TRANSCRIPT
Bricks to Clicks | A Mom’s Journey from Hands-On to Hands-Free Income
You know, I lost that empowered feeling, and I feel like now I'm able to step back in, learn something new that is still aligned with my wellness values.
And actually, you know, now I'm looking at returning to massage because I have freedom in my life to choose.
We are moms, we are bosses, and we're living abroad.
And in this brand new season of this exciting podcast, we are boosting the woman-to-woman connection through deep, intimate conversations to pause, reflect, and go beyond the skein deep.
And we are here to celebrate your unique journey.
No matter how old your business or your babies, or where you are in the world, you are not alone.
It's time to go deeper, understand better, and lean into more harmony and fun along the way.
We are Desiree and Iva, and this is Mom Bosses Abroad.
Hi, and welcome to a new episode of the Mom Bosses Abroad podcast.
I am Iva Perez, and as always, I am here with my business bestie and podcast co-host Desiree Gonzalez.
And today we're diving into a powerful conversation about breaking free from the traditional business model and stepping into the limitless possibilities of the online space.
And our beautiful guest today, Tamara Auer, has walked this exact path, leaving behind the physical constraints of running her own massage therapy practice to embrace a business that works for her, not the other way around.
So we are so excited, Tamara, to have you here today in our podcast.
Welcome.
Thank you so much.
I'm so thrilled to be here.
Yeah.
So I have the pleasure of introducing you a little bit more, Tamara, and the journey that you've walked.
But you really have this passion for health and wellness.
And you are a professional massage therapist, as Iva mentioned, and you're currently also completing a Bachelor of Health Science.
So that's super exciting.
You became a mother at almost 40, and you knew you wanted to spend those important first years with your son without the burden and sacrifice of working full time in the business.
So that is why you chose to pursue high-ticket affiliate marketing with a company that truly aligns with your health values, first of all, but then also allowing you to continue to financially contribute to your family whilst being fully present at home with your son.
And I love this so much.
So this has really allowed you to connect and contribute to women that are also looking to create a balanced lifestyle of family, finances, and career, as well as provide the freedom to choose when and how you would return.
We would love to return to that hard-led massage practice.
I love it.
Thank you.
Look, I feel very passionate about it.
It's very important to me because I think growing up, my mother worked two jobs and worked tirelessly to support my sister and I, and I watched her do that, and we were in with babysitters endlessly, and I remember that feeling of missing her.
I'm so proud of her for instilling such a strong work ethic in us based on what we saw of her.
But I also remember being young and being picked up late, and also watching my mom be exhausted and upset, like we talk about now, how upset she was when she was having to leave us when we were young.
I just didn't want that for my experience of raising our child, especially when I had my son before I turned 40, and there was a period of time when I wasn't sure if I was going to have children.
So for me, I mean, any mother knows how precious it is to have a child.
So you want to make the most of it.
And so for me, being a massage therapist, it is absolutely my passion.
It really gives me so much energy to do it and provide for others.
But it went through this leading up to becoming pregnant, and then also then having our son.
So initially, with traditional business, we know what that means.
That means it's bums on seats.
So a massage therapist is taking bookings.
I would be taking what I could get in a way.
You wanted to work for your clients.
So if they said, I can't make this work, you would stretch yourself and expand your capabilities to fit them in because you wanted to support them, but you also knew it was providing an income to you.
So then you are working all different hours, and the implications if they cancel or don't show up or if I got sick, especially leading up to my pregnancy, I was unwell during the pregnancy and that meant I had to take time off.
And so that means the revenue stops, the income stops.
And that is stressful because you are relying on what you love to provide the income.
And actually somebody said something really interesting to me at that point because I was getting stressed out about it and thinking, how is this all going to work?
And they said to me, the thing that you are passionate about doesn't have to be the only thing that brings the money in for you because then it does become just your job rather than your heart led work.
And that was so pivotal to me.
And it made me think, you know, I don't want to burn out in this career.
I've burned out previously.
Like I had an extensive background in sales and marketing for some beautiful fashion brands, Australian fashion brands.
I burnt out in that career, which is why I actually pivoted into finding what was right for me in this work.
And so at that time, I thought, okay, I'll pause for a minute.
I paused.
I had my son.
And then I returned to work, and he started to go to daycare.
We know this story well.
They get sick.
Yes.
The settling in period is challenging, and I was starting to be really quite unprofessional because I was taking my phone with me or, you know, getting knocks on the door saying, can you take a call?
Because the daycare was calling, and I started to get such anxiety about going into the practice room.
