working on something at home. I absolutely love the simple way you teach your students. You are one of the most genuine bloggers I have found in over a year of searching. Thank you for being YOU!
Aww Lucia, wow, thank you so so much! Your comment just warms my heart 🙂 *even more than this cup of tea I’m drinking* It won’t be overnight, but you know that, but you can build a successful blog. I’d love to read your story too in a few years! 🙂
I don’t mean I wanna know how to do a blog what I mean is where is the format where do I put it how do I make it I’m sure I can write the blog that’s not the
Cynthia, I have a super simple step by step course that will help you with all of that, it’s called Blog by Number. xx
Hi Suzi, I may be the first person to find your blog through your husband’s (excellent) youtube channel and website! He’s a great teacher for tech and has helped me tremendously (especially with Thrive Themes, SendOwl, MailerLite and several other systems). Your strategies for content production and scheduling are fantastic. Thanks to BOTH of you for being an inspiration and joy to follow.
Peace,
Lisa
Lisa – you just made my WEEK! Suzi owes me a coke because now I’m actually sending some traffic to HER! hehe, so glad you are liking the content!
So much more to come in 2019!
I’m so excited and thrilled for you both and your family!! That is so exciting.
In your email, you mentioned posting how you could help – I would really like it if you could expand your affiliate program so I can promote you both! Your story will be inspirational for others.
Another part of the story that I think would be interesting… how you dealt with being risk-averse and making this happen anyway.
Congrats!
Happy to bring you on board Julie 🙂 Could you email [email protected]?
This is really inspiring Suzi! I’d been wondering whether we’d get an announcement like this from you two. Congrats! I look forward to being able to do the same for my hubby 🙂 I know if I stick to everything I’m learning from you, I’ll make it happen! Best of luck to you both.
Thank you Tiffany! Just keep making steady progress forward and FOCUS:
Follow
One
Course
Until
Success!
Congratulations! You’re story is so inspiring. You are one of my ‘blogger idols’. 😊 I’m your BBN new student. Thanks!
*your story
Thanks Aletha! Suzi is pretty awesome, isn’t she? I think so too!
I am so inspired and hopeful after reading your story, Suzi! I’m starting a blog in 2019 with a goal of being able to pay off my mortgage and leave my corporate job in the next few years. As a single mom with kids in college, that’s a scary thought – especially because I am starting from scratch. I believe that I can do it also with a lot of hard work, dedication and prayer. Thank you so much for sharing your story and for all that you do to help us grow and learn from you!
You can do it, Erica! And yes, prayer always helps 🙂
And starting from scratch is also a blessing – it gives you room to breathe and figure out what direction you want to go. Sometimes Suzi is jealous of my blank canvas 🙂
my husband and I are also working towards retiring him hrouhh our blog! Thank you for your tips l, Suzi!!!
Your story is an inspiration. <3
Awesome goal 🙂 You guys can do it! Team work makes the dream work!
Yeah, congrats!! That is one of my long-term goals, to help my husband retire and do what he really wants to do. Before that I would like to pay off student loans & build my business.
I’m a VIP member, woohoo!! And I LOVE all your courses!!
In 2019, I would like help with: (1 – Suzi) growing my email list, (2 – Suzi) creating my first course, and (3 – John maybe) improving the back end of my blog, like helping set up/improving google analytics.
Awesome Beth! Thanks for being a VIP member 🙂
Since I am still in corporate America – when I see my name on an action item list, I get it off as fast as possible 🙂
https://youtu.be/dANr46dV1BU
That is my #1 recommended plugin for Google Analytics (the free version is plenty). I walk you through the install process 🙂
And I’m looking at doing more analytics based content in 2019!! So excited in the geekiest way possible
Hi Suzi! You are not just an inspiration, you are actually my mentor! My goal was to make $10K per month in 2018 and you helped me do that! I didn’t do all of that from my blog though and that is my goal for 2019! I am so excited that you met this goal to bring home your hubby because that is my goal too! Eeeeeeeekkkk! Thank you for being simply AWESOME! You’re teachings and support helps us grow personally and professionally.
Mahalo!
Congratulations Vera! That is an awesome goal and you can totally do it! (I say that because 10k per month is my secret goal too for 2019!)
Thanks for the comment!
John
Congratulations! So cool to follow your progress!
Your story is so motivating! The part about still needing a mental challenge really resonated with me! I’m staying home with 3 boys right now- and working during all the nap times and early mornings and late at night. I think what’s most encouraging is that your success didn’t happen all at once- it came through consistent, hard work. Congrats to you both!!
Thanks Alex!
That’s awesome! I started a blog a few months ago and I’m starting to make a little bit of money and I’m a stay at home mom. Luckily we don’t NEED my income for our household so I’m able to do this and any extra money is awesome, but it would still be great to have an extra full time income. Did you start a different blog before this one and hats how you’re able to teach people to blog or is this your first blog? If this is your first, how did you learn enough and gain the confidence to teach people how to make a blog if you were just starting? Do you think his is the best niche to make money? Thanks!
Suzi, your blog was one of the ones that got me excited about blogging when I first started a couple months ago. I got off to a great start, wrote some good content, made some blogger friends, and then got stuck two weeks ago. There is so much to do and learn that I got overwhelmed with all the little things and stopped writing. I lost sight of the big picture. Reading this article has motivated me again, and I’m feeling like I got the bump I need to dive in again! Thanks so much for sharing your story, it really makes a difference having a mentor you can identify with!
