How does entrepreneurship empower free living - or does it? Today, I am joined by Isaac Morehouse to discuss his journey from founding Praxis, through taking on a project that was NOT his passion (but not NOT his passion) and landing in Florida. He openly shares his struggles and successes.
Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm
Sponsor 1: https://abovephone.com/?above=104
COUPON CODE FOR $50 off: LiveFreeTN
Sponsor 2: HollerRoast.com
Connect with Isaac Morehouse:
Community
Resources
Join me for a discussion about opting out of fear. You are easier to control when you make your decisions from a fear-based place and that is why it is so profitable too keep our population divided and frantic. But you don’t have to participate. You can mindfully move yourself to a place of awareness without the constant fear and build a better place for yourself and your family - and that it what homesteading is all about! We will also cover our usual Monday Segments.
Featured Event: Cast Iron Webinar, Feb 23 at 6pm
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, coupon code lftn
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Frugality Tip
Operation Independence
Main topic of the Show: How to Opt Out Of Fear
Watching my more left friends freak out about DT
Making decisions from a fear based place is almost never good for you in the long run - WHY
>>Michelle’s Car Story
Mistake - fast decision under pressure and while still impacted by fear of the accident
This is no different than the fear caused by terminal diagnosis, the news cycle, a tight budget, and more.
So what do you do?
>>Nicole’s Car Story
Back to your bank account fear: Poverty mindset IS making decisions out of fear. But the reality. Long term value over short term happiness is one thing.
>>Selling the tahoe for parts story - its time has passed, time to scrap it for long term payoff of my time
And when the sky is falling in the news? The same approach applies. If you are a more right leaning person, you are probably noting that articles are better reported all of the sudden by major news organizations. Or are they?
What if you are just an anxious person? (Get help)
Opting out of the fear cycle means going on a fear diet – AND a fake news diet – so that you can develop perspective for what truly matters and can make the best decisions for you in the long run rather than constantly control for the next thing.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today we give you an update on the homestead after we have spring into FIRST SPRING in Tennessee, operation eyesore, keeping up with meals on the homestead, egg issues and more.
Featured Event: Rabbits and Roses, Huntsville, AB, https://www.facebook.com/events/1010824777095474/?ti=ls
>>This may change your perspective on your rabbit meatery 😀
Sponsor 1: InvestableWealth.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com
Vevor Raised Bed Link: https://s.vevor.com/bfQ6sp
Transitioning to Feeding twice a day in the pasture
Duck Egg Response to Different Feed - the lights
Radish germination and second round of seeding this weekend
How do you track your seedings, seedlings and progress?
Rolling Leftovers: Roundroast and Lamb goulash
Not Dry Round Roast
Prepper Pantry Update - Getting Excited for the finish!
Water descaler and Culligan water softener for sale: $300
Move the Ram
Housekeeping Test
Deadnettle, chickweed, wild garlic
First Spring - and First Tornado
Operation Eyesore
Truck Repairs
Duplex Fix
More raised beds incoming
Tomato wall completion
Holler Neighbors/Community
Finances Idea - ways to grow a homestead into your primary income
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.
Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com
Sponsors:
Show Resources
Main content of the show
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today, I will share what a day looked like for me at the beginning of this podcast compared with a day now, after just about 1000 episodes. We will also cover all our usual segments.
LFTN Spring Workshop Tickets: https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/product/2025-lftn-spring-workshop/
Featured Event: Seed Exchange and Potluck at the Holler Homestead, Feb 15 at 12pm-3pm https://www.facebook.com/share/1BN558PR4i/
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn
Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code: LFTN
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Weekly Shopping Report: None today
Frugality Tip: None today
Operation Independence
Main topic of the Show:
May 20, 2016, Living Free in Tennessee had its first episode - https://traffic.libsyn.com/nicolesauce/NicoleSauce_Podcast_May_20_2016_-_52016_6.52_PM.mp3
…what started as a desperate need to release creative energy because my job was suffocating has become a community of doers, my source of inspiration, and something that is achieving what I tried for 14 years to do in the free market public policy realm.