And really, you have to be really grounded in bodywork and be there 100% for your client in terms of energetics, you know, holding the space for them, and really concentrating on what you're providing to them.
And that was just not possible for me.
Like I was taking my phone into my treatments and putting it on silent, and that is just was so out of the realm of how I like to operate.
And I just thought, this is no longer working for me.
And so at that time, I was looking for something.
And, you know, in the wellness industry, and I'm sure you would attest to this, people think differently.
They're open minded, they're broad thinkers, they're always looking for opportunities because it's, you know, not as regulated, not as structured in the way we do our business.
So, you know, I was presented with this opportunity to work in high-ticket affiliate marketing, which I, you know, we are aware of other affiliate marketing companies out there.
And because I'm always interested in other opportunities, I was always offered those opportunities.
I thought, no, this is really important for me that it has to be in alignment with what I'm chasing for myself, which is exactly what you said, Desiree, when you introduced me is that it's, you know, I'm looking for wearing all the hats that a woman has to wear as a mother, which is, you know, bringing in financial security to the family, being present for their child, and then still having that personal fulfillment.
That was so important to me, you know.
Being 39, I was very strong in my conviction of who I was, and that got turned on its head completely when I had our son, because then I was like, wow, I have lived this whole life, and this little person needs me, and everything I knew before just goes out the window.
Yeah.
So I was quite lost for a while there.
I really was like, oh, God, I don't know who I am, and how do I create that?
And I knew myself as a business woman previously to my massage, and then I knew myself in the wellness sector, and now in this new role as mom.
And I was like, okay, how do I bring all of this together?
And for me, Enagic really presented that opportunity to have the alignment in terms of the business model allows for you to do it in your own time frame, which means I'm not putting my son in with babysitters, which is not an issue.
It works, whatever works for you, but from my journey with my mother, that was what was important to me.
I am bringing in, I'm supporting our finances as well in conjunction with my partner, and I'm with this beautiful community, and it's just so special to be connected to other women that are passionate about health and wellness, that have a broad, open way of thinking, and are all committed to being these empowered, intelligent, successful, driven women that are having it all.
I think that is just so attractive that women can really do everything and raise our children in conjunction with our partners, because let's not forget the fabulous men that are also participating and working hard and doing it all as well.
But I think I lost that empowered feeling, and I feel like now I'm able to step back in, learn something new that is still aligned with my wellness values, and actually now I'm looking at returning to massage, because I have freedom in my life to choose.
My child is secure because we have spent that quality time from an early age of being with him and being present so that he is starting to know who he is as an independent little boy.
So he's all settled, and I get to choose what hours I want, because I miss that for myself, because my Enagic business is supporting me at the same time.
So I feel like I, you know, touchwood, you don't want to always say, I feel like I've got it covered, but I just, yeah, it's really opened up a lot of doors for me that I didn't know were there before.
So.
All right, Mom Bosses, we get this question all the time.
What are your go-to products that actually help your family stay well and thrive?
Yep.
And the truth is, we don't do complicated.
We do powerful basics that work with our bodies and our lifestyles.
It really comes down to four essentials that have become non-negotiable for us.
So first up, our Kang'en K8 Water Ionizer.
It's not just water, it's hydration on emission.
Alkaline, antioxidant-rich and energizing.
It helps us detox, focus and feel like superwomen.
You know, without the caffeine crash.
And next is the Anespa Shower System.
Just think of it as a spa in your bathroom.
It really filters out the harsh stuff like chlorine and infuses your water with hot spring minerals.
Our skin says, thank you, and so do our kids.
Then there's the M-Guard, our EMF Harmonizer.
You know, with all this tech around us, this little device helps bring back calm to our space.
It's subtle but powerful.
Like that mom intuition, you just can't explain.
And finally, UConn.
It's Okinawan Turmeric grown in volcanic soil packed with natural curcumin.
It's our immune system's bestie and our God's happy place.
Plus, it comes in tea, so hello, ritual moment.
You can explore all of them at oileessentialsfamily.com/water.
And if something in your soul whispers, this could be a business too, then head on over to mombossesabroad.com and let's chat.
Because radiant health, time freedom and real wealth, they are not extras.
They are your birthright.
And I want to go back, Tamara, because in your sharing, there has been something that is so incredibly powerful that happens for all of us in different ways, of course, and in different iterations.
But I think that there's a bit of a mindset shift that needs to come along, especially when, as you say, your journey was more the nine to five, you know, the corporate traditional way of being a working woman, and then going into a hands-on business, literally, you know, as a massage therapist, like you were in constant touch with your clients, and you had to be there, physically present.
