How Children's Books Teach Boundaries and Confidence (Why It Matters Today)

<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:26</time>
<p>Foreign.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:33</time>
<p>Lessons from the Future Storm the Empowered</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:04:35</time>
<p>Empath Dina, thanks for appearing on the Adventures in the Power of Children's Book Authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:04:41</time>
<p>Dina has mentioned she's written Lessons from the Future Storm the Empowered Empath, and I look forward to our conversations.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:04:50</time>
<p>Before we jump into the details of your book, Dina, if you could tell us what it means to you being a children's book author.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:00</time>
<p>When I think of being a children's book author, I think of impact and I think about the motive for me even writing a children's book.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:09</time>
<p>That was my goal.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:05:11</time>
<p>When you say impact, break that down more for us.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:14</time>
<p>Think of my own life experience and my journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:17</time>
<p>And as my book is basically like my autobiography with a twist I have learned on my journey with navigating emotions and setting boundaries, I felt that kids needed to have a head start with that because I know as an adult these type of things can have physical impacts on you and emotional impacts.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:41</time>
<p>And I was thought to myself, if I wrote a book, a story, I think stories are very effective in teaching lessons for me, I thought I can make an impact on this younger generation.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:05:53</time>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:05:54</time>
<p>I've read your book and like you said, it is almost like your autobiography.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:06:00</time>
<p>Tell us more about the inspiration behind your book.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:04</time>
<p>Growing up, I was an empath.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:06</time>
<p>I didn't realize it, but I did absorb the emotions of people around me and that was quite heavy at times.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:14</time>
<p>And as an adult, same thing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:15</time>
<p>And it got worse.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:16</time>
<p>And so I had pretty much a big breakdown realizing, whoa, you're carrying too much and none of it is yours.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:24</time>
<p>And I realized I needed to make changes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:27</time>
<p>I needed to learn what I need and how to set boundaries, how to say no and give like little Dina, what she truly needs.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:34</time>
<p>And so I went on that journey and eventually I feel like I became empowered and it was just the best feeling ever.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:44</time>
<p>And it made me think, oh, if I wish I can go back in time and tell my younger self these things, like all the tools I have now, I just wish I had it back then I could tell my younger self.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:55</time>
<p>But since that is impossible, I thought let me share with the younger generation.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:00</time>
<p>Like why do they have to go through the same thing as me?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:02</time>
<p>And in particular I am a sign language interpreter and I pretty much get a front row seat to the classroom.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:10</time>
<p>I see everything, including the emotional stress, the peer pressure, people giving in, and in particular I work with a young person and I noticed they have the same sensitivity as me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:23</time>
<p>Absorbing emotions, neglecting yourself because of others.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:26</time>
<p>It just hurt me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:27</time>
<p>Seeing myself and that student.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:29</time>
<p>I thought to Myself.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:31</time>
<p>Wouldn't it be great if I can write a story incorporating my life story and share that with her and other young ones with the same sensitivities or who struggle navigating emotions?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:07:44</time>
<p>It's interesting you should say that because I've talked to almost a hundred children's book authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:07:49</time>
<p>I was talking to author amber Mitchell, episode 32, and she wrote a book about a chickadee, and we were talking about her book and she said, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:07:59</time>
<p>Right.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:00</time>
<p>I asked her about what it meant to her to be a children's book author, and she said, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:05</time>
<p>It really helped my mental health.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:08</time>
<p>And she said, I wasn't even expecting that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:11</time>
<p>What's interesting, the benefits that all of us can get from writing a children's book, whether it's your mental health, it could be even your physical health or your spiritual health.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:23</time>
<p>It's just amazing to me how you can do as you've said, Dina, release that energy and help others.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:32</time>
<p>Thank you for sharing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:34</time>
<p>I found it quite fascinating how you're using your children's book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:08:39</time>
<p>Talk a bit about your children's book business and talk to us about how you planned this out so the audience understands you have curriculum on social emotional learning, how it's helping you with your business.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:55</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:56</time>
<p>So the book had great lessons.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:58</time>
<p>In fact, it's called Lessons from the Future, and I did receive feedback from quite a few young people who really enjoyed it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:07</time>
<p>But that's nice looking, going through one ear and go out the other.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:10</time>
<p>Eventually it's like a good read, but that's not the point.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:13</time>
<p>I wanted to make sure these lessons were reinforced.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:17</time>
<p>And I did create an educator's guide as well, with lesson plans that are ready to use.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:22</time>
<p>That way teachers can implement them in their lessons and also the student workbook, Upper Elementary, Lower elementary, so that way it would fit their level.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:33</time>
<p>And that way they can even reinforce it to themselves as they're working out the puzzles or answering questions.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:40</time>
<p>It's very good for reinforcement and enjoyable as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:44</time>
<p>So I always think things for kids should be enjoyable but impactful on their minds.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:09:48</time>
<p>So is that your intention all along was to write the children's book with the curriculum?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:55</time>
<p>It was not.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:56</time>
<p>So when I wrote this book, I got to the end and I was like, I think it needs something else.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:04</time>
<p>If you notice in the back, there's an educator, an adult guide, and also a little worksheet for the students.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:10</time>
<p>This is socially emotional.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:12</time>
<p>So some terms need a little bit explanation.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:15</time>
<p>They need guidance, they need understanding.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:17</time>
<p>Because even adults may not even Understand it fully.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:20</time>
<p>It needs something else.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:21</time>
<p>And so I created that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:22</time>
<p>And then I was like, no, we need something bigger.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:25</time>
