[00:00:00] Christine: Hi, friends. And welcome back to the milspouse mastermind show today. I am excited to bring you a conversation with Kara Walker, who is an entrepreneur and the host of the money and mental piece podcast. Kara took what she knew her ability to find scholarships and graduate college debt. And instead of pursuing a traditional full-time job, she’s spent the last few years turning that knowledge into actual income and impact.

[00:00:33] Kara knows firsthand how to begin building a business, the scrappy way, in your spare time. It’s not a get rich quick scheme, but there is a sustainable way to make money from home. Kara shares exactly what steps she took to get started, and the biggest lessons she’s learned along the way. If you’ve had an idea on your heart, but you’re hesitant to take that first step, then you need to give this episode a listen.

[00:01:07] So what do you say? Let’s go ahead and dive into the show.

[00:02:04] Friends. I can’t wait to share this conversation with Kara Walker with you, because we’re gonna dig into how she turned this idea into an actual business and a way to make money from home. Because what I know is that there are so many military spouses who would love to find their own thing, who would love to find a way to bring in extra money.

[00:02:26] Make money from home, but you don’t necessarily want to do an MLM. You don’t want to feel like you have to sell something. You just want a way to make a contribution. And I also know that you probably have an idea on your heart. But you’re not sure how to actually turn it into a business. If you are stuck in this place of wanting this thing, having an idea on your heart, but you’re not sure of what it would actually look like for you to pursue that dream.

[00:03:03] Maybe you don’t have clarity on your purpose. Maybe you’re just not sure how the idea you have could actually become a business. Well, if that is you. Then I want you to know that I am offering a limited number of clarity calls. When these calls are claimed, that’s all there is. I don’t have any extra time in my schedule, but I want to make this option available to you and help as many military spouses as possible.

[00:03:31] Take your next step. And all you have to do is go to milspousemastermind.com/claritycall to get started. All right. Here’s my conversation with Kara Walker. Hey guys. Welcome back to the show today. I have Kara Walker with me. Kara, would you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?

[00:03:54] Kara: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. I like to tell people that I am a 20 something entrepreneur, amateur snowboarder, and recovering overachiever, but I’m still getting there, you know, um, the big thing that. Generally I introduce on cuz it’s around podcasting stuff is I own a business where I help students graduate from college debt free.

[00:04:17] So I graduated debt free and I’m really a nerd around personal finance and God really guided that I would start a business, helping students find scholarships for college and then eventually. Podcasting and kind of reaching a wider audience, you know, and through that had to come clarity, purpose, um, and concept of like, what is even happening here.

[00:04:41] And I really feel like sometimes just closing my eyes and holding God’s hand and just letting him lead me the next two steps. Cause I had no idea what was going on. So that’s what I’m up to. And I’m a podcaster. I have a podcast called money and mental peace and I would love to connect with you guys if you’re ever interested in going back to school.

[00:05:00] Or you have a kid coming up, going to school and want to do it debt free. And when I say kid, I mean anywhere from like middle school and up, you can get started looking at scholarships and all the things. Thank you so much for having me.

[00:05:14] Christine: That’s so awesome. Now tell me what point did you start to think about going the entrepreneurship route and saying, Hey, I don’t want a traditional eight to five job. I wanna try something different. At what point was that an idea in your head?

[00:05:35] Kara: I know exactly. So I had had a couple of full-time internships, but one, I was doing it online, helping with marketing with a company online, um, pretty small company.

[00:05:45] So like I was actually doing a lot of even like planning things. I was even doing some, interviewing some HR work for them looking for other interns. I was kind of cool, but I just, it was the summer before my I’m gonna call it my senior semester. Cuz I graduated college in December. Not really senior year.

[00:06:05] And I was just like, this is fine and all, but I just feel so limited by the exact eight hours. And I felt like I was working for someone else’s dream and not my own. And not that that’s a bad thing and God can guide us any, any of those ways. Right. But that’s just what I was feeling. And I actually specifically remember I was kneeling at my bed praying, and it’s great to kneel, but I am not that.

[00:06:31] um, super, um, spiritual looking prayer person who always kneels when you pray. I just remember it vividly now, cuz I, I, I was just not sure what I was up to and I was like, I just don’t wanna do this. And this is frustrating and all the things, and I was like, what am I good at people? Talk about if you’ve done it for 10,000 hours, you might be an expert.

