The Leonie Dawson Show

I was MEANT to be sitting on live chat with my web host all day, typing very polite little messages while quietly screaming into my tea because my brand new website wouldn't transfer... so instead I put on my best painting pyjamas, cracked open the most basic acrylics I could find and started colouring in the GIANT mural I drew straight onto my wall in fat black marker. No pencil first. No prepping the wall. No plugging in the laptop either, so it's slowly running out of battery as we go... only the most professional of professionals here, darlingheart.
And while I paint I'm spilling the whole bizzo on the most SOCIAL week this hermit has had in about seven billionty years... a full-day VIP session that lit me right up, a biz dinner that started with ONE guest and finally grew into seven gorgeous women singing happy birthday to an entire restaurant, getting locked out of a car park at midnight, and the shiny new website that nearly broke me.
WHO THIS IS FOR
If you've been yearning and yearning for business friends who actually GET it, and it's taking way, way, WAY longer to find them than you thought... pull up a chair, this one's for you. Also for anyone whose creative time keeps getting shoved to the bottom of the to-do list.
IN THIS EPISODE
Painting a wall mural with zero prep and zero shame
What my mentor Hiro Boga said that made me draw on my wall in the first place
A whole day on one woman's business... the 12-month plan, the profit, AND the energy work when the fears turned up
Why I'm going to offer more in-person VIP days
How my Canberra biz women's dinners went from one guest to five to SEVEN
Singing happy birthday to every table in the joint (Scorpio season, baby)
Locked out of a car park at midnight, and the new soul friend I found there
My website rebrand with Flourish Online
What's coming... the 2027 My Unicorn Year Goals Workbooks and a brand new Academy program
THE GOOD STUFF
Community takes FOREVER and then it all clicks at once... my first dinner was me and one lovely woman, and I'm SO glad I didn't give up
Tell people what you're dreaming of creating... I messaged local business women and said I want a circle of biz sisters, wanna come?
Ask everyone at the table for one blessing and one challenge in their business and watch dinner turn into the best brainstorm of your year
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.
leoniedawson.com

LINKS + RESOURCES
Unicorn Biz & Life Academy, 100+ programs for $99 a year: leoniedawson.com/academy
Take Action Club: leoniedawson.com/action
2027 My Unicorn Year Goals Workbooks: leoniedawson.com/workbooks
Want your own VIP day with me? leoniedawson.com/coaching

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 fine
Starting with just your phone or laptop... no studio, no ring light, no fuss
The Rode NT-USB mic Tam’s husband talked her into, and why I copied her
Editing in Riverside by deleting words straight from the transcript
Our fortnightly yap sessions, the 200-idea Google doc, and our new 30-minute experiment
The Claude prompt that writes my show notes, micro-content and title ideas
Why 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 intros
You don’t have to be beholden to yesterday’s decisions... names, formats and schedules all get to change
Make it doable for YOUR brain. If “record at my desk every Tuesday” won’t happen, record on the school run
Stretch 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 bit
Social 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 job
Pop the video on YouTube even if it’s just two people talking in a room. People love the company
Gone 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/podprompt
My free shit page (meditations, colouring books, zines, keynotes + more): https://www.leoniedawson.com/free
Unicorn 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/academy
Take Action Club: https://www.leoniedawson.com/action
Rode NT-USB microphone
Riverside (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 problems
The planner copier who denied everything (until the receipt came out)
The person who lifted Leonie's entire Amazon book description
What SARK said when she was told Leonie was copying her
Fan art, derivative work and where the line actually sits
Trademarks, copyright notices, T&Cs and cease-and-desist letters
Tam's self-addressed envelope trick for US copyright
The 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 revenue
Copying 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 year
Every copycat Leonie has ever had is now out of business
Being 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. Fuck 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 folks
Working with your energy seasons, hormonal cycles and life eras instead of against them
Primitive reflex integration and how it expanded Leonie's nervous system capacity
Protein, supplements and medication as brain support
Accountability, 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 fucking 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 fuck 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/action
Unicorn Biz & Life Academy: leoniedawson.com
Wintering by Katherine May
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
David Elliott breathwork introduction
Get Dopa ADHD supplement blend
The Seed Cycle
Dr Sophie Toland, naturopath, Noosa
Dr 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