And it all started with that one, poorly executed episode. A single decision. A ton of feedback from yall. And encouragement when things got tennous.
Episode 1000 is tomorrow and I am excited to share it with Jack Spirko fo the Survival Podcast and John Willis of Special Operations Equipment.
But today, I’d like to share with you what my life was like in May of 2016.
A typical day on the homestead started early with some work outside and a cup of coffee. I would then transition into computer work and meetings, frantically tossing in a load of laundry or pulling something out of the freezer for dinner as I went. If there was a crisis, I was able to flew, but then would be looking at a late night of catch up for work. There were no days off. Not ever. The role I was in required that I be constantly available to respond to emails and text messages. It was so bad then when I started turning off my phone from 7-9pm on Mondays, one of the people who interacted with me actually had the gall to explain that because she was on the west coast and her day was not yet done, it was unreasonable for me to not be available from 7-9pm. And she was supported in this from the people who were responsible for about half to ¾ of my budget.
The segment operation independence? That stemmed from this situation. Because my area of Focus from my personal life strategic plan was to “Have enough local, ongoing revenue to support my life.” It has been adjusted to regenerative ongoing revenue nine years later, but you get the point. I was solving for being too dependent on one source of income so that I could NOT say no even though I was running my own organization.
I became soured on the whole nonprofit world as well as the public policy one because I saw the inherent flaw in trying to fix the system from within the system and over the next few years became convinced that the only way for freedom to grow was through individual action. Starting with myself.
In 2017 - I broke out of the system. A typical day was to work for the nonprofit, unpaid so that the people there could use me for creating value so that they could continue it on. They failed at that. A sign the nonprofit should never have existed really.
The day:
1) Work frenetically on the Center Hill Sun
2) Sell a few coffee orders
3) Weekly podcast
4) More time for homesteading
5) Contract work for corporate facilitations
>>>>Tell the rest of the story
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today, we update you on the new lambs on the Holler Homestead, the new feed source we found, importance of community and more!
Featured event: 9 am. Tomorrow (Saturday). Workshop Tickets go on sale!
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com
Celebrate! Got first round of seedlings ready (Yesterday’s episode)
Bottle Lamb Updates
Awesome Kitchen Vent Hood
Pasture Brat Pack
Normalized Paddock Rotation again
Operation Eyesore
New Feed Source for TN
Processor connections
Update on managing while Nicole was away
Forage: Time to be on the lookout for wild garlic and early spring greens
Concrete project sound fun this weekend?
Invoicing the lambs we sold this weekend - and why I waited so long.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Join me for a discussion on starting your seeds and out usual “Monday Segments.”
Spring Workshop, April 24-26:P https://www.livingfreeintennessee.com/spring-workshop-2025/
Sponsor 1: InvestibleWealth.com
Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon code LFTN
LFTN Spring Workshop Tickets go on Sale Saturday at 9am Central.
Updated Links for Equipment:
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Frugality Tip - send one in
Operation Independence
Picked up the processed lambs today, Lambs for sale!
Main Topic: Seed Starting
4 Keys to Successful Seedlings
Soil Mix
Trays & Containers
Choosing Seeds: Heirloom vs. Hybrid
First Year: Choose 1-2 things, experiment, and don’t stress if you buy starts. Keep going!
Troubleshooting Germination: The Paper Towel Trick
Keeping Costs Down (While Buying Quality Equipment)
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today I am joined by the Tactical Redneck and perhaps Knighthawk for the latest news from the Holler Homestead. Babies, extreme cold, planning the gardens and more
Featured event: LFTN Spring Workshop
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code LFTN
Email feedback to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com
Forage
Livestock
Grow
Holler Neighbors/Community
Infrastructure
Finances
Membership Plug
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Join me for a group discussion with members of our community and beyond about building the life you choose, current events, building a durable life, community development, business, getting started, health and more.
