Latest / Mama Making Podcast / Ashley Wall | The Publishing House Built on Purpose: Equity, Adventure, and Books for Every Child

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Ashley Wall | The Publishing House Built on Purpose: Equity, Adventure, and Books for Every Child · Mama Making Podcast

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Mama Making Podcast, where we share stories of moms making impact in their own lives and in the world around them.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Jessica, and each week I sit down with women who are building businesses, leading communities, shaping culture, and redefining what success looks like inside of motherhood.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because motherhood does not have to stop your own fish, it can transform it.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's get into it.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Hello everyone, and welcome to the Mama Making Podcast.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Jessica.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new, welcome.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not new, then welcome back.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Today I am so excited to have Ashley Wall on the podcast.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Ashley is the founder of Mama Bear Books, an award-winning children's author whose work sits at the intersection of story, equity, and early childhood development.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: A former middle school math teacher, Ashley launched her boutique publishing house after years of working in under-resourced school communities, driven by the conviction that when children can imagine freely, they grow into change makers.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Mom of two, Ashley is building a publishing house rooted in philanthropy, purpose, and belief that every child deserves a book that sees them.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for being here.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited to have you.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited to chat with you today.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: So tell us who you are, where you're from, whatever you're comfortable sharing.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, I'm Ashley.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for the introduction.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: I am born and raised in Texas, a mom of two.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: I started out in education.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: And then once I became a mom, I stayed at home for a few years.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_02: I was a middle school math teacher.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_02: And then after a few years of being a stay-at-home mom, it was wonderful, but I wanted to get back into the world in the working world.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: And I knew I wanted to still, you know, do something with kids and uh education, but not necessarily in the classroom.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I just kind of kept getting inspired to write a book.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: And when I when I finally told my husband, after years of a couple of years thinking about it, he was like, absolutely, let's do it and let's start a company.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_02: And let's like, because I I, you know, coming from education, I had such big ideas and I really want to make an impact with kids.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: I always have.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: And so he was like, Well, you know, we can really make a difference with that company.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's kind of where we landed here.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's amazing.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, what coming from the math background, what made you get excited about writing?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it is.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: It's funny.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: I I have two math degrees.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_02: I've always been a numbers person.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: I struggled with reading.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: My daughter is going into second grade now.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: And so I tell her, like, reading can be hard.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like I struggled with reading all through elementary school, but I've always loved it.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_02: You know, my entire adult life, I've just, I devour books.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_02: I love reading.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: And then I know how important and how good it is for kids.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so I read to my kids from the very beginning.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, one week old from home from the hospital, re reading before naps in bed.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: And they've just become little readers themselves.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: They love books.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so it just kind of started out as like a little seed in the back of my mind, like, oh, I like this book or I don't like this book.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_02: What if I wrote a book about this?
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: And I just kind of kept going.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, you read books and some are amazing, and some you're like, you just aren't fit for you.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I was just like, oh, but I see how kids, a lot of kids do struggle with getting into books.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, well, what if I could write like really engaging books and get kids to fall in love with reading?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: And it just stayed in the back of my mind and then just kept pushing forward.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like God one day was like, here's what you're supposed to do to do.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: Because yeah, I was not, I it was not a plant, you know, back in my 20-year plan in college or whatever.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, right.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it takes a minute for those ideas to fester and then like come right at the at the right time for you.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: So what was your, so you did this.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: What was your vision for what it was all gonna look like?
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, I knew that I wanted to make really fun adventure books with really big imaginations.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: You know, imagination is something that is starting to dwindle.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: And it and as kids grow up, you know, adults don't have as big of imaginations anymore.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: And as kids become teenagers, their imaginations aren't as big anymore.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: But when we can imagine things, that's how we create, that's how we innovate, you know, that's how we can believe in ourselves and build our confidence.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_02: And especially with screens everywhere now, um, I just really wanted to bring kids back to books and to build their imaginations with with big adventures and have books that can steal their attention away from the screens or make them want to turn to books again and again.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_02: And that was like, here's what we want now.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: How are we gonna get there?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: And that's where we just went and researched and learned and talked to a lot of people on how to do all of it.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So what are some of the outcomes that you've seen thus far in kids getting into engaging books and having the opportunity to kind of explore imagination in that way?
