Liz Nable 0:00
Hello, and welcome to season three of media magnate. You may have formally recognised this podcast as enable my business. But after some feedback from my loyal listeners and much thought, I wanted to make it super obvious what we do here, which is educate women in business on how to grow using the media and free PR. I've got so many cool guests in store for you this season, including some incredible thought leaders, industry and business, journalists, entrepreneurs, producers, PR people and media advisors and strategists. But for this first episode, I wanted to start with something fun, something I'm super passionate about, which is authenticity and transparency in business, especially when it comes to public reputation, brand story and credibility. And my guest on today's show is the most honest and authentic entrepreneur I've come across so far. Leonie Dawson is unlike anyone I've ever interviewed for the podcast, any online course world, there's lots of coaches spruiking lots of promises. But this woman is the real deal. And I know, because she's an open book. I first discovered her existence through my business coach at the time, and I was captivated by her craziness, and how well it worked for her Leone is by her own admission, a wildly creative introvert who's the former editor of the Australian Government Business website business.gov.au. And now the CEO of her own namesake company, Leonie Dawson. She's got 50,000 subscribers to her database, and she's turning over millions each year. She's also an international best selling author, multiple award winning businesswoman, and one of the OG bloggers when blogging first came onto the scene in the early 2000s. Leonie swears often, and calls her customers names like blossom and beautiful soul. And she talks regularly about taboo subjects like ADHD, autism, money, mental health and mothering. You would think people would run from that in your face honesty and discomfort. But on the contrary, Leonese attraction is magnetic, and her community cannot get enough of her. I wanted to share Leone story, because so many women I work with in business are afraid to be authentic. They're afraid to tell their warts and all stories, admit failure or be themselves because they think that's not what their audience or customers want. Leonie is not for everyone, but she's cool with that. Because the community she attracts a super fans, and she's created a $14 million business of their devotion and investment up, and she only works 10 hours a week. Hello, and welcome to medium magnet, the podcast for female founders and women owned businesses, startups and side hustlers, who want to learn how to grow their business, leveraging the media and free PR. I'm Liz Nable. And I'm your host, personal publicist, PR strategist, and dedicated hype woman. My goal with this show is to give you a behind the scenes tour of how the media works to break down the barriers between your business and the big mastheads. So you can see how easy it is to get featured simply by giving journalists what they want. At media magnate you'll also get access to the top journos, editors, writers and PR people in your industry and beyond sharing their secrets and expertise on the how, why, what and when of pitching and getting featured in the media consistently. I will share with you how to build your reputation as an industry expert. So successfully, the media will be knocking down your door. When I first started in small business 12 years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had spent 15 years as a television news reporter working at several major networks in Australia. And then as a freelancer in the US and around the world. I spend years dividing my time between working long shifts on a news desk and travelling the world chasing stories was unpredictable and exciting. Until it wasn't anymore. I decided I wanted to live where I was in charge of what happened next. And where I was working to build my own empire. Not someone else's. There was a lot I had to learn about running my own business. But getting media and great free PR was not one of them. I already knew what the media wanted. I knew the secret formula for what made news and I knew how to leverage those media outlets to build my business, get more exposure and ultimately make more sales. I was featured in every major media outlet in the country, and I never spent a single cent on PR I took that knowledge for granted until it dawned on me one day that I could teach what I knew to other businesses, let them in on the sacred. And they too could build their brands with organic media and PR. Let me help you take your brand from Best Kept Secret to household name. This is media magnate, the podcast. And I'm pretty pumped to have you here.
Welcome to the podcast. Leonie. It is such a pleasure to have you. Oh, Liz, it's
Leonie Dawson 5:34
a joy to be here.
Liz Nable 5:36
Oh, I was really excited when I'm when I reached out to you. And you gave me a little slot. And I've been watching you from the periphery for a little while now and really admire what you've built in your business and how you've done that really differently to a lot of other people in your space. Yeah. Do you think we could start a little bit like wind the clock back maybe to the early 2000s, when you first started, I guess, in this industry and tell us a little bit about how you got started and built up to where you are now. Yeah,
Leonie Dawson 6:08
sure. I mean, so for me, I'd always wanted to have some kind of creative Korea, like I was just a very dreamy, sort of artsy creative kid. My parents were farmers, and they were like, you cannot have a creative Korea because all artists are starving. And they also said, you can't be in small business either, because all small businesses fail in the first five years. And they also said to be you shouldn't earn in the highest tax bracket, because you'll earn too much like you'd be paying too much tax then. So it was all quite conflicting career advice. But, you know, I was kind of diligent. I was like, right, okay, well, I can't have my creative Korea. So if I can't have the thing I really want, I'll take like, sloppy seconds and sloppy seconds for me was I thought, well, I might as well change the world then. So should go become Prime Minister of Australia. Now, this brain worked. And so when I was 20 years old, I moved to Canberra, I started doing a public policy degree at Australian National University. And I started working my way up through the Australian government really quickly, I got to work in Parliament House and meet a lot of ministers. And it was fascinating and like, just the most amazing opportunity as a really young person to be gone through that. And also, I really quickly realise, like, Oh, this is not the space for me, these people work incredibly long hours. And you have to have such thick skin, and I don't have thick skin. I've got paper, thin skin, like my sensitivity. Oh, big time, like, I'm just, you know, everything sort of is just like, oh, it's all a bit much. Like if I had to talk to people all day long, I'd be broken.