[00:06:52] I think expert the term sometime is overrated. But I was like, well, I know how to find scholarships. I’m so ready to be done with school, but I know how to, how I’ve been doing all this. And actually throughout college, I had thought about maybe writing a book on how I was doing it. So I had written down notes of how I had gotten money, but I wasn’t necessarily sure.

[00:07:14] I was making that to my career right away. I just had like written things down. And so for one thing, it I’ll throw this out there. Anyone in your life, right. You have a story and even just certain ways that you do things or stuff happens to you is great to jot down and you might find it later. You might use it later.

[00:07:34] I think that was cool. I really liked to write down how I finished something or accomplish something. And even if something went wrong, I was like, well, that’s just another story in my chapter, in my book or another. Now I’ve found out it’s just another podcast episode, but I didn’t know that then. And so, but that really wasn’t.

[00:07:52] Career wise, right? The, the defining moment would be more that time, that summer, where I was like, I know how to find scholarships. People get frustrated. They don’t have time to find them or don’t want to. I bet I could just start a business doing that. And I, I was kind of an idea dream to like more.

[00:08:13] Trying to work toward it. And I think also by the time I started my senior semester, I was just done with school. I was just senioritis and, and everyone was finishing school and also stressing about interviewing and finding a job. And I was like, I felt so free. I was like, I just, I don’t care my GPA anymore.

[00:08:31] Again, remember I’m a recovering overachiever, so I still had a pretty good GPA. I’m not trying to sound arrogant in that, but I just want to acknowledge how big that was for me to kind of just let grades go. And it, they didn’t go that bad, but you know, I, wasn’t trying to get like all a pluses all the time.

[00:08:49] And so letting that go and then even letting go, like finding, like doing interviews and stuff was crazy for me. So. Basically, it was like five or six months before I did it is when I had thought of it and it built up into me finishing school, graduating, and then. Starting this business, which was very rudimentary.

[00:09:14] It was just like, I did establish an LLC and then just found clients on Facebook and Instagram and like friends and family and got started with it. And it was very much that step that I wouldn’t be doing forever. But I had that much clarity that gave me that much of a step. And now. There’s been so much more clarity that I’ve gotten past that, but like, you’re not always gonna have all the clarity right away.

[00:09:39] Christine: Yeah. I love that. Now let’s just go back for a second because I think that was a genius idea that as you’re just walking through your life in college, you’re just jotting these things down and you don’t necessarily know what’s gonna come. That, but you were just taking that time to be aware of what was going on and what you were learning and taking that opportunity to write it down.

[00:10:02] And I think, you know, just that awareness is amazing because so many of us just kind of go on autopilot and we get so focused, especially. When you’re in college or you’re an overachiever, you get focused on what that next thing that needs to be done and really learning how to take that time to just reflect and observe.

[00:10:24] That’s so powerful because that’s really the key to how we start to change. We first have to be aware of what’s going on around us. I love that. Um, I would love for you to talk a little bit about that process of getting started. Did you just start researching online? How do I start a business? Did you find a mentor?

[00:10:47] How did you go about and get started?

[00:10:50] Kara: Well first I wanna say thank you because I wasn’t trying to be all smart and self-aware, I’m just like concerned I’ll forget stuff if I don’t write it down. And to be clear, I was very much like low pressure, even though I liked to overachieve to a point I was very much low pressure of just typing.

[00:11:08] And not like editing it cuz I wasn’t writing it yet. I was just typing it to remember. So I think people get freaked out. Maybe like they have to write right now. No, I was, it was just quick things to jog my memory. So like it doesn’t have to be a long period of time. Stressor.

[00:11:23] Christine: For sure. Well, and let me just say real quick.

[00:11:26] So what I’ve done now is I have a digital journal. It’s an app on my phone. And that way I can just like jot down notes at night about my day or things that happened. And, and just starting to establish that habit of like, oh, this is what I happened, or this is. You know what I learned or something that I experienced, just getting in that habit.

[00:11:46] The more that we start to do that now the better that’s gonna set us up for the future. So just a quick tip. I wanted to interject there. Um, just trying to make that a daily habit has really helped me. No, I love

[00:11:59] Kara: that because I’m actually playing off that real quick. Ever since I realized about, you know, a while ago about, you know, voice text on your phone, sometimes now I go through the line.

