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I've had my a*se ripped a new one on the internet approximately seven billionty times for having opinions... so I've kept very, very quiet about this one, and now Tam and I are hopping on our tiny fierce ponies and galloping straight into the spiciest topic of the year. AI. How I went from wanting to throw my laptop across the room every time someone said the word, to building a little fairy website bot, a whole meditation corner in an hour, and an email that had members writing back to say THANK YOU FOR NOT JUDGING ME. If you've been side-eyeing AI from behind a cushion, a bit scared, a bit cross and a bit worried you're getting left behind... this one's for you. Especially if you run a small creative business on not enough hours and not enough hands, and you'd love the boring stuff off your plate without handing over the parts you love. TOPICS COVERED - Why I went from "zero interest" to angry AI avoider to actually using it - The fear, grief and future-griefing that comes up when your industry shifts - Why I moved from ChatGPT to Claude - Generative AI vs functional AI (and why lumping it all together makes it scarier) - Why women adopt AI later than men, and Tam's theory about packing snacks for the road - The delete, automate, delegate process I've taught for years, now with an AI upgrade - What I've built for Academy members: study tutors, the Sales Star Review Studio, instant custom course plans - Why I'm allowed to change my mind (and so are you) KEY INSIGHTS - Making a list of other careers you could do calmed my nervous system, even though I'm doing none of them - AI is useless until you feed it context. Budget a week or two of a couple of hours a day to teach it your business - Decide what you WON'T automate. My newsletters, sales emails and blog posts stay in my voice - Start with the tasks you suck at, not the ones you love - Use it to execute ideas faster, so the fun creative bits stay yours - Ask it to find features you're paying for and not using. That's where my re-engagement campaign came from - Discernment is the new skill. Does it look right? Does it sound like you? Does it connect with your people? - Save your human hours for the stuff only humans should do, like coaching and accountability - Any chatbot you build should hand people to a human the second they ask NOTABLE QUOTES "I've got the tiniest pony and I've the fiercest gallop." (Tam) "You've either got a thriving business that is profitable or you've got a very expensive hobby." (Tam) "This is not it taking away my creativity, but now when I have ideas, I can execute them so much faster." (Leonie) "I reserve the right to change my opinion like any fu*king time I like." (Leonie) ABOUT YOUR HOSTS! Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps over 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com Tamara Protassow is a non-fiction writing mentor + creativity coach. She's developed books with 55+ authors over 16 years, both for self-published authors as well as for Hay House UK. https://www.tamaraprotassow.com LINKS & RESOURCES - Unicorn Biz & Life Academy (Meditation Corner, Sales Star Review Studio, custom course plans, Make Your Money Back challenge): https://www.leoniedawson.com/academy - Take Action Club productivity power hours: https://www.leoniedawson.com/action - AI First by Adam Brotman + Andy Sack - Khan Academy - Australian Wildlife Conservancy + Bush Heritage Australia Loved this one? Hit subscribe, leave us a review (they really, really help), and if you want the tools I built, come play in the Academy. #womeninbusiness #AIforsmallbusiness #creativeentrepreneur #neurodivergententrepreneur #onlinebusiness #businessautomation #femalefounders #podcast

For a huge chunk of this podcast’s life I recorded it with my phone shoved down my bra on the school run, with zero dot points and zero clue what I was going to say... and it’s now passed 250,000 downloads. So Tam and I are spilling the whole behind-the-scenes bizzo: the gear (a lil bit fancy, mostly not), the editing shortcut that saves me HOURS, and the AI prompt that writes my show notes, coz I would genuinely rather not have a podcast than write show notes. My arch nemesis, truly. If you’ve been sitting on a podcast idea for yearrrrs because you don’t have the right mic or the right name or some imaginary organised version of yourself who plans things... this one’s for you, possum. And if you started a podcast, went quiet, and now feel weird about coming back? You too. In this episode: Why this show was first called “Leonie Dawson Refuses To Be Categorised” (and when a niche name helps you grow faster)My goals workbooks have had about six names, and why renaming stuff is totally fineStarting with just your phone or laptop... no studio, no ring light, no fussThe Rode NT-USB mic Tam’s husband talked her into, and why I copied herEditing in Riverside by deleting words straight from the transcriptOur fortnightly yap sessions, the 200-idea Google doc, and our new 30-minute experimentThe Claude prompt that writes my show notes, micro-content and title ideasWhy about half our listeners WATCH us on YouTube (Chris has a theory) Key insights: Better done than perfect. A quarter of a million downloads and I still don’t perfectly edit the introsYou don’t have to be beholden to yesterday’s decisions... names, formats and schedules all get to changeMake it doable for YOUR brain. If “record at my desk every Tuesday” won’t happen, record on the school runStretch the budget a little for one good mic and you won’t need another for years (Tam’s is six years and counting)Edit from the transcript instead of scrubbing through audio looking for that one bitSocial media is short form, podcasts are long form, and long form is where people really get to know, like and trust you. One good clip a week plus a comment-for-the-link automation does the jobPop the video on YouTube even if it’s just two people talking in a room. People love the companyGone quiet for months? You don’t need an apology episode. Just come back and hit publish ABOUT YOUR HOSTS! Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps over 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com Tamara Protassow is a non-fiction writing mentor + creativity coach. She’s developed books with 55+ authors over 16 years, both for self-published authors as well as for Hay House UK. https://www.tamaraprotassow.com Links & resources: Grab my podcast show notes prompt: https://www.leoniedawson.com/podpromptMy free shit page (meditations, colouring books, zines, keynotes + more): https://www.leoniedawson.com/freeUnicorn Biz & Life Academy, including How To Start A Podcast In A Weekend with Michelle Rohr and Grow Your Audience With Podcast Guesting with Lou Hamilton: https://www.leoniedawson.com/academyTake Action Club: https://www.leoniedawson.com/actionRode NT-USB microphoneRiverside (recording + editing)Spotify for Creators (distribution)Fiverr (where we found Anne, who made our intro music) Leave us a review! If this one gave you a kick up the bum to finally start your podcast, please leave us a five-star review. Aunty Leonie once cried over getting an A+ instead of an A+++, so honestly, five stars or nothing, babes. #podcasting #howtostartapodcast #podcasttips #womeninbusiness #creativeentrepreneur #neurodivergententrepreneur #smallbusiness #contentcreation #donebetterthanperfect #theleoniedawsonshow

