Happiness Mama

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Which Shining Academy Membership Is Right For You?

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Are you thinking of joining Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy? I hope this article will answer your questions and help you decide which Shining Academy membership type is right for you at this point in your life.

Choose the Shining Academy Membership For YOU

Did you know you don’t have to have a business to benefit from being a member of the Shining Academy?

Did you know you can join the Academy and get access to tons of life resources and courses, without paying the full membership price?

Are you thinking of joining the Academy, but you’re unsure about what is included in each membership type, and which one makes the most sense for you and your life, right now?

Read on!

Shining Academy Membership: Two Types

There are two types of membership in the Shining Academy.

One type of membership is Life + Biz Access, which is full Academy membership.

Next there is Life Access Only membership, which includes a plethora of life resources and excludes business and technical resources.

Let’s dive in to learn more about each type of membership so you can decide on the one that’s right for you.

Life Access Only Membership in the Shining Academy

Membership in the Shining Academy includes a wide variety of life programs, courses, and resources to help you in all areas of life: family, spirituality, creativity, health, relationships, home, meditation, and more.

If you don’t have your own business, but you love Leonie and would love to gain access to all of her life resources and trainings, Life Access Only membership may be right for you.

Life Courses, Trainings, and Meditations

Here are some of the life courses and resources included in the Shining Academy. Over 72 life courses, workshops, and resources are available to Life Access Academy Members.

The following list is not exhaustive. These are some of the highlights. Check out Leonie’s website for more.

Personal Growth/Life Courses

Radiant Goddess E-Course
Creating Your Goddess Haven E-Course
How to Be a Morning Goddess
How to Create More Joy In Your Life Mini Workshop
How to Trust Your Intuition Mini Workshop
Healing Goddess Workshop
How to Face Your Fears
7 Life-Changing Habits for an Abundant 2016
How to Find Your Purpose Mini Workshop
Boundaries Bootcamp

Creativity Courses

Creative Goddess E-Course
Intuitive Art Workshop
Mega Colouring Book
How to Create a Mini Retreat
How to Create a Dream Board
The Project Finisher E-Book

Meditations

I Create My Amazing Year Meditation
Best Day Ever Meditation
Divine Dreaming Meditation Kit
Chakra Healing Meditation Kit
Releasing Fears Meditation Kit
Holy Dinger Uber Zennifying Meditation Kit
Instant Uplift Meditation

Shining Academy Life Mastermind

When you join with Life Access Only membership, you gain access to a Mastermind of like-minded women. This is a great community to help you find support, encouragement, friendship, and accountability. The group is very active and is located on Facebook.

What’s Not Included

In Life Access Only Academy Membership, you do not get any of the workbooks or diary delivered to your door as you do with full Life + Biz membership.

However, you do get access to the Life Workbook, which you can download and print yourself.

You also don’t get the business and marketing resources/courses.

What Else Is Included

Discounts to various tools and resources for life and business.
Monthly live coaching calls with Leonie, so you can get 1-1 support.
Regular chances to ask Leonie and other team members questions within the Mastermind (live).

Investment

Your investment to join the Shining Academy with Life Access Only is $197, which is less than half the cost of full Biz + Life Membership.

You can also take advantage of a payment plan. If you choose the payment play, you make four payments of $60 each.

Full Shining Biz + Life Academy Membership

Full membership in the Shining Academy includes all of the life resources plus tons of courses and resources to help you start and grow your business.

Business Courses and Resources

Here are some of the business resources and courses that are included in full Shining Biz + Life Academy Membership. To find out more, visit the Shining Academy website by clicking here.

Double Your Business Intensive
Business Goddess 2.o
How to Hire, Grow, and Keep a 6-Figure Team
How to Market Your Business with Videos/YouTube
SEO Masterclass: How to Get to #1 on Google
Woman Breadwinner: How to Make It Work For Your Family
Grow Your Local Bricks & Mortar Business
Create Your Sacred Sales Funnel
Self-Love in Business
Money Manifesting Course
How to Raise Your Rates Mini Workshop
How to Get and Share Testimonials to Grow Your Business
Creating a Website with WordPress
How to Use Masterminds to Accelerate Your Business
The 7 Chakra Business Model
How to Create Your Standard Operating Procedures
6i Success System

You can read more about my experience in the Shining Academy in my Shining Academy Review.

Shining Academy Business Mastermind

Full Academy membership includes access to the Shining Biz Mastermind. Located on Facebook, it’s a very active community. It’s a great place to get accountability and support, find answers to questions, and find new connections and collaborations.