Each Tuesday, we welcome a different guest to tell their story, as well as take your questions live.
Featured Event: LFTN Spring Workshop, LivingFreeinTennessee.com
Sponsors:
Show Resources
Main content of the show
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today, we talk about how to plan your kitchen garden, especially from the perspective of replacing dependence on the grocery store. I also cover our usual segments: Tales from the Prepper Pantry, Frugality Tip, Operation Independence and more.
Featured Event: LFTN Spring Workshop
Sponsor 1: TheWealthSteadingPodcast.com
Sponsor 2: DiscountMylarBags.com
Resources
Mad River Seeds on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/mad_river_seeds
Baker Creek: https://www.rareseeds.com/
Seed Savers Exchange: https://seedsavers.org/
Homegrown Cooking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbCr4DQ3KI0
SCHEDULE THIS WEEK AND NEXT
Listener feedback - I want to move to TN, where do I go?
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Weekly Shopping Report
Based on some videos from a few prepping channels (eg. Poplar Report, Pinball Preparedness), I’m trying to be more attentive to shortages, but fortunately haven’t seen anything remarkable other than the limit of 2 on Aldi eggs.
Dollar Tree was first. Stock is always changing there, but there were no vacant areas and I did not see duplication being used to hide low stock. The drink selection remains good. The food coolers are mostly full.
We did not go in to Home Depot, but the online price of a 2x4x8 remains at $3.85.
Aldi was last. We found what we wanted. Staple prices were: bread (20 oz. white): $1.39; eggs: $4.17 (+, limit 2); whole milk: $2.87 (-); heavy cream: $5.39; OJ: $3.69; butter: $3.79 (-); bacon: $3.99; potatoes: no tag; sugar: $2.99 (+); flour: $2.35 (+); and 80% lean ground beef: $3.79.
Untainted regular unleaded at Weigels was still $3.59 per gallon, but the 87 octane (regular) corrupted with ethanol is only $2.79.
Frugality Tip from Margo
Today is a short and sweet simple tip. Whenever we are out shopping or whatnot I pack a small cooler with drinks and a reusable ice block. I also keep an extra insulated tumbler full of water in the car at all times. Stopping to grab a drink adds up quickly, especially with someone that drinks soda. So stop yourself from grabbing that convenience store overpriced drink and just pack a small cooler. Happy saving y'all.
~Margo
Operation Independence
Value of four rams on homestead income: $1200
Main Topic of today’s Show: Planning Your Kitchen Garden
Two ways to plan: Replacing fresh veg in season then buying shipped in “fresh” veg the rest of the year VSr eating seasonally.
Garden Layout: Talk about zoning, herbs, and succession planting.
INTERPLANTING, COVER CROPS and SUCCESSION PLANTING
Have fun with this! Especially if it is your first year. The first rule of homesteading is BE FEARLESS
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today, we talk about more lambing fun, dog kefir, cold swimming and more.
Resources: Solar Webinar: LivingFreeinTennessee.com
Homegrown Cooking with Dawn Gorham: https://www.youtube.com/@lftn
Sponsor 1: DiscountMylarBags.com
Sponsor 2: The WealthsteadingPodcast.com
Lamb Deposits for October: LivingFreeinTennessee.com
Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b
Email feedback to nicole@livingfreeintennessee.com
Failed chicken dinner
Prepper Pantry Progress
Avoiding pasture damage when ice turns to mud
Loading rams for the processor
Fun at the processors
Hairy balls
Dog kefir
How are we going to split the flock?
Cold swimming - polar plunge light
You finally finished the stew
Bone broth on cold days
Seed order is in for the gardens (The challenge)
REALLY MUST process rabbits
Basecamp showing to a community member today
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Break Out of the Systems, Choose Freedom and Build a Better World Together
Once a month on our Tuesday Coffee With Nicole show, we go unplugged and today is that day. Join me for a conversation about the US Healthcare system and its impact on freedom
Featured Event: Save the Date for The Self Reliance Festival: SelfRelianceFestival.com
Sponsors:
Show Resources
Main content of the show
What are my options for health insurance?
This is the question I got most often when people are looking to transition out of a live on the job conveyer belt to working for themselves.
Indeed, one of the biggest reasons give to me by a more left leaning friend of mine for WHY we needed Obamacare was health insurance. Note that I do not refer to this as healthcare and that is with reason. He pointed out that, as an aspiring entrepreneur you already are facing a hard road ahead, but if you get sick you could lose everything and health insurance is so expensive.
I remember ending that conversation pointing out that he and I wanted the same thing, affordable health care so that sick people can get what they need to get better. We just wanted it in a different way.
Then another friend told me about her experience being in a car crash in great Britain which has a more socialized healthcare system than in the US. At the hostpital, they had no idea how to get paid for helping her so there was a fight for every step in her care until she finally figured out how to charter a flight out of that country and back home for care. She wanted to just pay since she did not qualify for care there (and must not have had travel insurance) but they had no way to do that.
In the early aughts, I was workign for myself and carried one of those plans where you hold a high deductible and put up to something like 75% of you annual deductible into an HSA for when you need it. This meant I needed to pay case for care up to about $1000 a year (That was a high deductible 20 years ago yo) and I would talk with the office manager before getting seen to negotiate my fees for 25-40% less if I paid cash up front. Because they spent WAY less in resources getting paid when they did not need to bill insurance.
Then I needed a specialist - and that specialist did a bunch of tests without my permission, did not tell me what they were looking for and biopsied me in a way that has left a long-term disfiguration that was unnecessary. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune skin condition called lichen sclerosis in my 20s and they had no idea how to treat it. When I went to negotiate the bill, the office manager had no idea what to charge me at time of service because their billing system was so complicated. She kept asking me to apply for government assistance so that they could bill me at those rates and when I tried to pay with cash, she had no idea what to do. Months later, there was a bill, I made a call and offered 60% of it cash, and they accepted that offer.
The struggle is real yall.
Problems with the US Healthcare System
One thing that has made US progress happen faster than other places: Rich Sick People
What does this mean for freedom? Like everything else your health and health care is your responsibilty. Are the insurance companies to blame? Yes but so are the nonprofit hospitals, the doctors who allowed biling to be taken from them, managed health care systems, the IRS, etc. It is not a single villian and that makes it hard to beat.
Erosion of dental
Erosion of veterinary
Hope:
Cash Clinics
Concierge Care
Growing body of knowledge on nutrition, lifestyle choices and in the impact of big food on our bodies
Functional medicine
Integrated Manual Therapy
PMAs
Drs and Nurses doing their best from inside the system to help people get care
But this impacts your freedom in a big way doesnt it?
The only way to fix this one is to invest your time, money and energy in an alternative and become the solution – and yet if there is a fencepost through your leg, you are going to end up in THE SYSTEM right now so you want to be ready for that.
Health Shares
Relationships and Kindness
Obamacare plans and employer insurance
Private Insurance
But we need to keep our eye on the long term and, help build it, and be ready to jump when the jumpin is good.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Today, I share my thoughts on slowing down so that you can speed up, go over the update from the prepper pantry, share a frugality tip and more.
Resources
EMPSHIELD.com Coupon Code: LFTN
Featured Event: Solar Webinar with Shawn Mills, January 19, 3pm
Sponsor 1: AgoristTaxAdvice.com/lftn
Sponsor 2: EMPShield.com, Coupon Code: LFTN
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Transition to carnivore for the challenge is complete
Sunday “pile of meat”
Homegrown Cooking episode with Dawn this friday: Probably cooking a cow’s heart but who knows?
January Pantry Challenge
Weekly Shopping Report
None this week - we had snow
Frugality Tip From Margo
Some people have memberships that give them rewards. I tend to save them until we need them. I save points and redeem for gift cards for birthday and Christmas gifts.