She copied my planner. Same questions, same structure, new font. When I called her on it she told me she'd never heard of me. Reader, I had her receipt. Tam and I are going through every copycat, copyright kerfuffle and internet pile-on I've survived, including the time a button company tried to get me cancelled in my sleep. For every creative who's hoarding ideas because someone might nick them. Spoiler: none of my copycats are still in business, and I'm still selling the original every single year. WHAT'S IN IT Copycats vs copyright, and why they're two different problemsThe planner copier who denied everything (until the receipt came out)The person who lifted Leonie's entire Amazon book descriptionWhat SARK said when she was told Leonie was copying herFan art, derivative work and where the line actually sitsTrademarks, copyright notices, T&Cs and cease-and-desist lettersTam's self-addressed envelope trick for US copyrightThe viral mug that made a small company thousands, and the button company that lost its mind KEY TAKEAWAYS In 22 years, copyright drama has cost Leonie about 0.01% of her attention and almost no revenueCopying a concept is usually fair game. Copying the questions, the copy or the files is a violation.Keep your receipts. Most copiers bought from you first!No lawyer needed. A plain cease-and-desist email has fixed every case.Put your name on your images and videos so it travels when they're reshared.In Australia copyright is automatic. © + your name + the yearEvery copycat Leonie has ever had is now out of businessBeing copied means you're at the front of a trend "I will not die with all of my jewels still inside me." — Leonie LINKS The Midas Touch (11-day meditation program): https://www.leoniedawson.com/midas My Unicorn Year Goals Workbooks: https://www.leoniedawson.com SARK: https://planetsark.com ABOUT YOUR HOSTS! Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps over 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com Tamara Protassow is a non-fiction writing mentor + creativity coach. She's developed books with 55+ authors over 16 years, both for self-published authors as well as for Hay House UK. https://www.tamaraprotassow.com If this one loosened something in you, hit subscribe so the next episode finds you. A review helps other creatives find the show too. Big love. #womenentrepreneurs #creativebusiness #neurodivergententrepreneur #copyright #copycats #onlinebusiness #adhdentrepreneur #spiritualbusiness #createandshare #leoniedawsonshow copycats, copyright for creatives, small business copyright, intellectual property small business, creative business, women entrepreneurs, online business Australia, neurodivergent entrepreneur, trademark small business

Wake up at 4am. Hustle harder. Say yes to everything. F**k that. This episode is the replay of Leonie's Unhinged Productivity Hacks webinar, and it's the anti-bro-marketing guide to getting your shit done without wrecking your body, your brain or your family time. Sixteen million dollars in revenue, hundreds of workshops, 3,000+ articles, all in 10 to 20 hours a week. Here's how. If you've tried every productivity system and ended up feeling like the broken one, this one's for you. If you're a creative, a caregiver, neurodivergent, or living in a body that runs on cycles instead of a straight line, most productivity advice was never built for you. Leonie hands you a wild, unhinged menu of possibilities instead of a prescription. TOPICS COVERED Why mainstream productivity advice fails mothers, caregivers, creatives and neurodivergent folksWorking with your energy seasons, hormonal cycles and life eras instead of against themPrimitive reflex integration and how it expanded Leonie's nervous system capacityProtein, supplements and medication as brain supportAccountability, body doubling and "sparkle time"The Take Action Club and how it's built around all of this KEY INSIGHTS Unless a task makes you money, is promised to a client, or is legally required, it's optional. Cross it off without guilt.Pareto's principle in practice: 20% of your tasks create 80% of your results. Find the 20% and put your energy there.Every yes has an opportunity cost. Leonie has said no to conferences, travel, 95% of networking and most podcast invites, and it's why she has spaciousness.Playing dead is a legitimate strategy. You don't owe everyone a reply.Consistency is a myth for cyclical bodies. Plan gentler days around your cycle and treat fallow periods as integration, not failure.Unresolved primitive reflexes keep your startle response firing all day. Resolving them took Leonie from "nonverbal after a one-day event" to four hours of calls a day.Sleep is non-negotiable. Sacrificing it shrinks your brain capacity and messes with your hormones.Sparkle time (an hour a week doing something that lights you up) is a calendar item, not a treat.Body doubling works online too. Add another body to the room and the thing you've dreaded for weeks gets done in 15 minutes.Sharing your task list publicly is rocket fuel. It's why Leonie pre-sells her courses and books before they exist. NOTABLE QUOTES "Most productivity advice is written by white, able-bodied, neurotypical men who are not primary caregivers. They're either single or they've got a f*****g wife." "Unless it makes me money, unless it's something I've already committed to deliver for my clients, or unless it's something the government requires of me, the rest can just go f**k itself." "So often the way to speed up is to slow down." ABOUT YOUR HOSTS! Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps over 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com LINKS & RESOURCES Take Action Club (half price until 25 September): leoniedawson.com/actionUnicorn Biz & Life Academy: leoniedawson.comWintering by Katherine MayThe Artist's Way by Julia CameronDavid Elliott breathwork introduction Get Dopa ADHD supplement blend The Seed Cycle Dr Sophie Toland, naturopath, NoosaDr Sharon Williams, chiropractor, Canberra (primitive reflexes)Search "primitive reflexes" + your area to find an OT, osteo or chiro with training Loved this one? Subscribe, leave a review, and send it to the friend who's still setting a 5am alarm. If you want the support system that makes all of this stick, Take Action Club is $495 for the whole year until 25 September, then it doubles. #womenentrepreneurs #neurodivergentbusiness #adhdentrepreneur #audhd #creativebusiness #productivitytips #antihustle #spiritualbusiness #soulfulbusiness #worklessearnmore