Liz Nable 7:45
I would I would never have peaks that,
Speaker 1 7:47
ya know, it's like, the sensitivity levels are through the roof. Like, okay, you know, especially in Parliament House, they're working from like, during city weeks, like 6am to midnight, and they're like it just meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting and I'll be like, I cannot deal with people sign up for me. Yeah. So I think I was about 2023 or so when I flew back home and to the farm. And I said to my dad at the airport, I need to tell you something. He's like, Well, what, because he was a bit of a he's a farmer. He didn't really speak much words just granted a lot and said, I've, I've had to think about it. And I get to be an artist. So I'm going to do for the rest of our life. And he said, Oh, well, there's no money in that. And I said, Yeah, and I've been thinking about it. And you're a farmer, and your father was a farmer and your father's father was a farmer. And there is no money in farming either. So I guess I just come from a really long line of dreamers, you know, we're all just out here living our passions, aren't we dad? And he said, You think you're really funny, don't you? And I said, Do I really do? And from that on, it was like, right, okay, I need to make a creative career. So I was blogging, and I just tried out a whole bunch of different things. So I had my first art exhibition, and I was selling art at markets. I ran spiritual and meditation retreats, I was blogging and started selling stuff online. And so I was just trying out all the things in order to have a creative career. So
Liz Nable 9:14
you're always obviously artistic because I can see behind you, your beautiful artwork, and your artwork is such a signature of your brand, your work your workbooks and all of your website. That's all your artwork, right? Yeah, yep. So you're always arty. How much of your we're here to talk about authenticity and brand story, how much of that is shared in your artwork? And how did that lead you to be blogging and doing those sorts of things?
Speaker 1 9:43
You know, I always trace like the base of my business back to the fact that when I was 16, I sent myself to boarding school because I just didn't want to stay in a small town that I was in anymore. So I was like, Okay, I'm gonna go to boarding school now and talk myself off and I got to be in this dorm of like, 20 The other kids, and we had this amazing art teacher and he gave us all these big black a4 Art journals. And he was like this is, you know, A Room of One's Own. This is the space that we're you create an experiment. And when I look in this journal, I should be able to see how like the the germination of ideas through to your major artworks. And I was just enamelled with this idea. And so I became very religious in my art journaling. And as part of this compulsion to create is I love to share it then as well. And so I would, you know, if somebody said, Oh, what are you working? I'd be like, oh, did you have a look, and I'd give them the book. And so my art journal would make its way around the dormitory, and everyone would just pull through it. And I loved it. And it because it inspired them to create like a storybook, almost like a journal. It's like a journal, but very illustrative, very artsy, very, like, you know, thoughts and feelings of photos and collage and everything is in there. It's like sharing your diary with the world, but like, I don't have any boundaries. I love it. Yeah. And like, and then they started would make their own art, like in their own art journals, and then I'd get to read them. And it was just this beautiful creative circle happening. And so when I found out about blogging, I was like, Oh, this is it. I want to create my art journal into the world. So of course, my drawings and my art and my writing, photography, everything is just gonna go into that medium as well.
Liz Nable 11:30
So blogging was the next step. What did you blog about?
Speaker 1 11:33
Whatever I felt like, I've blogged about everything over because I started 2004. So it's 20 years this year. And
Liz Nable 11:43
wow, you were one of the
Speaker 1 11:44
OGS Yeah, one of the OG that was just obsessed. I just thought, yeah, the coolest invention ever. Yeah, just share my shit with the world. And people get to read it. And they'll tell me what they think. And they get inspired. They write their own journal, their own blogs. And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, so I've written about everything I've never stopped. And like niched on a topic I've shared about my personal life, I've shared about the hard stuff I've shared about the good stuff I've said about like, all of the things that I've inspired by what I'm making all that kind of stuff.
