Leonie Dawson's Blog, page 39

Behind The Scenes: A Business Branding Photoshoot (& Preventing Autistic Burnout)

Treasures,

I spent a day a week or so ago working as hard as I’ll ever work for the next year or so – I had a full day photoshoot. It was glorious & wonderful & I can’t WAIT to share the results with you. They are bonkerdoodles brilliant and even more Leonie than anything I’ve done before.

I thought I’d share with you a bit of a behind-the-scenes for you so you know all the deets to how I organise and pull these kinds of shoots off.

This is a 3000+ word resource post chockfulla photos, diagrams & spreadsheets. Whether you’re contemplating a photoshoot, or interested in behind-the-scenes business stuff, or want to know how I work with ASD… I hope this is a useful post for you! Settle in with a cup of tea!

Firstly: pro tip for neurodivergents & ASD humans!

I find writing out and cataloguing events helps my brain & body process them faster. Sometimes I do that in my journal, sometimes I do it by spreadsheet, sometimes I do it by blogging about it. Writing the narrative, capturing the details and processing photographs helps my brain feel calmer and less stimulated, and allows me to churn through the backlog of sensory inputs a lot faster.

Here’s how I visualise it:Here’s all the photoshoots I’ve done over the years for my business (& life):2004-forever: My husband took ALL of my photos for a long time in my business, and I still corral him into shoots from time to time. We’ve had a few digital SLR cameras, loved photography and even photographed some weddings together when I was dabbling in professional photography. I’m so grateful he’s captured me at so many times through my business (and life) journey.2008: We had an engagement photoshoot with Robecca McLean.2010 & 2011: Our awesome doula & friend Rachel did a pregnancy photoshoot for us, photographed our birth and we even flew her up to photograph our wedding as well.2011: My wonderful friend in Proserpine Trish McNeill did a couple of short photoshoots for me & my little family.2014: After we had our second daughter in Cairns, we had a beach photoshoot with Peppermint Lane and a rainforest photoshoot with Chanel Baran which were amazing. They were both a combination of family photography & portraits I could use for business.2015 & 2016: In Canberra, I did a photoshoot with Tracy Lee Photography, and she also photographed my conference. We also had videographers at the conference.2017: I hired Screencraft in Canberra to create a sales video & they also included some still photography. I wrote about that process in full here: How To Create A Pro Sales Video2018: Did a quick 20 minute shoot with my rad friend Nic Yardley from Living Studio.2019: I did a branding photoshoot with Michelle from Eyes of Love Photography. I wrote about the behind-the-scenes of that day here. Just for fun: the 2019 photoshoot from the perspective of my photographer MichelleAnd behold… the extent of my cataloguing ways.

I have made you THIS! A complete compendium of business photoshoots from the past 16ish years. Also hilarious: the see saw-ing of hairstyles from mermaid to pixie to mermaid to pixie.

Our last shoot’s photos with Michelle from Eyes of Love have lasted us a full two years, and branded my new website, my podcast, blog posts, and all my new programs, including Sales Star, Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income, 40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course, 40 Days To Finish Your Book & more.

We were definitely starting to run out though, my assistant was starting to want to look at new photos and I wanted new photos for all the new programs and products I have in my brain.

What I wanted to differently this time, what I wanted to do the samePhotographer

I knew I wanted to use the same photographer as last time – Michelle from Eyes of Love Photography. This is what happens, guyzzz, when you don’t move across the country all the time! You can use people you already know and love! Plus, it’s hard to go past Mich. She’s an expert in brand photography for online entrepreneurs. Most of all though, she’s an absolute earth angel of a human, and I love her and her husband Jacko. I love Jacko so much, in fact, that I conned her into bringing him onto this shoot as well just so we could do an awkward prom photo together. #priorities

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED. WE CAN PACK UP AND GO HOME NOW, PEOPLE. WE NAILED THIS PHOTOSHOOT ALREADY.

Venue

Last venue I used a very white, plain contemporary AirBNB that I took a vanload of my pillows, blankets, artworks & decorative crap to and made as Leonie-fied as possible.

This time I took a different approach. I managed to stumble upon a venue online that looked ridiculously creative and Leonie-fied already. I booked and hoped for the best, and also had weird fever anxiety dreams that I had made yet another one of those terrible AirBNB mistakes.

Thank goodness my fever dreams were in vain… because what we found when we turned up was BEYOND my wildest hopes. We booked Noosa Valley Manor Boutique B&B and it was everything and more. Incredibly stunning design in EXACTLY my kind of maximalist, creative, colourful kookiness…. plus amazing gardens, so many beautiful nooks to shoot in, the very best of hosts and they also cooked us a delicious Italian feast for lunch. Me and Mads just kept looking at each other and screaming because it was all so very, very beautiful. We will now attempt to move in and become part of the furniture because it was just that great.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDDDING ME??? MAMA LOVES MAXIMALISM.

Hair & makeup

I now just budget in for a hair and makeup person to sort me in the morning to save me having to stab at my face with a mascara wand, blind without my glasses. I always request natural-looking makeup on shoots. To look like me IRL, but less washed out on camera.

Last time I used Valentina Pintus (who was awesome) and I tried to book her again, but she already had a wedding up on that day.

I ended up hiring Sian Howard, who is a friend/colleague of Valentina’s, and she was bloody brilliant. We laughed like terrors the whole time, and I totally wish we could have hung out the whole day.

 

Outfits

I tend to use the same outfits over and over and over again in photoshoots – all turquoise blues with dashes or lavender and fuchsia. This time I decided I wanted to go bonkerdoodles with rainbow and colour as well.

I picked up a few duster jackets from local boutiques, some t-shirts and jewellery, and made my first (and last) purchase on Wish.com – this ridiculous full length rainbow tutu.

Then, because I am 100% anal, I made a Pinterest board JUST to lay out what outfit options I had.

I found my brain was STILL madly trying to make outfit puzzle pieces fit together at night however, so I found it quite therapeutic to draw it all out in my journal as well.

BEHOLD:

Guyzzz, if you give up social media, you’ll have SO MUCH FREE TIME that you can undertake hilarious projects like this too!

Assistant

Last time I had Ellie Oster as an assistant and she was brilliant. I knew then I would ALWAYS hire an assistant on shoots – they make life so much fucking easier on the day (I’ll talk more about that soon!) Ells wasn’t free this time as she works full time now, so I hired our mutual mate Madi Beaufort.

Mads was bloody awesome. I reckon anyone with a drama background works brilliantly in shoot days – they are already well versed in stage production & getting shit sorted for the next shots.

Schedule

I always produce a rough schedule for how photoshoots will go, and then give it to my assistant & photographer to follow. It just outsources that part of my brain.

We didn’t end up heading for a beach shoot… we finished up at the B&B around 5ish.

Props

Just for something different, I got some oversized foil balloons from Big W as well – ones that can be refilled for my kids’ endless amusement!

Even if it did create this hilarious conversation:

Worth it though… between that and the stupendous rainbow skirt, I felt like I was living my Inner Child’s Best Life!

Why I have an assistant on photo shoots

When the B&B owner introduced herself to us, I introduced her to Madi and she said:

“Oh! You must be the makeup artist then!”

I laughed, and said:

“Nah, this is my assistant.”

She did a double take.

“Gosh, you really ARE fancy then!”

That makes me cackle. Because, yes, having a personal assistant for a photoshoot seems like a Very Posh Thing To Do.

HOW CAN I NOT HAVE AN ASSISTANT WHEN THEY ARE AS CUTE AS THIS?

But here’s why I always budget to have one:

I’ve done photoshoots without an assistant before. But when you have an assistant, you absolutely can get through MORE photos and sets faster because they can pre-emptively organise and set things up for you and the photographer, and manage all the props/clothes etc.

If I was running for stuff myself, I’d be FAR sweatier (a real problem when you do photoshoots in tropical Queensland!) and more flustered and not be able to do my job as much – which is to have a great time, and show the camera every glorious angle of me. Get amazing photos that celebrate me, my identity and my work in the world… knowing they will be fodder for me to use and create projects with for the next couple of years!

A couple of days before the shoot, I took Mads out to lunch and presented her with a little brief of the day.

The assistant’s brief included:Contact details of all suppliers involvedSchedule of the dayA checklist of tasks for her to do before and during the day.

Here’s the checklist for before the photoshoot:

To save me running around town the day before, I got her to pick up supplies for SNACKS and drinkypoos and other props. She did a BONZA job of it.

Then the morning of, I got her to swing by our local smoothie joint & pick up my favourite smoothie to start the day with – it saved me an extra 20 minutes on my day.

