What The Shine Project does

The Shine Project is a Nashville-based, founder-owned personal brand business operated by Ashley LeMieux, a credentialed grief expert (MS in Grief and Bereavement). Founded in 2011, the company targets women experiencing grief, loss, and difficult life transitions, offering a multi-product ecosystem including two bestselling books ("Born to Shine" memoir and "I Am Here"), a trademarked ClarityMap™ planning methodology, online courses, a subscription-based Healing Her membership community, application-based business coaching, the "Healing Her" podcast, workshops, and free downloadable resources. The core technology consists of an online content platform with digital course delivery and membership infrastructure, with ClarityMap™ serving as the unifying framework across offerings.

The business operates a community-led go-to-market strategy, using the founder's personal brand and decade-long online community to drive product adoption. Top-of-funnel acquisition is generated through blog content, free resources (including a free ClarityMap™ download and a "Healing Code" quiz), Instagram (@ashleyklemieux), the podcast, and earned media coverage in outlets such as Health.com, Entrepreneur, Cafe Mom, New York Post, and Daily Mail. An email newsletter serves as a mid-funnel relationship-building tool, described as a "special sisterhood," feeding conversions into paid offerings.

Revenue is generated across five streams: one-time book sales (via Amazon), one-time course purchases, recurring membership subscriptions, professional services coaching fees, and podcast advertising/sponsorship value. Pricing is not publicly disclosed for courses or membership. There is no evidence of external investment, institutional funding, or subsidiary structure; Ashley LeMieux maintains full ownership and operational control.

Name

The Shine Project

Website

https://theshineproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Shine Project is a founder-owned personal brand business by grief expert Ashley LeMieux, offering books, a trademarked ClarityMap™ methodology, courses, membership community, coaching, and a podcast for women navigating grief and life transitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Development and Grief Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Wellbeing Digital Curriculum (EDAFACAM)

Keywords

• Grief support resources
• Personal development courses
• Women's coaching services
• Online community membership
• Self-help publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Published Books: Sale of authored books including 'Born to Shine' memoir and 'I Am Here' which uses ClarityMap™ methodology. Sold through Amazon and potentially other retail channels.
2. Online Courses: Digital educational programs delivered through the website. Enrollments appear to be self-serve through the courses page.
3. Membership Community: Subscription-based community access providing exclusive content and ongoing support for women in the healing journey. Includes member login functionality.
4. Business Coaching: One-on-one entrepreneurial coaching services offered by Ashley LeMieux, requiring an application process. Tailored guidance for business strategy and growth.
5. Podcast: 'Healing Her' podcast generating audience engagement and brand awareness, potentially with sponsorship or listener acquisition value.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Shine Project sells a portfolio of personal development and grief-support products and services aimed at women navigating grief, loss, and difficult life transitions. Its core offerings include published books ("Born to Shine" memoir and "I Am Here"), a subscription membership community ("Healing Her"), online courses, one-on-one business coaching, workshops, and a podcast, all built around the founder Ashley LeMieux's proprietary ClarityMap™ methodology.

Product overview

The Shine Project, founded by grief expert Ashley LeMieux, offers a holistic ecosystem of products and services focused on personal healing and women's empowerment. The core portfolio includes two bestselling books ('Born to Shine' memoir and 'I Am Here'), a proprietary self-assessment tool (ClarityMap™), a membership community (Healing Her), educational courses, business coaching services, a podcast (Healing Her), workshops, and free downloadable resources. These offerings work together to provide women with a comprehensive support system for navigating grief, difficult life transitions, and personal transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Healing Her Podcast: Podcast focused on healing and personal growth for women

Products and services

• I Am Here A book by Ashley LeMieux that uses the ClarityMap™ ("Clarity Mapping") methodology to walk women through setting intentions, understanding their worthiness, identifying what no longer serves them, and discovering their truest self, with the goal of reframing thoughts, reimagining life, and reclaiming power.
• Born to Shine A bestselling memoir by Ashley LeMieux chronicling her personal journey of healing and transformation, used as a foundational text for the broader Shine Project community.
• Online Courses Self-serve online educational programs for women that teach tools and strategies for healing, personal growth, and transformation, accessible through the website's courses page.
• Healing Her Community Membership A subscription-based online community for women that provides exclusive content, weekly newsletters, resources, and ongoing support for navigating grief and difficult life seasons.
• Business Coaching with Ashley One-on-one entrepreneurial coaching services offered by Ashley LeMieux through an application-based intake, providing tailored guidance to elevate business strategy, drive sustainable growth, and unlock success for individual clients.
• Healing Her Podcast A podcast hosted by Ashley LeMieux focused on helping women navigate grief, difficult life experiences, and personal transformation, available through standard podcast channels.
• Workshops Interactive in-person or virtual workshop sessions for women to learn healing practices and connect with the broader Shine Project community.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rachel Hollis: Rachel Hollis built a women's personal development brand spanning bestselling books (Girl, Wash Your Face), online courses, live events, and a membership community — a near-identical multi-product personal brand ecosystem targeting women.
• Brooke Castillo (The Life Coach School): Brooke Castillo built a coaching empire around self-development courses, a podcast, and a high-ticket coaching network for women — a parallel business model built on personal brand, courses, and recurring membership.
• Brené Brown: Brené Brown sells research-backed books, courses, workshops, and a podcast on vulnerability, shame, and healing — overlapping with The Shine Project's emotional healing and personal transformation focus, with a much larger scale.
• Elizabeth Gilbert: Elizabeth Gilbert sells bestselling self-development books alongside workshops, retreats, and online courses for women navigating life transitions — comparable positioning around personal transformation journeys.
• Chalene Johnson: Chalene Johnson runs a women's personal brand spanning fitness/wellness courses, books, a podcast, and membership programs — directly comparable product mix and direct-to-consumer funnel.
• Refuge in Grief (Megan Devine): Megan Devine runs a grief-focused platform offering books, courses, and community resources for people navigating loss — the most direct competitor to The Shine Project's grief and bereavement focus, with a similar content-and-community business model.
• Amy Porterfield: Amy Porterfield sells online courses, a membership (Marketing Made Simple), and coaching programs to women entrepreneurs through a podcast-led community GTM — a structurally identical business model to The Shine Project.
• Jenna Kutcher: Jenna Kutcher operates a personal brand business with online courses, a podcast, a membership, and digital products aimed at women entrepreneurs — directly comparable in GTM motion, funnel architecture, and audience.
• Marie Forleo: Marie Forleo's brand combines a bestselling book, flagship course (B-School), a TV show, podcast, and community for women — comparable multi-stream monetization and audience focus.

Emerging players

• Tiny Buddha: Tiny Buddha is a blog and community publishing personal development content with courses and books; comparable in targeting women seeking emotional wellbeing and self-improvement, though broader than grief-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ashleyklemieux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shine-scholarship-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Shine Project