34: Warts and all: Your Story is Your Superpower (here's why you need to share it...) with Leonie Dawson
Media MagnetShow Notes
In the online course world, there's lots of "coaches" spruiking lots of promises, but Leonie Dawson is the real deal. And I know because she's an open book. Leonie is, by her own admission, a wildly creative introvert who's the former editor of the Australian Government business website, business dot gov.au and now the CEO of her own namesake company, Leonie Dawson, that's signed up 50,000 subscribers to her database and turns over millions of dollars each year.
Leonie's also an international best selling author, multiple-award winning businesswoman and one of the OG bloggers when blogging first came onto the scene in the early 2000's.
Leonie swears often and calls her customers names like blossom and beautiful soul and she talks regularly about taboo subjects like ADHD, autism, money, mental health and mothering...you would think people would run from that 'in your face' honesty and discomfort.
But on the contrary Leonie's attraction is magnetic and her community cannot get enough of her. I wanted to share Leonie's story because so many women I work with in business are afraid to be authentic, they're afraid to tell their warts and all stories, admit failure or be themselves - because they think that's NOT what their audience or customers want.
Leonie is not for everyone. But she's cool with that. Because the community she attracts are superfans and she's created a $14 million dollar business off their devotion and investment. Oh and she only works 10 hours a week.
More from Media Magnet
Enough of the box-tickers. My guest today says most small business owners have, at some point, buried their head in the sand about their numbers, come to her flying completely blind, and finally hit the point where enough is enough.
"I think we've attached a lot of success to raising capital." When a business raises $25 million and gets a $100 million valuation, we treat it like a win. My guest today says that's not actually a marker of success at all, and understanding the difference could change how you think about your own business.
Most people who sell a business they've poured five years of blood, sweat and no salary into would take the win and put their feet up for a while. My guest today looked at her payout and thought, "Great, let's do it all again, but harder, faster, and with a lot more on the line this time."
There are 2.2 million self-employed Australians. Nearly half of small business owners aren't contributing to their own super. And most of them are telling themselves the same thing: my business is my retirement plan.
They beat out 14 other applicants for the lease. They opened with 5,000 local social media followers already waiting for them. They had a line out the door on winter mornings. Their biggest day was 444 coffees in a little suburban cafe with just two people behind the counter.