Hilariously though, I have a very specific way of asking for my smoothie... and when Mads asked for it, they were like: “Is this for Leonie by any chance?” (I go to the same smoothie shop at least 4 times a week at the same time in the morning and ask for the exact same smoothie.) HO HO HO. WOT CAN I SAY. I AM A CREATURE OF HABIT.

Here’s her day-of checklist:

Mads also ended up spending a large part of the day holding photographer lights at precarious angles in search of that elusive perfect lighting. We probably wouldn’t have been able to get a decent amount of the indoor shots we wanted without her.

Also: it made for an extraordinary number of lightworker jokes.

I can’t emphasise how important the care & feeding of Leonie part is, either. I find it really difficult to get enough food or water in on big work days like this… I get pretty fixated on the job at hand, and don’t notice my physical needs at all. And then by the end of the day, I’m dehydrated and woozy. I got Mads to Mother Hen me into more drinkypoos and snaccccks.

I am WELL pleased with Mads’ charcuterie board skillllz. Also: I told her to make sure it had CAKES on there. It did. I ate them all.

Dealing with photoshoots (& other big events) as an Autistic person

Here’s how I describe my experience of Autism: my brain records images, sounds and smells in 4K video resolution, whereas neurotypical brains record in a lower definition. This means I record more detail, but it takes much longer for my brain to process it (just like a computer takes longer to process a high definition video).

That’s just how I see and feel my own Autism, but amazingly, science & research backs it up: People with Autism potentially see motion faster and Autist brains work faster & have more visual processing power.

How I prepped for the day:

Creating the schedule, brief & Pinterest boards of outfits etc helps my brain to catalogue what’s coming so it’s easier to digest when it does. For weeks leading up to the photoshoot, I had on my daily to do list: “Prevent burnout”. So that meant a lot of time with my weighted blanket, clearing my schedule & doing a bunch of other things to mitigate my sensory overwhelm.

Disclosing to others

I also talked to Michelle & Mads beforehand about how we could take care of my autism on the day, and they were fully supportive. Michelle was really happy to work around my energy levels, take regular breaks & do a shorter shoot if I needed to on the day.

I’ve taken to disclosing being ASD whenever I’m working with a service professional (including massage therapists, osteopaths and hairdressers). So far, everyone is very accommodating and like learning what works for me and what doesn’t. And I try to make sure to tell them that everyone with ASD is different, so it’s a matter of them asking if they can do something first before they do it. It strikes me as a good model of consent for all humans, really!

I disclosed my ASD to Sian right as she started working on my hair & makeup, and told her I feel really uncomfortable with a lot of smells. She was great – she would get me to sniff potions before she applied them to make sure I was happy with them.

I recognise not everyone feels comfortable or safe disclosing their personal details with service professionals. I’m happy to do it because I feel pretty rad in my own skin, I have great support and if I can raise awareness as I go, that would be helpful for others.

How I cope the day of the photoshoot

If you’ve ever met me, you would possibly not notice I have ASD – I can be wildly extroverted, make eye contact, hug peeps and talk shit for hours.

For me, however, that doesn’t come naturally. I’m not faking it – that is my personality at heart. But the social stuff is something I’ve had to learn very intentionally and conscientiously, and it takes a huge cognitive load (a cognitive load that neurotypicals don’t with social situations – it comes more naturally to them).

I can fair okay at “masking” for most of a day for a big event like this (or at a conference etc). I’m excited for new people! New experiences! Look at pretty things! Doing the things! Much fun! However, at a certain point, it becomes difficult to function. It’s like my brain has recorded so much data and detail that it begins to chug.

What that feels like for me:I start losing vision around the edges of my eyes – it feels like tunnel visionmy brain becomes increasingly fuzzierit’s harder to understand what people are sayingI become quieter and slower.

I warned Mich by about 2pm that my energy was starting to wane, and that we likely wouldn’t make the beach for final shots. That I had enough in me to get some more set changes in at the BNB, but then we needed to wrap.

She was groovy and totally accommodating. So we got the shots in, packed up (usually takes at least 30 minutes), high fived each other and headed off.

Pretty much as soon as I’m in my car driving home, my autism is in overdrive.

I can keep it up in public, but as soon as I’m by myself or with my family, my brain starts trying to process the backlog of information it’s received. Imagine a laptop that is trying to render a long video or pushing Indesign to spout out a print-ready PDF for a book. The laptop begins whirring, heating up, and can’t do much else except that one task.

I become either muse or close to it. If I do speak, it can be slightly slurred. I will be like this for at least the rest of the day. I will be quieter for days to come afterwards.If I’ve come into contact with any smells I don’t like, I usually discard all my clothes at the door and go have a shower straight away.My husband & kids aren’t concerned by any of this – they know if I’ve had a big day, I need to repair before I return to being myself.I head to bed super early – usually 7pm. When I’m overstimulated however, I can’t go to sleep even though I’m exhausted. I usually put a weighted blanket over me in an attempt to pin myself into place. My brain will race and be very hyperactive. It usually takes at least 2 hours for my brain to calm down enough to actually fall asleep.After a big day, I can sleep for 12 hours easily. My brain feels SO much better after I’ve slept overnight – it helps with clearing the sensory overwhelm quite a bit.It will take at least 3 days for me to process a big day – sometimes much more.In the days after a big experience, I am more likely to get breakthrough anxiety (even though I am medicated). It takes time for things to resolve.I find that writing, journaling, blogging, making art – anything to document the experience helps me to process all my feelings and experiences faster. Thus why I thought to write this blog!Here’s a sneak peek at some of the UNEDITED photos:

You’ll see all the photos being rolled out over coming months/years… but I thought I’d give you a tiny peek.

I want to stress: these are completely UNEDITED, and straight out of the camera. In the photography business they are called “proofs”.

Often photographers will give you proofs for you to choose your favourites from for editing.

It usually takes a couple of weeks for photographers to present the edited photos to you.

Mich sent me a few edited photos faster just so I could get my grabby little hands on them faster and start making stuff with them.

Like this:

Are photos THAT worth the time & expense?

They are for me at this stage in my business. I use the photos for all new programs, websites, and some blog posts. Having a great library of photos is a really important part of my creative & business approach now.

Does every business need a full day photoshoot? 

Fuck no. When I was starting out, I got by on photos taken in the backyard by my husband.

This was the biggest photoshoot I’ve done for my business… and I’ve been doing it for 17 years now.

I’m planning to use these for at least the next two years of programs and offerings!

I hope this was helpful!

Whether you’re contemplating a photoshoot, or interested in behind-the-scenes business stuff, or want to know how I work with ASD… I hope this has been an insightful post!

Big love,

Enrol now & save!

 

The post Behind The Scenes: A Business Branding Photoshoot (& Preventing Autistic Burnout) appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.

Taking Stock: April 2020

The aftermath of me & my kids doing a splendid art e-course together!

Dearests,

Meet Me @ Mike‘s does a monthly “Taking Stock” exercise. I loved it so much I’m joining in!