And then what was it like for you?
What did you feel was that mindset shift that clicked the idea of saying, can I really step into an online model then?
As an alternative, or as a supporting, you know, platform to be in this space?
Yeah, do you know what?
That's a fantastic question, because that was one of my main concerns stepping into this business, because I'm all about that personal connection.
You know, it's touch, feel, energy, and I was a bit of a novice.
Like, I hardly ever used Instagram or social media.
But, you know, one of the biggest things for me about this is having a small person who is growing up in this world of social media.
You know, I was so committed to learning about how to be online and navigating that so I could also support him and understand what he is going through as he grows up.
And I thought to myself, okay, I don't know anything about this, but I'm so willing to learn, and the amazing platforms that we have in this business are going to essentially teach me for free because there's that step-by-step platform that we have that educates us on how to be online, how to show up, what's important to us, how to gain that connection via online.
And I thought, what other opportunity am I going to have to learn inside of being passionate about growing something for myself that doesn't feel like this huge, overwhelming cost that isn't cold or clinical to learn, that you're not going into a fluorescent room and being taught in front of a computer screen, do this, then do that, which is not how my mind works at all.
So I thought this was just a win-win.
And the challenges that I knew I would face, I felt so ready to overcome because I always want to learn.
That's my personality.
If I feel if I'm not learning, I'm stagnating and I have such interest in everything around me.
And so I was like, cool, I know I'm going to get stopped by my own thoughts about myself, but also I'm, so now I'm 42.
And I thought, if not now, when, like, when am I going to stop or let myself be stopped by my own thoughts versus the success I could have if I just leaned into it, embrace what was being offered to me because the worst thing that could happen was that I had this experience where I learned something.
So they felt like no risk and so much to gain.
That is, that is just incredible.
Yeah.
And exactly, we are getting paid for self-development without any limitations, right?
Because we have decided to go into the space, not only for the business itself, but we got so much more out of it.
It's really that self-development piece that allows us to grow and then at the end, apply it to just every area of our lives again.
And it's really incredible.
That's why I love having these conversations.
I mean, it's so different having this exact conversation that we're having with a woman who has pivoted from a traditional business into a high ticket space.
But you put a child in the mix, you put motherhood in the mix, and that conversation completely shifts because it is that exact, that formula doesn't have a black and white solution to it.
It doesn't, it really, it depends on your child.
It depends on your mothering techniques.
It depends on just so many variables and how you manage the situation.
That's right, exactly.
That mindset shift is everything to make it happen and to propel you forward.
And we can, you mentioned at the beginning, this, you know, we want to have it all.
And we can, and Iva and I, we've said also in previous episodes, you can have it all.
Maybe not on the same day anymore, right?
But we truly can.
And again, this is where that, that mindset shift that you've definitely undergone really plays such a big role and like just regaining that empowerment that you have towards yourself, towards your family, towards your son who sees you now, like thriving while being fully present with him.
That's the most beautiful gift you can give him.
So, thank you.
Look, and I think the other, sorry to interrupt.
The other thing is, you know, being willing, because I think you can say that you want something, but you're not really willing to go there and get it.
We'll do what it takes.
So it's really taking it on for yourself and say, I'm willing to choose something different.
And, you know, like, what kind of mother do you want to be?
What kind of role model do you want to be?
Because, like I said, I looked at my mother and she works so hard.
And like I've said, I love her for that.
She gave her everything.
But I also didn't want to perpetuate those stories that either you work until you're just completely exhausted or the flip side, the man goes to work and the woman stays at home and takes care of the house and the cooking and things like that.
Because I want to bring my son up in a different conversation from that.
That's not the world that I choose to live in, that that is what a woman is only capable of doing.
Not only because it is such an important job to have.
It's so pivotal to be able to do that, but that he sees a strong woman who is capable of being a provider, being present, and also having relationships that they are able to maintain.
So I think that that's really important for little boys in the world to see, that women are so capable of so much, because that is still...
Absolutely.
Yes, absolutely.
And for other moms who have daughters, it's also the other flip side of saying, I want my daughter to watch a new way of coming into the world, making your money and showing up as a working woman without having to rely always on the traditional models, as you say, either the either or type of proposition, right?
It's either you work until you burn out and you're totally exhausted.
And then what is that message then that we're sending our daughters?
It's like, OK, you can have your own money.
You can have your own independence.
You can do all the things, but it's going to cost you.
