Jump into Freedom with Laura

While traveling herself, Laura found she was in need of community. Being on the road on her own, she became more independent and while she met more people, it was harder to create those deeper relationships. She started Facebook group Jump Into Freedom. With over two thousand members, Laura helps women all over meet, connect, and really get to know each.

Hi Laura! Share a little bit about yourself

Hi! My name is Laura and I am Spanish— from the Canary Islands— but currently living in Madrid. I have lived abroad for quite a few years and got excited about the idea of helping others do the same.

Once I finished University I didn’t like any position in my own city and was attracted by the idea of starting a new life somewhere completely different.
I faced a lot of struggles because I relocated with no friends and family and on my own TWICE! 

It transformed me to be a strong and independent person I am today. I started Jump into Freedom because I wanted to help women looking for advice and to connect to one another who were on the same path as me years ago.

What is the inspiration behind for your online community, Jump Into Freedom?

The inspiration came first from running online & offline events. 

We have a local community here in Madrid where I am based and we organize regular meetups in the city and also online coffee talks where we interviewed amazing expat women who shared with us about her own inspiring story.

The idea of having these events is because when I was abroad I was missing finding people who have the same interests as me. In every city, I found meetups for brunch, for a coffee or to do a language tandem but I found it difficult to get more deeply into meeting someone to be your friend.

So I decided to start organizing meaningful events for expats that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Now we run travel cafes, workshops, talks, yoga classes and more. We cover a huge variety of topics. 

I have been running these events for almost two years and people were coming to me to say thank you because they found friends and they no longer feel alone. They found their tribe. 

Even for me! I found some close friends because of these events and I was only the organizer. So I think it is really important that when you moved abroad you also meet other people who can support you or at least understand what you are going through because it could be a roller coaster of feelings especially when you are in you adaption period.

We have one event planned for this month about Zero-waste and Sustainability habits Workshop and one for next month to welcome newcomers to Madrid and introduce legal tips when you moved abroad. So if you are around, we will be happy to have you. 

 Also if you want to connect with more women around the world you can find the coffee talks and the group here 

What are common misconceptions people have about your industry?

It could be confusing what I do apart from online and offline events. 

On the side, Jump into Freedom also has consulting services. I launched a 30-day challenge with amazing feedback where I help women find all the tools they need in 30 days to find a position abroad.

The misconception came from people not knowing if I am a relocation adviser or if I do any legal paperwork.

Is all easier than that, I shared everything from listings to introspection exercises-And I simply do not recommend a program that includes a fee to pay. 

All the programs are to get paid by volunteering or working in a foreign country and I share the resources I have personally collected over the years and that works! 

In your opinion, why is it important to build a community as a business or brand?

Because everything we do is from people for people. Every action we take is for someone on the other side who has dreams, hopes and goals in their life.

When someone is consuming your content or setting aside time to come to an event either in person or online, this person is exchanging their time (which the most valued thing we have and non-renewable source) in something I created, so my aim is to make every step worth it. 

What are some plans you have for Jump Into Freedom within the next year?

Hopefully, launch the website next month! We will be having some surprises and huge discounts.
And spread the word about the Jump Into Freedom community because I feel many women could benefit from the group.
We hope to grow even more and expand the team.  

Find Jump Into Freedom on Facebook, Instagram, and their website (coming soon!).