All about what I’m thinking, making, creating…Making: All the illustrated workbooks for Sales Star – I ended up doing over 150 custom illustrations and I am fukking STOKKKKED with how it turned outGetting: thoroughly comfortable with a social media-free lifeCooking: I’ve kind of fallen off the cooking wagon of late – probably because school started back and threw me out of rhythm and I’m mostly just overstimulated by the end of the day. Still, I make freaking deliciouuuus enchiladas once a week because it’s the ultimate comfort food.Sipping: I’ve kind of gotten addicted to Frantelle’s Sparkling Water with Lime & Lemon essence. No sugar and tops for coping with the summer sweats.Reading: I’m still MARINATING in “Digital Minimalism” and “Deep Work” – both by Cal Newport. Everytime I read it, I highlight the absolute bejeezus out of it and then have to tell Chris about it all the next morning. They are most excellent, and I think I’ll be thinking of them for years to come.Waiting: I’m not really waiting for anything at the moment. Just going as slowly as I can during a busy season. Last night, I had my two girls beside us in bed, my arms wrapped around each one, as one read to me and the other just cuddled in. And my kids are growing, and I can sense the teen years are coming, and impending adulthood, and I just want to soak soak soak in the little moments where everything and everyone is calm and close.Looking: at the world with brighter, clearer eyes since quitting social media. Everything seems more beautiful, more tender, more meaningful.Listening: to 90s pop/rock classics on my new Bose noise cancelling headphones. I bought them to try and help reduce auditory overstimulation (by using them as expensive earmuffs!) but it turns out they are reaaaaaaally excellent at listening to Lisa Loeb and Jann Arden and Natalie Imbruglia and Natalie Merchant too. HA!Wishing: for some solid reading-in-bed time this weekend.Enjoying: reading blogs on Bloglovin every morning with chai tea and a Larabar. Honestly, BLOGS, guyz! They are LIIIIIFE! So inspiring! So creative! Makes me ITCH to make things. Makes me smarter. I NEVER felt this way after reading some social media!Appreciating: These 21 days challenges. I can’t even talk about how utterly life changing they have been.Eating: I just had some freaking deeeelicious Thai – especially one mystically named “Noodle Peanut Sauce” which does what it says on the box. Noodles… with peanut sauce… and vegetables. OM. NOM. and also NOM.Liking: Getting to talk to some of my favourite faces each Friday for our Sales Star Q&A calls. I love that most of my students end up taking ALL my courses, and I get to see their faces super regularly on calls. I love that closeness and connection. I love getting to know their lives, and businesses, and brilliance. And I love that now it’s finished, we’ll get to do our monthly Q&A calls nowLoving: that we have stopped watching TV at night. Instead, we retire to our bedroom with our kids, and just hang out there for hours on end. We talk a lot – all four of us, and we read and draw and write, and the kids play. It’s just lovely.Buying: Not much currently – I’m on internet shopping ban at the moment!Managing: Burnout and autistic overstimulation. I’m keeping it at bay currently, but know I’m at risk with my busier-than-usual calendar and creative deadlines. It’s a daily process to try and manage it currently, and make sure I replenish through weighted blankets, solitude, quiet and sleep.Watching: Alone Season 5. FUCK I LOVE ALONE SO MUCH. SO SO SO SO SO MUCH. It’s my ultimate relaxing watch.Hoping: To continue deepening my journey into creativity, blossoming my relationships and living a tech-decluttered life.Wearing: A whole lot of bamboo clothes. Bamboo Body is my favourite. I wear them around the house and to bed. They are really lovely on the sensory front – breathable yet cosy with a nice weight to them. When leaving the house, I have a different uniform of kinds. This summer I also fell back in love with cut off jean shorts. Wearing them with a graphic tee and long cotton duster jacket is my new STYLE STATEMENT.Following: RaychPonyGold‘s daily drawing adventures on her Patreon. One of my kids was a bit sad this morning, so we curled up together and looked at Raych’s drawings and it really cheered us.Noticing: How different my brain is since getting tech sober. Gosh it’s better. #fucksocialmediaSorting: Out all these blog posts drafts and ideas written and polished and getting them ready to publish this month.Getting: Excited for all the students I’m welcoming in before prices double at the end of the month!Bookmarking: ALL THE THINGS.Coveting: Nothing much really. I’m in a lovely season of life.Feeling: A L I V E.Hearing: The rain fall on our verandah roof. We are nestled up outside together on the couches. Kids drawing together, me typing, the doggy asleep, my husband husband-ing. All is well right here in this little space, right here right now.

Big love & writering,

Enrol now & save!

 

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My Next Challenge: 21 Days of Meditating

Dearests,

This year, I had my BEST idea everrrrr… try out different things I’ve always wanted to try out, and do them for 21 days. And keep what worked, discard what doesn’t, and document the entire thing.

Here’s the challenges I’ve already done:

21 days without social media21 days without internet browsing, shopping or smartphone use.

Both have been life-changing, to put it mildly.

So it was tricky to decide on the next challenge. I’ve felt like I’ve built up a bit of internal pressure to CHOOSE CORRECTLY THE NEXT CHALLENGE THAT WILL CHANGE MY LIFE. Ultimately, I decided to go with the challenge off my list that felt like it was hard enough & had the scientific backing that it could, in fact, change my life:

21 days of meditating.

My history with meditating:

I’ve always been meditation-curious, and meditated a decent amount in my 20s before I had children.

I did all kinds of hippy thangs back then – women’s circles and drumming circles and spiritual healing and meditation retreats in Uluru. I did Reiki training and was taught how to play Native American flute and was shown the So Hum meditation method (inexplicably, at a public servant workshop). I categorised my spirituality as a kind of blend between Buddhist, Pagan & New Age. I rocked a good ole meditationap from time to time as well.

I even married myself, because OF COURSE I DID.

And then I had children and was like LOLLLLLZ THERE GOES MY LIFE AND SPARE TIME.

When you’re a new mama, or you’ve added another kid to the mix, you suddenly don’t even have time for comprehensive tooth brushing or regular showers… so meditating and all other lovely notions go right out the window. But then as you gradually build back tiny specks of free time, you forget to add back in the meditating.

Plus it can be just so infuriating to try and wedge out some peace and quiet for yourself when you’ve got a houseful of humans. One of my friends hides in her walk-in robe. I usually hide in the ensuite bathroom for a bit of “me time” – but I don’t necessarily want to meditate so class to the dunny.

What’s more, I’ve increasingly become more aware of racial and social justice issues, and feel concerned about the rampant levels of cultural appropriation in “New Age” traditions. Some of the things I did back then? I really don’t feel comfortable with now.

But I do know meditation has the power to transform minds. I know I should experiment with practicing meditation again. My brain has felt so healed from getting tech sober, and I feel like this could take it to the next level. So it’s time for me to carve out time again for a regular meditation practice, for the next 21 days at least. One that is not culturally appropriative (in whatever way that is possible).

The Parameters

I’ve been headfucking myself over The Right Way to do this challenge.

I’ll talk more about this struggle over in my daily challenge log. I’ve already added a bunch of journal writing to it if you want to check it out.

I wasn’t sure HOW to do this challenge.

What style? Should I do guided meditations? By which teacher? Should I use an app? Which one? Follow a meditation program? By which teacher? Which one is less culturally appropriative and more racially justice aware? How will I know if I’ve chosen the right one? When do I stop searching?

It just felt like an endless stream of possibilities, and it was driving me a bit mad.

So for right now, I’m going to keep it loose and let it evolve.

All I need to do is at least 10 minutes of mediation a day.

In whatever method I wish to. And because I am an obsessive enthusiast and love learning, I’ll likely read some books about meditation as well.

I’ll document what I learn & discover as I go, first in my challenge log & then bigger round-up posts as the challenge continues.

And it’s a double challenge month!

Just for double the LOLZ, I’m going to be blogging everyday this month as well. SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU STOP SOCIAL MEDIA AND BROWSING THE INTERNET ENDLESSLY? You have so much TIME for projects!

If you’d like to get my writing and creations everyyyy day in your inbox, make you sign up for my Daily-ish newsletter!

Thank you for following along on these challenges…

I’m honestly stunned at how powerful these challenges have been for me personally, how much people have enjoyed reading them, and how many of you have been motivated to create your own challenges or undertake major life changes because of them!

It makes my heart so happy!

Onwards, my dearest friends!

Love & game-changer energy,

 

Enrol now & save!

 

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I’m Going To Blog Everyday In April

Blossoms,

I’m going to blog/send penpal e-letters errrry day this month.
Fuckitttt, I say.
Why not?

I’ve been reading a few bloggers who blogged everyday in March like Attic24, and I loved the daily closeness and storytelling. And then I saw EffyWild is doing a blog everyday challenge as well this month, and I’d totes take part, but it’s mainly hosted on Facebook, and you KNOW how I feel about that.

Also: I have a shit tonne of blog post ideas that I’m wanting to get finished. A crap tonne of ideas waiting in my journal to write about (see above). I’m itching to write even MOAR.

And I’ve also got a sale on this month. Don’t know if you’ve heard. That’s the icing on the top of the cake – I have a good business reason to do it as well!

Stand by. A veritable assload of bloggage is coming your way.

Big love & writering,

 

Enrol now & save!

 

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Huge Announcement: Prices Doubling 30 April – Get In Now!

Panda bears,

Big news to share with you today –

On 30 April, I will be DOUBLING the price of 3 of my most popular programs:

 

Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income 40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course40 Days To Finish Your Book.

I’m telling you NOW with this much advance notice so that you can grab any you’ve been thinking of getting NOW to save yourself lots of moolah.

You will get:

permanent access to the course (at least 12 months) complimentary access to future live rounds comprehensive training from an industry leader, best-selling author & self made multi-millionaire.

… all at a bargain price!

Why am I raising my prices?

A few reasons! And because I am the Queen of Oversharing, allow me to discuss these in full now! HO HO HO!

I want to acknowledge how much valuable information is in these programs – the culmination of my experience and knowledge in creating $11 million in revenue, being a permanent creative force online since 2004 and spending close to $200,000 in my own business education.