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's incredible.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: I've had this happen on probably almost all of my author events or school readings, library visits, where I have, you know, my PowerPoint set up in the back, the books are there.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_02: So some of the kids are trying to read, oh, the day I had a bulldozer.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: I have a series called The Day I Had, and it's like these kids' toys come to life.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_02: And they'll start being, you know, they'll start talking to their buddies while all the kids are coming in.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what if we had a cheetah?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: What if we did this?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_02: And they just start going, you know, like with their imaginations and they're building their day and they're building this world.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_02: And it's so cool to have these like seven-year-olds just sitting there with their buddies talking about books and using their imaginations and building these big worlds.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: And so I've had so many instances like that, or you know, parents coming up and be like, oh, we can't put your books down.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: Our kid, and you're like, that's what we want, right?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_02: We want to draw kids into books.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: We want to make them curious about books, we want to make them curious about life, we want to build their confidence that to know that, hey, you can create and you can innovate.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, I have a chapter book that just came out, and I have mom saying, like, my daughter actually wants to read now because she's reading it.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, yes, that's what we want.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: We want to bring them into books to build all those things that come along with reading, you know, but you got to get them to sit down and read it first.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: So it just all those kind of things as, you know, parent comments or kid comments, it's really showing like these books are making a difference and there is that value in books that we've always known as there, but it kind of has been pushed back with all the screens and the busyness of life.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And in the digital age, if you will, how hard is it to compete for time and attention for kids when the screens are always on and I mean they're integrated in school now?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: What is the like the push and pull that you're seeing as an author and as a publisher?
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's interesting because I will say there is that, you know, kids want screens, but if the screens aren't available, like they're not missing it.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so I tell parents and teachers and and just people that often that if you're just if screens are not an option, then they're not gonna miss it.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: They're gonna go pick up a box and make it into a spaceship, or they're gonna go play with sticks in the backyard for two hours, or they're gonna pick up the book.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if you have a stack of books sitting there and there's no TV and TV's not even an option and there's no tablet, they're gonna pick up those books.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's really not that hard if the screens aren't an option and books are available or other to other things are available.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Now it does, you know, I've had I've had moms and I've gone through it too, where it's like, you know, we just had a week where kids were sick and things were busy and it was rainy and we just watched too much screens.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: And getting out of that habit, if we're already in that screen habit, can be tough, but it's only tough for a couple days.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like go through that muddy water of like cutting the screens and all of a sudden they're over it.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: You know, they're like not asking for the show anymore.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: They may ask for it and you say, no, let's go do this, and then it's it's done, you know.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: So if you already in are in that like too much screen window, you can get out.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's like tough for a couple days, but then it's really not.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, wow, this is better, behavior's better, attitudes are better, imagination is bigger, they're calmer, you know, it's just so many different things.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: It's just all around better.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: And again, like we do screen time, but it's in moderation and it's only on certain days or for a special movie night or stuff like that.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we we have definitely learned that firsthand.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I have a three-year-old son, and we haven't been like crazy about screen time in terms of like too much or too little or whatever, whatever the um the two sides of the going on.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: But we um hadn't really built any boundaries around it.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: And the only boundary I had when he was really little was like we're not doing like crazy overstimulating shows like music focus.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: He like every morning we'd watch um NPR tiny desk and it's like a little concert in our our living room.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: But now we're starting to see how different the behavior is when he has watched TV.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it maybe it's one show, but it's it's so crazy to see the boundaries you kind of have to create if you've allowed screen time.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: The the boundaries you have to create to make it sustainable, I guess.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like he doesn't watch TV in the mornings, we don't watch TV until the weekends on uh school or school or weeknights, there's no TV.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Weekends are the only days that are TV because we're out doing stuff, and usually we just need him to like sit and chill.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: But like you said, like those days when it's like everybody's homesick and the next three days are a nightmare because he doesn't get to watch TV all day long.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's so crazy to see that parallel of wanting them to like we love the story bots or number blocks.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're in big in those phases right now.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Even like his behavior is different from show to show, different type of show.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: So creating like barriers around it, and it it is true, like the less option they have for it, the better it is for you.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Like with the tablets, we've we've never really done tablets with him.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: We do travel quite a ton, and so having an iPad is a luxury for the plane.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: And um one of the hacks, the plane, yeah.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: One of the hacks that I have found is we have one iPad.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: We've only always had one iPad, and I just switch the covers of them.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So if it's uh if it's got like a very simple gray cover, it's my iPad.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: But if it has the blue cover that's like squishy and like anti-shock, it's Bodie's iPad.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: And he thinks it's cheaper than iPads.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: So we've tricked him a little in that way.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: But um, yeah, it's so interesting to see that difference.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: What are some of the things that you've heard from other parents on changing the tide from really heavy digital screen time to kind of the the analog of books, if you will?