<p>This needs to be more helpful to more of the population, like the educational scene.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:30</time>
<p>And I'm a teacher as well, so I think it was natural for me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:35</time>
<p>And then I realized that after Covid, Department of Education and other learning strategies, charter schools and different things have focused on social emotional learning.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:46</time>
<p>They pushed that to the forefront because of the emotional damage.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:49</time>
<p>Basically that came after Covid are young.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:52</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:52</time>
<p>And so social emotional learning is huge.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:55</time>
<p>It's called cell, and they are always trying to incorporate different programs to help the young ones.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:02</time>
<p>And so I thought this could be something that they can use as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:05</time>
<p>And I worked on the whole curriculum and a website.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:09</time>
<p>That way they can get the information and hopefully incorporate it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:11:12</time>
<p>That's terrific.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:11:13</time>
<p>When did this all come together?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:11:16</time>
<p>When you made the supporting curriculum available.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:11:20</time>
<p>And talk to us how that's been developing for you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:11:24</time>
<p>And has it also been selling more books for you?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:29</time>
<p>This is all pretty new.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:30</time>
<p>I released a book in November, and then all the ideas just started coming.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:34</time>
<p>And I'm very close friends with people in the Department of Education and the chancellor's office, and that gave me a chance to run my ideas by them.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:42</time>
<p>And, hey, what do you think about this?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:44</time>
<p>Do you think it matches the level?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:46</time>
<p>Do you think this is something that they would be interested in, that students will benefit from?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:51</time>
<p>And so it was nice getting feedback from actual very experienced teachers.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:55</time>
<p>I altered it based on their feedback.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:58</time>
<p>And right now I've been working on two things.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:01</time>
<p>One for the kids, which is the book and the curriculum.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:04</time>
<p>And that's basically nervous system regulation in disguise.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:08</time>
<p>Okay.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:08</time>
<p>I know you read the book a few times, so you can absolutely help.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:12</time>
<p>And then I also have something I'm doing for adults with nervous system regulation, which is kind of recovery, because we're past that prevention stage.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:20</time>
<p>I've been working on both.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:22</time>
<p>I've interviewed children's book authors, and one of the things that's always surprising, and I love how you've embraced also the adults in what you're doing, because a lot of children's book authors I've interviewed have said to me, you know what, Rick?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:37</time>
<p>The most surprising thing is when I do a reading in public where there's also adults in the room at the end of the reading, I have a lot of adults come up to me and say, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:49</time>
<p>That's me.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:50</time>
<p>That's me in the book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:12:51</time>
<p>Even though it's a children's book, they can think back to their childhood and they can reference themselves as that person in the book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:01</time>
<p>And I'm sure that's going to happen to you too, Dina.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:05</time>
<p>I'm pausing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:06</time>
<p>Oh, is it already happening?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:08</time>
<p>Oh, yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:09</time>
<p>Okay.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:09</time>
<p>So, yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:10</time>
<p>Isn't it fantastic when someone, an adult, comes up to you and says, dina, that's me.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:18</time>
<p>And you go, oh, I thought I was the only one.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:21</time>
<p>And I'm not.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:13:22</time>
<p>Talk to us more about your educator's guide.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:25</time>
<p>With the Educator's Guide, I made it short two lessons that they can implement in the classroom.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:31</time>
<p>I know a lot of the schools teach to regents or state tests, so I thought, let's make it simple but impactful.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:39</time>
<p>Within that guide, there's a lot of reference to the story and a lot of questions and handouts that they can use.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:46</time>
<p>Vocabulary that needs to be discussed as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:49</time>
<p>And I think one of my favorite parts of it is the role play, because I know in the book you'll see it says she's teaching her younger self to say no.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:01</time>
<p>Yeah, that's a lesson.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:02</time>
<p>But how easy is that to do?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:04</time>
<p>Especially as a young person, you're very impressionable.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:06</time>
<p>You want your friends to like you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:08</time>
<p>There's actually role play.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:09</time>
<p>There's phrases that you can use and situations.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:13</time>
<p>So you have the scenarios and the situations and different phrases that you can use to say no without just saying no directly, oh, that's not going to work for me right now.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:22</time>
<p>Or something that matches a kid.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:24</time>
<p>But that won't make them feel like, oh, no, I'm being mean, I'm being a bad friend.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:29</time>
<p>So they can feel confident and have permission to say these things and protect their own energy.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:14:35</time>
<p>How active have you been so far with your whole curriculum and educators guide?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:40</time>
<p>I did do some promote reaching out to different schools, especially in my home neighborhood.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:45</time>
<p>I started there first and to the Department of Education and some other states and I was directed to the social emotional department.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:55</time>
<p>I am going to go a little bit harder with that very soon.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:58</time>
<p>I was just working on the adult part of it, and so now that it's complete, I'm like, okay, let's go.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:15:03</time>
<p>I am a vision board person, so I follow a vision board.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:15:06</time>
<p>I'm like, okay, step by step.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:15:08</time>
<p>Talk to us about your book formats, because I know you're on Amazon, you've got an ebook and you've got a soft cover book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:15:15</time>
<p>Do you have it as a package?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:15:18</time>
<p>When it comes to having a package, are you putting a package together of your workbooks and your book to take it out to the schools?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:15:29</time>
