Can You Really Live Free? What It Takes to Build a Life You Don’t Need a Vacation From

We talk about it all the time living free. The dream of waking up without a to-do list a mile long, of taking time off without stress, of saying “yes” to life instead of constantly saying “I can’t.”

But is that kind of lifestyle actually possible?

Or is it just a fantasy…something reserved for the lucky few?

In this podcast episode, I brought on someone who’s not only figured it out, but teaches others how to do the same. Erin Bradley is a former mortgage broker turned coach for real estate entrepreneurs and the founder of the Pursuing Freedom Podcast. Her mission? To help business owners break free from burnout and actually start living.

From Burnout to Freedom: Erin’s Real-Life Story

Erin’s journey didn’t start with freedom it started with frustration.

After college, she chased adventure over security, traveling the world and teaching English in Barcelona while living on $900/month and buttered noodles. Eventually, she landed in Colorado and stumbled into the mortgage world.

By 2007, she was all-in as a 100% commission loan officer… right before the housing crash hit.

Broke, overwhelmed, and stuck riding her bike to client meetings, Erin hit rock bottom. But instead of giving up, she did something radical:

She invested in a coach.

From there, things took off. She built a thriving mortgage business, began investing in real estate, and eventually found financial freedom through passive income. But with success came a new kind of prison being tethered to her phone and business 24/7.

Sound familiar?

That’s when Erin realized: it wasn’t just about making money. It was about designing a life.

What’s Holding You Back from Living Free?

If you’re like many entrepreneurs and high performers I coach, you may be “successful”… but still feel stuck.

You’ve got income, maybe even some investments. But time? Peace? Flexibility? Gone.

You didn’t go into business to feel like an employee to your own brand. You did it to create options, to have freedom, to live rich now.

Erin helps her clients (and helped herself) shift that by doing 3 powerful things:

1. Break the Success Illusion

Most people define success by income. But if your marriage, your health, and your spirit are suffering are you really winning?

2. Fire Yourself from the Wrong Roles

Scaling a business doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing less of the wrong things. Erin helps real estate pros stop playing small or burning out, and instead build systems that make them truly work optional.

3. Create a Life You Don’t Need a Vacation From

For Erin, this meant real estate investing, house hacking, and even traveling in an RV with her family while cash-flowing $7K/month from a rental. For you, it might mean working 3 days a week, saying yes to more adventures, or simply having time to breathe.

The point is: you don’t have to wait until retirement to live free.

The Role of Passive Income in Freedom

Passive income was Erin’s key. By buying her first home for $95K and later leveraging VA loans and house hacks, she and her husband were able to fund their lifestyle not just their future.

She told me one of her first passive income moves covered daycare. Another let her live mortgage-free. Eventually, that income let her choose work on her terms.

It’s not about having millions in the bank. It’s about having cash flow that creates choices.

What’s Your Excuse?

During the episode, Erin made a powerful point that stuck with me:

“If you went 100% commission, was your dream really to work 7 days a week and never take a vacation again?”

Ouch. But true.

So many of us accept struggle as normal. We think we’re being responsible by grinding harder. But the truth? We’re just letting fear run the show.

You don’t have to.

You can question every “rule” you’ve been taught about money, success, and hustle. You can build systems. You can delegate. You can design a business and a life that serves you.

What’s Your Ripple Effect?

In our final question, I asked Erin what her ripple effect is.

Her answer? She wants to ignite people’s internal flame. To help others light up their lives, one choice at a time, so they can impact everyone around them without even trying.

And honestly… isn’t that what freedom is really about?

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re in real estate, an entrepreneur, or just someone who knows they were made for more this conversation with Erin will challenge and inspire you.

Let it be your permission slip to stop living small.

Remember:

If not now… when?