You still get a ripper fucking deal with my programs. Comparison programs are often priced at US$2k, so I’m still one tenth the price even when I do double prices. I tend to sell on the cheaper side because I prefer helping more people rather than less people.

Are my programs one tenth the VALUE of other programs? Fuck no. I teach the same, if not more than most. Plus when compared to 99% of other teachers, I’ve taught more than most (tens of thousands of people in hundreds of programs) and I have a better business success rate than 99% of teachers as well. 

My students get fucking rad results when they use my programs. I’m talking $100,000 in a year from taking one $99 course with me. Picture Paris Hilton in the early 2000’s: that’s hotttttt.

All of that barnacling to say: I know what the fuck I’m talking about, what I’m teaching about, and I know what results students can get when they do the work.

When people ask me how to decide on pricing I always say:

“There’s no wrong answer. You can charge less and sell to more. You can charge more and sell to less. What matters is how YOU feel about the price you’re charging. Whether it feels in alignment with you and a good fit for where you are right now, and what your goals are.”

In the past six months or so, I’ve been getting an intuitive nudge that it was time for some of my courses to have a price increase.

I’ve charged all kinds of different pricing over the decades of my business. I’ve charged up to $6,000 for a high level coaching program. I’ve charged up to $1,000 a year for access to my courses for a year. I’m fine with moving around on pricing to see what feels great for me as a creator.

What’s most important is for me to feel aligned with my course prices – that it feels like a good and right exchange for me and my customers. Doubling the price for Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income , 40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course and 40 Days To Finish Your Book feels aligned & like the right fit.

Lastly – I have a bunch of short workshops that I want to release in the future on a bunch of topics. They will be much shorter than my usual length of courses, but still full of high-quality, impactful content. I wanted to differentiate the price between my larger programs & these shorter workshops, but I felt deeply uncomfortable with selling them for $50-$60. That didn’t feel enough of an energy exchange for me to make that creative expenditure worthwhile – it would feel like I was ripping myself off. You gotta listen to those feelings ya know – otherwise you procrastinate on creating it because you don’t feel great about it or if you do create it – you feel resentful and that energy imbues the creations. It’s just not good all round. So by increasing prices on my more intensive programs, I have more breathing room to choose a smaller price point for smaller workshops that still feels aligned for me.

We will also continue offering payment plans for programs to make it easier to budget for them, and will also regularly offer scholarships for live rounds as well.

Your Questions, Pre-Emptively Answered Like I’m Fucking Psychic Or Something

What about the price of your other courses?

There are no changes to the price of Sales Star, Anxiety Balm or Soul Care For Uncertain Times at this point.

Why do you charge in US $?

Because about 60% of my sales come from the US, 20% comes from the UK and less than 20% come from Australia. So it makes sense for me to charge in the currency that the vast majority of my customers use.

I have feelings and judgments about you raising your prices!

You are most welcome to your feelings. You have the right to feel however you feel about anything and everything, including what I choose to charge for my work.

Please know, however, that I am not interested in hearing this feedback, nor are my staff. I can only make the right decisions for me as a creator, and I know that my decisions will not always please everyone.

If I’m not the right teacher for you because of a price increase, please do find the person who resonates with you instead. I send you love and good blessings for your journey!

Can I get them on payment plan at the discount rate before they go up?

Yes! All of them are available on payment plans!

How did you get so hot?

Baby, I was born this wayyyyyy.

What if I want all of them?

Great idea! Get them all! They are bloody bonza and work brilliantly together!

How long do I get access to the programs?

You’ll get access for at LEAST 12 months. You’ll have access for as long as I offer the program. You’ll also receive complementary access to all future live rounds with group coaching calls.

Here’s how much time you have left to grab courses before prices double:Make sure you get in now before the price DOUBLES!

Don’t put it off, and don’t forget.

Any questions?

Just email support@leoniedawson.com. We’re here to help!

Big love & gratitude,

The post Huge Announcement: Prices Doubling 30 April – Get In Now! appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.

One Month Without Internet Browsing Or Shopping

Dearests,

As you probably already know, this year I made a life-changing decision: I was going to give myself 21 day challenges to try all the things I’ve been wanting to try. I started by going 21 days without social media, which healed and delighted and made me a convert to the lifestyle. I decided to then deepen my digital declutter by quitting smart phone use, internet browsing & online shopping for 21 days.

In this post, I’ll share the daily-ish log I kept during this challenge, what changes I noticed and what I’ll keep going permanently with.

Rules of this challenge:What isn’t allowed at all:NO internet browsingNO online shoppingNO smartphone use (I can only use it as a dumb phone – photos, text messages & phone calls). Where possible, just leave it at home instead.NO news websites, Reddit, BuzzFeed or celebrity gossip websitesNO TikTok or YoutubeNO social mediaNO Tapas or WebtoonsWhat is allowed, but with parametersEmail & Facebook messenger access 2 x a day for 15 minutes at a time. Must be done via laptop. Must be timed and logged to prevent it becoming a background constant.Reading blogs via Bloglovin. Will test limiting it to 30 minutes of reading a day + see how that feels.What is allowed without restrictions:Essential business software like KajabiAny tools & apps I use to make stuff – like WordPress (for writing on my website), Procreate (which I do digital drawings on) & Anchor (for recording podcasts)Online courses I am currently studyingReading on my Kindle (& purchasing new books when needed)Podcasts & audiobooks

 

Saturday 27 Feb 2020 (before challenge begins)

How I’m feeling:

Honestly, pretty confident. I was SUPER anxious before starting the last challenge of no social media. But it ended up being SO great and SO freeing that I’m excited to see what I learn from this challenge!I know if I set myself up for success by deleting apps + access, it takes a lot of the battle away.I also feel slightly worried that my closest friends won’t feel as connected to me as they usually do, but I will try to lovebomb them (healthily) to ensure our relationships continue to bloom and thrive.

 

Sunday 28 Feb 2020 (Challenge Eve)

 

Trial run of the challenge today. We went to the river, and I didn’t take my phone (GASP!), just my journal. Instead of rooting around restlessly, I drew the view, and had a good ole fashioned D&M with Mr Dawson.I realised I had another flaw in my “only check emails 2 x a day for 15 minutes” protocol. I send myself quotes from Kindle books I’m reading to my email, and reference the quotes while I am writing. I think what I need to do instead is have those quotes stored on Goodreads (which is the other option for sending quotes from Kindle). Plus, long term, it’s probably a better solution for storing quotes.This is all definitely making me feel more strategic and conscientious about how I am using tech tools, and if they are the most effective and satisfying method.

Later that night:

 

Monday 1 March 2021It felt fucking GREAT to only do emails and Messenger in 15 minute batches. I was looking FORWARD to it, like it was a little treat for getting some deeper work done. I set a timer and strictly followed.Wheels came off the wagon later in the day however – we are mid-launch for Sales Star, and as with all things launchy, something goes awry at some point (this time: a server stopped) and I needed to Messenger chat with my assistant to get shit sorted & also just to think out loud with someone. I’m fine with this though – a launch day like this only comes around every few months. It’s not an everyday occurrence.I didn’t take my phone out with us on our school pickups, dropoffs and errands. My husband had his, and I took my journal. It was fine. And nice not to feel that eternal compulsion to check it (don’t worry, it’s my husband who is driving!) I wonder why I think I need my phone out and about anyway? The last time we had a car break down was 15 years ago… and it was in a shopping carpark, surrounded by plenty of shops. Don’t know if the cost of always having phone with us is worth that minute possibility that it might be needed – and even then, there are other ways around getting help. I dunno.No internet shopping, no internet browsing. Did read blogs for over my 30 minute trial limit however – it was only by 10 minutes or so, and I’m fine with going over. It’s useful just to keep an eye on how much I consume, and whether it is all quality or not.It’s now time for bed – super late for me. 11.30pm. Lately I’ve been heading to bed at 7ish to read and journal for a couple of hours before I fall asleep at 9ish. So this is positively WILD being up this late. I also have a 3 hour meeting with my adorable accountants tomorrow morning. I’ve been looking forward to this one for months. I also need to bring my A-game to ensure I retain my status as their #1 Most Outrageous & Favourite Foul-Mouthed Client. WISH ME LUCKKKK FRIENDZZZ.