[00:12:11] Wendy’s and I have an interesting interaction with someone and I just do like voice to texts on my phone for just like, I feel like I’m in star Trek just to remember something that was really cool in my life. And I, and I, and I say it to my phone real quick. And, and then I just save it, like, you know, just like little points of re I think it’s points of remembrance.

[00:12:28] So love that. Um, yeah. Getting into business. Okay. I did have a mentor friend or wasn’t a really organized, like we do a mentorship this often and blah, blah, blah. It was more just. Interacted in life. And sometimes I’d ask her, um, business questions, but I did ask if I could pick her brain one afternoon and with this idea that I had.

[00:12:51] And so I am all for getting mentorship and it was a friend and it was so it was free and she gave me thoughts. And so we kind of laid out an idea of. How I could do this. Even she talked a little bit on pricing with me. Like she, it was my first market research. She literally called a friend up at who has kids going eventually going to college?

[00:13:11] She’s like, what would you pay for this? Like, it was very rudimentary, but God really helped that established that. I got a little bit of ideas through that. And then she was also like, you need to start an LLC. And even if it’s not whatever else, at least then you’re not liable right there. So I did get some advice with that.

[00:13:29] Then it was simply like, Well, some of it was kind of the whole hustling, hustling harder. And, but I did take breaks. Let me clarify. I am not a workaholic, even though I’m an overachiever, which is weird. I feel like I can’t always overachieve if I don’t get enough rest, I dunno. I guess that’s a good problem to have.

[00:13:48] Um, but it was a hustle in the sense of like messaging people and like posting things. So it would be kind of like when people have. Like an MLM, you know, or are trying to sell someone else’s stuff, you know, there’s posting there’s messages, there’s all the things I was kind of doing that, but for my own thing.

[00:14:05] So it felt a little bit less spammy. Not that it’s always spammy if you’re have your own business otherwise like that, but it just, it felt a little less, but it was still just like that consistency. And sometimes I’d even be like, okay, I’m out of clients. I gotta go message a bunch of people or post stuff.

[00:14:22] And still worked for a while. I mean, that’s still a start. I got a lot of people from my friends, you know, I did some for free or really cheap to get reviews. And then I went ahead and, um, there was a little bit of networking and there did get to a point where it was like people I didn’t know, would start to reach out to me.

[00:14:41] So it started to become more word of mouth, which is great to be organic. Right. And, um, the best kind of marketing, I’d say to be honest, word of mouth. Like, I would even have someone be like, oh, I heard about you in this nursing group on Facebook with a friend that you had helped. And I was like, great.

[00:14:58] I’ll find scholarships for you. It kind of built up from there. And when I say I’ll find scholarships for them, it again, rudimentary, like I’d have a Google doc and I’d. Have them answer information and I’d have general info about them and that I’d scour the internet for scholarships for them. And they would pay me to do that and I’d give it to them, you know?

[00:15:17] And it wasn’t like I had some big, crazy software. I think it’s like it. I tried to do it kind of like this company, this business in our town, it’s called Erie bread company. That when you walk in it’s, it’s cool, but there’s not a lot of like artistic atmosphere, but the food’s amazing. And they were like, we are all for.

[00:15:38] People wanted to come into an artsy place and luxury, whatever, but that’s just not us. We just wanted people to rave about our food and spend our time and money on that. And on top of that, we could make it fancy. If we wanted to. I think I was very much black and white and just like, I. I got an LLC. I’m just telling people, I know letting word of mouth spread.

[00:15:57] I use a Google doc. I don’t have FA fancy software. I think I was just trying to be like very much. What’s the bare minimum that I need, because even though I’m an over, in some ways, I also don’t wanna get into something. um, because I’ll try to overachieve in that way. Like, I don’t wanna like, get into figure out the right software cause I’ll spend too much time with it.

[00:16:17] I don’t know if that makes sense or if there’s anyone out there like me in that, but I think I tried to be kind of black and white economical with that until God was like, it’s time to have more clarity and branch out.

[00:16:28] Christine: Well, I think it’s so important. Sometimes when we have this idea of entrepreneurship, we think it has to be this whole thing that we have to have, you know, the pretty website and all of the marketing pieces built in and all of this structure before we can take the first step.