Hey Allie! I struggle with the same overwhelm since I am just getting my thing started too. What I try to do is make sure I create new content FIRST – then I can spend the rest of the day tinkering or trying to figure some other things out. But content is king 🙂
So happy for you and your family!! Thanks for showing us all how the dream can become the reality!
Thanks Cheryl! Marrying Suzi was already a dream – being able to stay home and work on things we love with our kids? Priceless.
Yay! So happy for you Suzi!! You are totally my inspiration! My husband owns his own business and is an all around workaholic, so I don’t think he will ever COMPLETELY quit what he does…but if I could get him to the point of being able to hire out a lot of his daily stuff, that’s a big win in my book! Honestly, I just HATE cooking, and I also suck at it (and he loves it, and is a great cook), but since he works so much, that’s my responsibility. I say it all the time that my BIG goal is to be able to “semi-retire” him to the kitchen so I would never have to cook another day in my life, ha!
Congrats, Suzi, that is totally awesome! You and John remind me of my parents (they worked the same shift at the factory and to this day, always kiss each other before they leave in the car that they’ll be riding in together anyway #relationshipgoals).
I asked my husband if he wants to retire (he doesn’t), but it would definitely be nice to have blogging pay off the mortgage (it’s so expensive to live here in Hawaii!). That’s my goal, which I hope to do within the next 10 years. The day you did this is actually my 30th birthday 🙂
Here’s to you and John being able to do many great things together both for SAMB and your own lives!
Awesome! Maybe we’ll come visit you in Hawaii soon! And happy birthday!
This really is amazing! I have some pretty big blog goals as well but since I’m not yet making any money my hubby doesn’t believe we can successfully rely on “blogging” as an income. It’s cool though, I’ll prove him wrong. it takes more than 3 months for some to start making money.
Hang in there Elizabeth! I just enjoyed watching Suzi start her blog as a productive hobby. There was little downside, but huge upside 🙂
One thing to keep in mind is that once your blog starts growing, you can double your earnings every few months… I work 60-70 weeks in corporate America just to make an additional 4-5% every YEAR.
Hang in there, the effort pays off eventually!
I love this! I am one of your students, and although I’m a single mum it tugged at my heart strings!
I’ve worked on your blog by numbers course for a few hours today. Tomorrow morning I will be setting my goals!
I’m so proud of you Allison! Thank you for being a student in BBN! 🙂 And I’m glad you could relate – so happy to see your comment!
Makes my heart happy though I watched the FB live. You deserve it! <3 congratulations again!
Thank you so much Roxanne! So thankful you watched the Live, thank you!
Absolutely fantastic, Suzi! Congratulations to both of you! I have a similar goal and I’m actively working towards it! Your announcement just reinforces my belief that we can achieve anything we want if we invest time and hard work to it. I’m so happy for you guys!
You are so right Giselle! Invest the time and hard work into it – and you can achieve anything! Thank you so much for the sweet comment – we really appreciate the support as we transition to this new phase of life! xx
Your story is incredible! I’m starting my blog (still in the building phase) with 2 big goals in mind! 1. to pay off our crazy student debt and then 2. be able to focus on becoming a work from home mom on my own schedule! My hubby and I both already work from home, but our baby girl still goes to daycare because we have corporate schedules to keep. Your story gives me confidence that I can do it!
You can do it Kennedy! I worked at home too for a while, but with a corporate schedule, and had to be infront of the computer for 8 hours straight. That wasn’t really flexible enough to be mom at the same time. Blogging allows me to fit in working in my family life, not the other way around. You guys can do it! Thank you so much for the sweet comment and support – it means the world to me!
This is so amazing, congrats to you and your family! This gives me so much hope. I have been blogging off and on for years and I am ready to take the big step to make it a business. The great thing is, I want to blog about motherhood and marriage so I would LOVE my husband to be able to retire and share in this business with me, especially on the marriage side. He enjoys his job, but we both have a passion for marriage and helping others thrive. This is just the motivation I needed, thank you Suzi!
Oh I love that Mindy! That would be great to have your husband home to help you blog about marriage – you can do weekly vlogs and chat about marriage topics! Oh so many ideas 🙂 So happy to help you stay motivated – it takes a lot of work – but they payoff is so worth it 🙂
This is exactly what I want to do. My husband works 3rd shift and is miserable so we can survive. I am so determined to make this work. M I’ll take all the advice I can get!!
Thank you Megan! You can do this too! It took me 1,000+ days of really hard work, and there were times I wanted to give up, but kept going. If you have a big goal, let it motivate you!! 🙂 G
I loved reading this! I just recently jumped ship from my 9-5 and am working towards a similar goal for my family. Is there anything you wish you knew when you first first started that you wish you would have know sooner?
Oh Sherry, congrats!! I’m proud of you for being brave and doing it! Hmm… I wish I knew that I don’t have to stress about everything – there will never be enough time in the day to complete everything – so do the things that make the most impact and get enough sleep 🙂 Even now, after 3 years, I still have too many ideas each day to execute on all of them. Figure out what works well, and do more of that! 🙂