Free Time with Jenny Blake 191: Structuring Free Time as a Single Parent while Grieving and Rebuilding with Karen Allen
“Small hinges move big doors.” That one thought helped Karen Allen pick herself up from the depths of grief after losing her husband in a tragic, senseless act of violence nearly a decade ago. Shortly afterward, she lost her house, her car, and then one year later — her job.
Getting fired followed just a few months after an intuitive hit that corporate wasn’t the best fit for her any longer was a blessing in disguise that precipitated the founding of her now-thriving business, one where she puts her son front-and-center as her North star.
In this conversation, Karen shares how she navigated overwhelming grief while parenting, structuring her business for free time as a single parent, and how her business has evolved as she continues gaining clarity about who she wants to be and how she wants to serve.
More About Karen: Karen is a super-mom, healthy eater, and keynote speaker. After experiencing the tragedy of losing her husband, she picked herself up and set out to thrive for her son’s sake. She is the founder of the 100% Human movement, helping others develop a mindset of joy and abundance through her community. She also hosts the In the Details podcast.
🌟 3 Key Takeaways
- Gratitude helps balance out the negativity in our brain: Return to even the most simple acknowledgments, like having a soft pillow to lay down on at night.
- “My intuition has been sharpened through faith.” There are beautiful parallels between the two; you won’t always see things working at first.
- The universe rewards a courageous heart: look out for #GodHugs encouraging you to stay rooted in your values and what you know intuitively know to be true.
📝 Permission: Do what your soul is calling you to do, and create it in a way that supports you.
✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Identify your triad (or duo or quad) of life/work categories you want to be entirely present for; for example, time with family, for your business, for your community. Make sure each have their own dedicated (and inviolable!) space in your schedule.
📚 Books Mentioned
- Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business
- Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
- Life After College
🔗 Resources Mentioned
- Karen on the web, IG: @karen.m.allen, LinkedIn, TikTok
- Video: Use Your Tragedy to Change the World
- Sarah K. Peck’s Startup Parent podcast and community
🎧 Related Episodes
- Karen’s podcast, In the Details: Introducing In the Details (Karen’s Story)
- Pivot: 29: Deep Work: Ditch Cognitive Junk Food with Cal Newport, 87: Penney Interviews Jenny—We Are Souls, 314: Doing Less, Focusing More After Taking a Two-Month Leave with Adrian Klaphaak
- Free Time: 171: Discovering Your Divine Assignment with Melissa Hughes (while Building with Grace and Ease), 159: Time Blocking Together with Jess & Dave Radparvar, 027: Time Management for Mortals with Oliver Burkeman, 111: Building a Second Brain with Tiago Forte, and 131: Scaling Joy While Streamlining Business Overhead and Navigating ADHD with Kaneisha Grayson
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