We have a car rental membership that is a work perk so we do not have to pay for it. After so many days you get free rentals. We had a situation come up over the Christmas break that required a pick up truck. We used a free days rental and didn't have to pay a crazy Holiday price for a rental truck. So by saving those free days, we saved even more money on that much needed truck rental. So sometimes those pay for memberships are very worth their annual fees and this frugal lady has a few.
Happy savings y'all
Operation Independence
My 3 things 4 week challenge & another webinar tomorrow
5 Lambs were born so far - 3 today.
To Speed Up, First You Must Slow Down
Last year was the year of hone and life really tossed some tests my direction in that regard. Many tests were new opportunities which is so tempting to take on when they come. But saying yes to everything is a bad habit to have and a great one to decide to get rid of sooner rather than later. By April, I had started saying no to almost everything, especially things that involved travel off the homestead. I had realized that things on my homestead do not flourish as well when I am not here.
Not being present - and multiple ways that is a truth
Now is the year of enrich - meaning beyond the pocket book. I am asking myself, how am I enriching the world around me?
>Roadblock Busting
*The car
*Operation eyesore
*The paperwork monster
Show notes at 12pm today and the Monday mail has not gone out, the solar webinar is not launched, and that is ok. Previously I would have all these things not half-assed well in advance. But does that enrich the world around me?
To speed up, first you must slow down
Slow down and remove barriers
Slow down and assess priorities - like your true priorities of project, living, relationships, health
Slow down and test assumptions
Slow down and develop systems that work
Slow down and prioritize yourself
Why? If you don’t you will lose the things you do not build into your life.
When you half -ass things they begin to crack around the edged
Observations:
1. Always be defining complete as a little bit more
2. It’s ok to stop mid way and never come back, just take out the trash when you do
3. Communication is even more importantBe ready to go very fast once you get things dialed in - and then your preparations will be your strength!
So sometimes you need to take that half day to learn an AI tool, dial in the website, or defrag a paperwork monster instead of continually racing forward and building things anew.
Because building the life you choose, means you need to choose. And choosing one thing can mean walking away from not as good.
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Follow me on Nostr: npub1u2vu695j5wfnxsxpwpth2jnzwxx5fat7vc63eth07dez9arnrezsdeafsv
Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn
Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup
Resources
I am joined by The Tactical Redneck, Tracy and Knighthawk to talk about the latest on the homestead: New births (oops), the snowmageddon that didn't, actual snow and more.
This show is brought to you by:
DiscountMylarBags.com
AgoristTaxAdvice.com/LFTN
Lambs born
Lamb died
The parts car sale and roadblocks
4 wheeler rebuild
Watercress is under water for the winter
Processing Rabbits this weekend
The Pantry Challenge
Planning what to grow
Rabbit Water cant go empty on any of them because of the cold
Finishing our raised beds - smaller gardens in 2025 to facilitate the move
Ducks are not laying eggs
Time to start chard and brassicas
Screening ashes
Thinking about compost
The pool house green house idea
Basecamp will be available to rent mid-February
Rams headed to the processor next week
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift!
Community
Advisory Board
Resources
Join me for a group discussion with John Willis of Special Operations Equipment and Jack Spirko of The Survival Podcast.
Featured Event: The Self Reliance Festival, SelfRelianceFestival.com
Sponsors:
Show Resources
Main content of the show
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources
Join me for a chat with Andy McCann of Crossfit Garage about his journey into carnivore and how community has been the key to success in taking control of his health. We will also cover SOME but not ALL of our usual Monday Segments.
Join the LFTN Community on Telegram: T.me/LFTNGroup
This show is brought to you by:
EMPShield.com (Coupon Code LFTN)
Join the Carnivore Challenge (Yes this costs money): https://go.smartandsimplenutrition.com/carnivore-challenge
Connect with Andy: https://www.garagefitness.online/
Tales from the Prepper Pantry
Operation Independence
The world is changing…(AI)
Here are responses to each of the questions to help guide your interview:
Make it a great week!
GUYS! Don’t forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.
Community
Resources