<p>I have a website that I developed lessonsfromthefuture.org and on that website I created a package for the whole curriculum basically that they can purchase out and all the books and the whole curriculum is available in both PDF form and they can buy the softcover as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:15:49</time>
<p>I'm going to mention that something I did very intentionally was I self published this book and self published everything because I wanted it to reach the schools.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:15:59</time>
<p>So you must be using some of your empathic powers because that was my next question.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:05</time>
<p>Let's talk about your publishing journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:08</time>
<p>When you say self publish, did you have a company help you or did you do it all on your own?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:16</time>
<p>Oh, I did it on my own.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:17</time>
<p>You're more like an independent publisher.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:20</time>
<p>With self publishing, generally people attach it to using a hybrid publisher.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:26</time>
<p>But in your case, you did everything on your own.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:29</time>
<p>Yes, I did.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:30</time>
<p>I know you like people who want to write books and be authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:34</time>
<p>They want advice.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:35</time>
<p>If you want, I can share my journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:37</time>
<p>Absolutely, because that's part of it is sharing that knowledge that you bring.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:16:42</time>
<p>Talk to us about your publishing approach and your journey on bringing your children's book to market.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:50</time>
<p>When it came to trying to get it out there, and once I decided that I wanted to get into the schools, I spoke with ChatGPT.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:16:59</time>
<p>I typed it in, I said, how can I do this?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:02</time>
<p>Is it okay for me to use the ISBN number from Amazon?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:05</time>
<p>Will the schools accept that?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:07</time>
<p>And I was informed that's not something they do.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:10</time>
<p>It's better to self publish because then it's across the board.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:13</time>
<p>You have one ISBN number, it's yours no matter where you sell it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:16</time>
<p>And that's something they're more prone to purchase in bulk orders and things of that nature.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:22</time>
<p>It opens up the doors for you because then you can go to other retailers or online retailers rather than be locked into just ISBN through Amazon.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:34</time>
<p>Yeah, exactly.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:35</time>
<p>Good for you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:36</time>
<p>I did write down the, like, where did I put it?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:39</time>
<p>There we go.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:39</time>
<p>The website that I use.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:17:41</time>
<p>Decide to become like self published to get your own ISBN numbers.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:45</time>
<p>Terrific.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:46</time>
<p>Absolutely.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:47</time>
<p>Share that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:47</time>
<p>It'll go on the show notes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:49</time>
<p>So you set up the name of your publishing company and I think when we tell everybody what the name of it is, they'll understand.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:56</time>
<p>It's Storm Rice Publishing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:17:59</time>
<p>Which is your own publishing company.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:01</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:18:02</time>
<p>When you got into publishing, tell us about your biggest challenge or frustration when you decided to take on the publishing part when it came to bringing your book to life.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:16</time>
<p>You mean like formatting things like that or just the publishing?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:18:19</time>
<p>Yeah, anything in the publishing realm is fine.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:18:23</time>
<p>So what Was your biggest challenge or frustration?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:27</time>
<p>Yes, I would have to say that my biggest challenge and frustration was the formatter.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:34</time>
<p>Getting the right formatter, even if you have something so powerful and impactful to say, if it's not presented well, no one's going to want to purchase it, no one's going to be interested.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:45</time>
<p>And so I feel like the formatter is very important in this process.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:18:49</time>
<p>Dina, did you hire a book formatter?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:52</time>
<p>I did.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:18:53</time>
<p>I hired a book formatter and I thought they were great based on looking at their previous work, and it ended up being just terrible.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:19:04</time>
<p>I couldn't believe it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:06</time>
<p>Yeah, it is amazing because I've talked to children's book authors who have hired book formatters, and as a children's book author, I've done the same thing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:19</time>
<p>I was very fortunate because when I hired our book formatter, he had the skills to do a soft cover, an ebook, and a hardcover book, and he did an incredible job.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:33</time>
<p>Conlavoryrevilledesign ca however, like you're talking about, I'm glad you shared that you need to do your homework because I got lucky when I talked to others because we had a great experience.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:47</time>
<p>But in your case.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:48</time>
<p>So talk us through that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:19:50</time>
<p>Did you have to go out and hire a different book formatter?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:19:55</time>
<p>I did.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:19:56</time>
<p>I actually gave my book to the book formatter.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:19:59</time>
<p>I would say early July, and by November, I still didn't receive the finished product, and it just looked really terrible.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:09</time>
<p>Nothing that I would want to present to anyone.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:12</time>
<p>And I kept making corrections, and it was just a long wait for each correction.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:17</time>
<p>And you can tell they probably took on more than they could choose.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:20:20</time>
<p>How did you find that person?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:20:21</time>
<p>And how did you find a book formatter that you wish you would have had in the first place?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:26</time>
<p>I have a really good friend who wrote a children's book as well, and she showed me her illustrator.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:33</time>
<p>She told me about her illustrator, and I was like, oh, let me get her information.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:37</time>
<p>That was later when I realized, oh, I have something to say.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:40</time>
<p>I want to write something again.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:42</time>
<p>That was amazing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:43</time>
<p>A wonderful illustrator out of Italy, and I couldn't believe how great that worked out.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:49</time>
<p>So then when she found a book format, I said, I trust you, and, oh, boy.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:55</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:20:55</time>
<p>So that made me trust this particular company, and it just didn't work out.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:21:00</time>
<p>And I realized this is way too much time.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:21:03</time>
