Possums!
Yay! Welcome back to my monthly tradition where I review my life & business & share behind-the-scenes numbers as well.
Want to listen to this as a podcast?
Listen above, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCast (or wherever else you listen to podcasts!)
I’ll cover:
- what I’ve read
- life blessings & challenges
- what I’ve created in my business
- how much revenue generated.
I’m experimenting with doing a bit of a simpler version this time… otherwise I’ll never get this thing finished. Done is better than perfect!
You can read previous monthly reviews here:
2021
2022
What I got up to in life!
- At the start of August, I was still going through some difficult feelings of grief, shock and trauma. I talked more about what happened here. It took me some time to recover from that.
- My kids’ school also started going through major issues, and the high school part was closed. We immediately started school tours, and our kids ended up going on a trial day at another school. That trial day was a real highlight for all of us as a family – we’re so excited about the art, music & languages possibilities at the new school which we start at next year. In retrospect, we should have tried to move the kids over straight away to save us another two terms of more school drama and distress… but we live, we learn!
- Bought me and my kids matching rainbow cardigans because I’m not like other mums, I’M A COOL MUM.
- My old cubicle boss Lile & her family came to visit on holiday. She’s been one of my dearest mates for nearly 20 years now (!!!) and it was SUCH a joy for our families to hang out again. Our kids got along like a house on fire again. I love that our friendship of 2 has expanded to a friendship of 8.
- Big Kid went away on school camp.
- In anticipation of my 40th birthday, I went away for a weekend with some of my beloved girlfriends including Madi, Tash and Jody. It was BEYOND gorgeous… a historic mountain chalet with stunning views. We had such deep woman time… scream-laughing, playing highly competitive card games, talking our faces off, resting & nurturing each other. It was perfect, and I feel so grateful.
- I also had a spa afternoon with some of my business goddess friends… Tash Corbin, Amanda Rootsey, Claire Riley & Cass Deller. I am OBSESSED with them. OBSESSED.
- After 4 years here, I feel like my friendship circle is really deepening! My heart is so happy!
Best Books
I’ve slowed down on the amount of book reading I’m doing due to the eye condition I’ve recently developed. I’m hyperlexic (i.e. a massive book nerd) and read between 100-400 books a year. So curtailing that consumption is a bit challenging, but my eyes are leading the way.
(Having said that… I look back at what I read in 3 months and it still probably looks like a LOT. I promise I’m no longer treating myself to reading 6 books on a weekend!)
Anyways, I’m currently unable to read mass market paperbacks as the font and spacing is too small. I’m also finding Kindle reading tricky. I’m subsisting on rations of graphic novels, audiobooks, large print books and trade paperback books.
Here’s my favourite books from the last 3 months… everything I rated 5 stars!
Graphic novels/art books
- Ken Done Art Design Life by Ken Done
I love Ken Done’s positivity, colour and long-lived creative career. I so enjoyed this collection of art and essays! He has continued to innovate and is so committed to his family. It’s a beautiful thing. - Button Pusher by Tyler Page
A graphic memoir about Tyler’s childhood diagnosis of ADHD. - What the fuck is this by Celeste Mountjoy
This is a very easy read. Made me laugh and sigh in equal measure. - Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by Stan Lee
A biography of Stan Lee in comic form. Fascinating to read how his comic career began and continued. - Fine: A Comic About Gender by Rhea Ewing
Part memoir, part comic interview series about gender. - Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hancox
Graphic memoir of a trans teen. - Amongst the Liberal Elite: The Road Trip Exploring Societal Inequities Solidified by Trump by Elly Lonon
This made me both snort with laugher and grimace in self-recognition. A VERY tongue in cheek graphic novel about a white liberal couple. - Sensory: Life on the Spectrum by Schnumn
An anthology of comics created by Autistic peeps.