 

Tuesday 2 March 2021 (Day 2)Doing email 2 x a day in 15 minute batches is totally doable and a HUGE relief. It’s giving me so much brain focus back!I haven’t been as brilliant at sticking to a time limit with Messenger. It’s my primary method of connecting with my friends. I definitely feel better not just having it open all day, and being mindful of how long I am on it. I don’t have an answer yet.I accidentally started buying something online today then stopped. Damn, it’s a slippery slope!We had long accountants meeting today. They assured me I am still number 1 in their “Weird But In A Super Fun Way Client” awards category. Not that they have awards categories, and they definitely made that all up just to humour me, but I did feel like I’d won something nonetheless.

 

Homework + notes from How To Break Up With Your Phone:

 

Wednesday 3 March 2021

 

 

Thursday 4 March 2021

 

 

Friday 5 March 2021 (Day 5)

 

An online order came today – jeans that I needed for an upcoming photoshoot. The sizing and cut was crapppp so I had to do the return online, and ordered a replacement. Made sure I didn’t spend much time choosing however. Get in, get out. Online shopping for clothes feels stressful. I need to remember that. It’s not actually enjoyable.Emails and messenger constraints went by the wayside yesterday and today – we’re dealing with a major email delivery outage from our provider which has needed fast pivots and decision making. I think it’s making me realise – instant messaging is definitely useful specifically when in fire fighting mode. It’s not however useful for me to have continuous use during the day in non-crisis situations. I need spaciousness in order to create and do deep work, and to keep my brain and soul in good condition.Today, after a batch of digital system fire fighting, I had a bath and even then was still feeling exhausted. I thought about laying down and watching Youtube videos to rest, and then realised that option was off the table. And I thought about this quote I read lately from someone – that he couldn’t understand why people always said they were tired. That there was a simple solution to being tired – sleep. JUST SLEEP. So I had a nap instead, and I think it was a far better use of my time than watching videos groggily.It’s been a massive week for me, personally and on the business front. I need a lot of recovery time this weekend to recover and repair. And I know having digital limits will help that process.

 

 

Saturday 6 March 2021 (Day 6)

 

I got some challenging news today. Usually, I would sit around and brood for the rest of the day, or Google to try and control the situation. I texted some dear friends, and as part of the conversation, sent them a meme of a golden retriever driving a boat like a happy idiot. And then I thought: you know what? I can BE that golden retriever! Twenty minutes later, we had hired a boat and were puttering down the river, wide grins on our faces like that dog. After an hour, we came back, and it felt like all my worries had been blown away. Honestly – I think it’s all the books and thinking I’ve done over the last month about digital addictions. Realising that the cure to what ails me is almost always going to be real life.Broke my rule today and ordered something online – a sensory shirt for me to try & help with preventing autistic burnout. A specialty object like that isn’t something I can buy anywhere locally. I decided not to wait until after this challenge is over because I’m particularly concerned about my schedule this month bringing on some sensory issues. It was an intentional and therapeutic purchase, not a “let’s just buy pretty shit for the hell of it”, so I think it’s totally fine.Great article here about people who have quit social media.

You’re happier as you walk away. My mental health has actually never been better.

 

 

Friday March 12 2021

 

 

Monday March 15 2021

I went out! On a boat! IRL! With Friends! Also! Fuck Social Media:

About a dozen of them or so could make it to our first mission – a sunset cruise on the river where everyone had to dress up like Kath and Kim. We even had a prize for the best dressed – a copy of Our Bible, of course. We commandeered the roof of the boat, and spent the next two hours dancing wildly, laughing ourselves hoarse, waving to everyone in sight and generally being the majestic wildebeests we are. We watched the sun set and the pied cormorants nest and the fruit bats begin their nightly migration. And as we danced under the stars, above the river, I thought:

This. This is what life is for. This is what friendship is for. It’s not for being Facebook friends. It’s for real life: for dancing and laughing and celebrating this ridiculous, glorious, hard and scrumptious life.

I’m tired and sore today. But it was worth it. My lungs hurt from laughing like a drain, my thigh muscles ache from the honour of shaking that booty, my heart is stretched from holding all that love.

I can’t wait for the next one. This is what we were born to do.

Tuesday March 16 2021Alex Franzen’s iPhone screen is muchos inspiringKelly Rae Roberts on quitting social mediaI got a handwritten letter! In the mail! With stickers! From a lovely reader named Sheila in the UK who is getting off social media & getting into creating, inspired by this experiment. It was about the best thing I’ve ever gotten in the mailbox.Saturday March 20, 2021

I was out to lunch with a friend yesterday, and she asked me how I was. My answer was:

“Brilliant. I gave up social media. I don’t browse the internet anymore. I only check my emails twice a day. I feel more inspired, creative and content than I have in YEARS.”

And of course, when I talk about it, people always have questions:

But how do you find out news?How do you market your business?But… like… HOW?

As though this screen-ridden life is not optional, it’s mandatory.

And I get it, because I felt EXACTLY the same way before I did it.

My only answer is:

Just try it. Do it for 21 days. See how it feels for YOU. And while you’re at it, read Digital Minimalism or How To Break Up With Your Phone. It will give you the fuel you need, a way to glimpse a better life.

A beautiful life awaits you on the other side.

And I figure my link posts are a great way to prove as well just how inspired I am. How I might not be browsing the internet or scrolling social media anymore or spending anywhere near the amount of time I used to on screens… but the QUALITY of what I read is wildly different. I used to do link posts all the time back in the olden days.

And then at some point, I didn’t have anything to put in them. I’d think back on the last week of online life, and could not remember one single, important, inspiring thing. I didn’t have anything to talk about because I was reading the equivalent of mental junk food. Re-orientating myself from social media to reading blogs using a blog reader (I use Bloglovin currently) has been a game changer. I read wildly thoughtful, inspiring pieces and itch to get creating. And I can’t wait to share with you some of the incredible things I’ve discovered.

Sunday 21 March 2021

It’s now been 1 month + 21 days since I stopped using social media.

My friend at lunch also asked me:

Did you delete your accounts?

The answer: I did not.

I decided to keep them open for a few reasons:This was actually my foremost reason, and it seems like a strange one, but it’s important to me. I’m keeping them open incase of having to go through an emergency like a bushfire evacuation again. When we were evacuated in 2019 for three days, Facebook groups were a really useful way to get local community information. So I’m keeping my FB account with pre-approved access to local groups incase of emergency.I still use Facebook Messenger twice a day (in 15 minute blocks) to text with friends, organise gatherings and talk to my assistant. I use the Messenger app, but not the Facebook app.I didn’t want to just evaporate from social media world and leave my wider friend group wondering where I disappeared to. Instead my profile has a cover graphic saying that I’m no longer on social media but still want to be connected, and I give the various ways to contact me.In a few situations, when I’ve done research on local venues, events, businesses… the only web presence they have is a social media account (either Facebook or Instagram). Don’t get me wrong: I think this is really fucking dumb. Businesses should absolute prioritise a simple website using something like Wix or Squarespace! Anyways: I can still access FB pages when I absolutely need to.

What I don’t do however, is access social media regularly anymore. I have content blocks set up on my phone, iPad and laptop so I can’t actually even access Facebook or Instagram. If I absolutely need to (for reason #4 above), I have to go in and edit my content block software first, access the information, and then fuck off and block myself again.

Here’s what I’ve noticed however…

I’ve noticed two things when I do have to pop in to grab some piece of information before I fuck off again.

Facebook and Instagram are DESIGNED to stop you from just being able to get one piece of information. The notifications! The news feed! The red buttons! All of it to attract your eye like a poker machine and spiral you down an attention hole for you to emerge hours later, dazed and confused at what just happened.And of course, inevitably I click the red buttons. Even though I KNOW I don’t need to. Even though I KNOW it’s designed to suck me in. Even though I KNOW I’m not supposed to get distracted. And then I look at that notifications feed, and I scroll all the way through of what I have “missed”… and I feel… ANGRY. Like THIS SHIT is what I spent hours of my day keeping up with? THIS SHIT is not worth my time. It’s basic, and it’s bullshit, and it’s boring. There is NOTHING here that nourishes my creativity and soul and life and business. Nothing. It’s all just smoke and mirrors, a set of mirages designed to hijack my nervous system and get me thoroughly addicted.

And I feel so fucking cranky, and gross. And I log right off, and wonder why I even went in on the first place.

It’s not worth it. It’s just not worth it at all.

Social media would have to be the biggest con of the 21st century. One that has hijacked HOURS and HOURS EVERYDAY from BILLIONS of people.

Fuck that nonsense.

Friday 26 March 2021I officially withdrew my business from social media.Another creative leaves social media.

It’s getting a bit harder to talk at leaving social media and digitally decluttering – it’s now just a way of life. One that I deeply treasure, fought hard for & have already written extensively about.