Liz Nable 12:18
And so how did I guess so you've got the artwork as your foundation, the artist in you, and then blogging, you obviously liked writing you love sharing those three words as well? How did that sort of evolve until what you explained to us what you do now? And how that evolved into that?
Speaker 1 12:35
Yeah, it was just constant playing and seeing, like, oh, what could make money here and what would feel like a really good fit for me as a person and as I blogged, and I started getting kind of a readership. And I'd share about things that I was doing locally. So for example, I ran like, decide to run like a creative goddess workshop where we all just played with paint and, you know, meditated and had a glorious creative time. And people on my blog, were like, Oh, my God, I wish you would come here to Canada and run that I wish we could do this. And this is around 2008. Ish. And then I remember my best friend rang me up and was like, Have you heard of a thing called an ecourse. And like, there was an artist called Suzie blue. And she was the first person in our industry to bring out an e course. And it was like, and as soon as I heard that, I was like, I'm immediately creating one. So I started that was 2008, when I brought out my first e course. And knew from that instant that that's a medium that I want to keep doing and keep creating and teaching in. And then of course, as you know, I would create books and stuff as I went along. And I can't remember if it was like, my first or second book. No, it was my third book. I don't know. It was just one of the creations I made. And I was like, Oh, that's really cute. I think I'll make it for myself, just creating goals for myself and making it rainbow and inspirational. And I was like, Oh, that's so cute. I should share it with the world as well. And I put that up online in 2009. And it just happened, gangbusters, it exploded. So I think we got like 1000 PDF downloads, like people bought it for 10 bucks. This is back in 2009 2010. And then I loved it so much that I kept on releasing it and then every year people just keep on buying, like would buy it again for the next year. And then they would tell all their friends about it so their friends would do it as well. And so now it's like half a million people have used those goals workbooks. Wow.
Liz Nable 14:34
And are you like gold driven? Or were you just like this is something I can create that I think will be attracted to lots you know, everybody at some point or another would like to set goals or or plan goals.
Speaker 1 14:45
It was it was I did it for myself because I wanted to set goals and when I was looking around the marketplace at 2009 There was nothing really out there except for some very dry black and white kind of masculine career stuff. And so you I was like, No, I want rainbows and mermaids. I want it to be about every area of my life and my business. Yeah. So I made it for myself. First and foremost, I couldn't give a shit if somebody else liked it or not, but it's a thrill that
Liz Nable 15:11
I did. Amazing. So do you attribute that early success to the fact that you'd been blogging and sharing and building a community? Yeah,
Speaker 1 15:20
I think so. Like, like, my, my whole job is just like to turn up and create and share every day and like, be generous and offer whatever it is I have to offer. And, you know, be myself in that experience, and be as much as I can, myself. And it builds really long lasting relationships. So I have people who've been following me since 2002. It was before I even blogged it was because I was on message boards. And like, I released some coaching programmes last year, that was like $5,000 for a coaching programme. One of the people who bought it was somebody who found me on a message board back then 2002 Because I was just sharing pictures and stories of my life. And she just followed the journey over the years. So it
Liz Nable 16:07
wasn't necessarily money driven from the start, you were just creating shit. And no, I just
Speaker 1 16:12
all I wanted was just like, well, first, like blogging, it was just like, I just want to share, I just want to create, and then eventually, when I was like, oh, I want to have this as a career. It's like, okay, let's play with all the different ways that it could make money. Yeah, I never expected it to turn into what it is, you know, that brought in over 14 million in revenue. Yeah. Amazing. Yeah, that wasn't necessarily the like, why I started this, it was more like the less to see.
Liz Nable 16:38
I know, because I saw a lot that was 13 million was 14 million. Originally
Speaker 1 16:42
just clocked over last week to 14 million, I'd read it the stats, and I was like, Oh, shit, we have to update our copy now.
Liz Nable 16:47
Holy shit to 14 million in revenue. Since what over the last
Speaker 1 16:53
baskets I think it's like 2010 was where our financial data started it more
Liz Nable 16:57
than a decade or 14 years, whatever. And you you've written a bunch of books, your award winning, award winning businesswoman. But you're there's so many things that I find fascinating about your personal story that I feel like plays so heavily into your brand like that, you know, you openly say you're an introvert, you swear a lot, which I love. Because it's so like, genuine? Like, what are the things that you think like? What are your signature things that you think make your brand stand out personally, that maybe you didn't intend for that to make you stand out, but that you feel like you've landed with people and has resonated people as part of that personal, personal journey?