Memoirs & Non Fiction
- You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel
If you like frugalism, you’ll probably find this one useful. - All of This: A Memoir of Death and Desire by Rebecca Woolf
I’ve followed Rebecca’s writing for the last… 15 years? This is the stark, honest story of her husband’s cancer diagnosis and death. - Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
I had this one recommended to me a few times, and I’m glad I read it… beautifully written. Both heart-wrenching and stupidly funny. - Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
I’m a new fangirl of Katherine May. I adored the pace and message of this book, and immediately ordered and pre-ordered her other books. - Get Rich or Lie Trying: Ambition and Deceit in the New Influencer Economy by Symeon Brown
Fascinating journalist investigation of influencers. I preferred a similar book on the same topic – Break The Internet. Get Rich is pretty grim and intense, but still an intriguing read! - The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
I’m still chasing the high of The Flatshare, Beth’s first novel… but I haven’t quite found it yet. This one was still gripping.
Audiobooks
- Midlife and the Great Unknown: Finding Courage and Clarity Through Poetry by David Whyte
Honestly, he could read a Wikipedia page on iron ore production and I’d still find it beautiful. His voice is divine. His words are magic too. - Bodhisattva Mind: Teachings to Cultivate Courage and Awareness in the Midst of Suffering by Pema Chödrön
Listened to all of this while doing daily hot eye compresses to manage my eye condition. Look ma, I can read with my eyes closed!
Blog posts I published
August
- Ask Leonie Anything: All the Tech Questions!
- July 2022: Biz & Life Review
- Mindfulness Video: Take a moment with me to forest bathe in the wetlands
- When Awful Things Come Marching In
- Leonie talks about hard shit
September
October
Looking back on these… I definitely need to get back into consistent writing and blogging again!
Interviews
August
September
- Million Dollar Decisions for Mums
- Leonie Chats with Jessica Haines Design!
- Light Up Your Worth Podcast
October
- The Soul of Business Summit
- How I Plan Million Dollar Years
- Manifest Clients NOW!
- Get Your Systems Together!
Want to interview me?
Current list of software I use to run my business:
- Kajabi for most things in my business:
- selling through their shopping cart
- teaching my courses through their learning management system
- running my affiliate program
- ActiveCampaign to send all our marketing emails.
- Zapier so that Kajabi & ActiveCampaign talk to each other.
- OptinMonster to create all the pop-ups, reminder windows & lead magnet forms on my website.
- Calendly to screen interviewers and book in interviews.
- Xero is my accounting & financial management system.
- I host my WordPress websites on WPEngine.
More tools of the trade here if you find that kind of thing useful!
How much money I made
Total income: $208,218
Where that income came from:
- E-courses: August: $13,599.78 September: $13,369.62 October: $154,618.52
TOTAL $181,587 - Goal Getter planners: August: $734.59 September: $679.08 October: $562.80
TOTAL $1,976.47 - Passive income business:
TOTAL $21,862
I set up this business 6 years ago, worked on it actively for a couple of years, and now it’s income that is 100% passive. - Shares & Ethical Managed Funds: No increase.
- Investment property: Now converted to a family property for in-laws.
- Affiliate for Kajabi:
TOTAL $2,648 - Calm Christmas Planner on Etsy:
August: $31.58 September: $78.07 October: $34.41
TOTAL: $144.06
Here’s how the e-course sales were split:
What I did on the biz front!
The big thing I launched was the Brilliant Biz & Life Academy in October… as you can see by the graphs above, this is a MASSIVE change to our revenue stream. The divvy up of revenue will likely remain the same now… I envision most of our sales will come through the Academy because it’s such an INSTANT YES.
We currently have 1400 members which is just brilliant! I’m excited to keep developing & growing this into an essential resource for all business owners!
It’s a joy to be here!
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
Love,
GET ABSOLOODELY EVERYTHING I CREATE AT A WILDLY GENEROUS PRICE
Get $1,500 of my courses & workbooks for just $99 with the Brilliant Biz & Life Academy.
FREE GOODIES:
BOOKS:
- Goal Getter workbooks for 2022 & beyond!
- Calm Christmas Planner
- Salt: a hottttt romance novella (published under my pen name Lola Leigh)
COURSES:
