224. From $9 PDF to Million Dollar Empire: The Wild Ride Behind My Viral Goals Workbook
What happens when a colourful, hand-illustrated goals workbook accidentally goes viral? In this episode, Leonie shares the wild, unfiltered story behind the globally loved Goals Workbooks — used by over half a million people and generating over a million dollars in revenue.From a $9 backyard PDF to hitting #1 and #3 on Amazon Australia at the same time, this is the real journey: the magic, the meltdowns, the missing dates, the horse posters, “Operation Rescue,” print runs gone rogue, and the moment Leonie realised she never wanted to run a big product-based business again.If you’re an online business woman, planner lover, or goal-setting girly, this is your up-close peek at what scaling a physical product REALLY takes — and why simplicity, sustainability and sanity matter more than spirals and stickers.What we cover:How a homemade PDF became a million-dollar global movementThe viral moment on Twitter that changed everythingCoaches, workshops + the yearly ritual the workbooks createdWhy the workbooks are unapologetically colourful, magical + for womenThe messy truth behind printing 80,000+ products and shipping worldwideDistribution disasters, held-hostage stock + “Operation Rescue”The infamous planner missing January 1When customers received a giant horse poster (or a memorial plaque) insteadBurnout, illness + why Leonie simplified her business modelThe Workbook Charity Program that has served 250,000+ peopleThe 1% goal-setting rule and why writing goals down actually worksTimestamps:00:00 – The accidental workbook empireHow a $9 PDF became a global bestseller.03:19 – Why Leonie created her own plannerNo cute, holistic, magical goal-setting tools existed — so she made one.04:17 – The viral launch1,000+ sales in two weeks and the start of a worldwide movement.06:46 – How the workbook community grewBulk orders, workshops, and annual planning traditions.07:48 – The workbook vibeMaximalist, rainbow, unicorn energy — and why it’s not for the “beige girly” crowd.11:52 – Expanding to a full product lineLife + biz workbooks, planners, diaries, posters + pads.13:31 – The huge print runs$450k+ in printing, 100+ countries, custom shipping systems, and endless logistics.18:47 – When the US distribution house stopped shippingThousands of Christmas orders stuck. No answers. Rising panic.20:52 – Operation RescueA contractor drives across the US in snowmageddon to retrieve pallets after extortion-level “release fees.”26:59 – Running the business during rainforest blackoutsNo power, no reception, and answering thousands of customer emails from the car.28:43 – The missing-January-1 disasterThe planner misprint that still haunts Leonie and Tam.35:49 – The Lulu era: horse posters + memorial plaquesA 10% error rate and brand chaos — the final straw.43:19 – Choosing sustainability over scaleWhy Leonie walked away from the old model to preserve her health and joy.46:20 – The charity programHow 250,000+ people in floods, cancer treatment, prisons and low-income communities have used the workbooks.49:00 – The 1% rule of goal-settingWhy writing and reviewing your goals puts you in the highest-achieving category of all.51:20 – Get the 2026 Goals WorkbooksDigital versions ($9.95) or printed editions on Amazon worldwide.#goalsetting #goalsworkbook #plannergirl #plannercommunity #onlinebusiness #womeninbusiness #creativeentrepreneur #neurodivergententrepreneur #annualplanning #leoniedawson
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