Speaker 1 17:39
One like, obviously, the graphics I use, they're not on like, they're not like, what's the right word, they're not on trend. You know, so often, when you look at websites, in the industry, they all just look the same. And I have zero interest in that I want it to look like a handmade rendition of something that just lights me up. And I know that this doesn't appeal to most people. You know, like, I turn off a lot of people and that is okay, because I turn on, like people in a way, in a very intense way people will like fall in love with me, when they find me. They're like, Oh my God, I've been looking for this person all along, because I've got my freak flag flying very high. So they know right away, whether it's a turn on or turn off, you know, and I'm very happy to have that Red Velvet Rope of my personality and my colours and not being on trend, just being a little too much being a bit handmade, all that kind of stuff. So I think that plays into a lot of it. And in terms of sharing, like I share about a lot of stuff like I share I've shared about postnatal depression and going through hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a pregnancy illness. I shared about my diagnosis, my late diagnosis of autism and ADHD. Because I don't really see the point in pretending.
Liz Nable 19:10
Do you feel why do you think that's landed with people because a lot of the women that I work with, which is the reason why I wanted to have you on the show, because I love the authenticity that you have in your brand and you're not saying these things because of any other reason other than that, that's always been the way you've been. But a lot of the women that I work with inside mummies, many masters Academy we teach brandstory is a big chunk of that course. And they minimise all of those things that you that you have just mentioned about yourself. Maybe not those things specifically that they don't all have ADHD or you know have like diagnosis of things your postnatal depression, but those things like that minutes of everyday life. I mean, if I had $1 of every time one of one of my students was like, oh, but is that really interesting like that, but that's what separates you from your competitors, right? Yeah, I
Speaker 1 20:01
think so like, I don't have any interest in being like lossy. You know, and I'd rather just be real. And I just find that that's so much more joyful. And it also like stems from the fact that I was in the Australian Government, I knew that I could have stayed in that career. But I knew that it would come at a loss of my, like truest self, as you know, I wouldn't be able to express it as fully in the world. So when I said about building a business, I wasn't interested in replicating a corporate or government environment in my own business. That's boring. Not
Liz Nable 20:33
interesting. Imagine you in a corporate, does that mean a corporate job as well? I reckon I'd get fired in about 10 seconds. Like, tell me what to do. Yeah, so it's interesting that you have like, shunned that and done something totally.
Speaker 1 20:48
Yeah. I mean, I wasn't bad in the public service as well. Like I used to run like hugging competitions at work and hug three other people in a day. And you know, I do tarot card readings at my desk and give like managers massages in the left, because why the fuck not? You know? I gotta have some fun somewhere. So yeah, I wasn't gonna live in house. Yeah, yeah. And I used to write, I used to be the editor for business.gov that are you, which is the Australian Government small business website. And it makes me laugh, because it's all very like it's business content. And of course, it's got to be super dry without personality, anything like that. So I've already done all that I've done the hours in that don't expect me to write about business and marketing in a boring way. Like I will say it how it is, and I will make myself laugh, because that's the only way I stay amused.
Liz Nable 21:39
So what do you think it is about your authenticity that has landed? So I mean, you said people either love you or loathe you, they will come to your website or see you on social media. And maybe there's some of them that oh, God, I just can't even deal with her. There's just vomited bilateral. Yeah. That is obviously I feel like in a way has that, like shortcut your success? Because you're not trying to be all things to all people?
Speaker 1 22:00
Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. Because if you're as like beige as possible, there's nothing for people to grab onto. Because when people find me, they're like, Oh, thank God, you're you. Like I've been waiting to hear those words, I'll be waiting to like to see someone who's doing it the way that you are, I've been waiting for some people are so hungry for real talk. And for people just being all of their rainbow selves. So it's a real blessing when we get to show up for other people like that. It's such a miracle. And I've like, I've received so much love and support, and it's made me so much. Even more confident in myself. Because when I do share the really hard shit with the world. And the process of healing from it. The beautiful emails, I get back the connection that I have with like fans and readers, when I meet them in person, it's kind of unparalleled, you know, it's beautiful.