<p>And I researched different outsourcing companies that I could use.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:21:08</time>
<p>I came across upwork.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:21:10</time>
<p>And the reason I bring that up is that one thing I found is the children's book authorship community is very giving so if you're an aspiring children's book author and you're wondering, oh, my goodness, I don't want to go, what Dina went through with the first book formatter.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:21:30</time>
<p>Honest folks reach out to anyone that you know who is a published children's book author and ask them the simple question, and nine times out of 10, you're going to get a good recommendation on someone who's a book formatter.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:21:47</time>
<p>So thank you for sharing your story, because I know sometimes it's difficult to say, oh, do I really want to share my mistakes?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:21:56</time>
<p>I really appreciate you sharing that so that people can learn from it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:22:01</time>
<p>Honestly, I did find a great formatter, and my book was complete, like the next day.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:05</time>
<p>And the other thing I want to mention about book formatting is that I always encourage people to know done is better than perfect.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:14</time>
<p>Because as an independent children's book author, you can go in and revise your book at any moment.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:21</time>
<p>And then if you have a good book formatter, if you've noticed things that you want to change or add to your book, save it up a little bit before you go to your book formatter, but then have them make the changes, and all they do is they update the files and then you just reload them onto Amazon or any other online book publisher.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:44</time>
<p>Because in your case, you're using print on demand.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:48</time>
<p>Dina, you've got something that is incredible because you've turned it into an educating guide.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:22:56</time>
<p>You've got a curriculum, and as it goes out into the marketplace, people are going to come back and probably say, you know what, Dina?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:23:04</time>
<p>Could you make a small tweak here or a small tweak there?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:23:08</time>
<p>And the beautiful thing about it is that if you don't print thousands of copies and you think it's a very valid idea, what they're recommending, you can make that change, and away you go.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:23:20</time>
<p>Did you find the illustrator before your book formatter?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:23</time>
<p>When I decided to write the book, I remembered my friend showing me drafts of the different illustrations she was using, and I was like, wow, this is great.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:33</time>
<p>Let's see if she can make my vision come alive as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:36</time>
<p>So she gave me her email address and I gave her the concepts that I wanted, and she matched everything.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:43</time>
<p>I would send over an idea, like a picture idea of what I wanted in a big description so she can understand, and she would just match it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:51</time>
<p>And anything that I needed to be changed just a little bit, she changed it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:55</time>
<p>And it was just perfect.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:23:57</time>
<p>It really matched everything I wanted, my heart wanted.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:00</time>
<p>That's the beautiful thing about an illustrator is.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:03</time>
<p>I'm finding in most cases, when a children's book author finds an illustrator they can work with, nine times out of 10, they're staying with that illustrator because of the positive experience that they've enjoyed.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:17</time>
<p>Thank you for sharing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:18</time>
<p>And your illustrator.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:19</time>
<p>You said that in Italy.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:24:21</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:22</time>
<p>Now, I would love to talk to you about your website because you've got a great website.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:26</time>
<p>Tell everybody the name of your website again.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:24:30</time>
<p>Lessonsfromthefuture.org thank you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:34</time>
<p>We'll put that in the show notes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:36</time>
<p>When you started developing your website, did you do it in tandem with your book?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:24:42</time>
<p>Did your website come first or your book come first?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:24:45</time>
<p>The book definitely came first.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:24:47</time>
<p>And as I started thinking that, hey, I want to create this curriculum, how will I get one place where people can actually go and buy in bulk?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:24:57</time>
<p>If I'm trying to reach the schools or different organizations who might want to support children in that way, that's the direction my brain went.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:04</time>
<p>I'm like, I need the one place where they can come and get something.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:07</time>
<p>So I connected with the On Demand printing company out of the UK and I figured out how to use payhip.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:16</time>
<p>My website is payhip based.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:18</time>
<p>I wanted something that would be easy for people, like, easy for me to create and easy for people to just access the books as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:25:26</time>
<p>I noticed when you go to your website, the first thing is you have an audio video clip.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:25:31</time>
<p>Talk to us a little bit about that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:34</time>
<p>I know everyone writes books and they can look at the website.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:39</time>
<p>Okay, what is it about?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:25:41</time>
<p>I thought the video was a nice little summary, explaining the gist of what you would get out of it, like the heart of the matter in a very short, just a little short clip.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:25:51</time>
<p>It's a great idea, a great way to introduce everything that you're doing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:25:57</time>
<p>Talk to us about how you're using social media to promote your book.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:03</time>
<p>What I did was before I even released the book, I had a series of posts explaining the setting, explaining, hey, you just saw the first character.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:15</time>
<p>I'll let you know more in the next post about this character.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:18</time>
<p>And then explaining, like, every character in the book and, hey, finally, this is my last character.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:24</time>
<p>I just wanted to build up anticipation and help them to see what it really was about.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:29</time>
<p>And I know a lot of people relate to things such as boundaries and, yeah, all that social, emotional stuff.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:34</time>
<p>People are starting to really connect with that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:36</time>
<p>So I wanted to put it out there in a kind of make them anticipate it all.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:26:41</time>
<p>I know we talked about your audio video clip.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:26:45</time>
<p>Talk to us more about how you envision your website helping you to promote your book?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:51</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:26:51</time>
<p>So with my website, I tried to make sure, because it's targeted for educators and businesses, things of that nature.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:00</time>
<p>So I wanted to make sure they understood what it was about.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:04</time>
<p>Basically, they can click, hey, this talks about triggers for kids.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:08</time>