A shop owner DM'd me for advice. Ten minutes later I was standing in her store. She runs a health food shop here in Canberra. She'd been working SEVEN days a week, she was exhausted, + she didn't know where to turn. When I got her message, I knew I had to help. Two hours later we'd found four magic money opportunities hiding in plain sight in her business. The first had three people lining up within 24 hours. Another took a chalkboard + a whopping great big arrow. And every single one of them is probably hiding in YOUR business too. (Unpaid + unsponsored, by the way. Gen from Go Vita Dickson said a big yes to me sharing all of it.) WHO THIS IS FOR You're working your butt off + the money isn't matching the effort. The to-do list is longer than your arm, + there's a sneaking feeling the thing that'd fix it is already ON that list, buried at number 47. This works whether you've got a shopfront, a website or an Instagram account + a dream. IN THIS EPISODE - The DM that made me ditch my whole day - The empty room that was instant cash waiting to be harvested - The puzzling reason a chocolate protein bar was her number one seller (+ how she can repeat it every month for free) - How we fixed her street signage in half an hour with stuff she already owned - The one news article that told me she was ripe for way more media - The influencer night we cooked up, + the neighbour she can team up with - How I used Claude to get the big scary tasks done in minutes, in between customers - The message she sent me 24 hours later (I almost came to completion) - What I worked out lying awake that night about why advice doesn't help overwhelmed people - Where my 2027 Goals Workbook signing is happening! KEY INSIGHTS - Your to-do list never ends. 20+ years in business, over $16 million in revenue, + I have NEVER finished mine. Find the tasks that make money + move them to the tippity top. - Look for instant cash that's already sitting in your business, waiting on a task you keep putting off. - Find out WHY your number one product sells. Then do more of that. - Is it immediately obvious what you sell? Check your shopfront, your website + your socials. - Use what you already have before you spend a cent. - Got five minutes? Hand a task to an AI assistant + let it work while you do. - A big list of advice doesn't help a time-poor business owner. Doing the thing with someone beside you does. NOTABLE QUOTES "I just had this gut intuition, like, f**k your plans for today, Leonie. This is what is really needed." "Behind me is a long-ass list of unfinished things that I didn't get around to doing because they just weren't that important." "Money in the hands of women is a f*****g great thing." LINKS + RESOURCES - Take Action Club (half price until midnight, 25 September 2026): https://www.leoniedawson.com/action - Unicorn Biz & Life Academy: https://www.leoniedawson.com/academy - Go Vita Dickson, 2/5 Dickson Place, Dickson, Canberra. Instagram: @govitadickson - Wellness practitioner in Canberra? Jen has a room to fill + a big client base. Get in touch with her! - Soma Women's Wellbeing, Dickson - HerCanberra: https://hercanberra.com.au - Claude: https://claude.ai WANT ME TO CRASH YOUR BUSINESS TOO? I can't drive to all of you (I would f*****g love to). Take Action Club is how I get to be your magic money-making angel from wherever you are in the world. You get clear on what'll bring the money in, then you get the time, support + accountability to actually friggin' do it. It's half price for one more week: https://www.leoniedawson.com/action If this episode lit you up, please subscribe + leave a 5 star review. #womeninbusiness #smallbusinesstips #canberrabusiness #neurodivergententrepreneur #adhdentrepreneur #businesscoach #getyourshitdone #moneymindset #localbusiness #creativeentrepreneur

This one's a live masterclass, recorded with a room full of gorgeous humans asking me absolutely anything they wanted. We pulled a tarot card, did a meditation, and then got into the real stuff: money fear, pricing, creativity, and what happens to your whole life when you stop making things. If you're a creative human building a business and you've hit that weird squeamish feeling about earning more, this is for you. Also for you if you're booked out with one-to-one clients and can't see how to get out, or if your art has fallen to the bottom of your to do list. Topics covered: ⭐️ The money fear that hit when my business approached $150K a year ⭐️ Why I put prices on the website instead of hiding them behind a discovery call ⭐️ Moving from one-to-one work into group programs, courses + get-it-done days ⭐️ The nightly gratitude practice that actually shifts your nervous system ⭐️ Being visible, making public mistakes, and changing your mind in front of everyone ⭐️ What my kids do when they can tell I haven't had creative time ⭐️ Energy work + letter-burning for releasing a relationship that's dragging Key insights 💓 Money fear usually isn't about money. Mine was about becoming the wealthiest person in my family, which felt as unnatural as outliving my eldest brother 💓 Draw the version of you who earns the number that scares you. Who is she, what does she wear, what does she do with it 💓 Hiding your price loses you the enormous chunk of your audience who will never book a discovery call 💓 If you're fully booked, that's a pricing signal, not a scheduling problem 💓 You don't need to preemptively nail a new offer. Run it as an experiment and learn what you like 💓 Gratitude works because it softens the body, and a softened body can see possibilities again 💓 Nobody on earth is liked by everybody. Pretzeling yourself into the right shape for each person is not available as a strategy 💓 Creative time isn't a reward for finishing the work. It's the thing that makes the work possible Notable quotes "What a beautiful gift it is that a woman gets to become the wealthiest person in her family of origin." "I am an explorer of life, and I'm going to make the best decision I can in the moment I'm in." "If I don't create, if I don't fill my world with delicious things, my business suffers. My soul suffers. My family gets a cranky sad mum." Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps over 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com Links + resources mentioned Take Action Club - enrol now for half price -- https://www.leoniedawson.com/action Unicorn Biz & Life Academy, $99 for the year, 100+ programs including Money Manifesting & Multiple Streams Of Income -- https://www.leoniedawson.com/academy The Lightseer's Tarot by Chris-Anne Biddy Tarot, founded by Brigit Esselmont The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Hiro Boga, my mentor for over a decade (now retired) #womeninbusiness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #CreativeBusiness #MoneyMindset #ADHDBusiness #SoulfulBusiness #TarotReading #SmallBusinessAustralia

Leonie's recording from outside, and there's a reason. Operation De-SADify is underway after a week of crying at random, including weeping twice in one day about Cathy Freeman winning gold in 2000. Tam has found the Slavic shamanic teacher she's been hunting for years and is running a literary festival. We're both reading fabulous books that we want to tell you about. Also: the autistic Olympics. Census night, baby. WHO THIS IS FOR If you're a neurodivergent creative running a business while also holding kids, ageing parents and your own wobbly nervous system through the last month of winter, this one's for you. Especially if you can't tell whether you need a strategy or just more sunshine and a nap. Two women talking honestly about widening to hold it all. TOPICS COVERED Seasonal affective disorder, micro-depresso and Operation De-SADifyA Laufey concert with a teenager, and discovering there's room for all of usHow healing primitive reflexes changed Leonie's capacity for big overwhelming citiesTam's Slavic shamanic training and coming home to your own lineageEmotion as a pathway to the divine, instead of sitting still and being decorousParenting your kids as they are, not as your ancestors assigned themSandwich generation life and the tragedy-comedy of caring responsibilitiesCensus night as competitive sport KEY INSIGHTS Random crying is a useful depression indicator if you're not ordinarily a weepy soul. If you're welling up at nothing at the end of winter, up your light, your vitamin D and your outdoor hours.Nervous system work has profound effects.. Leonie went from wanting to hide in a bush in Sydney to happily sitting through an arena concert.The way you see your child can be an inherited story rather than a true one. Keep people around you who'll aren't afraid to tell you you're wrong. Leonie's husband told her she was misreading one of their kids, and he was right.Don't break under the pressure. Widen. That's what every grandmother before you did.Making money and keeping money are two different skills. A leaky container drains a great income. NOTABLE QUOTES "I don't want to be the mother that just gets all her feathers ruffled just because she's gotten some feedback." — Leonie "Instead of feeling like I'm going to break under that pressure, I just keep thinking that I need to widen so I can hold it all." — Leonie LINKS & RESOURCES Unicorn Biz & Life Academy, $99/year: https://www.leoniedawson.com/academyJoin Leonie's mailing list for the illustrated book notes: https://www.leoniedawson.comDandenong Ranges Litfest, programme launch 27 August, tickets 28 August: https://dandyrangeslitfest.net/Tam's Slavic shamanic teacher, Vlasta: https://www.tiktok.com/@thevlasta Iris Meyer, shamanic practitioner: https://brightshaman.com/ BOOKS MENTIONED: Indistractable by Nir EyalThe Psychology of Money by Morgan HouselUnnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher) by Kerry Greenwood If this one resonated... make sure you hit subscribe pretty pls! A review takes 40 seconds and helps other gorgeous souls find us. And if you want the whole toolkit, the Academy is $99 a year for 100+ programs, monthly coaching, and the Make Your Money Back Challenge that pays for your membership before you've finished your cup of chai! ABOUT YOUR HOSTS! Leonie Dawson is a multi award-winning entrepreneur who has created over $16 million in revenue in part-time hours. She is the founder of the Unicorn Biz & Life Academy which helps 3,000 people build unique, joyful & abundant businesses. https://www.leoniedawson.com Tamara Protassow is a non-fiction writing mentor + creativity coach. She’s developed books with 55+ authors over 16 years, both for self-published authors as well as for Hay House UK. https://www.tamaraprotassow.com #WomenInBusiness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #AuDHD #CreativeBusiness #SpiritualBusiness #MidlifeWomen #SandwichGeneration #PersonalGrowth #SoulfulBusiness

At 8pm one night I got that look in my eyes. The one my husband knows means I'm about to ride the wild donkey. By 4am I'd sent an email every hour, illustrated cartoons to go inside them, invented offers I'd never sold before, and slapped a 24-hour expiry on every single one. I also let people email me their OWN offers at their own price. Total made in that 24 hours: just over $42,000. This episode is the full blow-by-blow. What I offered, what sold, what broke, and why I'd absolutely do it again. Who this is for: If you're a creative, neurodivergent business owner with twelve half-planned launches in your notebook and a nagging feeling that you need a proper strategy before you're allowed to sell anything, this one's for you. You don't need a funnel. You don't need a launch runway. You need permission to act on the wild idea while it's still hot. Topics covered: What "riding the wild donkey" actually means, and why people still talk about it 15 years onThe full list of offers I made (encouragograms, business audits, VIP days, 60% off Take Action Club)Letting my audience make ME offers, and how I decided yes or noDoing it all on PayPal links because setting up Kajabi properly would have killed the momentumThe Kajabi outage that hit in the final hours, and how we handled itWhy I don't track unsubscribesDecision fatigue, an inbox stuck at 86 emails, and needing a team who can run with chaosThe full revenue breakdownThe one offer that surprised me enough that I'm making it permanentKey insights Speed is a feature. The idea arrived at 8pm and was live within the hour. Waiting would have flattened it."Basic bitch" your systems when the alternative is not launching. I lost the Kajabi analytics and gained $42,000.A ticking 24-hour expiry does the persuading for you. No convincing required.Inviting people to name their own offer and their own price removed the ick from both sides. Some got a yes, some got a counter-offer, some got a no, and everyone stayed friends.Say no to discounting the thing that's already radically generous. The Academy stayed at full price all day.Things break in every launch. The checkout went down. I laughed, extended the deadline, and gave anyone who emailed us a 24-hour extension.Your team's tolerance for wild ideas is a hiring criteria, not a personality quirk. I've had assistants get cranky about unplanned launches. I need people who wake up delighted.Watch what people get unreasonably excited about. The annual Take Action Club option lit people up so much it's becoming a permanent offer.Fun is a business metric. Encouragograms recorded in the backyard and down by the river. Cat photos in the inbox. Offers to walk around an art gallery. That's the actual return. Links and resources Get on the mailing list so you don't miss the next party: leoniedawson.com/love-lettersFree illustrated Ride The Wild Donkey ebookUnicorn Biz & Life Academy: 100+ programs for $99 a yearTake Action Club: weekly Productivity Power Hours and monthly Biz Planning workshopsCourses mentioned: Sales Star, Money Manifesting & Multiple Streams of Income, Work Less Earn More, Midas Touch2026 My Brilliant Year goal workbooksStill keen on offering more in-person VIP days in Canberra. Email [email protected] if you're interested! If this made you want to go do something ridiculous, do it. Then come tell me about it. And if you're not on the mailing list yet, that's where the actual chaos happens: leoniedawson.com/love-letters #WomenInBusiness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #ADHDBusinessOwner #CreativeBusiness #OnlineBusiness #MarketingExperiment #IntuitiveBusiness #SoulfulBusiness #WomenSupportingWomen #MoneyMindset

Ever been told the only way to "fly at the pointy end of the plane" is to hustle 24/7, live away from home 340 days a year, and barely see your kids? Leonie's response: are you fu**ing stupid? This week she pulls back the red velvet curtain on her quarterly planning retreat — the rituals, the lake ceremonies, the non-alcoholic botanical wine, and the exact process she runs to help women plan a whole quarter in a single day. And Tam shares what it was like for her to be in the receiving seat for it... and what changed for her business from doing it. Who this is for: If you're a creative, healer, or coach who's so deep in the to-do list you can't see your own business clearly anymore — and you're craving strategy that doesn't smell like bro-marketing — this one's for you. Especially if you're neurodivergent, sensitive, and done with hustle culture telling you to JUST DO MORE! WORK MORE HOURS! HUSTLE HUSTLE! Topics covered: How Leonie structures a full-day quarterly planning retreatWhy reviewing last quarter matters more than vision-settingLetting-go rituals, lake ceremonies, and celebration circlesHot-seating: why other people see your business clearer than you doThe anti-patriarchal case against hustle cultureChoosing a venue by energy, nature, and grounding (not corporate boardrooms)Introducing Content Blast — a month of content done in one dayKey insights: There's gold to mine in what just happened — review before you plan, every timeCelebration shifts your identity: you plan the next quarter as someone who's already made miraclesBrainstorming for OTHER people's businesses builds the muscle to see your own clearlyHustle's only answer is "more" — but we live in a finite world, and the "more" gets stolen from your kids, your body, your relationshipsMost hustle bros have someone (usually a woman) holding everything else togetherYou can fly business class without burning your life to the groundYou don't have to use everything in the Academy — one thing makes your money backThe easiest business model on earth: serve, over-deliver, and people stay for decadesNotable quotes: "I can fly at the pointy end of the plane, and I am away from my children zero days of the year." — Leonie "Does he think that's a flex? Let me show you a fuc*ing flex." — Tam "I just serve and over-deliver and make it so exceptional that people stay for years, decades. It's the easiest business model on earth." — Leonie Links & resources: Content Blast (free inside the Academy, sign up in the next week): leoniedawson.com/blastUnicorn Biz & Life Academy — 150+ programs, under $100/yearGrow Mastermind — next quarterly retreat is in SeptemberNew member? Email [email protected] for your handmade "start here" listSubscribe and review: If this episode lit you up, hit subscribe and leave a quick review — it helps more glorious humans find their way here. And if you want to actually get your content DONE with us in the room together, come to Content Blast! #WomenInBusiness #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #AntiHustle #CreativeBusiness #SpiritualBusiness #ADHDinBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #ContentCreation #WomenSupportingWomen #ConsciousBusiness

Leonie took 12 of her biz besties on retreat, had a full-blown past-life vision in the winter ocean (stone cold sober), hired an actual horse off Facebook for a unicorn photoshoot, got her t*ts out to make someone feel less vulnerable, and discovered that every single woman in the room had lost her phone at least three times that day. Tam gets the full debrief — plus how Leonie built this peer mastermind from scratch, why she removed a $100M business owner for lurking, and what happened when she cold-DM'd 50 strangers to find entrepreneur friends in Canberra. Topics Covered: How Leonie built her peer mastermind from scratch starting in 2012Setting boundaries and removing members who don't fit (even famous ones)What the retreat week actually looks like — structure, food, spa days, midnight chatsThe power of post-it note round-table brainstorming vs rigid hot seatsDenise Duffield-Thomas leading a money mistakes ritualLeonie's full-blown Atlantis/Lemuria vision on the beach (100% sober)Hiring a real horse for unicorn brand photos — and the chaos of coordinating horse people on FacebookThe Grow Mastermind quarterly planning retreat in Canberra (16 June)Key