Liz Nable 23:04
Do you ever get fearful of oversharing? Like, are you ever nervous to? Do you share? Because we talked about this as well, when we share brand story and we are we do it more in a depends on what sort of business you have, obviously you have in your business to share whatever you like, yeah, sometimes people need to be more maybe just allude to a challenge that they've had in their life. But not necessarily, you know, share every intimate moment. Do you? Have you always felt like confident to just share every single thing? Like do you share every single thing? Or do you have boundaries? Yeah, there's
Speaker 1 23:39
like I have some really specific boundaries around it. And they have changed over the years as well. So I used to share my family, like my kids and my husband, online, and I don't anymore, so it's rare to find a picture of them now. I used to share much more about my parenting journey and like the difficult things I was going through in that. And I think that was fine when they were little like sharing those stories. Because it's like, every poop story is the same. You know, like, There's nothing interesting. But once they've got their own personalities, like I don't want to, I don't want to write this story for them with the world. You will also find, you know, you'll have an embarrassing day like I did, where my 13 year old daughter came home from school and she said, Mom, we did a Digitech class today. And as part of it was about online security. I had to google our own names. And as soon as she said that, I said, Barack, I'm so sorry. And she's like, Mom, there were pages about me. Like there was just so many search results that my teacher asked me if I was an influencer. And I was like, oh god he's like, she's like I found my birth story mother I found pictures of you try to give birth to me like I'm thankful you didn't show that. Oh shots but you know Also
Liz Nable 25:00
you shared you really shared in the early days,
Speaker 1 25:03
I was a mommy blogger like it was, it was a different time. It was a
Liz Nable 25:08
different it was a different time. That was the early days of blogging is different, you know, every man and his dogs sharing
Speaker 1 25:15
totally. So I, you know, obviously I apologised profusely, I explained why I did it, and talk to her about it, she wasn't comfortable with any of it. So we did a full kind of data cleanse of both my kids names. And, yeah, I just don't share that stuff anymore. So I have those things that are kind of off limits. Now. I also am aware that some of the things in my past, like my childhood, some of those stories include, of course, my siblings or my parents, and it's not always my, I don't think it's right for me to share some of those things, your story to tell you? Yeah, so I just kind of shy away from those kinds of things. You know, I try to steal and share as much as I can in a way that feels ethical and right to me. Yeah, I'm always just checking in and making sure that you know, doing things in a secure way, basically. So it doesn't bring harm to others.
Liz Nable 26:20
Yeah, it's interesting, because I think we are, but we've kind of got two ends of the spectrum now, where there are people who are sharing every single moment of their day, good, bad, and the ugly in hell. And then the others of which you've probably seen in our world, which is, which is business and entrepreneurs, of those people who only share the highlights and only share the good parts. So it's a my opinion, and this is what I teach is, is to be able to be authentic, and you get to choose, I guess the boundaries, you know, it's your story. So you get to choose how it gets told, but a bit of a happy medium being authentic and genuine without maybe oversharing. Yeah,
Speaker 1 26:59
my like, my personal rule is that you share from, like the scar and not from the open wound. So if I'm going something through something horrific, I'm usually not live blogging, that experience, I will talk about it once it's healed and resolved. And I've learned some lessons from it. So I don't treat my relationship with my readers. It's like, these are my therapists. These are my best friends that I tell everything to as it's happening. No, no, like I will share about the lessons and the experience once I'm through it. And I'll get myself the support I need personally to get through it.
Liz Nable 27:34
Why do you think it's important? I guess, professionally for business owners, entrepreneurs, or all the women that are in your community, I'm assuming a lot of them would be business owners. To have a brand story, whatever that looks like to share a bit about themselves. Why do you feel like that that's beneficial in business? You've made? You
Speaker 1 27:55
feel like it's your unique selling proposition? Like you have to show who you are in order for people to go, Oh, yes, that's my person, that's who I want to learn from. You know, for me, I don't really like learning from people who I don't have any connection to, you know, I don't understand, like, I want to have some kind of shared experience and so that I can, you know, build that know, like and trust factor with them. If it's all just glossed there's, there's no grip to hold on to. And I think it just builds that deeper connection with people. You know, my accountant said to me, Leone, like usually we count customers in the space of like, the lifecycle usually goes in months in terms of people like, find out about you, they purchase, they leave your business, they don't come back, he's like, we wouldn't even count it in months, we would count it. Not even in years and decades, where you've got an enormously sticky business, when people find you, they stay with you, because they, they love you. They're invested. And they also know that you over deliver. So yeah, I prefer building up like decades long relationships with people. And
Liz Nable 29:01
do you think they are invested? Because they feel like they know you? And they're emotionally invested? Because you've shared things with them? That helped them see themselves in you? Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 29:11
I think so.
Liz Nable 29:14
I think it leaves that in business, because I think a lot of us, especially if you're coming from a corporate world, that's quite hard to it can be quite hard to start that process to share. You know, whatever that looks like.