It's going to cost you your sanity, your energy, your youth, right?
Everything that comes along with being in this high pressure state of delivering and delivering and delivering and anticipating and stressing out.
But what I want to also rescue from what you said, I think it's also something within us.
Is this also inner shift or inner dialogue of how you so powerfully stated this idea of, I knew that I had my ideal in how I was showing up in my slash therapy business, and bringing in the phone and being interrupted here and there, it wasn't allowing me to fully honor the work that I love doing in the way that I love doing it.
And so it was this space in between of saying, okay, what are other alternatives that are not alternatives, but other options that I can explore simultaneously to some degree, that it can allow me to go back to what I love doing from a cleaner energy, and from a cleaner sense of, I'm showing up without the hustle and the stress and the urgency and the time is ticking.
I have to bring this client into this time slot, but if they are 15 minutes late, I am also 20 minutes late, and so this whole domino effect keeps rolling down for me.
And if you will love to expand on this, because I think it's so important, we sometimes view our passion businesses as something that is so sacred, and when we have to even pivot just a little bit, it seems like we're either failing or we didn't do it right, or we just completely fell flat on our face.
But that's not the story that you're bringing in.
So I just want to, you know, I want you to expand on this because this is so powerful, I believe, for everyone.
Yeah, I agree.
And look, it's so valid what you're talking about, and it resonates so strongly because I always said, you know, for wellness practitioners, there's this thing like everyone might say, oh, I did massage once, or I was that once because they fell away from it because they couldn't sustain it.
And I said, I refused to be a massage therapist once.
Like I refused to say, I did that once.
This is my calling.
So that's why I was so committed to finding a solution for myself.
But it can't feel stressful, you know.
So that's why I was looking for something that aligned.
And this has felt so synergistic in terms of, you know, I think about what I talk to my clients about in terms of taking care of their wellness.
At the end, I say, hydrate yourself, take care of yourself, like consider how you treat yourself when you leave this room.
And so like, that is something that I find so easily incorporated in the values of this business.
It is all about longevity and taking care of your health and treating yourself with respect and care and of value.
And so for me, I feel like I'm stepping back, knowing that these two businesses now really are linking arms together.
They're not, I'm a massage therapist and I'm in online business.
They're actually something that I do jointly.
So I don't see them as being separate from each other.
And I just feel such beautiful alignment, stepping back into the space, knowing that I am also bringing in this new energy, this new information to my clients that can really support them on their health and wellness journey.
So that feels really powerful.
Yeah, and I would just say that to any other wellness practitioners, you don't have to have that panic because I think that's why people do pivot.
They think this isn't working because it has to sustain me and it is burning me out and I'm losing the love for it.
But there are ways to find solutions that you can bring into the conversation that really allow you to expand what you're doing in your business and create other avenues for yourself, but also for your clients.
So yeah, it's been very rewarding that I get to now step back into this work that I love doing with such a sense of freedom around it.
But yes, you're going back to your passions with joy and with a sense of freedom.
And that's always been my goal as well into, you know, coming a little bit from where I was before.
And I see so many moms giving up their passions for exactly those reasons that we mentioned that it doesn't sustain them, you know, it doesn't bring enough money.
That's usually the key point.
Or I cannot just do it because of the time and because of the children.
And it just doesn't work in my new life anymore.
And it's really sad because so many women have such beautiful calling, such beautiful talents, that they need to continue giving and gifting to everyone around them.
So you did such a courageous thing of saying, no, I'm gonna find a solution, because exactly now you can go back into that passion with absolute joy on your terms.
And that energy that you provide your clients will also be different.
I agree, and absolutely, and if you don't mind me saying, Iva, I wanted to touch on, we talked before about connection, and for me, body work is so much about being connected to my client.
And so when I left that to become a mother, I don't know if you've had this experience, ladies, but I felt so isolated from other people.
You can be busy all day and you can be talking to people, but you're missing that community and that really intimate connection with people.
And so when we're talking about what was it like to shift to online after having that, always wanting and enjoying that experience with people, I was really worried about that.
I'm like, okay, I'm going to be home all the time on my computer.
Is that going to feel good?
But you know what, I haven't for a minute felt like I have been isolated or stuck in a room because I get to have these beautiful conversations.
And the online part is just the beginning.
Do you know what I mean?
That's just how we start the process.
And then the rest is all beautiful conversations with men and women that are also looking for their solution, that they are intrigued and curious about what we're doing because we're so lit up about having access to this.
And so then they come in via the online space, but it's the relationship and the rapport that you build.