Workbooks, Planners, Diary, Oh My!

When you join at the full membership level, physical copies of the yearly planners and diary, plus calendar and to-do list are included. Shipping is included as well. This is a great perk of full membership.

What Else Is Included

Discounts to various tools and resources for life and business.
Monthly live group coaching calls with Leonie, so you can get help from Leonie.
Regular chances to ask Leonie and other team members questions within the Mastermind (live).

Investment

Investment in the full Biz + Life Academy membership is $497, or 4 payments (back to back) of $140 each.

What About Customer Support?

I love the customer support team at Leonie Dawson International. They are extremely responsive and just plain nice. I’ve never had any problems with my membership, but I have had a few questions here and there.

Customer support team members are just wonderful. I know that if I have any questions or need help with anything related to my membership account, they’re just an email away and will be happy to help. And as you know, that means a ton.

Which Shining Academy Membership Is Right For You?

Shining Academy

Do you love Leonie? She is an inspiring. uplifting, gifted teacher. If you resonate with her and her work, and you have a business you’re growing or one you’re just starting, I highly recommend considering joining the Academy at the full membership level.

You get all of the awesome business resources, plus you get the life resources, AND the physical copies of workbooks and diary will be delivered to you. That is included in the price of membership.

So if you want to get paper workbooks, this is a good way to go.

If you don’t have a business, but you want to transform your life, then Leonie’s Shining Academy Life Access is a fabulous resource and community of like-minded women.

Financially, the Life Access Only membership is less than half the cost of the full membership. However, if you do have a business or need help to start one, the full membership is a great deal. $497 over the course of one year comes out to only about $41 a month. That’s not a lot to invest in your business and life.

Paper copies of the workbooks and diary are not included in life only access, but you can print out your own copy of the life workbook. I started by printing out my first yearly workbook in 2013. It’s a great way to start.

They both have payment plans, which is great.

They both have access to the discounts, which are one great way to save money on other courses and products. There is also an affiliate program which is fantastic, and a great way to easily make back the cost of your membership simply by telling others about the Academy.

If you have a business, then definitely consider the full membership. It’s definitely worth the investment if you will use it. From courses, to meditations, to discounts, to the mastermind, and the yearly planners… It’s a great investment in your business and your life.

Shining Academy Doors Are Closing Soon

Shining Academy Doors Are Closing Soon

Enrollments will close at the end of this month. Whichever membership you choose, make sure to join before the end of September. Doors are closing, and it won’t open again until sometime next year, 2017.

Let Me Show You Around + Presents!

When you join the Academy using my affiliate link, I have some special gifts for you.

1. A group video chat in November to show you around the Academy and get you off to a great start, so you know where everything is, how it works, and where you personally might like to begin. I’ll also share some tips to help you get the most out of your membership, so you can make sure you get the most possible out of it.

2. My upcoming course, The Self-Care Habit Formula, to help you create habits of self-care so you can feel your best and create the life you want. This is a great course that will empower you and help you feel your best so you can create your best life (and business, if you have one).

3. Optional: Mini Class to help you make back your investment through sharing the Leonie Love (being an affiliate).

What about you? Which membership type sounds right for you?

Questions? Just Ask!

I hope you found this article helpful! Please get in touch if you have any questions about either type of membership or which might be right for you. I know it’s an investment, either way. I’m happy to share my experience and answer any questions you have.

Love,
Heather

Leonie Dawson Shining Academy Review

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Here it is, a Shining Academy Review just for you! xo

Leonie Dawson Shining Academy Review
Thinking of joining Leonie Dawson‘s Shining Academy? In this Shining Academy Review, I will share about my own Shining Biz + Life Academy membership experience over the past few years.

I’ll also give you the scoop on everything you need to know to decide if Shining Academy membership is right for you.

Shining Academy Review Overview

My Shining Academy Review will help you learn more about Leonie Dawson and all that Shining Academy membership includes, so you can decide if it’s right for you! Also, it’s always fun to talk about unicorns, mermaids, and empowering women, which this Shining Academy Review most certainly does. So, let’s get started!

Who Is Leonie Dawson?

Leonie Dawson is an inspiring, totally herself, totally woo woo, and self-described hippie mama from Australia. She is also a creative, heart-centered, and super smart entrepreneur.

She went from working in a government office job while selling her artwork and running women’s retreats on the side, to creating a 7-figure business teaching other creative women entrepreneurs how to follow in her footsteps and create the businesses of their dreams.

With an irreverent, quirky sense of humor and a love of colorful language (ie, if you can’t handle the f-bomb used in humor, she’s not for you), Leonie’s fun, devil-may-care, completely honest personality is one thing that makes her stand out from other business teachers.