<p>This talks about social, emotional learning, like, how is it that their kids are going to benefit?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:14</time>
<p>That's what I had to keep thinking.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:15</time>
<p>And when I was creating it, that's how I went about creating the whole thing and trying to make sure it was easy to look at, not all jumbled up.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:23</time>
<p>I just thought of everything.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:27:24</time>
<p>I'm like, what would make this the easiest possible experience for people who go on it?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:29</time>
<p>And thank you for sharing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:30</time>
<p>When I'm talking to other children's book authors, it's interesting because we'd all love thousands and thousands of sales of our books.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:42</time>
<p>How do you build a business so that you have some revenue coming in and generally a single source children's book?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:50</time>
<p>You're not going to make a living from that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:52</time>
<p>And in a lot of cases, you're probably not even going to make enough money to pay for your original investment.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:27:59</time>
<p>When you can supplement your book like you've done with a curriculum and educators guide.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:06</time>
<p>And offering all that is such great value, but it also helps you, as a children's book authority, to build another revenue source.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:17</time>
<p>I would encourage the listeners to go to your website and see exactly, Dina, what you've done, because hopefully that'll inspire them to think about maybe creating their own curriculum.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:30</time>
<p>Because a lot of our guests come from a teaching background.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:35</time>
<p>The last couple of months now, a lot of our guests have been coming on and talking about how they're creating curriculum to support their books so that they're not just going into the school to do book reading.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:48</time>
<p>It's more value added and a way to generate some revenue.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:28:54</time>
<p>Very cool.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:28:55</time>
<p>Was that your intention right from the start?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:28:58</time>
<p>Not at all.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:28:59</time>
<p>Like I said, once I was done with the book, I just felt a gut feeling, no, this has to be more.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:05</time>
<p>And no, it's important.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:07</time>
<p>And that's the beautiful thing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:08</time>
<p>Once you start down this road, your opportunities to do different things with it are absolutely incredible.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:16</time>
<p>Just because you've written what you think is a finite children's book today, with children's books, there's so many different avenues that you can take it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:26</time>
<p>We talked about your book being like an autobiography, but I'm curious about your motivation.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:29:35</time>
<p>Was there a person or an event that triggered your motivation to actually write your children's Book?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:29:43</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:29:45</time>
<p>So I was sitting at lunch at work, and my friend sent me a YouTube video of a woman discussing an empath.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:29:54</time>
<p>And afterwards, she's, hey, I have a workshop.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:29:56</time>
<p>And I was like, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:29:58</time>
<p>Everyone's teaching something that they're passionate about.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:02</time>
<p>And what are you passionate about?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:03</time>
<p>I asked myself that, and I said, you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:05</time>
<p>You are an empath.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:06</time>
<p>You are empowered.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:07</time>
<p>You are passionate about this topic and about the topic of boundaries and just emotions in general.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:13</time>
<p>I notice any opportunity I get, I'm going to talk about it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:16</time>
<p>I don't want people to, like, feel heavy, and so I'm always doing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:20</time>
<p>But I'm like, what really hurts you is when I see the students right in front of me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:24</time>
<p>Like I said, interpreters sit right in front of the class.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:28</time>
<p>And you see everything, especially as an empath.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:30</time>
<p>I'm just absorbing all the emotions.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:32</time>
<p>And I'm like, oh, my goodness.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:33</time>
<p>After that video, I said, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:35</time>
<p>I. I'm passionate about being an empath and setting boundaries and the whole.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:40</time>
<p>All of the things.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:41</time>
<p>Right?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:41</time>
<p>And then.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:42</time>
<p>But I'm also passionate about helping young ones.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:45</time>
<p>Not going to the.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:30:45</time>
<p>How long ago was that?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:30:47</time>
<p>And then how long did it take you to say, I'm going to write a children's book?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:52</time>
<p>I wrote it right away at lunchtime.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:54</time>
<p>That same for you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:30:56</time>
<p>Good for you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:30:57</time>
<p>The ideas were just coming.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:30:59</time>
<p>I love it because I always look at myself and I say, you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:03</time>
<p>I've got a good memory.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:04</time>
<p>It's just short.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:05</time>
<p>And that's.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:05</time>
<p>I'm glad you mentioned that, Dina, because it's important for people to realize, if you have an idea, write it down immediately or record it immediately, or draw a picture, a stick picture or whatever, immediately.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:22</time>
<p>Don't let it go running away on you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:24</time>
<p>I've talked to so many children's book authors who have woken up in the middle of the night and.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:29</time>
<p>And they recorded a story, and then their spouse wakes up and says, what did you just do?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:35</time>
<p>And they said, I recorded a children's book story.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:38</time>
<p>Or they dropped their kids off at school and they pull over at the side of the road and they write a children's book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:44</time>
<p>Whatever it is.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:45</time>
<p>I just encourage aspiring children's book authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:49</time>
<p>When you have an idea, do like Dina did.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:51</time>
<p>Just get it out and release it to the world.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:31:55</time>
<p>It's interesting, my youngest granddaughter, because you got me thinking about through Covid and this whole social, emotional thing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:03</time>
<p>And during COVID of course, you no longer had the interaction to go to school and be with your school friends.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:11</time>
<p>You were isolated and I had my youngest granddaughter come over and we.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:18</time>