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I'm I am not, you know, like a behavior therapist or anything like that.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: This all just comes from my personal experience watching my kids.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_02: I have a five and a seven-year-old over the years and figuring parenting out, you know, figuring out, you know, from you know, they woke up really early on a Saturday and we're like you.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_02: We do the Saturday and Sunday before church shows, but that's it.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: We don't do them during the week or in the mornings, um, like the school day mornings.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: But I would notice, oh, you know, my son woke up really early, and so he watched two hours of TV before, you know, while we're just having coffee and it's so early and whatever.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then it's like the whole morning is just crazy.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Versus if it's one show, turn it off, let's go color, do another activity, let's go outside.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: It's a totally different, you know.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: So it's also that balance like how much are they watching?
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_02: And I shared that because we did back when they were in preschool, they would wake up at six, but preschool didn't start till 8:30, and you had this big gap, and it was, you know, the morning.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_02: So we'd watch a little show.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_02: And and I started to notice, particularly in my son, the behavior from when you'd watch the show or not.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I shared that with some other moms because you were like, Oh, I'm having these behavior issues with my kids.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, I cut the TV to where it's maybe a Friday night if we're home movie night, otherwise we're out doing something.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: And then just Saturday and Sunday morning.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: So the kids know, is it a weekend yet?
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_02: We get to watch one or two episodes on Saturday morning, one or two episodes on Sunday morning.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: And it was a massive behavior shift.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so I've shared that with other moms who were like, Oh, I'm just struggling with behavior.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: And they said the same thing.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I noticed such a big behavior shift, such big, you know, just the morning was easier and and better.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: And the there's communication, and now you're talking and they can help make breakfast.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just, it's not, I used to think, especially, you know, earlier in parenting, oh, I need to just turn on TV, occupy them in the morning.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, I really don't actually have to.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: If they just wake up and come downstairs and there's books or maybe no books or a coloring sheet or just whatever, they'll just sit on the couch or they'll pick up a toy or they'll come ask to help.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you really don't have to plan much, they'll figure it out, and that's what they need.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_02: They need this opportunity to explore and to go, you know, pick something up and start playing with it.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, I was like, oh, wow, that is so much better.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: And look at them go, you know.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: So it was a huge shift.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I've shared that with a lot of other moms, and they're like, I it was incredible.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: So if you if you if you're still on that screen time, watch and see.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: It's really is incredible when you kind of shift out of it.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah and then just have those parameters around it.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think that that independent play time is huge for kids.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Our our son and like our nieces and nephews all went to Montessori.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So like independence is huge for us.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: But just given the opportunity to figure out how to do something on their own when you're not available or whatever it might be can go such a long way.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me about the the focus you have on equity and access.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: I know you mentioned or I mentioned in your bio that you worked in a lot of under-resourced classrooms when you were still in the classroom.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me a little bit more about that, um, the back end to that, and then how you decided that that would be kind of one of your focuses in creating a publishing house.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I so I it kind of all started when I was still in college.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I went to Baylor, which is in Waco, and Waco's a great city, um, but there are a lot of lower income areas, and those are the schools that we were in.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: I also volunteered at a place called Mission Waco, and so we worked with a lot of underserved kids.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I had never seen that, you know, kids who didn't have books in in the house or, you know, their their language, their reading, you know, all they were so far.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: And then when I got into the classroom with middle school, you know, these kids were on second and third grade reading levels at sixth and seventh grade, and then we didn't have librarians and we they didn't go and check it out books.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_02: And they were just, they had a hard time using their imaginations and they had a hard time seeing the bigger picture or imagining what things could be like outside of just their home and their neighborhood.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: And um, and and they really struggled to think for themselves.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so I really had to teach a lot of like critical thinking and imagination and like in math within math, you know, like instead of just copy this definition and then solve this problem, like, well, what do you think about this?
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like what did these words trigger in your mind?