Insights: Don't wait for someone to invite you — create the mastermind, the circle, the dinner. Leonie cold-DM'd 50 strangers on Instagram to build her Canberra entrepreneur network.Curating a mastermind is gardening work: you plant, you tend, you weed. If you don't weed, the space becomes something it was never supposed to be.Selection isn't about finding the biggest business — it's about ethics, values, spirit, and alignment. Vibes over revenue.Having hard conversations (like removing someone) is part of leading leaders. It's painful, but it protects the group's safety and energy.Normalise the mess. Every woman at this retreat forgot things, booked wrong dates, lost their phones. Multi-six and seven-figure businesses, run by ADHD humans who eat car biscuits. You don't need to have it together to be successful.Retreats don't need rigid schedules. The best conversations happen when you let things flow — dinners in hotel rooms, post-it note walls, and spontaneous rituals.Jealousy is a signpost, not a stop sign. If you feel envious of someone's mastermind, that's your sign to create your own.When your kids get older and need less of your physical-plane energy, spiritual gifts can come flooding back.Notable Quotes: "We're not f*****g wallflowers, we're the f*****g belles of the ball. And if we're not the belles of the ball, we'll make our own f*****g ball." — Leonie"You can eat car biscuits and have an amazing multi-six, seven figure business. It's fine. You don't have to have it all together." — Tam"I am not a damsel that just sits around waiting for something to come find her." — Leonie"You are the f*****g knight in shining armour. You can literally hire your own white horse and be your own goddess." — LeonieIf you're a creative business owner who's been craving real connection with other women who get it — the ADHD chaos, the spiritual side, the six-figure goals alongside the sensory overwhelm — this one's for you. Whether you've got a thriving business or you're still finding your people, this episode is your permission slip to stop waiting and start building your own circle. If this episode lit a fire under you, go grab Leonie's free Mastermind Planner at leoniedawson.com/mastermind and start dreaming up your own circle. And if you want to be IN the room with Leonie and Tam, the Grow Mastermind quarterly planning retreat is happening 16 June in Canberra — join the Grow Mastermind to get your spot. #WomenInBusiness #Mastermind #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #ADHDBusiness #BusinessRetreat #WomenSupportingWomen #SpiritualBusiness #CreativeEntrepreneur #PeerMastermind #MakeYourOwnBall

Tam and I got WILDLY into it this week. We're talking energy hygiene — how to clear your energy, protect your space, shield your biz, and yes, even your bloody phone. Because that thing is an actual energy portal that can zap ya! We share the actual daily rituals we use (salt scrubs! crystal grids! hands in the dirt at 6am!), Tam debuts her new favourite concept — Resting Bitch Energy (RBE) — and I tell the story of the enormous black obsidian dildo I placed on my property boundary to deal with a dic*head neighbour. As you do. If you're a sensitive, spiritual creative who absorbs everyone's feelings like a human sponge, feels fuzzy and anxious for no good reason, or suspects your phone might be energetically fuc*ing with your sleep… this one's for you, possum. What we get into: How to call your soul back into your body (and the signs it's wandered off — hello clumsiness, brain fog + random anxiety)Why you literally cannot process another person's feelings for them, and how to return their energy to senderSalt scrubs, salt bowls, black salt, and keeping salt next to your bedTam's RBE — Resting Bitch Energy — aka the BEST protection upgradeWorking with angels, guides + well ancestors (and why you do NOT want to call in your batshit crazy recent ancestors)Crystal gridding your property with black tourmaline, obsidian, rose quartz + moreSigils for protection (ancient practice, dead easy to do)Smoking herbs, resins, essential oils + DIY mist spraysYour phone as an energy portal — why it doesn't belong in your bedroomUsing your ancestry DNA to find YOUR ancestral spiritual traditions (I took mine to Claude and it was FASCINATING)Outsourcing to energy healers + body workers when the DIY isn't enoughBoundaries as energy protection. Full stop.Nurturing your energy through joy, creativity, nature + communityGems from this episode: Your soul can drift just a couple of inches out of your body — and it shows up as anxiety, clumsiness, feeling not-quite-yourself. A 30-second practice of calling it home can shift everything.You can't heal someone else's energy for them. That's their job. When you're holding their stuff, your body gets confused because it can't DO anything with it. Give it to the earth. Even shit turns into gold in the ecosystem.Kids under seven will naturally show up in your energy field. That's normal + healthy — they're building their systems off yours.The strongest protection isn't an elaborate ritual that makes you late for everything. It's being SO full of your own energy there's no room for anyone else's.Your phone is an energy portal to the world. Remove it from the bedroom. Place crystals near your computer. Write a prayer in your notes app. It sounds woo and it WORKS.Quotes we loved: "I actually think I have RBE — Resting Bitch Energy. Stuff doesn't stick to that." — Tam "You can't process another person's feelings for them. You can't heal their energy for them. That is their job and theirs alone." — Leonie "Your imagination is for seeing what's really there." — Tam Links + resources mentioned: Midas Touch — 11-day meditation program inside the Academy. People keep telling us there was a before Midas Touch and an after. It's some of the biggest soul lessons I've ever learned, turned into minutes. leoniedawson.com/midasCreative Goddess Embodied 2.0 — inside the Academy leoniedawson.com/creative Protective Magic by Stacey DiMarco — gorgeous book on protection techniquesAndrea Rae — Crystal AcademyHiro Boga — intuitive healerKerry Rowett — kinesiologist + intuitiveRenee Longworth — energy clearing for propertiesIf this episode gave you something good, we would love a five-star review. It genuinely helps people find us — especially when we talk about topics that ruffle a few feathers. Big love,Leonie + Tam ✨ #EnergyProtection #ClearYourEnergy #SpiritualBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #CrystalGrid #NeurodivergentLife #WooAndBusiness #EnergyHygiene #SpiritualPractice