<p>I did a podcast interview with her because I could tell she needed to release all her frustration.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:27</time>
<p>She's very energetic.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:29</time>
<p>She was brutally honest about how she saw this whole thing unfolding, including how school was.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:39</time>
<p>And she just found that going to school online, she said this is almost her words.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:45</time>
<p>She said too many students slacked off, they didn't take it seriously.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:50</time>
<p>And that's what she missed.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:51</time>
<p>She missed that more structured classroom style.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:56</time>
<p>You've given us some insight into.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:32:59</time>
<p>There's a character that is the younger you and the older you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:33:05</time>
<p>Talk to us about Marley and Storm and just give us a little bit of background on how you came up with that character development and your whole thought process into developing the two characters.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:21</time>
<p>Like I said, they're both me, so that wasn't too difficult.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:23</time>
<p>And basically describe myself.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:27</time>
<p>Marlee is a light hearted fifth grader.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:30</time>
<p>People feel really good around her.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:32</time>
<p>She plays double Dutch, which I am a double Dutch aerobics instructor.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:35</time>
<p>I've been doing this since I was a little girl.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:37</time>
<p>Like her, like, it literally is me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:39</time>
<p>And she is this great kid that people feel so drawn to.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:44</time>
<p>But she has a secret, a big secret, and that's the emotions of others overwhelm her.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:50</time>
<p>And that's something that people don't realize, but it's definitely internalized.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:33:54</time>
<p>And she doesn't want to tell anyone because she doesn't want to be a burden to anyone.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:00</time>
<p>But it's okay for everyone to put on her.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:02</time>
<p>And that's basically how it goes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:04</time>
<p>And that was my life as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:06</time>
<p>If you watch a lot of interviews that on television, they always get this one question and they say, if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say through your children's book?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:19</time>
<p>That's exactly what you did.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:22</time>
<p>Sorry to steal part of the thunder.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:24</time>
<p>Your older self gets introduced later in the book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:28</time>
<p>Talk to us about that technique and the timing of it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:31</time>
<p>We go on this journey with Marley and the frustrations and all the weight on her shoulders.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:34:37</time>
<p>And then you introduce Storm.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:40</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:40</time>
<p>I definitely wanted to take everyone through Marlee's character and some of her struggles.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:46</time>
<p>And then right then, when she's still struggling, I introduced Storm, which is my older self.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:34:55</time>
<p>And I wanted it to be like a sci fi, to make it interesting for kids and to keep their attention.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:01</time>
<p>So I was like, back to the future.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:03</time>
<p>You know how you have that?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:35:05</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:06</time>
<p>I'm like, yeah, she went back in time and she met her and gave that feeling of, wow, this person feels familiar.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:14</time>
<p>I don't know Why I feel so comfortable with this stranger, that type of interaction.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:18</time>
<p>And she gently just starts to guide her and ask her questions and give her the tools that she needs to first of all understand then the emotions.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:29</time>
<p>Because a lot of people have emotions, but they don't have names for them.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:32</time>
<p>They don't understand what's truly going on until someone says, this is what's happening.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:36</time>
<p>That's what I've been feeling.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:38</time>
<p>So that's a big part of my book.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:35:40</time>
<p>I want people to have the knowledge and then the tool to implement and just to try to incorporate them in their life so they can make changes over time because it doesn't happen right away.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:35:51</time>
<p>And I love how you've created this unique relationship with your younger self and your older self.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:35:57</time>
<p>Quite a unique technique.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:35:59</time>
<p>What's the central theme?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:00</time>
<p>Empowerment.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:01</time>
<p>That's my.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:03</time>
<p>Would that be personal empowerment?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:05</time>
<p>Personal empowerment or you have permission?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:09</time>
<p>That type of thing?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:10</time>
<p>Yeah, I definitely think it's personal empowerment.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:13</time>
<p>And when people read it, I think they feel that way.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:16</time>
<p>They feel empowered.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:17</time>
<p>Oh, I need to do this.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:19</time>
<p>Yes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:19</time>
<p>And I love how you introduced, in a positive manner, the ability to say no.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:27</time>
<p>I think that was, to me, was.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:30</time>
<p>Had a lot of impact.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:31</time>
<p>Sometimes I can be like Marley, have difficulty saying no to all the things that come across.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:39</time>
<p>I think all of us are a work in progress.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:41</time>
<p>Absolutely.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:42</time>
<p>The activity pages in your book, they really add value.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:36:47</time>
<p>Talk to us more about what those activity pages are and the meaning behind them or the lessons behind them.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:56</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:56</time>
<p>So the first page is a one page worksheet.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:36:59</time>
<p>And you notice it says, breathe deeply, like, how do I fill up my oxygen tank?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:03</time>
<p>And that's big.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:04</time>
<p>In fact, that's like the biggest illustration in the book for me that helped me on my journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:09</time>
<p>That was the biggest thing because I would always just do and do.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:13</time>
<p>Sure, no problem yet.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:15</time>
<p>And my body was like, what are you doing to me?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:17</time>
<p>And so after I learned that phrase, I was able to literally, I had to intentionally stop myself and say, hey, Dina, do you have it to give?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:26</time>
<p>And so I want children to have that as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:29</time>
