Cut The Tie Podcast with Frances Schagen
What happens when your business starts running you instead of the other way around? In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Frances Schagen—a digital nomad, serial entrepreneur, and systems strategist—who traded a two-bedroom condo in downtown Toronto for a suitcase and a beachside work-life.

Frances shares the wisdom she’s gained from building and exiting businesses, ditching the unnecessary, and designing a life where her business supports her—not the other way around. If you’ve ever thought about cutting ties with your stuff, your schedule, or your stress, this episode will show you what’s possible.

About Frances Schagen

Frances Schagen is a serial entrepreneur and digital nomad helping business owners take control of their time, systems, and life design using AI and smart business strategy. With a background in project management, engineering science, accounting, and small business ownership—including a successful bookkeeping firm—Frances brings a deeply practical and human approach to business transformation. She currently helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs simplify, scale, and structure their businesses to support the life they actually want to live.

In this episode, Thomas and Frances discuss:

• The real cost of clutter
  Frances shares how cutting ties with her physical possessions and home base helped her fully embrace a life of location freedom.
• From spreadsheets to warm hugs
  Despite her technical skills, Frances’s clients describe working with her as “a warm cup of tea”—a rare mix of structure and empathy.
• Just-in-time learning for sanity
  She explains how ditching “just-in-case” learning saves time and mental space for what really matters in business.
• Freedom by design, not default
  Her transition into digital nomadism didn’t happen overnight—but it did happen by choice and with intention.

Key Takeaways:

• Freedom starts with subtraction
  Letting go of things—physical, emotional, or strategic—is the first step to designing a life on your terms.
• You probably only need 100 clients, not 10,000 followers
  Most businesses are chasing scale when they just need clarity and fit.
• Don’t be owned by your business
  Your business should enable your lifestyle, not consume it.
• Life’s too short for just-in-case learning
  Learn what you need, when you need it. Let the rest go.
• The real work is deciding what you won’t do
  You can’t do it all—and you don’t need to.

Connect with Frances Schagen:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesschagen/
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: https://frances.business/

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelfrich
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutthetie
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashelfrich/
🌐 Website: https://www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 Instantly Relevant: https://www.instantlyrelevant.com

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