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: And seeing all of that, and then I did also for a few years work in a more middle upper class area, and so seeing the differences, and you're like, these kids are just as smart, they just don't have the resources.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's always been a mission of mine to help those areas, whether it's through, you know, educating and helping the teachers or giving resources and books.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: We partner with the Barbara Bush Foundation in Houston to get books into the hands of kids because it is it's very impactful for kids to have their own books at home that they can look through and read and recognize words or recognize characters or connect with characters.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's really just kind of stem from college and and and seeing and experiencing the lack of resources that these kids in these schools have, but they're just as capable and smart as any other kids.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: So if we can get those resources in their hands, then they can thrive.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love that.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: So as you started to kind of build this business, with it being kind of purpose-driven, how did you decide once you really got into it, the the philanthropic side versus the the business growth?
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: How did that all kind of intertwine together?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know it can be hard as a purpose or mission-driven business to also weigh like the cost factor or really identify the the tenants of the business.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: What did that all look like for you?
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, it can be very hard.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: And I always do like the creative side, you know, I I work with our authors and then I do my own books.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so Jeff is the co-founder of my husband.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_02: He does all the business side and he always jokes.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, You give all our books away.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, Yeah, it would, they would be so fun.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how can I have a job where I can just go around the country and give books?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I want to be like Oprah, like, you get a book, you get a book, you get a book, but you can't.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's a business like and so that's really the balance between, you know, like our marketing director and Jeff and figuring out that balance of like, okay, we can do the, we can partner with these nonprofits and do these uh outreaches, or I'll go, you know, donate my time to read these books to kids and do these presentations versus, you know, we are we are a company that has to keep the lights on.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_02: And if we want to continue to reach kids in impactful ways, then you know, we have to continue to create books and get our books out there.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: So it is definitely it's a balance.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: And how has being a mom kind of shaped and changed what the business looks like?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, they are like what shaped it from the beginning.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: I um I had never, you know, fund my own business.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_02: So it was all new to me.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: And we kind of just jumped in and just, you know, learned to swim while we were in the pool.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, so we were kind of figuring it out, and I did have to, and I'm still evolving.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: I think I have a really good balance now.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: But at first I was like zoned in on this business.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_02: It was like consuming me.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: I was waking up before the kids went to bed all day long at night, you know, after they went to bed.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: But it was really starting to have more of a negative impact because I wasn't sleeping as well.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then I was getting cranky and I was prioritizing the business.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, this isn't, this isn't what I want.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_02: I wanted to start this business to impact kids and have a positive impact on my kids and to, you know, leave a legacy and build a business that maybe they would like to, you know, take over or or just teach them things throughout it.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so I kind of had to take a step back and really find a balance that worked.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I started involving them in things, you know, like, hey, come help me read these books, or what do you think about this?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_02: And then I had to set, like, okay, these are my designated work hours.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: I actually ended up getting more done when I shortened my workouts a little bit because it's just like boom, boom, boom.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_02: I batch my work, Mondays are for this, two Tuesdays are for this.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: And the kids really started thriving in that.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: And we would take them to events sometimes.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_02: They even started their own little bracelet business.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so I kind of learned from them, I'm like, okay, mom is number one, being a mom to them is number one, business is number two, but they can overlap.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, we'll talk about it sometimes at dinner, or I'll share with them, you know, oh, I got a bad review.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: And they're like, oh no, how dare somebody! I'm like, that's life.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: Not everyone's gonna like it.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_02: And then I'm gonna keep on going and I'm gonna think about all the good reviews.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: So I share a lot with them, which helps me in my career, but also like develop as a mother and as a mom.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's it's really been a big learning curve.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: And the only way I know how to do it, because before, you know, I was in the classroom and then now we have this business.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's been different, but it's been really cool to watch the impact on them.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: How has the evolution of your family as a whole looked like with you guys both being in business together?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: I know that that can be tricky to kind of manage um like family and work and not let it intertwine in areas that you don't want it to.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And what has that kind of looked like?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: Did you have to set boundaries for each other in in family time and in work time?
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: What does that all look like?
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_02: And that's one thing is we said, you know, like kind of like when I was just sharing about when it was kind of overtaking me.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: Is that to say, I don't want the kids to resent the business?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like I could grow this great publishing company and could be so successful, but at what cost?
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: Not at the cost of my kids, not at the cost of my family.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: You know, so maybe we move a little bit slower, or maybe we, you know, do one less book this year, but my kids are the forefront.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I want them to have a positive thought on our books.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_02: And they and they do anytime, like I'll be getting frustrated and they'll be, well, you're still gonna be the leader, right?