Darlingheart, You know that feeling where your brain is on fire, your to-do list has become sentient, and somebody wants to know what's for dinner AGAIN? Yeah. Tam and I get it. We get it in our BONES. So we sat down and talked about the two levers you've actually got for overwhelm. (Two! That's double the levers! Exponential growth, baby!) One of them you probably already know. The other one? Freaking life-changing. I didn't discover it until about a year ago and it's been WILD the difference it has made in reducing overwhelm. If you're a neurodivergent creative drowning in business + parenting + caring roles + all the fekking things, and you've been white-knuckling your way through wondering why "just try harder" hasn't worked... this one's for you. In this episode we get into: Why your capacity is completely different from that extrovert with plans out the butthole (and why comparing is pointless)Traffic light colour-coding your calendar so you can SEE the burnout comingGolden weeks (my secret weapon — one week a month with NO calls)The broom-path housework standard that saved my marriage and my sanityGetting your kids to do their own washing from primary schoolRobot vacuums with names (mine's Melissa, Tam's is the Scutter, because of course)The primitive reflex thing that tripled my nervous system capacity (I KNOW)Breathwork, sleep, nature + the supplements that actually help ADHD brainsTam's husband discovering that sunshine is... far infrared. We dieeeeeeeeee.Quotes that hit: "I really need you to reduce your standards. I really need you to stop trying to be the perfect mum here because it's wrecking your mental health." — My husband Chris, being very wise over lunch "I centered myself so I became the main character of my own life." — Tam "We're just complicated houseplants. We need food, we need sunlight, we need fresh air and water." — Tam, being a poet "I can do two, three times the amount of work that I used to. And it does not cost in the way that it used to cost me." — Me, still stunned about the primitive reflex resolution thing Stuff we mentioned: Laundry Lady (laundry pickup service — Australia)HelloFresh + Marley Spoon (meal kits)You Foodz (pre-made meals delivered)Roborock (the fancy robot vacuum/mop — yes it detects poo)David Elliott — breathwork meditationGet Dopa (combined ADHD supplement, UK)Primal Energy (beef organ supplement, Australia)Dr Sharon Williams (chiropractor — primitive reflex resolution)Free meditations from me: leoniedawson.com/shit ✨ If this helped you see a lever you hadn't tried, send it to a friend who needs it. And if you've got a sec, a five-star review means more overwhelmed humans can find us. Big love,Leonie + Tam #ReduceOverwhelm #NeurodivergentLife #AUDHDBusiness #NervousSystemRegulation #WorkLessEarnMore #ADHDEntrepreneur #MumBurnout #PrimitiveReflexes #BreathworkHealing #LeonieDawson

Ever spent $30,000 on a business coach that turned out to be a cult? Leonie has. In this episode, she's sharing the full story of how she got sucked into a business coaching program that used textbook cult dynamics — and what it took to get herself back out. Vague spiritual word salad. Moving goalposts. A Facebook group full of people having "breakthroughs" you can't quite seem to unlock. A coach who purports to have special "codes" or "divine downloads" that you can only access through her. Sound familiar? This episode pulls apart the cult dynamics hiding inside online business coaching — starting with Leonie's own $30K painful lesson. If you've felt that magnetic pull toward a coach or program that promises to unlock everything, or if you've already gone down that rabbit hole and you're sitting in the shame of it — this one's for you. Topics Covered Where cult dynamics show up beyond actual cults (families, schools, business coaching, politics)Leonie's full story of joining a $30,000 coaching program that was run like a cultHow word salad, vague spiritual language, and repetition create belief over timeWhy sunk cost keeps people stuck long after the red flags appearRobert Lifton's criteria for thought reform and how they map to coaching environmentsWhy neurodivergent people are particularly vulnerable to cult-like dynamicsThe energetic and emotional cleanup process after leavingHow Leonie runs her own coaching differently because of this experienceKey Insights Cult dynamics aren't limited to cults — they show up in families, schools, spiritual groups, political movements, and business coaching containers.If a coach positions themselves as the ONLY source of a particular knowledge or "divine download," that's a massive red flag.Neurodivergent brains are especially vulnerable: the puzzle-solving drive, the dopamine hit of "getting closer," the tendency to take people at face value, and the lifelong conditioning of "maybe I'm the problem."Vague, poetic, non-concrete teaching is a feature, not a bug — it keeps you coming back because you can never confirm whether you "got it."If the solution to not getting results is always to invest more, go deeper, or become a better student, you're in a cult dynamic.The shame belongs to the person creating the manipulative environment, not the person who got caught in it.Sunk cost fallacy is powerful — Leonie could only face leaving by framing it as a "three-month break" rather than quitting outright.Intelligent, successful people are consistently shown by research to be susceptible to cult dynamics. It's not about being naive.Creating proprietary language creates insiders and outsiders, and strips people of vocabulary to describe their experience once they leave.Non-disparagement clauses in coaching contracts don't hold up under the US Federal Trade Commission.Notable Quotes "You wanted the dopamine hit of figuring it out. Each step along the way gave you another little dopamine hit of I'm getting closer, I'm getting closer. Pattern-seeking brains plus the deliberate hiding of the pattern is really addictive — it's just crack." — TamLinks & Resources Mentioned Previous episode: Ep #220: Coaching Myths Busted!Previous episode: Ep #219: Narcissists at Work, Home & In FamiliesKnitting Cult Lady on TikTok — author of The Culting of AmericaRobert Lifton's thought reform criteria (1960s research)If this episode hit home for you, share it with a friend who might need to hear it. #CultDynamics #BusinessCoaching #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #AuDHD #OnlineBusiness #CoachingRedFlags #WomenInBusiness #CultRecovery