<p>Hey, is my oxygen tank okay?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:31</time>
<p>Of course.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:32</time>
<p>That's one of the tools that's taught in the book, one of the lessons.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:35</time>
<p>And so with the worksheet, it's like, how do you fill up your oxygen tank?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:40</time>
<p>And one thing that I.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:42</time>
<p>Breathing techniques.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:43</time>
<p>A lot of people are starting to get into that understanding that breath work is very important for a calm nervous system and to help you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:50</time>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:51</time>
<p>Just get into a different space.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:52</time>
<p>That's huge now.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:54</time>
<p>And I think kids should have that as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:56</time>
<p>A lot of adults are like, box breathing things of that nature.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:37:59</time>
<p>I'm like, let's give it to the kids in something in a way that they can digest it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:03</time>
<p>Last night, I was watching a TV show, and even the breathing, there was two characters, and one character was really rattled, and the other character went up to him and looked him in the face and just slowed him down with his breathing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:21</time>
<p>And they did an eight count together.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:23</time>
<p>I was thinking, this is a TV show.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:26</time>
<p>It's a drama, and someone's teaching.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:29</time>
<p>It was subtle enough that somebody might say, oh, if I get into that circumstance with a friend, maybe that's something I could use.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:38</time>
<p>The writing process with you building out this curriculum and your educator's guide and all that, I'm quite interested in you telling us about your writing development and your writing process.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:53</time>
<p>You've got a children's book, and now you've got supporting.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:38:56</time>
<p>Supporting writing or curriculum that you've developed your process to do that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:02</time>
<p>Okay.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:02</time>
<p>For the book or the curriculum in</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:04</time>
<p>particular, Take us from the book.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:06</time>
<p>And then.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:07</time>
<p>Because the curriculum came from the book, in essence.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:11</time>
<p>Right.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:11</time>
<p>The book created a life of its own through your curriculum, how your mind worked in terms of the writing process to come up with that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:20</time>
<p>Like I said, I wrote it at lunchtime, and I have a very good friend who is a publicist, and I sent it over.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:26</time>
<p>I was like, what do you think about this?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:28</time>
<p>And she was just like, this is amazing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:31</time>
<p>And I was like, so she's.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:34</time>
<p>Oh, but you know what?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:35</time>
<p>You can put more of yourself in as well, because it's about you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:39</time>
<p>Let's show some more of Dina.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:41</time>
<p>And I started just incorporating all those different things about me, like double Dutch and.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:39:47</time>
<p>Yeah, you drew on your own personal experience.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:50</time>
<p>Oh, yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:51</time>
<p>And slots are so calming and peaceful.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:54</time>
<p>Well, that's my favorite animal, so I wanted it to be a character in the story as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:39:57</time>
<p>So it was just a lot about me, but also I had the lessons in the book.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:03</time>
<p>And it was really nice having my publicist, because she's.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:06</time>
<p>But let's number them.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:07</time>
<p>Let's make sure it's clear.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:08</time>
<p>And so it's really nice having that kind of support to guide you through.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:11</time>
<p>You want to make sure when people are reading, they are able to follow clearly and understand your points.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:17</time>
<p>And so that was great.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:40:20</time>
<p>It's nice to have friends that can give you that type of guidance.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:40:23</time>
<p>Now that you've had your book out for a little while, I want to talk to you about success measurement, how I want to come at it is two different ways.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:40:32</time>
<p>One is what you envision the success of your book before you actually published it.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:40:40</time>
<p>So what you were dreaming about and what the success really looks like now that you have published it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:47</time>
<p>For me, I tend to be very realistic, especially when it comes to goals.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:51</time>
<p>I didn't have any big vision of, oh, this is going to be a great success and everyone's just going to buy it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:40:58</time>
<p>For me, the success was completing it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:01</time>
<p>I set out to do it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:02</time>
<p>I said I would and I did it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:04</time>
<p>And I was able to share with my friends and families and so much more.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:08</time>
<p>And just even hearing the feedback about it, it really touched me because it's something that I've always wanted to share, like these lessons that I have learned along with my own journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:19</time>
<p>And so that, to me, was already success.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:22</time>
<p>But what it looks like now, like, I.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:25</time>
<p>The first few months, you're like, okay, it's selling, it's doing well, and then it dies down.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:29</time>
<p>I'm a vision board person.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:31</time>
<p>I have a vision.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:32</time>
<p>And so it's not over yet.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:34</time>
<p>There's so much more.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:35</time>
<p>That's what I loved about what you've done, is you've kicked it up a notch.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:39</time>
<p>You looked at it and said, wow, how do I make this even more special?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:44</time>
<p>Congratulations on doing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:41:46</time>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:47</time>
<p>I can see how this can grow for you now that you're a children's book author.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:53</time>
<p>What the role of being a children's book author means to you now?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:41:57</time>
<p>What's the role of being a children's book author mean in the grand scheme of things to Deana now?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:04</time>
<p>For one thing, I feel like what we're doing now is a part of my role, like sharing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:10</time>
<p>When I started writing this book and I mentioned to, like, close friends I'm doing this, I started to find out that many people have amazing stories and they want to develop it into a children's book as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:22</time>
<p>So I felt like my role became someone to share or like a pioneer.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:27</time>