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: You're and like they pick up these things that I don't even know.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, I'm still gonna be the leader.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: Like, okay, and like they've picked up leadership skills.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so we did have to set boundaries or like morning is is their time.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not checking my emails on the morning.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm we're we're having family.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_02: We sit down for breakfast every morning.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: After they're at school, it is all books, it's all business.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: I pick them up.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: I I had to start leaving my phone because otherwise I'd pick it up, look at an email, then they'd be talking to me, you know.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: No, I leave my phone like in my purse or whatever.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: And that way it's focused on them, you know?
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then they'll ask about it and they're super interested in it.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's really cool to see how it has become such a positive thing, and they they're so proud.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_02: They're so proud of the business, they're so proud of the books because we've made it a really positive experience for them and for us.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then then they're able to see the ups and downs of it too, which I think's help helps with their leadership and their perseverance and just as they navigate kid life, you know, seeing like, oh, my mom goes through hard things and she gets frustrated, but she keeps going.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: So but we had to be very, very intentional in making it uh a positive thing for everyone.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think the the intentionality part of it is what really resonates with me.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm a business owner, I own a digital marketing company, and then my husband owns a business as well.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: So we're we're still a work in progress on uh the screen times on ourselves because we're uh we're still figuring out the a balance there.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: But we still eat dinner together every night.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: We when we talk about our day, like we'll all go around, talk about what our day was like, and we're honest about it.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: And like this was really hard, or I had a hard time with one of my clients, or we had a really great day, we signed a great contract, whatever it might be.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's really great.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: To share both the positives and negatives in obviously an age appropriate way because business isn't always rate from sunshine.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I would love to know more about what that has looked like for you as you have built this business.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um obviously you came from teaching and not publishing.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: What was the learning curve there for you?
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: And how did you balance kind of like learning on the go versus like having that learned knowledge already?
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we've made a lot of mistakes, but we I just started researching everything I could, you know, reading everything I could, we we got connected into some book or into some like social media and online groups.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: We would just ask people who had been in the book industry before, like, hey, can we hop on a call?
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: Can we learn?
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_02: So, yes, I had to learn a lot.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_02: And then my husband always jokes, you know, all the mistakes.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, Well, we're just paying for education.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: We're like, you know, instead of going to school for it for four or five years, we're learning as we go.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_02: And those mistakes, you know, are like paying for education.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: And like, okay, it makes me feel a little better.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_02: But but we just, you know, you can't be afraid to make the mistakes.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_02: And it can be hard.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: And there's days where I'm like, I am not even cut out for this.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then you have to take a breath and be like, look at all we've done, you know, like we've built award-winning books and best-selling books.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: And we just a lot of it, I think, too, because it is children's books, came from reading to my kids for three years, four years, you know.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, my daughter was four when we started, or almost four.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so I had a lot of experience reading the books.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: So I knew exactly like what I wanted to put in them, what I didn't want, how I wanted them to sound, how I wanted them to look.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_02: It was more of like the business, how do we get these books out of there?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_02: How do we actually, you know, where do we find these illustrators, these editors, how do we market, you know, the books?
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: Because making the book is only part of it.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: And then you have to launch the book, and then you have to, you know, I always tell people too, it's not just that one if your week launch doesn't go how you want.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: I think of this in terms of I want my books to be around in 50 years and 60 years.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I think of like brown bear, brown bear, and the Barenstein Bears and all these books that have been around for decades.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, okay, that's what I want.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: So then it's just how do we keep that going?
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: So we're constantly learning and you know, evolving and improving.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: One of the through lines that I hear from a lot of moms who are entrepreneurs is that being a mom and being an entrepreneur are very similar and that you're constantly learning, there's always new things to learn.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: You're changing and evolving as your kids or your business is.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: What are your thoughts in that area?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, totally.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like we said, like when my kids were two, and I'm like, oh, there's too much screens.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's the it's we need to pivot here.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like we're constantly learning, and what works for one kid doesn't work for another one, or one works this week doesn't work that week, or their phases and their ages change month to month.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_02: And and the businesses too, you're like, oh, hey, this worked really great.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: Let's try this again.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: This didn't work for that book, you know.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: And you we have to be able to just roll with the punches.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_02: And if you hit a dip in the road, uh you just keep going and and can't be afraid to grow and improve, you know.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't have all the answers.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: I've got to, you know, reach out to others.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_02: And same thing with kids.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, you know, your mom community, what are you doing?
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'm struggling with this, you know, what can I do?