[00:16:48] And so really being able to say, okay, what can I do with what I have right now? Um, and how. Start to build this from scratch. It doesn’t have to be the whole thing, but what’s the step to get me started. And you know, what a blessing to have.

[00:17:08] Kara: Can I tell you, I haven’t had a website for two and a half years, the first two and a half years of my business.

[00:17:12] I didn’t have any website cuz I just didn’t wanna deal with it. So I’m not saying don’t wait. I’m not saying wait that long. It could be great to have a website.

[00:17:20] Christine: It’s it’s not necessary. I built the website first because I had started a blog first. So I was already doing a website when I started my business.

[00:17:30] Totally makes sense. But you know what a blessing to have a friend slash mentor that you could kind of. Sit down with and, and work out that idea with, of how do I take this idea that I have, and actually start to turn it into a money making opportunity. What do you think are some of the biggest lessons that you’ve learned in the last few years?

[00:17:54] Kara: Yeah. Can I follow up on that real quick? Even if you don’t have a businessy mentorlike person, anyone listening, do you have anyone who is a good thinker or can process stuff with you? They don’t have to be a business mentor. You know, it could be your spouse or a friend or some random person at church that seems to have it all together.

[00:18:12] I mean, they probably don’t, we don’t all have it all together, but you might not even need a business person. Maybe you just need another set of eyes. or another processor and they could bring insight to you. I just wanna clarify. You don’t need to do that or you could, you could go pay whatever. Um, but it could, it could be your neighbor.

[00:18:34] well,

[00:18:34] Christine: sometimes it’s just hard when we. We’re we’re in the middle of it. And we, we have this idea, but we need somebody to listen to us and give us feedback on what they’re hearing. And sometimes just having somebody, you can talk something through with really gives you that clarity that you need to take that next step.

[00:18:54] Yeah, exactly.

[00:18:55] Kara: Yeah. Cool. Cool. Thanks. Um, I wanna restate the question cuz I forgot it already. Did you say top things I’ve learned. Is that what you were asking me? Yes. Cool.

[00:19:04] Christine: Cool. What are some of the biggest things that you’ve learned in the last few years? Okay.

[00:19:07] Kara: Let’s see. You can fail forward or fall forward.

[00:19:11] However you wanna say it, you can start, you can get started, um, with only knowing third of the pie or third of the picture or whatever, you know? Um, there’s a point that. Let me do. The second point is also partnering with God in this, because there’s a point that you probably don’t wanna get too far without knowing the whole picture or having the whole map.

[00:19:33] You know, if you only have half a map, you don’t, you might not know how to get to your destination, but you can at least take a few steps. You know, I think there’s the concern of waiting till you have everything to get started, or I would say that’s more so the issue, but sometimes people go too far.

[00:19:51] Thinking through, and that would be connecting with God. So I’d say, um, the prayer over it, and then I would say you can get started. Oh, you asked me what, what I learned. Well, yeah. Then I can get started without knowing everything. Um, Beyond that I have been learning through a similar mentor that you listen to.

[00:20:12] Christine is Stephanie gas. That clarity is key. And that I’ve learned that it’s an ongoing process. So once we decide we have a product or a course, or a coaching or whatever, it might work for a while, but if it starts to not work to. Not worry about it. It’ll be gravy. It’ll be fine. You know, you just have to have a continued clarity.

[00:20:34] Clarity is a journey I’ve learned and not like you reach it and you sit there forever. And I think all of that kind of ties into giving yourself grace. I, when I, okay, the first year I started my business, I literally was like, this is a year of grace. You’re gonna try stuff and you’re just not gonna get mad at yourself over it.

[00:20:52] And just telling myself that was awesome. That’s another thing I learned. And, um, these things I learned are a little out of all over the place, but I’m gonna, I’m gonna treat it like a, what I’ve learned in two, three years thing. And I think a follow up point would be still having counsel, but it can be in the form of, in inspiration.

[00:21:16] Like you don’t have to always talk with a mentor. Like that’s great to have, but I like the quote of Zig Ziegler who says, Motivation is like bathing. We recommend it daily. So like people think that, you know, you get excited about an idea and then it WANs. We have to keep up our interest, our ideas, like sometimes I do not wanna do the work I’m doing, but then I daydream about, you know, maybe the impact or the income that could come from it.

