2023 AusMumpreneur Wrap-up:
This year, I was fortunate to attend the AusMumpreneur conference and awards ceremony at Dockside, Sydney. The 3-day conference commenced on Tuesday 22nd, finishing with the awards ceremony on Thursday night, 24th. Although I didn’t make it to Sydney until halfway through day 2 (due to family commitments back home), I gained so much valuable knowledge and insights into some of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs. Here are some of the stand-out tips I took away from the conference…
“Motion creates emotion.” Tiffany Hall, The Business Black Belt
“Bounce forward, not back.” Tiffany Hall, The Business Black Belt
“Turn ‘it’s impossible’ to ‘I can learn how’.” Leonie Dawson, How I’ve Sold $10M in 10hrs a week.
Leonie Dawson (2nd from left) pictured with me, Hannah Boon, Sandy Davies and Nicola Baker.
“Why the fuck not me?”
“If something’s not serving you, let it go.”
“Delegate what doesn’t make you money so that you can make money.”
“Celebrate the little wins.”
“Your vibe will attract your tribe.”
My FNQ represent crew: (me), Nicola Baker, Sandy Davies, Christine Foudoulis, and Hannah Boon.
With over 2,500 entries into the 2023 AusMumpreneur awards, it was an absolute honour to be named as a finalist. My category, Author of the Year, boasted 11 finalists. In being named a finalist for the 2nd year in a row, I have learnt that connection is everything. Whether I took home the trophy or not didn’t change the opportunity these awards presented me; a chance to meet and mingle with my peers and industry heavy-weights. Being there in person this year gave me the opportunity to put faces to names, and social media profiles and further develop relationships. For this, I feel very fulfilled.
As an owner of a business situated a reaaaaallllllly long way from the city and many of my fellow finalists, it felt incredible to be seen and heard. The 2023 AusMumpreneur Awards have once again reminded me that I am valued and worthy of recognition.
For those of you who are interested, I feel it’s important for me to share my acceptance speech. It was written with hope but also doubt, feeling overwhelmed by the awesomeness of my fellow finalists. I didn’t take home a win this year, but my gratitude and teachings remain the same…
Pictured: (me) and Amy Aqualini. Amy and I finally met in person after chatting online for some time. I can't wait to see how our crossed paths will help us both personally and professionally.
Only 3 years ago, my life revolved around my critically ill son. It’s an absolutely incredible honour to stand here as an advocate for survival and a mother who has overcome the worst kind of trauma – the very real threat of losing a child.
In 2021, I wrote a book about my son, called ‘Boy of Steel’ and my life changed forever. It won me awards and recognition and brought me great joy to know that it was helping other families like mine.
From the realisation that my story and survival had the power to help others, I began searching for my passion and purpose.
As a self-published author, I quickly realised that many talented writers weren’t sharing their stories simply because they hadn’t been able to secure a book deal. That their feelings of rejection and disappointment were overshadowing their will to find the courage to keep their publishing dreams alive.
My company, Bowerbird Publishing, was born in 2021 to provide solutions to this problem. I took my skill set and abilities, both professional and personal, to help writers tell their stories. In a dog-eat-dog world, I give writers the confidence to celebrate their achievements.
Today, I remain a mum and fierce advocate for my family and business. As a mum of a brain cancer warrior, I understand the immense struggle of other cancer families, surviving or not. As an author and publisher, I use my knowledge and experience to empower others to share their story. Our lives are created to be shared and inspired. Through writing and publishing stories, I find peace and hope for the future.
I’d like to thank Ausmumpreneur founders Peace Mitchell and Katy Garner for this incredible opportunity. To the awards sponsors and judges, thank you for believing in me and listening to my story. To my family and mentors, thank you for loving me and cheering me on, every step of the way.
I hope my journey through authorship and then publishing helps you to believe that you too, can do anything you set your mind to. I face challenges daily, but I rise by lifting others up (thanks Peace & Katy for the tagline ;). To read more about my story, check out my other blogs. To read my books, head to my online bookshop www.crystalleonardi.com/bookshop
Boy of Steel, Little Sebastian’s Big Miracle
My Brother Sebastian, Explaining Cancer to Kids
6 Steps to Self-publishing with Crystal Leonardi
You can also follow me on social media;
Facebook: Bowerbird Publishing – Crystal Leonardi
Instagram: Bowerbird Publishing