Stepping out on faith to build a platform

A guest post from Sarah Graham, a member of the Platform Launchers Members' Club

I’m not exactly sure when God put it on my heart to begin saving, thrifting, and preparing for a simpler life, but once he got ahold of me, I was unstoppable. In 2019 I felt the Lord calling me to leave my job as a school nurse. I was just getting into my career, had completed some master’s work, and was officially a certified school nurse. Why now I thought? Why go to school and work so hard to then just stay home and throw it all away? It didn’t make sense at the time, but God persisted, and I sat down and talked with my husband about what God had put on my heart. 

My husband was supportive from the beginning but considering how we would afford a massive move like this was something we had to plan. Ultimately, we figured out we could do it, but it would be bare bones. If I was to stay home, our lifestyle would be reduced to a level of simplicity we had never seen before.  It was extremely challenging at first, more than challenging in fact.  We couldn’t seem to figure out how to make ends meet most of the time and so I got creative and started a small business.  I became a licensed in-home baker and that supplemented our income a little for a few years, covering small things here and there. I even started watching friends’ children in my home and that covered our groceries most weeks.

During the first two years of being home, I had to learn that everyday conveniences like individual-sized applesauce pouches, fruit cups, yogurt tubes, and small bagged snacks for my kids were a thing of the past. Things like eating out, going to Target, and walking out spending $250 on toilet paper and splurges on Amazon just weren’t feasible any longer. The joy I felt being home with my kids, learning to value warm meals made with love, gardening, and eventually backyard chickens, made even the hard days sparkle bright above the old life rat race.

After leveling out and learning to become more frugal, the world started to see an economic downturn which made it more difficult to sell my baked goods. The children I was watching in my home started to trickle away because more moms were feeling called to be home with their kids, which while amazing, left me trying to figure out side hustles once again. I still occasionally sell baked goods and watch children in my home, but the majority of our sustainability comes from my extremely hard-working husband, the rock of our family, and my ever-growing frugal mindset in our home. 

My family is more comfortable now on one income than we ever were before on two, and it’s solely because we have learned to make our money work for us. We prioritize our lives, choosing to pay down debt rather than go on vacations. Our children live wholesome lives, spending their days outside with unstructured play.  Some people may think they are missing out, but we know that once we are debt-free, vacations will come. Homeschooling also affords our children the opportunity to have me home all day, every day, where day trips are the norm, and spending time with friends is abundant.  Of course, it is not always easy, but we work to be intentional and show gratitude for our blessings.

We have slowly learned to decondition ourselves against the need for all the things this broken world offers, and our level of contentment has enlightened us and brought us joy.  You can do exactly what we have done. Even if your situation is different, there are ways to navigate and succeed at drastically reducing your consumption, thus saving you thousands of dollars a year. It takes determination, and a willingness to get uncomfortable at times, but it is attainable.

I started my online platform, FaithHomestead.com to teach people how to become more self-reliant. I believe it is important for each person to have the skills necessary to be able to grow their own food, without relying on others. Today, there is too much dependency outside the home and many people would be in a crisis if they needed to rely on themselves for basic things like food, water, and shelter. I created Faith Homestead with the intention to teach the average person to begin to understand that they too can begin to take small steps toward self-reliance. When the Lord called on me to start, I knew growing an online platform would take a lot of work.  Creating, let alone growing an online platform has had its challenges, especially for someone like me who wants to just snap my fingers and have everything created and working flawlessly in an instant. I was born a natural multi-tasker, and I function best when I am working on multiple projects simultaneously and under pressure.  I stay committed to personal growth and work daily to make very small steps to further my platform.

One thing I learned to create a less stressful transition from zero to an online platform was to join a community of like-minded people with proven methods to get there.  Joining Platform Launchers and collaborating and sharing knowledge with others has been a great way to learn and grow. Committing to personal growth and working on small steps daily was key for me.  Even if I only do one little step a day to work on my platform, whether that is updating a picture, or posting a quick video to social media, I know I have to stay consistent. Something John has taught me that has stayed with me every day since joining Platform Launchers is his content waterfall. By creating a YouTube video and posting it on Sunday night, I can then use that video and pull the audio for a weekly Podcast episode. Next, I can repurpose content if I want to put out a blog post later in the week. I also have multiple social media accounts that I repurpose content with and cross-post.  Consistency has remained key when it comes to building my online presence. For me, social media engagement has grown my platform relatively quickly. Engaging with my users on social media platforms can help build a sense of community and increase your visibility. Responding to comments and messages, sharing new content, and providing valuable insights can help build a strong online presence and attract new subscribers.

You may visit my website at www.FaithHomestead.com and browse my social media platforms, where you will find opportunities to save money while learning to trim away things from daily life that you thought you would always need. You can plug into my TikTok @faithhomestead for from-scratch meals, money savings tips, and encouragement, and also my Facebook Page @FaithHomestead.  Our YouTube channel is also @faithhomestead, where my husband Matt and I post a weekly video. Lastly, you can plug into our Podcast by searching “The Faith Homestead Podcast” on Apple Podcasts.  I look forward to sharing my journey with you, and I hope I encouraged you to start your journey to frugal living.