This has been one of my best decisions of the last ten years.

Sunday 28 March 2021

Two months on from stopping using social media.

One month on from stopping internet browsing & shopping.

Here’s what life is like now my brain has settled into this new existence.

Yesterday was a busy one: we hired a boat and went out on the river for my eldest girl’s birthday. Then I had lunch with two old friends from boarding school that I haven’t seen in 20 years. My heart is happy to see them, to spend languid hours eating Italian, then walking off said Italian along the river, before eating gelato, all the while telling the stories of our lives that have happened in the blink of an eye in two decades.

Last night, I went to bed at 7pm and read for 2 hours before falling asleep.

I woke up at 6am. It’s a Sunday morning. Usually, I’d either go back to sleep (if I haven’t had enough), or I’d sneak out, get my phone, and groggily scroll my phone for a couple of hours.

Instead, this morning, I lay there for a while, resting and letting my brain dream while awake. There’s nowhere else to be but here. Then I decide what I’d most like to do is write. The impetus to create is too much. Usually the desire is squashed in phone land, but out here, it is ripe and radiant. So I quietly usher out, make myself a cup of tea. Take newspapers out on the deck with a cup of green tea, and spend a happy hour or more reading and journaling.

Once everyone is up, I help my kids with a craft activity they want to do. I video chat with my Dad. I read some magazines on the floor. I tidy and organise. I make cups of herbal tea for my kids. I blog, because there are things that I must write and share, and as I’ve rediscovered, blogging is one of my very favourite hobbies.

For the rest of the day our plans are this: the girls and I will start doing an art e-course together at our big, well worn, paint splattered dining table. I want to finish reading last night’s novel. We will bake some muffins. I might write some penpal letters to friends. It is gentle, and quiet, and deeply good for my soul.

All without that restless scratching and itching feelings that I should be somewhere else, looking at a screen. There’s nowhere else I need to be but here, in this beautiful life.

The Savings Of A Month Without Internet Shopping

I did an in depth spreadsheet analysis of this just out of interest’s sake.

(Plus, let’s face it, I can conduct all kinds of kooky projects in all that spare time I am saving from no social media or internet browsing!)

I reviewed all my internet shopping since July last year (9 months in total).

Here’s the results:

You’ll note Face stuff + clothing + Amazon did not add up to $10,493 – they were just the 3 major categories of spending.

Amazon is my major expense – 90% of it is in books and e-books.

Clothing category includes me buying clothes for both kids. About half of clothing purchase costs were from small independent brands and boutiques. I usually only buy clothes for myself every five years or so – and I just happened to buy clothes in this period. I do think I can cut down on online shopping for clothes now and just stick to my updated capsule collection.

The other main expense has been therapy aids. I don’t buy these often, the last time I bought weighted blankets was in 2015 and we still use them constantly. I just added to our collection – I bought some sensory sheets, weighted toys and weighted blankets to add to our collection for me & my kids to use/sleep with. I treated myself to this glorious motherfucker, and it was pricey, but so damn worth it. I use it every single day, and noticeably feel my brain function better. So they weren’t regular purchases that I’ll make all the time.

I was surprised at how much I spend on average per month – $1312. That’s a dick tonne! At that rate, that’s $15,000 a year! During March, I spent about half my usual amount.

When I did need to buy something, I tried to buy locally – first in small, independently owned stores and then in the only big box store we have here – Big W. What I found surprising was that it’s actually nicer to buy local – you get to have human connections and micro-moments that you wouldn’t otherwise have. There’s a growing bunch of research that shows how important those casual relationships are.

For example: I was trying to find a copy of Our Bible (aka Caitlin Moran’s “More Than A Woman“). Instead of ordering from Amazon, I popped into my favourite River Read to talk shit and look for it. They didn’t have it, so I headed to Sandy Pages and they were completely lovely and they did have it! Plus, you get to experience the serendipity of discovering other books that you wouldn’t find otherwise. Two points of human contact for the price of one book!

I do recognise however, that I’ll still need to online shop for specialty items and more-difficult-to-source books. And I know bunches of peeps are anti-Amazon (for good reason). Currently, here in Australia, Amazon is a relatively new invention (we only got it a couple of years ago) and there aren’t any other online competitors who sell a range of products – it is still mostly boutiques specialising in one niche.

I think going forward I’d like to be more mindful of where I spend my money. I don’t necessarily need to spend LESS money, though I likely will now that I’ve upgraded my clothes and weighted blankets. I’d like to prioritise local spending in independent stores where possible, and pay for that level of human contact.

What I’m going to keep doing from this challenge

Here’s the best part about these challenges: you can start forming a new habit without feeling like you are stuck doing it FOREVER. Coz that kind of thing frightens the shit out of me. Instead, you can try, see how it feels… and then before you know it, you’re enjoying the benefits and not really wanting to turn back!

Only having to do something for 21 days really takes the pressure off it. Plus, you don’t need to do it perfectly – I didn’t do this challenge perfectly, but I still gained a huge amount from it.

Here’s an official review of the challenge rules, how I went & what I’ll keep doing:What isn’t allowed at all:NO internet browsing – achieved it, and it was awesome. I’m going to continue! If I need to search for something, I will. And I will happily read blogs. But no more just browsing the internet because I’m bored. That’s when it’s time to go read a book or make some art or watch an e-course or something!NO online shopping – loved it. Don’t know why I think online shopping is fun, I find it stressful AF. I’ll only do for speciality items now and books I can’t easily source locally. This doesn’t include buying online e-courses or software. I fucking love that shit and will buy it all damn day. What I mean is spending endless hours clothes shopping online. #nopeNO smartphone use (I can only use it as a dumb phone – photos, text messages & phone calls). Where possible, just leave it at home instead. – Left it at home a lot. Did have a couple of days where I used Gmail and Messenger on my phone (when we had a launch, when we had a photoshoot etc). It was fine to use in more of an “emergency” situation, but SO GREAT to turn it off as our normal state of being. It made my brain feel so much calmer, and more present as a human too.NO news websites, Reddit, BuzzFeed or celebrity gossip websites – Nailed it. Feel less anxious, more kind & better educated about news (by reading newspapers & blogs instead).NO TikTok or Youtube – Yeeee haaaa! So great to get rid of these time wasters!NO social media – Because social media sucks giant donkey dick! NO Tapas or Webtoons – Ooooh! I will likely go back to testing my use of these – it’s more like reading comics on a Kindle.What is allowed, but with parametersEmail & Facebook messenger access 2 x a day for 15 minutes at a time. Must be done via laptop. – This rocked my fucking world. It cleared up so much headspace and time!!!! Will continue it as much as possible. And when I fall off the wagon, get back on.Reading blogs via Bloglovin. Will test limiting it to 30 minutes of reading a day + see how that feels. – I fucking love reading blogs, and will continue to. I don’t really need to limit my time on it, it’s usually about 30 minutes anyway. But reading them for longer is fine anyway!The major benefits & results

Quitting internet browsing & shopping has saved me an ASSLOAD of time. I’ve been able to get through one of the busiest months I’ve had in years and NOT burnt the fuck out. I’ve read a lot more books (& brilliant blogs that make me itch to create more). I feel more creative and on purpose. I have been hugely productive over the last month. My brain feels clearer, my heart feels lighter. I feel very, very lucky. THIS is what we are born for. THIS is the life I want.

What challenge am I going to do next?

Honestly babes… I actually don’t know yet.

I am leaning towards either 21 days of meditating or 21 days of opt-ins.

I’ll let you know when it comes to me.

Either way: it’s going to be bloody gloooooorious!

Here’s to challenges, and experiments, and trying something new!

Big love,

FREE GOODIES:

[image error]  Daily-ish writings
[image error]  Weekly love letters
[image error]  Podcast: Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised
[image error]  A library of free treasures

COURSES:

[image error]   Sales Star
[image error]   Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income
[image error]   40 Days To A Finished Book
[image error]   40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course

 

The post One Month Without Internet Browsing Or Shopping appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.

Podcast: The Talk Shit Expert Returns

Precious humans,

I know the title says “returns” but honestly I never left. The talk shit expert is always around.

Snuggle up and have a listen to what I’ve been reading, watching and doing.

This is all you’re gonna get for a bit because LIFE amirite? Ha!

Love you!

Explicit AF

Just to reiterate: this is one sweary motherfucker of a podcast. So if you listen to it around kids… they will defo learn some new vocabulary from Aunty Leonie. MWHAHAHAHA. ENJOYYYYY!

How to listen

Listen below, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, PocketCast (or wherever else you listen to podcasts!)