[00:21:42] And then that gives me a spark for that day. So let me see if I can summarize cuz now I can’t remember all of ’em, but I think it’s just like failing forward, giving yourself grace. I’ve learned, you know, partnering with God and. Knowing that you can. Take steps slowly might not have the whole picture. And did I miss anything?

[00:22:01] You look like you’re writing things down. those are great things I’ve learned.

[00:22:05] Christine: Yes, I was. OK. So we, we talked about failing forward, which is so good because I think sometimes we’re afraid of failure, but. Failure is only failure if you give up and not, if you use it as a learning opportunity, an opportunity to grow from, um, you talked about giving yourself grace, which I would definitely agree with because I like to call myself a recovering perfectionist because I have this idea of what something should look like and.

[00:22:37] I just have to be okay with good enough. Sometimes mm-hmm and that’s the process of how we learn in the

[00:22:43] Kara: journey. Good enough. Has the word good in it? So sometimes it’s enough.

[00:22:46] Christine: Absolutely. Let’s see. You also talked about getting to get started without having the whole picture mapped out so we don’t get just.

[00:22:56] Stuck and never take that step forward. So I think that is super, super valuable. And then we talked about how clarity is a journey, and I love that because as we take action, then we get more clarity and we, we figure out. What this looks like, and we’re not going to have a perfect picture. And, um, but, but getting that clarity and continuing to get that clarity and then really reminding yourself of your, why that, that, why am I doing this?

[00:23:29] How do I keep showing up and keep reminding yourself of. Who you’re doing this for and why it really matters. So I think those were all really, really wow. Beneficial for it made me sound good. Anybody who is starting a business

[00:23:45] Kara: yeah. That’s what I meant to say. All of those things. Yeah, they were

[00:23:48] Christine: great. So talk about how your business has evolved since you started.

[00:23:52] We kind of talked about how you got started really scrappy and, and how far have you come? How has it changed over the last few?

[00:24:01] Kara: I feel like I’m still scrappy, but I think it’s because sometimes I’m rebellious against my previous. Overachievers I dunno if that, but um, some stuff I’m it just, I just don’t care about other stuff I do, but really what led was actually, I was getting to the point of kind of getting discouraged or depressed about what I had been doing.

[00:24:21] I had that freedom. I was not working in the nine to five. I do have a part-time job now because for one, after COVID, you know, 20, 20 stuff I needed to get out of the house. And then for the second point gas money now. Am I right. So basically I, I have this part-time job. I feel like at least I have gas money with bills, some bills covered, whatever, and that’s fine to do.

[00:24:44] Let me clarify. You can be, you can adjust your life in different ways around different employment status, but now. Well, actually, I wanna say about a year ago, I connected with a podcast that then I heard Stephanie gas on it, and she talks about podcasting and building like a passive income business through that.

[00:25:06] And I think the thing that brought me in was that it wasn’t a get rich quick thing, which already. Puts my radars up because she even specifically says like, this is a process and a journey and it’s more exponential growth, you know, as stuff builds up. And so I remember thinking, well, I’d kind of like to do this course.

[00:25:24] She has, you know, clarify her calling. We’re talking about clarity, right. And I remember thinking, well, if I could save this much, And this different chunks of time, you know, maybe I could do that by the next year, this time. Well, turns out God had other plans and I’m already done with like her whole curriculum packed thing, because I just got sucked into it.

[00:25:46] But. I am not a spender. So the whole thing with graduating from college debt free. Sometimes it’s awkward to say this cause we don’t always talk about money, but I feel like to make a point in this situation. I not only graduated from college debt free, but I had a little over $10,000 left in my bank account that I didn’t need for college that I had saved, but then I got scholarships and.

[00:26:08] And so I had that money. I had some savings and I also just kept savings cuz I was starting a business and I wasn’t making a lot. And that’s another reason I could start a business right after college was because I graduated debt free. So Hey, if you want that for your kids, check out my podcast. There’s my little salesy pitch.

[00:26:25] But. I had funds that I could use to pay for coaching or course, but I was just like, I can figure stuff out myself. There’s a point to be scrappy. And then there’s a point to get some help, I think. And I think to know that is really just continual, um, reliance on God for that, because there. Pretty much every week.