Loving her family is one of her passions, along with helping other creative women find success in their businesses.

Leonie loves mermaids and unicorns and being honest and real. She has shared so much of her own trials over the years, both in business and in life. For example, during her second pregnancy she shared about her struggle with hyperemesis gravidarum. And more recently she shared about how she was going through a time of not feeling like her creativity was coming to her as it had in the past, and how scary that was. Such honesty and openness is refreshing.

One of my favorite things about Leonie is her huge heart for helping others, and the fact that she lives it out through her actions. Leonie Dawson International supports a number of charitable organizations.

What is the Shining Academy?

So, now that you know a lot about Leonie Dawson, what exactly is the Shining Academy, you ask? The Shining Academy is Leonie’s online membership program for creative entrepreneurs, or for women who want to be creative entrepreneurs.

What Does Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy Membership Include?

The Shining Biz + Life Academy includes ALL of the courses and products Leonie has created and continues to create, every month.

Members of the Shining Academy have access to thousands of dollars worth of business courses, life courses, meditations, recordings of live calls and trainings, and more.

The community, or Mastermind, of Academy members is another awesome perk. There are monthly live calls in which you can ask Leonie questions and get her feedback. Plus her team is active in the community group, answering questions and making sure the group stays positive and supportive.

Shining Academy Membership also includes her life and business workbooks and yearly diary, mailed to you, for free.

I share more about these life-changing workbooks below.

Who Is the Shining Academy For?

The Shining Academy is for you if you…

  • Are a creative woman who would like to start a business or grow your business
  • Would love to be part of a diverse community of creative, heart-centered women from all over the world
  • Like the convenience of having tons of useful resources immediately available to you for use whenever you wish
  • Resonate with Leonie: her warm personality and fun sense of humor, her colorful artwork, and her love for other women and the world
  • Would love to set goals and reach them so you can create the life you desire

If you are a photographer, designer, life coach, shop owner, health coach, or any kind of passionate liver of life who wants to make a living being creative or spiritual or whoever you truly are, the Shining Academy will be a good fit for you.

My Shining Biz + Life Academy Experience

I somehow came across Leonie, maybe through a blog post, and I quickly downloaded her Biz + Blog Star Workshop. I was so inspired by her story that she shared. At this point I was thinking of starting a blog, although it was still a twinkle in my eye.

My first purchase from Leonie was the 2013 Amazing Biz + Life Planner/Workbook. (At that time, the Shining Academy was called the Amazing Biz + Life Academy.) I printed out the pages of the Workbook, filled them in, and put them in a three-ring binder. I LOVED my yearly planner.

In fact, I loved it so much, I’ve been using them ever since, and they’re one of my favorite parts of the Academy.

Then in April of 2014, I decided to join the Shining Academy, and I haven’t looked back.

While I love my planners, my other favorite part of the Academy is the friendships and connections I’ve made there. They have enriched my life beyond measure (as wonderful people do), and they have helped me grow my blog and coaching business.

During the time that I’ve been a member, I have achieved so many of my goals, and I have learned so much. I created this blog, Happiness Mama, and I created The Happiness Mama Podcast. I love being part of the Shining Academy, and for me it has definitely been a worthwhile investment.

My Shining Academy Community

I actually signed up using the affiliate link of a blogger I admired. She later became a mentor and a friend.

Some of my best friends online continue to be friends I’ve made through the Academy. I’m thankful to count as dear friends lovely Academy members from England, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, and across the U.S.

Friends from the Academy have also been wonderful podcast guests, and I have done guest blogging for other Academy members. It’s a great place to meet some amazing women doing amazing work.

Last year I went to Denver for a special Academy live event, and it was wonderful, too.

And I’ve had the opportunity to do other members’ programs for free as a beta tester, and that has been really amazing, too.

Some of My Favorite Academy Courses

Two of my favorite Shining Academy courses are Business Goddess and Radiant Goddess.

While not technically a course, the yearly life + biz planners and the new Diary are among my favorite things about the Academy, and using them has been a great inspiration and support for helping me meet my goals.

Want to check out the other courses, trainings, resources, and meditations that are included in the Shining Biz + Life Academy membership? Cool! You can click here to see the curriculum in greater depth.

Should You Join Leonie Dawson’s Shining Academy?

If you are a creative, heart-centered entrepreneur or you want to be, Leonie Dawson and the Shining Biz + Life Academy are definitely worth considering. It is a treasure trove of support, community, and practical knowledge to help you grow your life and your business.