Want to find all of my podcast episodes?

Just pop over here treasure!

You can also just sit on your couch and yell “OK Google! Play me “Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised” podcast!” and your digital servant shall administer to your needs.

Who gives a fuck about privacy when you can have a little robot assistant at your beck and call so you may never leave the couch again.
HONESTLY HOW GOOD IS LIFE.
THE END.

Big hugs,

The post Podcast: The Talk Shit Expert Returns appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.

Why Me & My Business Don’t Do Social Media Anymore: The Extended Version

Dearests,

I shared this post yesterday. I had to keep that post within the Instagram post word limit so I could dual post it. And it shit me. Fuck I hate word limits. I really do. HOW DARE YOU TRY AND CONSTRAIN MY MAGNIFICENT WILDEBEEST WAYS. I have things to say! I have random tangents to go on! I have MOAR THOUGHTS, MOTHERFUCKERRRRS.

So I’m going to turn this into an extended version. Include ALL my thoughts. And then I will feel complete.

So: as I’ve alluded to, I’ve now formally left social media for my business. I’ve already shuttered my personal profile

In this post, I’ll be sharing with you why I’m doing it, if I’ll be going back, and the best way for you to keep hearing from me.

Why I’m leaving

Six weeks ago, I decided to embark on a series of 21 day challenges. The first one I chose to do was to go without social media for 21 days. I’d long been feeling ambivalent, conflicted and cranky about social media.

I feel like I’ve been trying to talk myself into getting tech sober for YEARS.

I created the above image/post in 2015. It was the most popular image I shared that year. (Note: it originally lived on social media, I got my assistant to turn it into a backdated blog post instead. Fuck social media really can steal the good content. We need our content and creations to live on our own assets!)My internet addiction illustrated zine from 2016.I took a six month hiatus in 2017. It was only supposed to go for a month, but it felt so good I continued.My viral blog post from 2019 about why businesses are quitting social media.

I’ll be honest though: I felt extremely nervous about doing the challenge. I genuinely didn’t feel like I was able to cope without it, for some strange reason. I realise now that was the addiction talking.

Here’s what I found from feeling the fear doing it anyway:

My life is SO much better without social media. I am happier. More content. More creative. Wildly inspired. More present. I have so much time back – time that can be spent doing things I truly love doing. I have literally felt my brain healing over the last six weeks.

My heart, my soul, my art: all of it glistens with life again. I thought this beautiful life of mine, my quiet mind before the internet began – that it was gone, disappeared without a trace. But it wasn’t. It was right there, waiting for me. I just had to give up social media to see it again.

So first and foremost: I am doing this for my one wild and precious life.

I am doing this because I believe that what is good for my creativity is what is best for my business. I am doing this because I am a better creative, wife, mother and friend without social media.

I am doing this because I now know that multiple studies on social media have concluded it has negative effects on:

anxietystressdepressionneuroticismself-esteemempathyself-identity and self-imagesleep problemsour children’s mental healthdemocracypublic health through the rise of conspiracy theoriesprivacy.

(Further reading and statistics: How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price and Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Now)

I believe it would be out of integrity for me to market using social media now I know how damaging it is to people’s brains and spirits. (Do I think it is unethical for YOU to market using social media? Definitely not. I’ll talk more about that in a sec!)

I am doing this because my best work has never been on social media. My best work has always, always, always been in blogging, writing books & creating programs. Since December I have been regularly blogging again and it’s like falling in love again with my first love. This is where I belong. This is where I can create serve help people. I don’t give a fuck if people say blogging is dead. There’s still a ripe world of bloggers out there.

And you know what blogging really is? It’s social media that’s… OWNED BY YOU CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU! It’s your creative playground that you are completely in charge of… not at the whims of a beast that legit wants to suck all your life money out of you. Social media isn’t here to truly serve our needs. It has its own intentions, and they don’t align with you having a spacious, glorious life.

Leonie blogging = miracles and unicorns! Weeee! Watch me fly!

Leonie social media = sadness and disappointment. Watch me… waste my precious life hours on this bullshit.

Let’s look at the stats:

I had a look at traffic sources for the last year, and only 20% came from social media. Which is crazy considering how social media takes up MUCH MORE than 20% of my brain power time (and that of my VA). We estimated we were spending 80% of our marketing activity on social media.

Clearly, that’s a FUCKED equation, and absolutely not worth it.

The intriguing question to me is:

What could I do instead of endlessly creating more content for less traction on social media? What could I create outside of that environment?

These two quotes from Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport:

“It’s easy to be seduced by the small amounts of profit offered by the latest app or service, but then forget its cost in terms of the most important resource we possess: the minutes of our life.”

“How much of your time and attention, he would ask, must be sacrificed to earn the small profit of occasional connections and new ideas that is earned by cultivating a significant presence on Twitter? Assume, for example, that your Twitter habit effectively consumes ten hours per week. Thoreau would note that this cost is almost certainly way too high for the limited benefits it returns. If you value new connections and exposure to interesting ideas, he might argue, why not adopt a habit of attending an interesting talk or event every month, and forcing yourself to chat with at least three people while there? This would produce similar types of value but consume only a few hours of your life per month, leaving you with an extra thirty-seven hours to dedicate to other meaningful pursuits.”

Will I ever go back?

I doubt it. Life (and business) are just so much better without them.

Of course, if in 3 months or 12 months time I’ve discovered I’ve made an awful mistake, I’ll happily admit it and come crawling back and tell you I was wrong. But I don’t think I am. And I truly don’t think I will.

Do I recommend this as what all businesses should do?

No.

What I recommend you do is:

Review your traffic sources & see where your traffic & sales comes from. You can more accurately decide what risk you can take on from there.Do what I have ALWAYS suggested you do: have a strong plan to get people off your social media & onto your mailing list.Build external traffic so you can wean yourself off it.Decide on a social media traffic % you are comfortable shutting off from.

You might decide, like I did, to trial and experiment and find a better social media marketing fit for your business.

You could:

Batch create content and schedule it using a social media scheduler appHave strong boundaries around only accessing your social media 1-2 times a day to answer messages instead of spending all fucking day on thereRegularly have no-social media days throughout the weekStart investing more and more time into non-social media marketing activitiesDecide to take a week to a month off of social media and test the results. See what happens. See how it feels and what the results are.

I recognise I am privileged: I have already spent years building my mailing list outside of social media. I have a strong savings buffer, so if my experiment goes tits up, I have the time to be able to pivot and fix without much stress.

A wee rant about social media marketing

Building your business on social media is inherently risky. You are building your kingdom on earthquake ridden sand that does not belong to you. Your followers can be taken from you in an instant. You do not get to take them with you, or control how many you can contact. Increasingly, you need to pay more and more and spend more and more time for the privilege of having your fans and clients hear from you.

Remember that businesses have been growing for thousands and thousands of years. Social media has only been around for a decade. So many businesses are still wildly successful without social media. And even when you are doing social media marketing – it can be very difficult to quantify exactly how many sales it gives you.

And remember: social media is just ONE of THOUSANDS of marketing methods. It’s kinda bonkerdoodles that no other marketing methods that are considered mandatory, but we’ve started to think that social media is.

The best way to hear from me

So with all that said… I don’t want this to be goodbye forever, between you and me.

I treasure your friendship and would love to keep supporting you with loads of free goodies, and continue sharing my life with you.

The best way to do that is through my emails.

I send two kinds of emails:

Daily-ish emails with everything I create (this is a new thing I offer – there’s about 1000 peeps who get these)Weekly-ish emails with the best of what I create (I’ve been sending these for over 13 years to about 50,000 people)

I make sure they are the funnest, most inspiring part of your inbox… the email you can’t WAIT to read. They are all about creativity, business, marketing, parenting, books and soul.

Thank you for being who you are.

Thank you for being on this brave and magnificent Earth.

I’m so glad we are walking this rare and wild path together.

All my love,

P.S. Yes, I will share what I learn about marketing businesses without social media as I go! Make sure you’re on the mailing list!

FREE GOODIES:

[image error]  Daily-ish writings
[image error]  Weekly love letters
[image error]  Podcast: Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised
[image error]  A library of free treasures

COURSES:

[image error]   Sales Star
[image error]   Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income
[image error]   40 Days To A Finished Book
[image error]   40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course

 

The post Why Me & My Business Don’t Do Social Media Anymore: The Extended Version appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing Creativity For Glorious Humans.

Why Me & My Business Don’t Do Social Media Anymore

Dearests,

This will be my last post on social media for my businesses (I’ve already shuttered my personal profile).

