MEET OUR FOUNDER, DEB DONNELL
Hello and thanks for taking the time to learn whether we are a good fit for each other. So, I'm going to share a little about me, and why I founded KESWiN™ Academy.
In 2003 I had a vision that one day I'd create a safe online network for people like you. In short, my goal was to guide individuals to discover the treasure hidden within them, then share it through passion-based businesses. However, at the time, I didn't believe I had the skill-sets or expertise to mentor others. Nor did I have the capital for the technology to build the online platform I wanted.
Therefore, I have dedicated my life to this mission since then. As a result, I developed the KESWiN™ Entrepreneurship System, and the Diamond Publishing System™. More importantly, I have created a solid framework which makes the Transformative Journey easier and affordable for you.
Consequently, I have over 20 years experience in personal development, publishing, online marketing, and web-development. KESWiN™ Academy is the result of my commitment to achieving my 2003 vision.
Gen-X Girl with a Non-Traditional Dream
My journey really started in childhood. I'm the introverted Gen-X Dreamer in the family. My siblings are all Baby Boomers and my parents are born in the Traditional/Silent Generation. Around the age of ten, I decided I wanted to be a published author when I grew up. However, I was told to get a nice safe job, find a husband, and raise a family. That's the advice most Gen-X and Baby Boomer girls were given, right?
So, my working life started out in New Zealand's banking industry in the late 1980s. It was one of the safest jobs I could find. Unfortunately, it didn't make my heart sing. So, after four years, I quite and traveled to the United Kingdom for two years. This Overseas Experience (OE) is pretty much a rite of passage for young adults in New Zealand. Once in the UK, I found a job working in publishing. I loved every moment of it. Unfortunately, I had to return to New Zealand after two years, and ended up working in banking again. But after six years, I'd had enough. So, in 1999, I left banking to pursue my dream of becoming a published author and helping people to transform their lives. In order to support myself, I worked in my parents' jewelry business, and worked on my dream in my spare time.
Rebel with a Strong Purpose
Fast forward to 2009. After graduating from an online marketing mentoring program, I co-founded the first version of KESWIN™ Academy. Together with my US based business partner, we coached small groups of members in our online training academy. First, we helped them to identify a profitable niche through keyword and market research. Next, they built a self-hosted WordPress website, and set up social media pages. Then, I taught them how to write, edit, and publish original, quality content. Following this, they shared the content and marketed their services and affiliate products. As a result, they began earning income from their online, home-based businesses.
This was still pioneer days of digital marketing. However, we understood the importance of publishing original, quality content in order to rank well with both search engine and human visitors. We walked our talk, and proved it would work with our own successes. We were guest speakers at a live event in Portland, Oregon, USA. By late 2010, our business was ready to scale up. I was on track to achieve my goals set in 2003.
Then Everything Fell Apart
Just like in the Hero's Journey, an unwelcome challenge tested my commitment and resolve to my mission. Unfortunately, a violent earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand in February 2011. At the time, I was working in my parents' jewellery store, right in the middle of the CBD. Buildings collapsed around us. People died, or suffered debilitating crush injuries. Somehow, my parents, co-worker and I escaped unscathed. However, the impact on my offline world was enormous. As a result, I had to temporarily resign from the online academy. Consequently, without my involvement, my US based partner closed the academy down a few months later.
Having a Strong Purpose Helped Me Survive
The loss of everything that had meaning to me almost broke my heart. However, I refused to give up. Although the earthquake shunted me onto an eight year detour, I was determined to rise from the rubble. Therefore, while rebuilding my offline world, I continued to work on my dream and fill in gaps in my KESWiN™. More importantly, I used my skill-sets to help the crush injured survivors, and some of the rescuers tell their stories.
Some of the successes I had included:
- Volunteering with the Christchurch Earthquake Survivors Trust Charity to raise funds online.
- Co-authoring a book to share the New Zealand Response Teams' Christchurch Earthquake Deployments story.
- Independently publishing several best-selling books on the Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquakes and ongoing rebuild.
- Mentoring solo-business owners to self-publish books, and providing Web Development and Content Marketing Services to clients.
- Completing my Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Diamonds Diploma—this means I can identify, grade and value natural diamonds*; and
- Studying NLP** to deal with my earthquake trauma, learn how to run my own brain, and guide others through their personal development journey.
* You may be wondering what natural diamonds have to do with identifying what makes your heart sing. I based my Diamond Publishing System™ on the journey natural diamonds make from creation through to being set into and sold as a fine jewelry item. I also use the metaphor of diamonds for the undiscovered treasure you have buried and hidden deep inside of you.
** NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming, which is a geeky way of describing a branch of self-actualisation psychology which is a powerful personal development tool. I qualified as a NLP Master Practioner (IANLP) in 2018.
Release Your Trapped Diamonds and Unleash Your Potential
KESWIN™ Academy is Version 3.0 of my 2003 vision (V 2.0 was Writing Diamonds Academy which ran from 2013 through to 2018). This time, I am the sole-coach, trainer, and mentor - for now. I have some support crew, and from time to time, guest experts may present training material. However, I want to keep member numbers small so I can give you the personal attention you need to succeed. Consequently, I'm very excited about having the opportunity to mentor you, and hope that you decide to join the Academy.
Most importantly, when you become a member, I welcome your feedback. One of my values is mutual empowerment. Specifically, when my mentoring empowers you to release your trapped diamonds and grow to your full potential, it also helps me grow too. Therefore, I'm looking forward to guiding and supporting you on your Transformative Journey.
Be the Hero of Your Story
Deb Donnell
“I am grateful that Deb took the time to show me how to write diamonds. Because I do believe within all of us there are diamonds that need to be put down on paper. Moreover, when they are inside of us, nobody sees or hears them. And just to think I almost didn’t take this course! What a loss I would have experienced. As I write every day I feel a sense of who I am and who I might become. Keep those diamonds coming; there are many of us who need them.”
Greg Gust, USA
“Deb has helped me improve my writing skills tremendously. Now, I not only have the confidence to sit and write. But I also have the basic ability to communicate intelligibly while delivering some real value. This was a skill that was well beyond me prior to becoming a member.”
Tom Renfro, USA
“Since joining the Academy, I’ve accomplished more and written more than I did before. Firstly, this is a supportive environment. Secondly, I have peers helping me gauge where I am in the training. As a result, I receive help when I need it. And we bounce ideas off each other. Finally, the knowledgeable trainers and coaches guide us through the Internet business maze. Most importantly, they demonstrate that they actually do care about us achieving our goals.”
Felicia Waren, USA
“The Academy is a safe environment, where I feel I can be myself and ask questions, or offer my ideas. I have a support system of honest, genuine, like-minded people from around the world, who don’t think I’m crazy or stupid to try something different. The training is broken down into small parts, so I can tackle a bit at a time. I have learned both fundamental techniques, and others that I would call advanced. Material is up-to-date and presented in an understandable format. It is so great to have people helping people succeed.”
Kris Newland, USA
“The training is a lot more dialogue than presentation. It has helped me transition from learning mode to doing mode. The modules in writing, market research, blogging and business management have been both instructional and hands-on practice. Even though I’m building my own business, I’m not doing it alone. I’m part of a community of people with similar goals. I find plenty of encouragement, peer support, and camaraderie within the network. The result-oriented leaders have high ethical standards, are knowledgeable, current, even cutting edge, and most of all, accessible.”
Bob Young, USA
Get Instant Access to KESWIN™ Academy
If you're ready to take your Transformative Journey to the next level by enrolling with KESWIN™ Academy, simply choose your preferred membership option below and click the button to join us...
- PQ LIBRARY
$9.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONAccess our PQ Content Library to pick and choose the topics and content you need, when you need itOn Demand LearningPQ Content LibraryHelpful ArticlesCustomizable Quest MapTopic Specific Short CoursesUseful DownloadsVanishing ReportsNew Content Every WeekPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back Guarantee - SI COMMUNITY$49.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONJoin our friendly SI Community for networking and support with other members, our founder Deb Donnell, and our KATs (success team)OUR MOST POPULAR LEVELALL PQ LIBRARY FEATURES PLUSAdvanced Training and SupportProgressive Modular In-Depth CoursesKESWIN™ Entrepreneurship SystemDeb Donnell's Diamond Publishing System™Interactive Online CommunityDirect Access to our KATsMonthly Live Q&A SessionsBonus Events and ContentPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back GuaranteeLIMITED TO 200 MEMBERSPOPULAR
- VS GROUP COACHING
$199.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONEnjoy close fellowship and support on your Heroic Quests with 20 like-minded individuals, and our Founder, Deb DonnellALL SI COMMUNITY FEATURES PLUSWeekly Interactive Group Coaching90 minute Online WorkshopsLaser Focused on Your SuccessConstructive Feedback & AccountabilityGroup Activities | Individual AssignmentsProgressive Learning at Easy PaceTailored groups for mutual needs, skill levels, and time zonesPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back GuaranteeLIMITED TO 20 MEMBERS
All prices are in US Dollars, and are processed through Stripe payment gateway as recurring monthly subscriptions.