Speaker 1 29:27
Yeah, I think like, all you need to do is just take it one step at a time. I don't think that I used to share. Like, as much like, you know, I used to waver more on just the positive stuff. Until I went through some like really hard, really hard postnatal depression and anxiety. And a friend said to me one day, you're gonna write about this, and I said, you freaking kidding me? I would never That's disgusting. Nobody wants to hear about this. But what's not healed enough? I was like, Oh, I feel like it's part of my healing process to share about it and When I did that, I realised like, I just got so much feedback from people, especially people who were still in it going. It's me, I get it. Finally, I understand, okay. I don't feel so alone. I don't feel like such a loser anymore. Like, if you can get through this, I will too. And being able to love our people, and like that just means the world to me. Yeah,
Liz Nable 30:21
show a bit of vulnerability, I guess is people connect with you. Just
Speaker 1 30:27
try a little bit like in your next post. What can you do that just like, makes you laugh? Or makes you cry? Those are my barometers for like, going. Yeah, that's, I
Liz Nable 30:36
agree. I think anything you share. That's that it like instils I posted yesterday about like finding motivation. And I'd read a book like a by a behavioural psychologist to have this he I mean, it sounds really simple. But he was basically like, if you sit there and wait for motivation, it's never going to come, you have to take action. And then you feel inspired, and then you feel motivated. And it's this cycle. It's not like a linear line, you know? Yes, really, it's going, no shit. Like, why is that taking me so long, like that really landed with me. So I shared it. And it was an also a little video of me at the gym, because I really didn't want to go and not to say look at me how amazing I am at the gym. But more to say I don't want to be here. But this is my mantra this year is to, to take action first. And then the motivation will come and it's gone. That's I mean, I don't have how have mean 10s of 1000s of followers you do, but in my world, it went nuts and heaps of comments and heaps, people DMing me going fully that just connect with that I relate with that that sense now. And shared that I had been lacking a lot of motivation after COVID. So little bit of vulnerability, didn't share any details of rocking in the corner crying or anything like that. But enough for people to be like, Yeah, I'm lacking motivation to Yeah. And to see a bit of themselves in me if you know, we're all human, right. So we all at that same level. What are some of the other things about your brand that you have either cultivated over time, deliberately or by accident? Like I know, you're really well known for being very strict with your time. You famously say you only work 10 hours a week, which everyone does goes, oh my god, including me. Like those sorts of things do that that's part of your brand. And that I guess that's part of what helps you stand out from your competitors. How do all those things come to you? Or does that just happen over time? And what are those things that that are kind of trademarks of what you do?
Speaker 1 32:34
Yeah, like I think it's, it's not something that I intentionally set out to do. It's just like, as I keep creating it, as I keep sharing, I realise that like, it usually kind of fits under some pillars, you know, and the pillars distil over time. So for me, the 10 hours a week is just because I read four hour workweek when it was first released. I don't know how many years ago, 15 years ago, and I took it literally and I was like, oh, okay, right. Oh, I've never had the luxury of working full time and a business like I was working for the Australian Government, I built my business up, I only left when I had my first baby who didn't sleep. So it was just fitting my business in around the corners of my life, and getting really good at prioritising and so you know, I like talking about that. And also, I just don't think it's that, that novel or that exciting because there was a stupid book written about it, like, you know, like, it's a great book, but yeah.
Liz Nable 33:29
Yeah, probably not many people could achieve a four hour workweek. Well,
Speaker 1 33:33
I mean, like, but it's like, it's a decision. It's not a like, people always think that The Four Hour Workweek happens to you, but it's not it's actually a decision you actually have to like carve out and just say no to everything.
Liz Nable 33:45
Except for the important meaty middle finger.
Speaker 1 33:49
Like everything else, I guess it's just gonna have to f itself because I'm busy doing other things. And some of those things are playing a lot of Mario Kart.
Liz Nable 33:58
So being ruthless,
Speaker 1 33:59
yeah, yep. I also like to be super generous. So you know, my Academy is a really, really low price and get like, pretty much all my life's work in it.
Liz Nable 34:08
business decision, oh, that's just you going on want you to get more than what you need. Or you worked out that this lower price point appeals to more people. Like, where is that? You know what I mean? Or is
Speaker 1 34:21
it just whatever it's because I like doing it that way. You know, the price will like slowly go up over the years, but whatever, like it's, I just prefer, I prefer I don't like working with a small amount of people at a really high amount at a higher like price. It's just not my jam. It works really well for some people, but it wasn't working for me. I really liked like teaching a lot of people. And at a small price point, it just worked beautifully for me. So I would say like my brand is just kind of like results of all the different experiments I've undertaken over the years.
