Latest / The Purpose and Progress Podcast Show / Retired But Not Done: The Joy of Building a Second Career with Avalon Brown

Transcript

Retired But Not Done: The Joy of Building a Second Career with Avalon Brown · The Purpose and Progress Podcast Show

0:00
Avalon Brown:: What I have found over the years in writing,
0:03
there's a story in everything. If you just look in your
0:06
environment or the people you're around, or you listen to other
0:10
people talking, there's a story. And if there's a story, or you
0:13
have a vision, or you have a thought that yeah, I would like
0:17
to write about that, just start writing. When I first started
0:22
out, I was writing on paper. I was writing everything out on
0:25
paper. I was writing on the paper. Then I started writing on
0:28
the computer. But I was jotting little things down here and
0:33
there every day. Something come to my head. I jot it down again.
0:36
Jot it down again. So by then, you have a whole book. You just
0:40
need to sit and put it together.
0:46
Dr. Jim Price:: Hello, I'm Dr. Jim Price, and welcome to The
0:49
Purpose and Progress Podcast. This is the place where we
0:53
explore how purpose can guide our actions, and how growth can
0:57
become a part of our everyday lives. On the show, I talk with
1:01
amazing guests, from educators and creators to everyday people
1:06
with extraordinary stories about the challenges they face, the
1:10
lessons they've learned, and how to keep moving forward. My goal
1:14
is to share conversations that inspire you to live
1:16
intentionally, embrace growth, and take meaningful steps to
1:20
your own purpose. Let's get started.
1:27
Hello, everyone. Once again, welcome to The Purpose and
1:30
Progress Podcast Show. I'm your host, Dr. Jim Price. And here on
1:35
this show, we share inspirational stories from
1:38
inspirational people who are doing great things to help
1:41
others, inspire others, uplift others, motivate others. And
1:46
today is no different. We have a wonderful guest with us. She's a
1:50
registered nurse, healthcare leader, author, speaker, and
1:54
mentor with more than 43 years of experience serving patients
1:58
and developing healthcare professionals. After retiring
2:02
from nursing in 2023, she began a new chapter as an author
2:07
writing children's books, memoirs, inspirational works,
2:12
nursing educational resources, and contributing to 10
2:15
anthologies. Drawing on her Christian faith and decades of
2:20
leadership experience, she shares practical lessons on
2:23
resilience, purpose, perseverance, and overcoming
2:27
adversity to inspire others to grow through life challenges.
2:31
Here today, we have Avalon Brown as our guest. How you doing,
2:35
Avalon?
2:36
Avalon Brown:: I'm doing so good. So great today.
2:39
Dr. Jim Price:: It's so great to have you on the show today, and
2:42
being to motivate and inspire is what we do. I always say,
2:45
whatever you work behind, you put prayer behind it so you
2:48
could push that. And big things happen. I definitely put prayer
2:53
in everything I do, and I always say that openly a lot. Prayer
2:57
changes things and stuff like that. It's such a great thing to
3:01
have you on the show today so you can share your story, your
3:05
journey and stuff like that, and how things have transpired with
3:09
you. I think the first thing we want to get into is, when do you
3:13
feel that your journey kind of started? What influenced you in
3:19
that to start your journey to where you are today?
3:24
Avalon Brown:: Are we talking about nursing? Or are we talking
3:26
about as an author?
3:28
Dr. Jim Price:: From nursing to the author.
3:30
Avalon Brown:: For nursing, I was still doing nursing. Around
3:37
2012 is when the writing started. While I was still in
3:41
nursing, I had been going through so many adversities in
3:45
my nursing career. I kept saying, I'm gonna write a book.
3:49
I'm gonna put the things that's going on in the book. I'm gonna
3:52
put the things that's going on in the book. And I kept saying
3:56
that. In 2012, I went out with my knee, and I was at church,
4:01
and the mother said, you keep talking about that book. Go and
4:04
write it. So that was my very first book where I wrote about
4:07
my nursing career. Every time I had time, I continued writing.
4:13
So after retiring, I decided that I'm gonna be a full time
4:19
author. So I just continued writing, and I was going to redo
4:24
the nursing book that I did in 2012. But then I had the idea
4:29
that, let me bring some other nurses. And maybe other nurses
4:33
would like to tell a story. And that was the first anthology
4:36
that I was actually the visionary in. It was called, So
4:44
from there, I got 10 other nurses to come and tell their
4:48
story. The things that they went through in nursing. And why it
4:51
did not make them quit the profession. Because I know a lot
4:55
of nurses are starting to leave the profession, but I found 10
4:59
nurses that still working. They were from different specialties,
5:04
and they all wrote their story. They all have a chapter in the
5:08
book.
5:10
Dr. Jim Price:: Wow, that's amazing! Sometimes, you never
5:12
know where your path is going to bring you to in terms of the
5:15
things that you do. Nursing field, and now all of a sudden,
5:18
you move forward. Now, you're writing books and memoirs in
5:21
terms of helping the healthcare industry in that way. That's
5:26
such a blessing and fabulous that you were able to turn your
5:29
passion into something that can be tangible and helpful to other
5:33
healthcare providers. That's fabulous. If you were to say the
5:40
obstacles that you might have faced in terms of not just in
5:43
the healthcare industry, but when as you became getting into
5:46
the industry where you were doing children's books and
5:48
stuff, and maybe some of the obstacles or challenges that you
5:52
faced as you were going through those aspects of growing
5:55
yourself in that way.
5:57
Avalon Brown:: I think the biggest obstacle for my
6:00
children's book, for any of my books is the marketing. I don't
6:05
have an issue with writing. I can just write, write, write.
6:07
But when it comes to the marketing, that's the issue
6:10
because you need funds, you need strategies to market and sell
6:16
your books. I do try to go to book fairs or book festivals,
6:21
get a table and sell my books there. This is what's helping me
6:27
get the word out, and even volunteer and donate books just
6:35
so the word gets out there, especially the nursing books.
6:38
Because I'm the visionary of at least three anthologies where I
6:43
brought other nurses to talk about. We did one on nurse
6:47
bullying, because people don't realize how much nurse bullying
6:51
goes on in the profession. And then I did one for the
6:55
educators. I have six educators to write their experience and
7:01
just something for the next generation to how they can help
7:04
the next generation, gave them some pointers because they are
7:09
either nursing instructors or they're nursing educators in the
7:13
hospital. So they wrote their story. They each have a chapter
7:17
in the book. I was a certified preceptor. So when new nurses
7:24
came to the floor, I was that nurse that was assigned to the
7:27
new nurse to train them.
7:32
Dr. Jim Price:: And I think we definitely share that
7:34
experience. Me being a children's author too, I didn't
7:37
know anything about promoting, marketing. I got to the point
7:41
where I published one book, and it's like, okay, now I have a
7:45
book. Now what? I had no clue to figure it out. Just fall into
7:49
things, I guess, and just figure things out as I went along. And
7:53
learn as I went along. I can totally relate to how that could
7:57
be. And a lot of the times, when you're trying to promote stuff,
8:01
you're investing in yourself. People see a lot of things, but
8:05
you're investing in yourself. Talking about your children's
8:08
books a little bit, and we're both children book author also.
8:12
Tell us a little bit about your children's books and what the
8:16
focus are.
8:17
Avalon Brown:: Well, what started my children's books was
8:19
I was at a book festival, and I met a teacher that's from my
8:23
town. And she said, why don't you start writing? Do you write
8:27
children books in your profession? And I was like, no.
8:30
I never even thought about doing children books. Because back
8:34
then, I was just writing. I had written one book, so then I sat
8:38
down and I control
9:01
a cold, the germs. So that was my first children book. And it
9:05
was pictures, because I always do a picture book. And it
9:08
started from there. Then what happened? I have seven grands
9:13
and three great grands. Of course, I used the first grand,
9:17
and her name was on the book, which made me have to do a book
9:21
for each grand. So all my children' books, my
9:24
grandchildren are the characters. Except for a couple
9:27
of books or just stories that I heard, and I decided to make it
9:31
a children book. My grandchildren are all the
9:33
characters in the book.
9:38
Dr. Jim Price:: Looking for books that spark imagination,
9:40
and teach valuable lessons? The Adventures of Harold From The
9:43
Hood has four wonderful titles: A Trip to the Park, Friends Like
9:47
Different Things, Fun Time Lunch Time, and When I Feel So
9:50
Annoyed. Kids can enjoy animated videos, fun coloring pages, and
9:54
interactive activity books that make learning about empathy,
9:57
friendship, and social skills exciting. All books are
10:00
available on every platform. Dive in today at
10:04
jimpricebooks.education. jimpricebooks.education. Stay
10:08
blessed.
10:29
That's amazing. How people are inspired with their characters
10:32
in the book is something like, you have all your grandkids. For
10:34
me was more based off me with the glasses. And when I was in
10:36
high school, of course, I had a little high top fade and
10:38
everything like that. My main character embodies elements of
10:41
myself. I totally can relate to that. Connecting it to family
10:43
and things like that, and having to be something that's created
10:46
that's also helpful and inspiring to kids, families and
10:48
communities, which is much needed these days in that sense.
10:50
That is fabulous.
10:51
Avalon Brown:: My last two children books has nothing to do
10:54
with my granddaughter. It was just a story that I heard in
10:58
church when one of the mothers, and the church has a beautiful
11:02
garden. But then there's a squirrel that's tearing up her
11:05
flowers, tearing up garden, digging up her grass, and I just
11:09
took and made a story out of that. And then the firehouse
11:13
down the corner every first of the month, they have what they
11:17
call car seat safety day. So you can drive up to the firehouse
11:22
and they'll check the car seats. And I happen to be walking by
11:26
and stop, and start talking to the firemen. And then I end up
11:30
doing a story, doing a children's book on that, like a
11:33
car seat adventure, and just made up a child in the story.
11:38
Dr. Jim Price:: Wow, that's what ended up happening. Places
11:41
inspire the stories. Most of my stuff come from when I'm looking
11:45
at the kids at recess because I'm an educator at recess and
11:48
watching. Oh yes, yes, absolutely. Do you have the
11:52
other ones with you too that you could the tell?
11:54
Avalon Brown:: The squirrel, the Lady and The Squirrel.
12:00
Dr. Jim Price:: Yes. Oh, my goodness. That's wonderful.
12:01
That's a blessing. A lot of people don't understand, they
12:05
aspire to be authors. But sometimes, that journey is so
12:08
tough and difficult just to get over the hump to even get to
12:11
that point where you actually can have a tangible piece in
12:15
your hand to say, I've done this. I've overcome the
12:18
challenges. I've overcome the obstacles to be able to create
12:22
something that's whole holistically good and helpful to
12:25
families and communities. Oh, my goodness, that is wonderful. I'm
12:32
sure you have future projects that are probably in the work,
12:36
what would you say for the future projects? Let's talk
12:39
about that future projects a little bit.
12:42
Avalon Brown:: What I am working on now is a nursing series. I
12:46
have three books so far. I'm working on number four. What I'm
12:50
doing is I'm doing like a how-to book, so how to flourish. And
12:55
what I'm doing is taking my experience, because I've held
12:59
different titles, a charge nurse, clinical manager, a
13:04
kidney transplant designee, a vascular nurse. So it's like how
13:09
to become a charge nurse, how to become a clinical manager, how
13:13
to flourish in your profession. So I have three books so far on
13:17
the series on Amazon. It's going to end up being seven books once
13:22
I finish. I'm working on book number four now.
13:25
Dr. Jim Price:: Wow, that's amazing. Once again, could you
13:29
tell the audience where can they purchase all the the books, and
13:33
maybe a website. The work is so wonderful, and I definitely want
13:37
the audience to purchase all your work and things like that.
13:42
Where could they purchase some of your work, or all of your
13:45
work if they want to?
13:46
Avalon Brown:: So my website, if you go to my website, it's
13:49
authoravalonsbrown.com, and you just click on the books. The
13:54
book's going to take you straight to Amazon. Yes. So
13:58
that's the best way to see all of my books, I have so many.
14:01
It's about four pages, but I have quite a few books. Because
14:07
I'm retired for three years now, so I'm just sitting down
14:10
writing.
14:11
Dr. Jim Price:: Hey, bad to do that. I always think about
14:16
retirement. I'm like, oh, I still got a little ways to go.
14:19
But I'm also not trying to work till I'm like 85. You know what
14:22
I mean? So it's almost like you plan and things like that. But
14:25
when you have the opportunity to do things and do things that
14:28
you're passionate about, do things that you really enjoy
14:30
doing, it makes a difference. When people go to work, some
14:34
people love their job, some people don't. But when you could
14:36
go to a job and enjoy what you're doing, it makes a
14:39
difference. It makes you really want to push harder and further
14:42
to do whatever you're doing, and do it holistically where you're
14:46
putting all the great effort behind everything.
14:47
Avalon Brown:: All of your effort. Because for me, nursing
14:50
became my passion. I really miss nursing, but I'm tired. I put it
14:57
like that. I'm 69. It's time for me to rest, so that's why I can
15:03
put my experience in books.
15:05
Dr. Jim Price:: Absolutely. That's such a blessing. I'm so
15:08
happy that you bring your talents to the world. That's
15:11
what you're doing when you're publishing and making books.
15:13
You're bringing your talents to the world to help, and then
15:15
motivate, and inspire others to be the best versions of
15:18
themselves. To see things from a different perspective that they
15:21
may not have ever seen before in that way, or thought of it in
15:25
that way. That's an inspirational message just in
15:28
itself that you're sharing, and how you're doing the children's
15:31
books and the memoirs. I mean, you're definitely a busy person.
15:35
You're definitely busy.
15:36
Avalon Brown:: Yes. Because I actually have a poetry book.
15:39
That's just something that came out of the air. I have a
15:42
spiritual poetry book. I was sitting down one day, and I just
15:46
decide, when you go to church and the pastor has his thought
15:50
for the day, and you write it down. And I was just sitting,
15:54
and I was like, you know what? All these thoughts I have in my
15:57
tablet, I turned them into poems. But they're really real
16:01
life things that a person go through. So that's where the
16:06
poetry book. Now, I may not ever write another poetry book. But
16:09
at that moment, God put that on my heart, and I put those words
16:13
out.
16:13
Dr. Jim Price:: Yeah. Wow. Some people are in a niche of things,
16:16
but you're just multitalented. Like your poetry, healthcare,
16:20
children. You're really multifaceted in the way that
16:23
you're able to just be very forthgoing with your talent and
16:26
stuff like that. Yeah, wonderful. That's all a
16:29
blessing. People, talent is a blessing. You're blessed with
16:32
talent. And sometimes, people are able to utilize those
16:35
talents for the good. And some people just don't tap into their
16:39
talent at all. Or they're bless of their talents, an lose out on
16:42
that opportunity to grow and expand themselves in that way.
16:46
Wow, that's amazing story. If you were to give an advice to
16:49
people who are the audience that is watching this, maybe haven't
16:53
published it, they're trying to get to where you are or do the
16:56
things, some of the things you're doing, the success that
17:00
you've already have now, what advice would you give to the
17:03
audiences watching that wants to maybe go on that path and say,
17:07
hey, you know what? I want to do that. What would you say to the
17:10
audience in that in that regard? That's my advice.
17:13
Avalon Brown:: What I have found over the years in writing,
17:16
there's a story in everything. If you just look in your
17:20
environment or the people you're around, or you listen to other
17:23
people talking. There's a story. And if there's a story, or you
17:27
have a vision, or you have a thought that, yeah, I would like
17:31
to write about that. Just start writing. When I first started
17:35
out, I was writing on paper. I was writing everything out on
17:38
paper. I was writing on the paper. Then I started writing on
17:42
the computer. But I was jotting little things down here and
17:46
there every day. Something come to my head, I jot it down again.
17:50
Jot it down again. So by then, you have a whole book. You just
17:54
need to sit and put it together, and get it published. Now, when
17:58
I first was told to go write the book, I didn't know how. How do
18:02
I write a book? How am I gonna find out how to publish it? Go
18:07
to the library. At the time, I went to the library, and they
18:10
had a whole section on how to get your books published. So I
18:14
did start out with traditional publishing, but as I went down
18:18
the road and started going to book fairs, and started
18:22
networking with other authors. I found out how to self-publish,
18:26
so I now self-publish my own books.
18:29
Dr. Jim Price:: Wow, that's amazing. People could have just
18:34
transformed. Because a lot of people, I have to understand
18:37
also that you write books, but it's still a business, and
18:40
you're advertising. You're promoting your business and
18:43
stuff like that. Writing these books, you're being helpful to
18:45
others, but it's still part of that business aspect of things
18:48
where you're trying to promote a market and other things of that
18:51
nature. That's such great advice. I know our artist
18:55
definitely appreciates that you share honest advice about how to
18:59
maybe become go on that path and where they want to go on into.
19:03
If there's someone wanted to go on that path and do those kind
19:06
of things, and that's so inspiring, could you share just
19:10
your website again for the audience. And the books.
19:19
Avalon Brown:: authoravalonsbrown.com.
19:20
Dr. Jim Price:: Excellent. I want the audience to definitely
19:22
support Avalon and her purpose of helping in the healthcare
19:26
industry, and helping the children's, families and
19:28
community. And those are how you commit to change, to positive
19:33
change. That's not in your local communities, but across the
19:36
world too. You commit to positive change by going on
19:39
these paths of growth, and understanding, and wanted to
19:42
help your community to be better, and do better. And I
19:45
know you put prayer behind it. And the power of prayer behind
19:49
all that stuff that you're doing, it just can help elevate
19:52
you to another level of being able help others, transpire to
19:56
be better, have people want to be better and do better. This
20:01
has been definitely a fabulous interview. I'm just so blessed
20:05
that you were able to be a part of the podcast show. Of course,
20:08
I always say, we always want to inspire change, growth. Because
20:12
progress, you have to take action, and action become growth
20:16
so we continue to share these motivational, inspirational
20:20
stories of people.
20:22
Avalon Brown:: I appreciate being here.
20:24
Dr. Jim Price:: Definitely. I always like to say, we motivate
20:30
others, we inspire others, and want others to be the best
20:34
versions of themselves they can be. And I always say, it's
20:38
always good to try to inspire others in that way. And today,
20:42
everybody's definitely was gifted to be able to experience
20:46
the story today. So as we close out today, we always say, prayer
20:53
changes things. And once again, this is The Purpose and Progress
20:56
podcast show. I'm your host, Dr. Jim Price. And I always say,
20:59
stay prayed up, and stay blessed. We'll see you next
21:02
time.
21:06
Thank you for joining me on this episode of The Purpose in
21:09
Progress Podcast. I hope today's conversation gave you insight,
21:13
inspiration, or a fresh perspective to help you move
21:16
forward with purpose. If you enjoyed the episode, please
21:19
subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could
21:22
use a little encouragement. You can also support the podcast
21:25
through the donation link in the show notes. Every contribution
21:29
helps us keep sharing stories that uplift and inspire.
21:32
Remember, your purpose is waiting, and progress never
21:35
stops. I'll see you next time.