Leonie Dawson started the Shining Biz + Life Academy in 2010. While starting a family and working just part-time hours, from home, Leonie has grown the business to $3 million. She has been a finalist for Ausmumpreneur of the Year and Australian Business Woman of the Year. And she donates significant amounts of money to people around the world who are in need. For example, they recently built a school in Kenya!

It is an investment, it’s true. If you are at a place where you feel ready to invest in yourself, your business, and your life, then this investment will be worth it. You can click here to read all about the Shining Academy and tons of testimonials from happy members.

The Shining Biz + Life Academy will be closing its doors to new members at the end of September. If you feel called and ready to join, now’s the time. Doors won’t be opening again until sometime in 2017. So now’s the time to make it happen!

Shining Academy Review Questions

I hope you found this Shining Academy Review to be helpful. If you have any questions about the Shining Biz + Life Academy, I will be happy to answer them. Feel free to share them in the comments below. You can also send me an email at heather (at) happinessmama (dot) com, or join me in the Happiness Mama Community to chat and meet other like-minded mamas.

I’m passionate about helping creative mompreneurs to create the lives they most desire while being the moms they want to be. And I know that if the Shining Academy resonates with you, and you decide the time is right to jump in and make the life and business of your dreams real, then it’s a no brainer.

Join The Shining Academy & Get Free Coaching and Goodies From Moi

Has this Shining Academy Review helped you decide that the Shining Biz + Life Academy is for you? If so, I have some bonuses for you!

For everyone who joins with my affiliate link (as long as you click on one of the links in this article, you should be covered), I will help you get started and get the most out of your Shining Academy Membership with a free group coaching call in early November, as well as a copy of my upcoming book.

It’s about creating the self-care habit, even (and especially!) as a busy mom and entrepreneur. You deserve happiness, as well as a thriving business. So let’s do this!

Create Your Shining Year 2016 Planner GIVEAWAY

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Happiness Mama Giveaway

As moms it can be challenging to make time for ourselves, our goals, and our dreams, but it’s so worth it. I’ve been using the Create Your Shining Year in Life Workbook for the past few years, and now I’m giving one away!

In case you’re not familiar with the Create Your Shining Year in Life workbook, it is an awesome tool for creating the life you want.

Why I Love It So

  • It is beautiful, colorful, uplifting, and fun!
  • Using my planner for the past three years has helped me meet so many goals, such as starting this blog, becoming a mama bliss coach, finding more time for creativity and self-care, creating new habits and strengthening old ones, and so much more!
  • Using the Life Planner is a great way to get clear on what I want to create in my life in all areas, as well as keeping my goals fresh in my mind so I can move toward them.

The Giveaway!

Update on April 10, 2016: The giveaway is finished!

Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner is Laura! Congratulations!

If you would like to buy your own copy, the digital version is only $9.95 (and it’s the only option right now in the Americas, since print copies are sold out).

View the Life Planner   Happiness Mama Giveaway

This year I purchased an extra copy of the Life Workbook just so I could share it with one of my readers. I love using them so much and am so happy to give a copy to one lucky reader.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Make sure you’re on my email list. (You’ll also get a free copy of my Self-Care Workbook!) Sign up in the box below, or in the gray box on the top right, or click here to sign up.

2. Give a short answer in the comments below: What is the area of life you’re most excited about making positive changes to?

That’s it! I hope you win!

For Extra Entries…

These are optional but will increase your chances of winning!

3. Share this giveaway on social media. Let me know in the comments where you have shared it! You’ll get an extra entry for each share.

4. Answer this question in the comments below: “What is your favorite feature of the 2016 Create Your Shining Year in Life Workbook?” (First click here to visit Leonie’s beautiful website to see all the shiny wonderfulness and special features. There’s even a video you can watch.)

5. Hop on the phone with me for 15 to 30 minutes so I can pick your brain (gently! ha ha) about your struggles, desires, etc. Worth 5 extra entries!!!

Life Workbook Features

The Details

The Giveaway will go until April 9, 2016. Make sure to enter by then and share with your friends! On April 10 I will announce the winner here and email her directly. Make sure to respond within a week! I know you’ll want to get started using it as soon as possible. :)

(Note that if you win, I will need your mailing address in order to mail it out to you, as this is a print copy. There just might be an extra little surprise in there, too!)

Value: This printed copy of Leonie Dawson’s 2016 Life Goals Workbook is priced at $21.95. If you win, it’s yours for free! (including shipping!)

It’s powerful (and fun!). Do it!

Every day is a great day to create a life you love.Click To Tweet

Good luck, everyone!

