I've been quiet online for the past few months while very actively imagining, researching and preparing to launch my new business, Dame Good Digital. And it's almost ready! So, here´s my first post for my new blog, Dame Good Diary.
I launched my first digital course back in 2003.
Google was only five years old.
Facebook wouldn't launch for another year.
Twitter and YouTube wouldn't go live until 2006.
I had ZERO background in tech.
NO marketing or publicity training.
And I had a topic that barely registered on Google Search.
But I had an idea I just couldn't shake.
You see, when I was 15, I was in a devastating car accident.
As a way to cope, someone reached out to teach me how to meditate.
But, being young, impatient, and in despair, meditating was hard for me.
So, I turned mindfulness into a fun game I couldn´t wait to play.
I chose cues around my home and property to serve as reminders for me to pop into mindfulness mode. Pretty soon, I had so many cues that I couldn´t go ten minutes without returning to being present.
I got good at it. It made me feel calm, clear, and creative.
And, eventually, I felt better. I became happy.
Years passed. It was 2003. I was married with four teenage daughters.
Being around them reminded me so much of my own past, especially the accident.
And I was also struggling with new grief from the loss of two of my brothers to suicide within five years at the ages of 39 and 45.
I doubled-down on my mindfulness practice.
And I started to think that my little mindfulness game might help someone else who was suffering.
So, despite being completely clueless about the process involved, I committed to creating a simple course to teach others how to play with mindfulness.
I did not have high hopes.
But three months after I launched my course, something amazing happened.
An article, "The Science of Meditation", made the cover of TIME magazine.
Mindfulness was mentioned. Overnight, it became a buzzword.
Thanks to my intuitive timing, my course, and my weekly newsletter, I was able to teach thousands of people in over 100 countries how to get calm, clear, and creative.
My playful, eyes-wide-open approach to mindfulness was featured in over 150 print publications around the world, from Weight Watchers to WIRED, MORE to Men's Health, Parents to Penthouse!
So, that's how I got started with online courses.
Fast forward to 2020. When the pandemic hit, I wanted to help women over 50 (my favorite group!) who were struggling with closures, job losses, and income insecurity.
I reached out to my network, and right away, I had a long list of women wanting my help as they navigated tricky transitions, including starting new businesses and non-profit organizations as well as other creative projects.
Now, at the time, these women were not interested in starting a course. That seemed like a detour!
But I saw that everyone was home and online. Physical businesses still faced limitations due to lockdowns and distancing.
It was a perfect time to sell a digital course!
At first, these women were resistant, but once a few of them started successfully, everyone else wanted to try it, too.
Over the next three years, I helped women over 50 in 18 countries create and launch their first digital courses.
It was thrilling to see how they had changed their lives from a simple course they created!
And it was so much fun for all of us that I decided to start Dame Good Digital
to focus on offering my courses and coaching to help women over 50
create & sell their visionary courses.
You see, I truly believe that the world would be a more compassionate place if more women over 50 shared their wisdom, perspectives, and stories so others could learn from them.
So, here I am at 63, putting myself in start-up mode once again!
New blog, new website, new courses, and brand new social media accounts with 0 followers.
It's daunting but exhilarating, and I invite you to come along on this ride with me!
I'll be posting here regularly and sending weekly tips, stories, and love in my newsletter, the Dame Good Digest.
You can subscribe here