Liz Nable 34:56
I love it. And uh, you do, how did you sort of how quickly did you work? kept that you were attracting those, those people that you the right you know that ideal customer.
Speaker 1 35:06
Like, I mean, I've always been just super stoked for any customer. Oh, my God, it is amazing what it trades. And I don't I've never niched, I've never gone oh, this is my target market, I'll go for it. I was like, well, I'll just offer up whatever I'm doing. And then if they like it, guess You're my ideal client that
Liz Nable 35:25
you know. Right. So you bought the trend in every aspect? Yeah.
Speaker 1 35:29
I don't need I just like, I'd rather just like stab myself in the face with a cute cover the name just, I have it just to talk about whatever rubbish I like. And then if the niche is whether I, you know, my personality turns your like, excites you? Or turns you off? Yeah. Yeah.
Liz Nable 35:46
I mean, look, I do. I think that's really clever. Because you're not you're not trying to be all things to all people. You just are who you are. And if people like it, then that's great. And if they don't, then too bad. Yeah. And what about the aspects of your personality? So you said you're an introvert, late diagnosis, do you say ADHD and autism? Do you feel like that has helped you attract a certain kind of client or customer or helped your brand solidify itself? Because that sets you apart? And
Speaker 1 36:15
I think like I, I guess I'm just not very strategic in that way. I'm like, Oh, well, I've got this diagnosis, I should probably share about it. Because I can't imagine how like holding a secret like, I'm a very bad secret keeper.
Liz Nable 36:27
So no brand, just make a mental note of that, which is
Speaker 1 36:31
really bad. Please don't tell me any secrets. We accidentally got an email from somebody, and who was working on a movie and it was top secret. And we think like, wait for a red hot moment, we thought he'd just told us who the next James Bond was. And because he'd worked on all the James Bond movies, and he just told us who the actor was by accident. And I was like, This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. How am I supposed to keep this secret? Like I wish they had not told us? Thankfully, it was another action movie. It was not James Bond. Like we found out 24 hours later, I was like, please don't have done this. Two hours. Do not like I have oh, I'm not here for celebrity gossip. Do you know tell me secrets? Yep. So I co wrote talking about because James Bond's distracted.
Liz Nable 37:18
I think we were talking about how your personality traits attract a certain Oh, yeah. Yeah. With
Speaker 1 37:23
the whole like about diagnosis, things I just wanted to share, like, Oh, this is the experience I've had going through it. And the interesting thing is that like, now I'm open and out about it is that because I've gone through that journey, there's been so many people in my audience who have become late diagnosed themselves, because of course, I've always been attracted to me didn't know why. Like, I think I read that checklist, right? I see.
Liz Nable 37:50
So what what advice would you give when people are I guess there's a couple of you know, different places and ways you can tell your story. You can tell it on your website. You can tell a new social media, you can tell it EDMS blogs, podcasts, whatever. But let's say when someone's starting, whether they have an established business, or they're starting out in business, but they're working on that brand story or whatever. I don't know if you call it brand story I call brand story, but their story to share. What's your advice for how to stop that process? How to get because like I said, like a lot of women that I work with, don't think that they're that special. They're like, well, I don't have I haven't had those challenges. I don't you know, I don't have a really glamorous or exciting backstory.