In this post, I’ll be sharing with you why I’m doing it, if I’ll be going back, and the best way for you to keep hearing from me.

Why I’m leaving

Six weeks ago, I decided to embark on a series of 21 day challenges. The first one I chose to do was to go without social media for 21 days. At the time I felt like I needed a short break, but I was also incredibly nervous about how I would go.

Here’s what I found though: my life is SO much better without social media. I am happier. More content. More creative. Wildly inspired. More present. I have so much time back – time that can be spent doing things I truly love doing. I have literally felt my brain healing over the last six weeks. My heart, my soul, my art: all of it glistens with life again. I thought this beautiful life of mine, my quiet mind before the internet began – that it was gone, disappeared without a trace. But it wasn’t. It was right there, waiting for me. I just had to give up social media to see it again.

So first and foremost: I am doing this for my one wild and precious life.

I am doing this because I believe that what is good for my creativity is what is best for my business.

I am doing this because I believe it would be out of integrity for me to market using social media now I know how damaging it is to people’s brains and spirits (not to mention democracy and conspiracies).

I am doing this because my best work has never been on social media. My best work has always, always, always been in blogging, writing books & creating programs. Since December I have been regularly blogging again and it’s like falling in love again with my first love. This is where I belong. This is where I can create + serve + help people. I don’t give a fuck if people say blogging is dead. There’s still a ripe world of bloggers out there.

And you know what blogging really is? It’s social media that’s… OWNED BY YOU + CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU! It’s your creative playground that you are completely in charge of… not at the whims of a beast that legit wants to suck all your life + money out of you. Social media isn’t here to truly serve our needs. It has its own intentions, and they don’t align with you having a spacious, glorious life.

Leonie + blogging = miracles and unicorns! Weeee! Watch me fly!

Leonie + social media = sadness and disappointment. Watch me… waste my precious life hours on this bullshit.

Will I ever go back?

I doubt it. Life (and business) are just so much better without them.

Of course, if in 3 months or 12 months time I’ve discovered I’ve made an awful mistake, I’ll happily admit it and come crawling back and tell you I was wrong. But I don’t think I am. And I truly don’t think I will.

The best way to hear from me

So with that said… I don’t want this to be goodbye forever, between you and me.

I treasure your friendship and would love to keep supporting you with loads of free goodies, and continue sharing my life with you.

The best way to do that is through my emails.

I send two kinds of emails:

Daily-ish emails with everything I create (this is a new thing I offer – there’s about 1000 peeps who get these)Weekly-ish emails with the best of what I create (I’ve been sending these for over 13 years to about 50,000 people)

I make sure they are the funnest, most inspiring part of your inbox… the email you can’t WAIT to read. They are all about creativity, business, marketing, parenting, books and soul.

Thank you for being who you are.

Thank you for being on this brave and magnificent Earth.

All my love,

P.S. Yes, I will share what I learn about marketing businesses without social media as I go!

And if you’d like to read more about quitting social media, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price are my BIBLESSSSS. Highly, highly recommend!

FREE GOODIES:

[image error]  Daily-ish writings
[image error]  Weekly love letters
[image error]  Podcast: Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised
[image error]  A library of free treasures

COURSES:

[image error]   Sales Star
[image error]   Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income
[image error]   40 Days To A Finished Book
[image error]   40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course

 

The post Why Me & My Business Don’t Do Social Media Anymore appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.

Scrapbook: Wild Whales

Panda bears,

I was out to lunch with a friend yesterday, and she asked me how I was. My answer was:

“Brilliant. I gave up social media. I don’t browse the internet anymore. I only check my emails twice a day. I feel more inspired, creative and content than I have in YEARS.”

And of course, when I talk about it, people always have questions:

But how do you find out news?How do you market your business?But… like… HOW?

As though this screen-ridden life is not optional, it’s mandatory.

And I get it, because I felt EXACTLY the same way before I did it.

My only answer is:

Just try it. Do it for 21 days. See how it feels for YOU. And while you’re at it, read Digital Minimalism or How To Break Up With Your Phone. It will give you the fuel you need, a way to glimpse a better life.

And I figure these Scrapbook posts are a great way to prove as well just how inspired I am. How I might not be browsing the internet or scrolling social media anymore or spending anywhere near the amount of time I used to on screens… but the QUALITY of what I read is wildly different. I used to do link posts all the time back in the olden days.

And then at some point, I didn’t have anything to put in them. I’d think back on the last week of online life, and could not remember one single, important, inspiring thing. I didn’t have anything to talk about because I was reading the equivalent of mental junk food. Re-orientating myself from social media to reading blogs using a blog reader (I use Bloglovin currently) has been a game changer. I read wildly thoughtful, inspiring pieces and itch to get creating. And I can’t wait to share with you some of the incredible things I’ve discovered.

Nina Katchadourian’s odd + brilliant exhibition:

“The challenge of this show was that I was an odd combination of journalist, archivist, anthropologist, historian, museum curator, biographer and fact checker — with artist being the umbrella term that allows you to do all of these things,” she said. “I’m not bound to the same final destination as a journalist or historian would be, but there is a sort of ethics to this project for me.”

Veronica Roberts, a curator at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, who organized Katchadourian’s 2017 show “Curiouser,” pointed out that “being curious is her job as an artist.” She continued, “I love the way she follows these irrational ideas rather rationally, all the way to the end.”

The new book publishing power club of hugely talented BIPOC peeps is brilliantly inspiring. And stupidly overdue.Excuse me while I link to every Swiss Miss post because they are just so breathtaking:

“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.”
― Louise Erdrich

My ADHD wearable.Chookooloonks: Making Light In The Cold:

For every tough time, we call on the wisdom that we gained from tough times past, and use it power through. We remember that we made it once before, and all evidence is that we’ll do it again. We look for the light, and remember that we can do hard things.

This book art is stunnnnnning. What is disabled motherhood like? Beautiful and thoughtful.Cal Newport: Steinbeck’s Productive Inactivity:

Steinbeck was “productive” in any practical sense of the word: he wrote 33 books and won a Nobel Prize for his efforts. But he wasn’t busy. In our current moment, by contrast, ambition is intertwined with overload — as if aspirations can only be alchemized in the heat generated by frenetic, hyper-connected digital motion.

via Swiss Miss:

“your purpose

your art

will land in the hearts

it’s meant to

you won’t be for everyone

but you are for someone

and to that someone

what you have to give matters

and that’s the beginning

of everything.

– Danielle Doby

John Do: History of Pandemics (F A S C I N A T I N G!)I read a profile on Jayne Hrdlicka (new CEO of Virgin Airlines in Australia) in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, and came across this fascinating tidbit. That would be a fucking COOL university experience I reckon. That’d work bloody brilliantly for my Autistic brain!

So then of course I had to do a wee bit of a deep dive to learn more about the Colorado College approach:

I love that they have a built in break between their study blocks. A wee bit like my 21 day challenge setups! You can read more about their block plan approach here.
[image error]

Austin Kleon: 7 Questions Nobody Asked Me About One Bad Year Craig Mod’s creative intentions are so inspiring.

My main goal is embarrassingly simple: A continuous and rigorous production of book-shaped projects until I’m dead … And so, whenever I embark on a new membership-adjacent project — walk, newsletter, members-only zoom session, podcast, et cetera — the main question in mind is: How does this help us make a book?

These photographs of nylon swathes on a beach by Thomas Jackson are breathtaking.MacSparky: The never-ending inertia of habits:

While we may think that habits are intentionally formed, habits are more often unintentionally formed.

This is so stupid and so great all at once.Kelly Rae Roberts: How quitting social media is changing everything for me. These art journal photos from Roben Marie make me want to run to my sketchbook. Swiss Miss’ taste is impeccable:

“The flower doesn’t dream of the bee.
It blossoms and the bee comes.”
– Mark Nepo

Camilla Engman’s White MonthJason Fried: The Only Metric That Matters To Me

Life is so scrumptious and SO GOOD.

Thank goodness for all these incredible creators for inspiring us so!

Go make your shit. It’s important. And I can’t wait to read it.

Big love,

FREE GOODIES:

[image error]  Daily-ish writings
[image error]  Weekly love letters
[image error]  Podcast: Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised
[image error]  A library of free treasures

COURSES:

[image error]   Sales Star
[image error]   Money, Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income
[image error]   40 Days To A Finished Book
[image error]   40 Days To Create & Sell Your E-Course

The post Scrapbook: Wild Whales appeared first on Leonie Dawson | Goals, Marketing + Creativity For Glorious Humans.