You probably think it's odd that we are trying to talk you OUT of becoming a member - but if we're not a right fit, then no-one is going to benefit. We truly want to see you succeed, but as with any Transformative Journey, it's up to you to do your due diligence and take the action steps required to get the results you desire. And, that starts by making sure KESWIN™ Academy is right for you before you join.
When you join as a member, you will not only agree to our Membership Terms and Conditions, our Policies and Procedures, but also our Membership Promise:
“Writing challenges me. Therefore, I love the videos. I can stop them and move at my own pace. As a result, I get a better understanding. Also, the people are great! I am forming solid relationships. Best of all, I can get help from my peers as well as the trainers. Due to being a member, I have learned a lot about online marketing.”
Heather Hansen, Canada
“I’ve had a really good time as a member. I’ve learned about effective market research tools and business organization skills. Moreover, I built blogs, wrote articles and I now understand copyright information. Also, we set up social networks and used them as part of the strategy for successful soft marketing. Additionally, mastered a few technical skills, including how to set up a marketing funnel online. The list goes on! Consequently, being part of a small group provides an awesome learning environment where we can all find help, and help others too. We occasionally just socialize and have fun too. I’ve made some awesome friendships inside the Academy.”
Barb Schacher, USA
“This is different to most typical training programs where you buy and listen to the training. One of the key differences is that learning and doing is incorporated into the program. There is a lot of interaction between members and trainers. As a result, you can ask questions. In addition, the people behind it have a genuine go-getter attitude. The material is never stale—it’s always cutting edge, and that’s fantastic. I feel pretty lucky to have been a part of the Academy. It’s not easy—it takes work. But it’s a great experience. Certainly, I recommend it to people looking to build an authoritative online presence.”
Dennis Roberts, USA
“The training is a lot more dialogue than presentation. It has helped me transition from learning mode to doing mode. The modules in writing, market research, blogging and business management have been both instructional and hands-on practice. Even though I’m building my own business, I’m not doing it alone. I’m part of a community of people with similar goals. I find plenty of encouragement, peer support, and camaraderie within the network. The result-oriented leaders have high ethical standards, are knowledgeable, current, even cutting edge, and most of all, accessible.”
Bob Young, USA
“The Academy provides low-cost, state-of-the-art training. First of all, I have a road map to follow. Also, people I can connect with. In addition, the trainers are genuinely there for us. Furthermore, they give 120% to ensure we all succeed. They are helping us create businesses that are genuine and legitimate. There is no hype or in your face tactics. This training is so different to anything I’ve experienced before.”
Claire Newell, New Zealand
Get Instant Access to KESWIN™ Academy
If you're ready to take your Transformative Journey to the next level by enrolling with KESWIN™ Academy, simply choose your preferred membership option below and click the button to join us...
- PQ LIBRARY$9.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONAccess our PQ Content Library to pick and choose the topics and content you need, when you need itOn Demand LearningPQ Content LibraryHelpful ArticlesCustomizable Quest MapTopic Specific Short CoursesUseful DownloadsVanishing ReportsNew Content Every WeekPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back Guarantee
- SI COMMUNITY$49.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONJoin our friendly SI Community for networking and support with other members, our founder Deb Donnell, and our KATs (success team)OUR MOST POPULAR LEVELALL PQ LIBRARY FEATURES PLUSAdvanced Training and SupportProgressive Modular In-Depth CoursesKESWIN™ Entrepreneurship SystemDeb Donnell's Diamond Publishing System™Interactive Online CommunityDirect Access to our KATsMonthly Live Q&A SessionsBonus Events and ContentPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back GuaranteeLIMITED TO 200 MEMBERSPOPULAR
- VS GROUP COACHING$199.00MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONEnjoy close fellowship and support on your Heroic Quests with 20 like-minded individuals, and our Founder, Deb DonnellALL SI COMMUNITY FEATURES PLUSWeekly Interactive Group Coaching90 minute Online WorkshopsLaser Focused on Your SuccessConstructive Feedback & AccountabilityGroup Activities | Individual AssignmentsProgressive Learning at Easy PaceTailored groups for mutual needs, skill levels, and time zonesPeace of Mind 30 Day Money Back GuaranteeLIMITED TO 20 MEMBERS
All prices are in US Dollars, and are processed through Stripe payment gateway as recurring monthly subscriptions.