So it is all about connection inside of this business, which was really special for me.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more.
And often it's really we're working hard online so we can enjoy life to the fullest offline.
That's right.
It's really having that maintaining the harmony between all of that.
That's right.
And to add to that, what I have found to be very, very powerful is that we are certainly as women, the oxytocin that we produce by being in proximity to each other, by being in groups where we feel seen and supported, or we feel that everybody gets it because they're either navigating similar waters or simply they have had similar experiences.
And so we don't feel the need to justify or over explain anything.
It's like from mom to mom who's been there in the trenches, you sort of get it.
But it adds, as you say, Tamara, a whole new dimension when it's women that are in that space of saying, I have found my calling.
Like that's such a powerful statement, because not everybody tends to do so.
At the beginning, we'll start tinkering a little bit here and there.
And so to be in a place where you are part of this community, where many of us have been blessed to come to the realization of saying, this is it, right?
This is what lights me up.
Like I finish a session.
I mean, this is my personal case.
And my husband can testify to this.
Every time I finish a session with my clients, I'm so lit up.
I'm so like, wow.
It's like I discovered, I don't know, the meaning of life somehow.
It's like I come so enlightened.
I'm like, ask me anything.
I'm downloading right now.
It's just, it's so powerful.
And so it's great to know that there are other kindred sister, other soul sisters out there that feel the same way.
And yet they don't see stepping into something parallel or alternative as this online business, as a flaw or as an accident or something went wrong along the way.
What happened?
You know, I deviated very, very, very far because it also has to do with our values, right?
As you said, if we are already in the wellness space, mental health space, we have certain values about what we really, really regard in high priority.
And so this business is so complimentary that it feels in integrity with what we already do.
And I think that is also important.
I think with this, we touched upon this many, many times that you can come from a place of saying, yes, I am here and I'm also here.
And they both link arms, because they are trying to bring in that perspective of health and wellness into our lives.
Absolutely.
And we're moms.
So we are already diversified.
Do you know what I mean?
We're not already one thing.
So we're not one thing in our career.
And then one thing over here, it's all under that umbrella.
So this is just another tool in your tool belt.
And it just makes you more of an expert in your life.
So it's definitely not, yes, a separate thing from how you're living and experiencing your life.
Absolutely not.
Exactly.
We get to have it all.
See?
I was talking to my husband last night and I said, you know what?
I just feel so grateful because I'm working with so many other moms, other moms who completely get it.
And that's beautiful.
There's no more anxiety around the fact like, oh my gosh, like yesterday, my daughter was sick and I had to call someone and say, look, is it okay if we reschedule this thing?
We had no problem.
The complete full understanding, right?
And it takes away so much of that pressure because there's just so much love in there because we're all parents.
We all know what it means, you know, to have a sick child at home or a commitment or school or holidays or whatever.
We are our own bosses.
And, you know, how many times have our kids had appearances in our meetings?
Like we all kind of know each other's kids as well because they're like, hi, you see little head bopping past in the background of a Zoom call.
And isn't that the most beautiful thing?
You know, I always joke, it's like, oh yeah, they're having like early training, you know, because one day, that's another thing, that business we're creating is a legacy business.
It'll be theirs one day.
Let them see what we're doing.
Let them be involved.
Very day, the thin little ones have big ears, you know?
And it's just that beautiful space we've created of working together with other moms and dads, and that complete understanding.
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Guest Bio
With a passion for health and wellness, Tamara is a professional massage therapist and is currently completing a Bachelor of Health Science. Becoming a mother at almost 40, she knew she wanted to spend those important first years with her son without the burden and sacrifice of working full time in her business. She chose to pursue high ticket affiliate marketing with a company that aligns deeply with her health values, allowing her to continue to financially contribute to her family, whilst being fully present at home with her son. This has allowed her to connect and contribute to women that are also looking to create a balanced lifestyle of family, finances and career as well as provide the freedom to choose when and how she would return to her heart-led massage practice.
IG @_tamara_auer, Facebook https://web.facebook.com/tamauer?mibextid=LQQJ4d&_rdc=1&_rdr#
Resources
Alright mamas, we get this question all the time:
“What are your go-to products that actually help your family stay well and thrive?” And the truth is, we don’t do complicated. We do powerful basics that work with our bodies and our lifestyles. It really comes down to four essentials that have become non-negotiable for us.
You can explore all of them at http://oilyessentialsfamily.com/water .
And if something in your soul whispers “This could be a business too”—head to http://mombossesabroad.com and let’s chat.
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