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'm constantly listening to new books.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_02: I just listened to one Puddle Jumpers last week, which is a really good one on like raising leadership in kids and confidence.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_02: And so that was a really good one.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, if you're looking for a new book.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, so I'm yeah, constantly flooding myself with like parenting tips or stories or strategies, and then also with the books, like what can I do better?
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_02: I follow a lot of people who have gone before me in the industry and and watched and see how they're doing things.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um how can I innovate that?
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: So, yes, they definitely're very similar.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_02: They both drive you crazy some days and you love them some.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you love them all the time, but you know.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you talked a little bit about legacy.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: What kind of legacy are you hoping that this business will will leave for you and your family?
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's such a good question.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_02: You know, for my kids, whether it's something that they want to continue or not, I just want them to learn perseverance and leadership and to be able to do that while staying true to your morals and your values, and that you can do things in a positive aspect and you don't have to do things how other people are doing it if it's not how you want it or what you believe or you you stick to hate.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: We're about imagination and adventure and building confidence.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_02: And this is book over here is having great success.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_02: And that could be like, you know, in in there, hey, these people over here are having great success in what they're doing.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_02: But if that's not your passion, you stay in your lane and you will have great success in how you're doing it.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: So I just want my kids to learn to, you know, be true to themselves and leadership and just really having a positive outlook and hard work.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: And then in general, I would just love to be known as our, you know, our company as just this really positive, confidence-building, imagination-building book company that is just there for kids, you know.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_02: There's so many things out there and so many opinions.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like we are just making books for kids, you know, so kids feel good and happy and laugh while they're reading books.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: Well, tell me a little bit more about some of the books that you guys have on your shelves right now.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we've got the Day a Had series is a really fun series that follows these four friends who use their imaginations to have really big adventures.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_02: Their toys come to life.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: So each book is a different, like a spaceship comes to life, and then construction vehicles come to life, dinosaur, so each one is a different adventure.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_02: And we've got another one coming out with a Colorado author called Vix's Balloons, and it's a really cute story about like kids' feelings told through the story of dogs and balloons.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like really relatable for kids.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: The dog tries to bury his feelings, but it doesn't work.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: The balloons keep popping up.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: And he's like, Okay, well, maybe I'll just talk about them.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_02: And then the balloons start getting lighter and lighter as he talks about his feelings.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a really cute one.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then we just released our first chapter book for elementary age kids, and that one is a really fun adventure falls for girls who go into these magical lands to, you know, help like this first one, they help unicorns and they kind of evolve and use their talents together to solve the problem.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's a really fun adventure.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: Those are kind of the big ones we've got going on this summer.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is there anything else coming up for the publisher, the publishing house, or you specifically that you want to share?
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: Well, yeah, we've got our book releases, we've got a lot of really fun events coming up.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: We're we do a lot of bookstore events.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_02: I'm doing a Girl Scout event in the fall, which I'm so excited about.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: One of my passions now, especially that my daughter is seven and she's right there in the mix, and I can see that line of like little girl childhood into like, you know, comparison and confidence.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so I have really dialed into wanting just build the confidence in girls and the belief in themselves.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'm really excited to really kind of ramp up that with the Wildflower Girls, which is that chapter book series, is to just really empower these girls to believe in themselves.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that's kind of our a big initiative that we've got going on the next over the next couple of years.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's so great.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: Well, tell people where they can find you, where they can find your books, website, social media, whatever you'd like to share.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_02: So uh author Ashley Wall, I love connecting with people uh on there, whether it's moms, authors, you know, other business owners.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_02: It's just fun to support and encourage each other.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: I have I always like, I'll talk about someone and be like, ah, well, I don't know.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_02: I met them on social media and like we've been following each other for two years now, and I just bought their book, you know.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's really fun to like build that community and uh in social media and it and make it a really positive thing for people.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, so author Ashley Wall, and then we have our website, momabearbooks.com.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, our books are also available at, you know, Barnes and Noble's, a lot of local stores, Amazon, some are on Target.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: We'll put that on the show notes.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: But thank you so much for being here and sharing a little bit about your piece of the world and what you're working on.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and hopefully you'll you'll get some book sales here.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: I I definitely have some earmarked of of who love the books that you mentioned.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, awesome.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you so much, Jessica.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's been great to talk to you.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, great to talk to you too.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_00: If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast wherever you listen and share it with another mon building something meaningful.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_00: If you want deeper behind the scenes reflections that I don't share anywhere else, join my email list at the Mama Making Podcast.com.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for being here, and I'll see you next time.