How do I
start Homesteading? Ever ask yourself that? 
We have an answer for you....
On your mark...get set...GO!
What do these words actually mean? It means to find your lane,
get in your position, and then off to the finish line.
What's your finish line? Are you on your mark? Can you see your
own finish line?
In this episode of Honesteady, we are focusing on the
stories of people who made homesteading happen.
What's stopping you? Whatever the roadblocks are,
today's episode is going to help you bust through those
barriers.
We're also trying a new set-up with this write-up. In the past,
links to our guests, our sponsors, additional information, and
products we love have been interspersed throughout the write-up.
This time, there will be a list of links at the end of the post.
Let us know what you think!
On your mark...




Marianne


Our first guest, Mary Anne, is from Norway. Despite a 24/7
on-call job, Mary Ann draws on her Norwegian heritage and the
stubbornness she attributes to it to motivate her to follow her own
path. She weaves the story of her journey by sharing with us her
family's shepherding past, her father's hobby farm, and her own
connection to the wind, the beach, and the rich farmland she grew
up with.
"It's in my blood," she tells
us, "You bend your neck, and walk towards
that wind."
Mary Anne channeled her Viking stubbornness and sense of ethics
and ingenuity to go, full-steam ahead, on her own path. When her
job moved her across the Atlantic to America, she got to the point
where she realized focusing exclusively on work wasn't really
living. For Mary Anne, finding that work-life balance meant
bringing animals into her life.
"There were parts of me I loved using that I couldn't
really use in my daily job. I was feeling lacking not being able to
use those parts of me."
Mary Anne encourages us to fit our passions into our existing
routine. It is hard work, and it takes time. The key is, YOU HAVE
TO START. Even if you wake up one hour earlier each day to feed
chickens or water the garden, it's necessary to start
somewhere.
What is holding you back? Identify your homesteading
challenge and walk against the wind.
Need help getting started? We are in the production stage of a
Ready...set...go! homesteading class. And did we mention it will be
free? Become a test pilot and sign up on the big yellow button on
our homepage now. Sign up for the email list to be notified about
the release of this new course!




Cody from Wranglerstar


"There was only one four letter word in our family
growing up. And that was 'can't'."
Cody, or the Wranglerstar Youtube Channel, shares with us the
"figure it out" mentality he was raised with that led him down his
homesteading path. After starting small businesses throughout high
school, he graduated from high school and bought himself an
excavator. With a huge monthly payment, he was highly motivated to
take on work, and made a name for himself for taking on the
toughest jobs. Cody realized through his work in construction
that he took good craftsmanship seriously.
Cody encourages us to do our best work, even if no one
will ever see it. We should be proud of the work we
do.
Cody introduces us to the concept of the "makers mark," where
each craftsperson had a mark they put on their products to identify
everything they make. Tradespeople throughout history used their
own personal marks to identify their products from the others in
the marketplace.
Cody's own journey is full of risks. He became a firefighter,
and started his own online business selling auto parts.  He
had a successful business, and his dream home. His wife was making
a six-figure income. They would work six days a week and drop their
son off at his grandparent's house each day.
One day, Cody came across a book written by a man who quit his
high-income job and moved to an off-grid homestead in Montana.
After visiting this homestead, Cody and his wife decided to walk
away from their lifestyle and move into the wilderness.