[00:26:46] I’d be like, I have no idea if this is what I’m supposed to be doing or how I’m doing it. But I eventually took some of the staff courses, took her program and was like, okay, I’m making a podcast. And the reason behind that was I had been doing this kind of one on one, but I wanted to reach more people.

[00:27:04] Both in the idea of just helping them cuz it’s kind of a ministry. A ministry is one of, uh, someone I had networked with recently called it, but also not just one to one, but you wanna be one to many that’s podcasting that is being able to do coaching that is being able to do things that. Only you can do there, there comes a point in your business where if you’re like the CEO of growth, right.

[00:27:30] There’s a time that somebody else in your business could post stuff while you do something else. Let me clarify. I actually don’t have any employees at this point, although I I’m hoping to at some point, um, actually I take that back. My mom helps me with something and I swap. Something with her. I feel like that counts as outsourcing, but I didn’t want to just be finding people’s scholarships.

[00:27:50] I was like, I could hire someone to do that, or I could just teach some people how to find scholarships. So that tied into podcasting, which tied into a course. So I actually launched just, and we didn’t plan it around this. We Christine, you and I had tried to talk last month and it didn’t work, but I actually just this past Friday or no, now it’s two Fridays ago launched my course called the debt free college blueprint, which will take a student through steps on.

[00:28:18] Scholarships and accountability and strategy on what to put in their life situation to graduate from college debt free. So it’s not just what I had done before. It’s anything from testing out of classes, finding free classes. Yes. There are those out there. And a lot of people don’t know, uh, cheap textbooks and, um, getting paid to.

[00:28:40] Do your homework or take notes, you know, there’s like weird stuff out there. People don’t know. And I’ve, I’ve, I’ve, it’s streamlined from that scrappiness to now this podcast and this course, but the thing is, it’s still kind of scrappy. I’m sure I will make this course better in the future. It’s not the prettiest thing, but it’s not ugly.

[00:28:58] It’s just kind of streamlined, but I think we can be scrappy and. Go to the next level and be scrappy on that next level, you know, and it doesn’t always have to be pretty, but what’s transitioned is just having a podcast. Now I did pay to get some nice cover art. There’s a point that maybe you’ll have money to start paying for stuff, but I am transitioning to, I feel like.

[00:29:21] Um, almost like a level up, like if you’re gaming right. A level up and I don’t know where it’s all gonna go, but I think it’s gonna continue to like courses in coaching. And normally, let me clarify. If you listen to Stephanie Atall she usually suggests. Coaching and such before you have a course, but since I had been doing this for a couple of years and I, I knew more, so what someone was looking for with scholarships and stuff, I did jump into creating a course.

[00:29:47] And this is that next level of helping someone. One on one versus one to many, because all of these years that I have looked for scholarships for myself and other people. I have put into a scholarship database and I have over 350 scholarships there worth over 1.5 million in scholarship opportunities.

[00:30:08] And my students get that when they buy my course, it’s like an extra bonus. And so there’s just different aspects that what I was doing for those two years, wasn’t a waste. it was compiling data. It was growth. It was compiling scholarships. It was knowing my listener. Like, even if you’re not sure what you’re doing right now is what you’re gonna keep doing in your business.

[00:30:31] It’s not. Or if you feel like something failed, it’s not necessarily a waste from all that you’ve learned. You know? So I think that’s my level up. And like the clarity that I’ve gotten, but I’m still kind of scrappy in it. Um, I think, I think that mostly answered your question.

[00:30:45] Christine: Yeah. I love that. Um, and I, especially this, this part about realizing that as you’re trying things, what you’re doing, whatever it is, isn’t a waste.

[00:30:56] There’s going to be something that you can use that for. In the future. And when you’re getting started with something new, when you’re trying to build something from scratch, you’re not going to know the best way to do something. You’re not going to necessarily see a return on all of that time investment in the beginning.

[00:31:17] But it’s not that what you’re doing, isn’t worth it. There’s going to be a payoff down the road. So I just wanna say congratulations to you on the release of that course, because I know how much goes into building one. Thank you. Um, and that’s a huge win. So, so I just wanna say that is super, super exciting.