Love Heather

This post contains an affiliate link. I love and use these products and can’t recommend them highly enough!

Jenn Sher: Awakening through Mixed Media Art 06

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Happiness Mama Podcast, Episode 6

Jenn Sher, mom to three girls, is an amazingly talented mixed media artist and blogger. In this episode, Jenn and I talk about her recent dive into mixed media art, and she has great advice for other moms who are interesting in getting started with it. She also shares how she and her husband got fit, gained energy, and together lost 73 pounds, in 12 weeks! Jenn also shares her word of the year and what it means to her. I loved talking with Jenn, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This is the first episode of Season 2 of The Happiness Mama Podcast, which is focusing on Self-Care! A new episode will be released twice a month, so stay tuned! Enjoy…

Highlights of Our Conversation:

  • Journalling
  • How she got into mixed media art
  • Advice for moms who are new to mixed media art
  • How she and her husband got fit, lost weight, and gained energy, in just 12 weeks
  • How Jenn prepares healthy meals AND saves time
  • Her secret to getting voluntary help in the kitchen
  • Word of the year and what it means to her
  • Her special free offer of an Andy Warhol-inspired custom portrait (!)
Jenn Sher Artwork
Artwork by Jenn Sher

Quotes from This Episode by Jenn Sher:

  • “I want to show people that if you take steps, you can do it.”
  • “Take yourself out of the whole chaos or just the regular routine, and do something that [makes] you feel like a child.”

Links and Books Mentioned In This Episode:

Spread the Word:

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes or Stitcher and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe. More ratings and reviews can lead to more eyes and ears seeing and hearing the podcast. Thank you!

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

Click here to subscribe via iTunes
Click here to subscribe via RSS
Click here to subscribe via Stitcher

Stay in Touch:

Never miss an episode!

Click here to get the Happiness Mama Newsletter and your free gift, The Self-Care Workbook, with a self-care assessment and over 50 specific ways to add more self-care to your life, so you can feel AMAZING.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you be a little bit happier, and remember, self-care is not selfish, it’s essential.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means at no cost to you, I may receive a commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting the podcast!

Kris Baker Dersch: Flash Fiction, Podcasting, and the Productive Struggle 05

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Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 5 with Kris Baker Dersch

Highlights of Our Conversation:

  • Favorite children’s books and authors
  • How she got into writing when her son was a year old
  • What exactly is flash fiction?
  • Her inspiration to start her podcast
  • Her experiences with NaNoWriMo
  • The great thing about being the editor of your own podcast
  • Her Christmas serial in December, a fanciful trip to the North Pole at Christmas
  • How and why she podcasts while having a toddler
  • Keeps her energy up for the things she has to do
  • “Writing time” for our kids
  • Starting out part time…
  • “You kind of wake up one morning and realize you’re running out of somedays, and if you’re gonna do this, you might as well start now.”
  • Ira Glass on creativity…
  • Doing the work to get better
  • Permission to suck, practicing for the time we won’t suck
  • Advice from a Native American basket weaver that she’s never forgotten
  • The value of “productive struggle” and why it’s good to make mistakes
  • How are culture is hard on moms
  • Starting a blog or podcast when others don’t totally get it
  • “You can’t get discouraged by the numbers… If it’s not worth it to you to do for you, then it’s not gonna be worth it because you’re not going to get a huge audience and you’re not gonna get all that right away.”
  • What drew her to podcasts and why she became even more into them when her baby was little
  • How we listen to podcasts
  • The surprising criteria she uses to judge other podcasts
  • Too many podcasts, too little time…
  • Her main goal in podcasting
  • New show idea! Women Belong in Baseball
  • Three great pieces of advice for other moms: find your village, trust your instincts, & find moments of joy and creativity in the mundane
  • The hardest part of the SAHM gig
  • Embracing the “verb” of homemaking

Quotes from This Episode by Kris Baker Dersch:

  • “You will fit in what you make a priority.”
  • “Stop listening to the negative.”
  • “There’s something to be said for just doing it.”
  • “It’s nice to not know everything; it’s nice to learn by doing.”
  • “Just do a paragraph. Just do a page.”
  • “Some days, some months, it just doesn’t happen.”

Links and Books Mentioned In This Episode:

Spread the Word:

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe. (More ratings and reviews can lead to more eyes and ears seeing and hearing the podcast.) Thank you!

How to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

Stay in Touch:

Never miss an episode!

Click here to get the Happiness Mama Newsletter and your free gift.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you be a little bit happier, and helps you go from striving to thriving!
Love,
Heather