<p>Right?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:28</time>
<p>You go through all the struggles and then you set the example for others so they don't have to go through that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:33</time>
<p>So that's definitely one role that I've happily taken on.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:37</time>
<p>Also, it gives me more of a.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:40</time>
<p>People come to me and they're open.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:41</time>
<p>They openly talk to me about this subject because it is quite a heavy subject and it's not just for kids, like you mentioned, like adults.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:48</time>
<p>Everyone is saying, this is me, this is.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:50</time>
<p>I relate to this.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:52</time>
<p>And so they more freely talk to me about it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:54</time>
<p>And I'm able to give them advice as well.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:42:57</time>
<p>So those are the two new roles that I've taken on.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:00</time>
<p>I would love to talk to you about advice for aspiring authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:06</time>
<p>Talk to us about what kind of advice you would give to someone who's an aspiring author and just doesn't know how to get started.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:13</time>
<p>One thing I would say is what you mentioned earlier, just do it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:17</time>
<p>Write your ideas down.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:19</time>
<p>A lot of people who have been mentioning to me that, hey, I've been wanting to do that, if the ideas are in their head, it's not on paper.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:26</time>
<p>And I think if you put it on paper, it makes it more real.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:31</time>
<p>Even if it's digital.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:43:33</time>
<p>Yeah, yeah.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:34</time>
<p>That's the beautiful thing about today's world, right?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:36</time>
<p>You can write it the old fashioned way.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:39</time>
<p>You can type it into your smartphone, you can record it into your smartphone.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:44</time>
<p>If you like to doodle, draw, you can just maybe sketch it out.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:49</time>
<p>A couple ideas like you said about what you did with the illustrator.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:53</time>
<p>You sketch out a few things and sent it and said, this is my idea.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:43:58</time>
<p>And then they turned it into reality.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:00</time>
<p>So it's incredible.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:02</time>
<p>So thank you for sharing that.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:05</time>
<p>What keeps you going now as a children's book author?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:44:09</time>
<p>For me, like I mentioned, I have a vision board and it's still incomplete.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:44:15</time>
<p>I'm still in the process of going through the steps of what I'm trying to accomplish and so I'm not in any rush, but I'm steadily accomplishing these steps and I'm just looking forward to that end goal of to see where it gets me with this book and curriculum and yeah, my whole brand basically.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:35</time>
<p>Really excited encouragement for readers.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:38</time>
<p>Take us through the acronym STORM before we move on because I find that to be just such a great thing.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:47</time>
<p>I'm sure that will encourage some people.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:49</time>
<p>Take us through the acronym of storm.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:44:51</time>
<p>Is it okay if I read it from the back?</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:54</time>
<p>Oh, absolutely.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:44:55</time>
<p>I love people to know.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:44:57</time>
<p>Okay.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:44:58</time>
<p>Basically, STORM is drawing her name in the dirt and explaining each letter.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:03</time>
<p>And so.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:04</time>
<p>S stands for space.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:06</time>
<p>It's okay to take space when you need it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:09</time>
<p>To breathe, to step back, to rest.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:13</time>
<p>T stands for tune in before you help others.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:17</time>
<p>Tune in or check in with yourself.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:20</time>
<p>How are you feeling?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:22</time>
<p>O stands for oxygen.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:23</time>
<p>First you remember this one.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:26</time>
<p>You can't help if you're out of air.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:30</time>
<p>R stands for reflect.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:33</time>
<p>Take a pause.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:34</time>
<p>You don't have to absorb everything.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:37</time>
<p>Ask yourself, is this mine or someone else's?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:42</time>
<p>An M stands for move gently with others.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:46</time>
<p>Yes, but also with yourself.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:49</time>
<p>That means not pushing yourself too hard or expecting perfection.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:54</time>
<p>So that's the acronym.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:45:56</time>
<p>And Those are some of the lessons.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:45:57</time>
<p>Thank you for sharing that because we're talking about encouragement for readers and I want people to understand the premise and the value that you're offering through through your children's books.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:10</time>
<p>Tell us where your books can be purchased again.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:46:14</time>
<p>Okay.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:46:15</time>
<p>You can purchase it on Amazon.com or you can go to lessonsfromthefuture.org Final Thoughts</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:22</time>
<p>Dina, is there something that you'd like to share that you might say, geez, I wish Rick would have asked me that question.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:30</time>
<p>Is there something you'd like to share?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:46:32</time>
<p>Oh, let's see.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:46:35</time>
<p>I went, I feel like I did have one and then it's gone.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:46:37</time>
<p>But as soon as we sign off, it's going to be right,</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:42</time>
<p>no problem.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:45</time>
<p>And if you think of it, just send it to me.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:47</time>
<p>I'll add it in the show notes for sure.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:52</time>
<p>Dina, thank you so much for being a guest on the Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:46:57</time>
<p>Your generosity of time and insights will significantly benefit aspiring books, children's book authors, and educators and readers.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:47:07</time>
<p>We promise to provide the our audience with links to Deana's website, which is phenomenal, and I'd encourage any educator listening to go there and have a look.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:47:19</time>
<p>We'll also put links to Dina's social media and her book, and if you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button to listen to future episodes.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:47:30</time>
<p>Please feel free to share this episode with anyone inspired by or who enjoys hearing about Dina and her children's book, Lessons from the Future.</p>
<cite>Speaker B</cite>
<time>00:47:42</time>
<p>The Empowered Empath thank you Dina.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:47:46</time>
<p>Thank you so much for having me.</p>