[00:31:38] What’s been the biggest blessing that you’ve experienced. Over the last few

[00:31:43] Kara: years. I love that question. Um, I’m gonna say being able to make my own time and have my own boss allows me to have longer, like devotional times with God. And I feel like that’s the blessing. Um, not that we have to do it in a certain timeframe.

[00:32:00] It’s great to connect with God. Read a bit of the Bible, pray whatever, five minutes a day or whatnot. But now let me clarify. I also don’t have kids. So I mean, there’s a different level, right? Of like involvement in my life and what I can adjust my time. But even if, especially, I would say if I didn’t feel clarity in my business, sometimes I would have an hour with God to just vent or talk or research and learn and read and all the things.

[00:32:26] And I think. Freedom of that has been that great blessing. And I wanna continue in my life to have the time freedom, location, freedom, money, freedom type of deal. And that’s what I’m working toward. So I think that’s been a good, good blessing for that. That’s a good question.

[00:32:41] Christine: Thanks. So what would be your encouragement to someone who’s sitting there today?

[00:32:49] They’re listening to this and they’re struggling with where they’re at and they’re wondering, okay. Like I have this idea. I would love to build my own business. What would you like to say to them? That’s

[00:33:01] Kara: so cool. Yeah. Okay. If you have this idea, I I’m gonna tie back to. What you actually talked about Christine, when I just interviewed you for my podcast.

[00:33:11] So guys go check it out. It’s coming out sometime. I don’t know what the title is yet. Cause we just recorded it. But you said there’s clarity and action. Um, and you can’t always have one without the other or you can only get so far with one without the other. I said it’s like the two sides of the same coin.

[00:33:27] Well, I think partnering with, in with God in this is key, you know, really building up. If you want one step and you’re not like daily reading or praying, like that’s your one step and asking for him to have guidance. But if, but if you’re doing that, I, I think there’s the time of scheduling little bits of time or time blocking look up time, blocking, you know, um, of just having a specific time Tory over this or research some steps or even it’s.

[00:34:00] 10 minutes, twice a week before bed and figuring out what your next step is. I think it’s just putting a bit of action a bit of time. That’s scheduled around having a chance to pray over that or consider what the next step is. And that’s not gonna stay the same forever. It might be more time or less time.

[00:34:20] It’s not always gonna stay the same place in your week, but if something’s not scheduled, you’re not necessarily gonna do it. And so I think there is. Partnering with God and there’s scheduling that. And there’s also dreaming. Why do you wanna do this? Because daydreaming is fun. and you wanna get to that point in my mind, if I’m dreaming of stuff or listening to podcasts that are encouraging, that all ties in with having a little bit of time scheduled and partnering with God with that.

[00:34:49] So I feel like that was three things. I’m gonna say, it’s one thing I’m gonna say scheduling even little bits of time to just decide tiny, tiny steps. Like it’s just baby steps here, but I think scheduling is big and you don’t have to schedule your whole life where you could. Your choice, don’t freak out about it.

[00:35:05] Don’t, you know, give yourself grace in this too. But like sometimes we just need 10 minutes to sit and stare into space and think about something. You

[00:35:13] Christine: know, I love that. That’s my thought. I mean, cuz it’s so in some ways unexpected, because I think a lot of times we think in terms of to do list, but really taking that time, I will link in the show notes below the episode.

[00:35:26] We did recently about finding time for a side hustle in your busy schedule. That’s a great one to go back and listen to, because we really do have to carve out that time. I love what you said that if it’s not scheduled, you’re probably not going to do it. So you actually have to carve out that time. And then I love that reflection piece really.

[00:35:47] Just getting quiet. And I know that’s hard to do for many of us when we have kids running around all the time, but the times and ways that I have found to get quiet, um, to pray about it, to reflect on it, to think about it, that is where I’ve gotten a lot of clarity. And, and then that piece, you talked about really getting clear on your, why getting that clarity piece, uh, and moving forward.

[00:36:13] And that’s why we have the MilSpouse Purpose Playbook, which helps you get that clarity on what your sweet spot is and how you go about crafting a life with purpose. So I would love to hear, as we wrap up today, what your big dream for the future is, and I know that may change over time, but right now what’s your big dream.

[00:36:34] Kara: I love those questions and I feel like anybody listening, like, do that, you know, write your ideas down, like. It’s not bad to dream. It’s awesome. Okay. What my big dream for the future. Um, I feel like the eventual thing is I would love to be that 30 something who has time to, um, homeschooler kids. If I have kids or if I don’t homeschool, you know, doing ministry or whatever else, and I am working.