Speaker 1 38:38
You know what, like, the I don't feel like I've got a very exciting backstory either. Like, you know, I'm just a farm kid, no biggie, like I've never lived down like, like, I've never been an unhoused person living in a van that's then gone to, you know, Richard, I'm not an overnight success story. I'm just somebody who's just been around for a really long time. And just kept on turning up and creating and sharing anyway, I think the minutia of life is beautiful and miraculous. And I think, to all the people who've, like inspired me, like they haven't written about, like, the most profound things, they're just writing about their own personal experience in the moments where I carry me to, they feel the same way. That's a beautiful moment of connection. I think as well the vast majority of people do feel a little bit afraid of sharing those things and being more of themselves for good reason. Because you know, often our childhoods and, and throughout our lives, we have experiences where we're rejected by that and that really hurts. So what I would encourage you to do is just be a little bit more brave each day, and just try out. Another little thing that you could possibly do that feels a little bit more like you and experiment and play with that and play with like, the colours that are you're attracted to. I always say to people Get a magazine out and go through that magazine and cut out everything that your eye is drawn to. Because we all have different aesthetic tastes and the things that our soul calls to, and discovering what you're the thing that lights you up and lights your eyes up is a beautiful thing and incorporating more of that into your brand instead of just going oh, well, what's everyone else doing at the moment with the visual branding? What's everyone else doing with this story? Branding? Like, what? What means something to you? And how can you be a little bit more honest today about who you are and how you got here? And then just see what happens. Just play and experiment. And it can be this lifelong creative process. And
Liz Nable 40:45
I think you know, you're right. And once you put that out there, that's probably the scariest part. And then you realise once it's out there, it's not that scary at all. And you will get feedback negative or positive. Yeah. And you'll start nobody
Speaker 1 41:00
will see it. Yeah. Oh, yeah, like, half the time. There'll be you'll see it, so it gets a shit. Yeah. And
Liz Nable 41:06
you know what I always say, if you get negative feedback, you know, people are watching you, it's actually not a bad thing we who? Yeah, like, if you've got a big social media presence, you're obviously going to get more of negative feedback than if you had a small social media presence. So good or feel good or bad feedback is actually any feedback is helpful and means people are watching you and that you know, you're, you matter more than what you thought. So sure,
Speaker 1 41:31
for sure. And it's like, I get like, I turned people off all the time. And I get like, messages or emails going you shouldn't be swearing, you shouldn't be talking about the issue until you forgot to listen to somebody who doesn't swear because there's shit tonnes of people out there. Yeah.
Liz Nable 41:47
So with that, though, because if you said you've got a you've got a you're sensitive, you got a thin skin, do you get negative feedback about your branding or your colours? Or your artwork or your you're out there? Enos? Yeah, but
Speaker 1 41:58
I couldn't give a shit about that. Because it doesn't really matter. Like, because there's, you know, for every, you know, people person who doesn't like it. There's other people or two, but the most important thing is, I like it. I like it. Like, I've got a thin skin, but that's just around like, not being able to intentionally choose the people I'm around. So I don't read all the social media comments. Like if somebody's being an asshat like my customer service staff. I like getting those emails. Or they're just like banning and blocking people. We were not asshole whispers we don't have to, like talk throughout our outings or liking me.
Liz Nable 42:31
No, absolutely. So you only really sensitive to the people that you give a shit about.
Speaker 1 42:35
Yeah, and I'd like also just like sensitive in terms of like from an autism front, just like the where I am each day and who's around me physically and yet being a part of too much drama. So I've got to have good boundaries to make sure that I stay healthy. Yeah, that's really
Liz Nable 42:50
interesting. So I feel like putting yourself out there more even in even in a subtle way like you, like you said before your brand colours, your aesthetic, the words you use, you know, all that brand stuff you are naturally curating then more people who will be drawn to you and getting rid of the ones who who aren't anyway, so a bit of a win win,
Speaker 1 43:12
massive win massive win, because like it increases your customer retention and like, how connected they feel to your brand and how much they trust you how much they know that you're there. Like, I just went to the dentist before I got on this call. And I was walking along and a lady in the shop was like, oh my god, we already and she is a longtime reader of mine. I've already met her a few times before at different meetups and then accidentally running into the street. And you know, we can just like we are immediately on the same page. You know, I can ask her like the deepest question she can ask me the deepest questions because we know we're each other's person.
Liz Nable 43:53
And that's right and like like you said like it's such a shortcut to just finding that audience those people who are going to be your whether they're paying customers yet doesn't matter. Those people that are going to start that community, that audience or like minded people into your world. So interesting. I love it. Thank you so much for being a guest on the podcast. We this is a this is the first episode of our relaunched podcast. It's called media magnate. So you our first episode of 2024, which is very exciting. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 44:21
I just I love being number one. So
Liz Nable 44:25
you're a winner. Yes. Thank you, Leona. It was an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. Oh,
Speaker 1 44:30
you're basically this is so good. Even without any makeup.
Liz Nable 44:34
I'm still about big time.
Speaker 1 44:35
Do you think I ever were to have a car just rock up just bedhead? pyjamas on? Yes, this is
Liz Nable 44:42
me. This episode of media magnate was brought to you by my signature group coaching programme, the media masters Academy. The media masters Academy is a live online six week course taught by me and designed to teach you how to become your own publicist and give you excuse Lucy have access to pitch the country's top journalists and editors doors open just three times a year. Check it out at Liz nabal.com along with a tonne of free resources to help you get started taking your business from Best Kept Secret to household name right now. If you love this episode of media magnate, please share it with your business buddies or on social media and tag me at at Liz underscore navel. And if there's a specific guest you want to hear from on the show, or a topic or question you want to know more about, please tell me so I can make sure the show stays dedicated. Especially for you
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