Leonie's back after a break, recording this one solo from bed (because minimal viable podcast is still podcast), and she's spilling everything from the last six weeks — a $151K launch month, an intimate in-person retreat, an ADHD food-forgetting saga, a holiday that healed her heart, and enough book and TV recommendations to fill your entire weekend. Who this is for: If you're a neurodivergent creative who's been told there's only one "right" way to launch, or you're wondering whether courses and memberships still work in the age of AI, this episode is your permission slip and your proof of concept all in one. Topics covered: How Leonie ran a $151K launch month with zero paid ads and zero pre-written content HO HO HOThe return of Backstage Pass and why launching in public keeps her accountableRunning an affiliate competition that paid out $7,500+ in commissions (and a crystal dildo)Hosting her first small in-person retreat for Grow Mastermind membersThe confidence-before-competence trap and why you have to do the thing to build the thingHealing unresolved primitive reflexes and the nervous system capacity shift it createdLife updates — kids turning 12 and 16, a healing holiday to Jervis BayBook reviews, TV recommendations, and a rant about thought leaders staying silent on politicsKey insights: You don't need everything pre-written to launch. Leonie decided what to launch on a Wednesday and had the sales page live by midnight. Waiting for "ready" means never launching.Adding live chat (Chatra) to her website during launch converted browsers: 45% of chats were sales questions.Confidence and competence aren't prerequisites — they're byproducts of doing the thing. Leonie was nervous before her first intimate retreat despite having run conferences for 100+ people.An 85% profit margin came from keeping expenses radically low: ~$23,200 total costs against $151K revenue.Unresolved primitive reflexes can dramatically affect neurodivergent adults — healing them gave Leonie significantly more nervous system capacity and reduced autistic burnout symptoms.When your body is out of alignment (literally — displaced tailbone), your energy and spirit follow. Bodywork during launches isn't optional.Technology disruption is the pattern, not the exception. Netflix pivoted through DVDs nobody owned, an internet nobody trusted, and a dot-com bubble bursting — courses and memberships aren't dead, they're adapting.Notable quotes: "I will not abandon myself in this process. I will still be my own cheerleader. I will alchemize all of this into gold and I will do this in a way that is loving and kind to myself.""The only way to build confidence and competence is by actually doing the f*****g thing.""I love that I've been able to send $900,000 to women's small business owners instead of doing paid advertising with billion dollar social media companies."Links & resources mentioned: Backstage Pass — leoniedawson.com/backstageUnicorn Biz & Life Academy — leoniedawson.com/academyMillion Dollar Memberships program (inside the Academy)Chatra live chat Burnout to Breakthrough podcast episode That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph (Netflix memoir)Our Members Be Unlimited by Sam Wallman (graphic nonfiction)Still Bobby by Bobby Brown (beauty brand memoir)My Story by Jo Malone (fragrance brand memoir)Rachel Rogers' Substack piece on obsolete jobsTV: The Other Bennet Sister, Last One Laughing UK, Mum (BBC), Celebrity Traitors UKDr. Sharon Williams, chiropractor/kinesiologist in Canberra (primitive reflexes)If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who needs to hear that launching doesn't have to look like everyone else's version. Leave a five-star review wherever you listen — it helps more neurodivergent creatives find us. #NeurodivergentBusiness #ADHDEntrepreneur #LaunchWithoutBurnout #WomenInBusiness #MembershipModel #CreativeEntrepreneur #AuDHD #OnlineBusiness #SpiritualBusiness #UnicornBizAcademy

Everyone's panicking that AI is going to kill e-courses. Leonie's been selling courses online since 2008 and she's seen every "this is dead" cycle the internet has to offer. Podcasting was too niche. NFTs were the future. And now, apparently, your course is toast because ChatGPT exists. In this conversation with Claire Venus from Sparkle on Substack, Leonie breaks down the one very specific type of course that IS affected by AI, why everything else is completely fine, and what actually makes people pay for your brain instead of asking a robot. Who this is for: If you've got a course, a membership, or a coaching program and you've been lying awake wondering whether AI just made your entire business model obsolete — take a breath. This episode will sort the signal from the noise. Topics covered: The exact type of e-course AI threatens (generic how-to content you could already Google)Why unique perspective, lived experience, and transformation are AI-proofThe "basic bitch results" test for whether your content is at riskWhy every generation of internet creators has faced a "this is dead" panic — and been wrongHow the market maturing is actually making things better for ethical, transparent creatorsBuilding a course library of 140+ programs over 16 years while only working part-timeWhy "discerning buyers" isn't a trust recession, it's a sign of a maturing idustryKey Insights: The only courses AI genuinely threatens are straight how-to walkthroughs with no unique information — the "click this button, then click that button" kind.If you have unique results, a unique perspective, or you create actual transformation in people, AI cannot replicate what you do. It'll give generic results every time.People are still buying courses. They're just buying smarter. That's good news if you're the real deal.Leonie has 140+ courses in her Academy and hasn't lost sleep over AI because the value isn't in information — it's in her specific, weird, lived experience of building a million-dollar-a-year business as a part-time neurodivergent hippie.The panic cycle is predictable. The people who ignore it and keep creating are the ones still standing a decade later.Notable Quotes: "If you want the basic bitch result, AI is for you. But if you want extraordinary results, you need to learn from people." — Leonie"AI is really shit at doing things like creating transformation, creating experience, sharing really unique experience." — Leonie"Just because people are saying this doesn't actually mean it's true." — Leonie#AIandCourses #OnlineCourses #CreativeEntrepreneur #CourseCreator #AIProof #NeurodivergentBusiness #WomenInBusiness #MembershipModel #DigitalProducts #CoursesArentDead