[00:37:06] Single digit hours a week or maybe 10, you know, that’s a good round number and I’m able to have a six figure business. I feel like to some people, um, even like that idea sounds evil or to have money sounds evil or whatnot, but the Bible doesn’t say money is the root of all evil. It says the love of money.

[00:37:27] You know, like an idol is the root of all kinds of evil. And I feel like I really, I wanna have that crazy time. Freedom location, freedom, money, freedom to be seriously part-time but make full-time income and just like be with my family or invest in ministry time or, you know, that’s my dream. That’s my idea.

[00:37:49] And I think having that sort of dream. Very good and wholesome and godly if it’s partnered with God in it. So I would say. Don’t bash your kind of extreme dream, even if it’s extremely having a lot of money , but you know, it’s, how are you using it? And I do pray that God would give me character before currency, because if I do have income like that, I want the character to handle it.

[00:38:14] So I feel like that’s a continued thing to pray and be aware of. So thanks for asking. I want that kind of crazy dream of just like barely working and making a lot of money.

[00:38:23] Christine: I love hearing. People’s dreams because they span the gamut, but it’s so amazing to see how we each have these different dreams, but we’ve all been gifted differently.

[00:38:35] And, and when we really step into what it is that we’re called to do, um, we really are better to together and together, we really can impact this world for good. I would love for you to just share with everybody. Tell us about your podcast. Tell us how we can connect with you.

[00:38:54] Kara: Thank you so much. Yeah. My podcast is called money and mental peace.

[00:38:57] I help Christian college girls graduate from college debt free using scholarships and school hacks. Also with their mental health intact. We talk about that some as well, and I would just it’s, you know, all free content over there on the podcast who doesn’t like free. So, um, I would love to. Invite you over to listen.

[00:39:16] And I really want to also thank you, Christine, for having me on and really encourage you guys to keep listening to her podcast. Because even if you might feel like you don’t have, even that time for five, 10 minutes of reflection, even consistently listening to something that inspires you, like listening to her podcast while you’re doing laundry can almost.

[00:39:36] Build up that muscle of, of taking time to look into your dreams, you know, just so I really encourage you to keep listening to her as she’s doing a great thing with just a focused niche in this, um, Podcasting world and maybe think about starting a podcast if you want, because you can do it here, there, and everywhere.

[00:39:56] Right now I’m looking at Christine with your sweet little kiddo coming to talk to her and she can just podcast from the closet. I love it. So, um, yeah, find me at money, mental piece and also just. Keep listening to Christine while you do that laundry.

[00:40:11] Christine: Well, thank you so much for coming on today. I love what you are doing.

[00:40:15] I love the difference you were making in the world. And I love you just taking this opportunity to talk with us about what it looks like practically to get started, um, pursuing a dream that you have. So thanks so much for joining us. Thanks. Okay. Friends. I hope you got a ton of value in this conversation.

[00:40:35] I’m sure you could hear my kids a little bit in the background, but that’s just part of doing life and working from home. And I think it’s so helpful for us to hear how people actually are doing it, how they are actually making it work and how they got started. Sometimes when we see these people that are so successful and we think that could never be me because it feels so far from where we are today.

[00:41:02] But hearing stories of how people started scrappy, how they began building something with long term potential. This is something that you can do as a military spouse, regardless of where you are stationed. Now, as Kara said, sometimes. All you need is somebody who can listen well and provide feedback and help you process the idea you have in your head.

[00:41:30] So if there is a dream on your heart, I want to help you bring that dream to life. It doesn’t even have to be a money making opportunity. Maybe you just wanna write a book or you want to start a nonprofit, or you have a cause that you care about you wanna help rescue shelter, animals, whatever, the thing that you care about, the idea that you have.

[00:41:55] It was placed on your heart for a reason you were made with, and for a purpose, you are more than a male spouse. You have something to offer that the world’s needs, and I’m here to help you step into your story, pursue your purpose and take that next step. So please go grab a free clarity call before they are.

[00:42:20] Head to milspouse mastermind.com/claritycall fill out that application to get started. Have an amazing week friends. And until next time may you live filled, fueled and full of joy,