The full zine, written out
(So you can find it, read it on a screen reader, or search it later.)
I did it. I crossed the $16 million revenue mark.
Dearests,
I want to be brave & celebrate this publicly… want to place a marker in the sand to capture this moment. The moment I updated my spreadsheet, to see I’d crossed the $16 million mark.
TOTAL REVENUE: $16,037,612
I tell my sweet husband about it. He is ever philosophical about it.
“That’s great honey. And to think as well, you’ve been able to have such a cool career, and do some wonderful things!”
And he’s right.
When I set out on this journey of starting a business, I never thought in a million years I’d end up here. All I truly wanted was a creative career, one where I felt like I helped the world. All I truly wanted was enough cash to be able to stay home with my babies. My only goal was to replace my government job wage.
And I got that… and so much more. I got the creative and business and spiritual adventure of a lifetime. And wealthier than I ever thought possible.
I got to write and illustrate dozens of books and products… that went on to be used by half a million people worldwide.
I got to a run a 2 day conference with people flying in from all over the world to hear me speak. AND I got to do it in a gloriously kooky venue feature a ginormous century old carved wooden organ brought over from London!!!!
I’ve gotten to meet people. For them to see me exactly who I am because they have heard my stories. To get to hear their stories in return. And see them in all their beauty and all their power and all their potential.
I’ve gotten to be exactly the kind of mama I hoped I would be. One who placed creating a gentle, loving family as her biggest priority. A mama who was soft and present and nurturing while still showing her daughters she could create her biggest dreams come true.
I’ve gotten to fall deeper in love with the man I met and instantly adored 25 years ago. I’ve gotten to believe him when he said to me on our wedding day: “Let’s go have an extraordinary life together.”
I’ve gotten to live and love all the iterations and evolutions of myself. The joyful maiden. The author. The brand new mama. The warrior moving through chronic debilitating illness. The homeschooling mama. The creative. The lover. The neurodivergent. All of this, and more, all at once.
I’ve gotten more awards and external validation than I can comprehend. This hermit? Making magic from the corner of her spare bedroom? Getting sparkly golden trophies in a ritzy ballroom in Sydney? WHO EVEN AM I? WHAT EVEN IS THIS LIFE?
I’ve gotten to make art and creating a way of life and business… as simple as breathing. I’ve gotten to make thousands of artworks, write thousands of articles, teach hundreds of workshops, illustrate and write dozens of books… I am blessed for every creation that’s ever flowed through me.
I’ve gotten to create so much surplus abundance that I’ve been able to redirect $180,000 in cash and hundreds of thousands more in stock to charities doing incredible work in the world. Being able to help Australian Wildlife Conservancy purchase more land for Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary on the Sunshine Coast was a huge highlight. I remember when even being able to donate $100 felt like a huge stretch for me. And to have been able to donate in these amounts? It fills me with a wild amount of joy.
My husband is right, as he so often is.
$16 million is cool. But you know what else is cooler?
All the things that have happened along the way. The people I’ve met. The creations I’ve birthed. The dreams come true. My family, my heart. The woman I’ve become along the way.
It’s all worth it. So very, very worth it.
If this is what it means to earn $16 million… I can’t wait to do it all over again.
Big love,
Leonie
