Children’s author and book marketing coach, Laurie Wright is a silly but smart, busy mum of three who laughs at her own jokes just a bit too much. The minivan is her sanctuary, and the only place she can sing out loud without being shushed. She’s known for her short-term memory and extreme love of chips and dip. Usually on her best behavior, watch out when her filter wears off! Never without her laptop and a notebook. Trust her with your kids and your books, but not your coffee!
Amanda: Hello, Laurie! Thank you for joining us today.
Laurie: Thank you for having me!
Amanda: Laurie, I read most of your ‘Mindful Mantra’ series. They’re an excellent source of positive affirmations for kids. What made you decide to write children’s books?
Laurie: I taught kindergarten for ten years, and I consider 4 & 5-year-olds my people! I wrote the book in ‘kid language’ so they’d really ‘get’ it. And kids don’t jump to the best way to solve a problem off the bat. (Really, adults don’t always either!).
Amanda: That’s so true. How long did it take you to get published?
Laurie: It took about t ten years.
Amanda: Oh, wow, I never realised how long your journey was. No wonder you’re so full of words of wisdom for other authors! What challenges did you face during this time?
Laurie: When I first started, being a mum was my full-time job, and I had 3 kids under 8. So time was a real challenge. I worked whenever I had a spare minute during the day, but also felt guilty about it. Once my books were published and started selling well I was able to put my youngest in a day home a couple of days a week. My workdays grew from there. Two years ago my husband was able to semi-retire, so now I work full time from home. My current challenge is to focus when I sit down to work! I have really bad squirrel syndrome.
Amanda: Yeah, I’m familiar with squirrel syndrome myself! It’s awesome that you managed to semi-retire your husband so he can look after the children while you work. Speaking of which, how does being a mum impact your goal-setting and achievement?
Laurie: I love that I’m setting a great example for all my kids but especially my daughter. They’ve watched me struggle and grow every step of the way, and I hope that they are learning that they can do anything they put their minds to!
Amanda: That’s fantastic. I know you’re good at marketing, so, what steps do you take to raise your profile both online and in real life?
Laurie: I try to engage with people as much as possible. I do host a podcast and so a lot of people find me that way. In real life, I’m quite shy, so I mostly keep my head down!
Amanda: Haha, no way! You seem so confident and self-assured!
Laurie: Yes, that’s what everyone tells me.
Amanda: What has helped you become so successful?
Laurie: Networking has helped a ton, learning from others who are smarter than me too. I try to find things out for myself before asking for help, which I think helps the learning process. I’ve taken a ton of courses and had multiple coaches which is a phenomenal way to grow.
Amanda: It’s so weird, because I see you as such a fountain of knowledge. It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when you didn’t know all this stuff. What are you working on at the moment?
Laurie: I’m actually doing email marketing for a few companies at the moment! So I jokingly tell people I can only ‘copy’ write now, I can’t ‘creative’ write. I love everything marketing, but emails especially.
Amanda: Ah, but writing emails that make people want to read them is actually ‘creative’ writing in itself, isn’t it? In fact, you’re probably the only author I know who enjoys writing emails!
Laurie: That’s true, not many people like this part of the marketing process.
Amanda: What’s the best thing that has come out of following your dreams?
Laurie: Meeting amazing people (like you!) that I never would have otherwise. People are fascinating, and so fun to get to know. (Most of them). And, financial freedom. I won’t lie, it makes life a lot less worrisome when you aren’t trading hours for dollars.
Amanda: Absolutely. Who has been instrumental in helping you achieve your goals?
Laurie: My coaches along the way! I’ve learned something different from each one, and often what makes the biggest impact isn’t the actual material, but a shift in how I think. That’s where the largest gains come from.
Amanda: So, apart from your coaches, is there anyone else you admire?
Laurie: I admire the mums I’ve met who had an idea for a book, and who are making it happen. It’s a struggle, and it takes a lot of gumption. Not everyone can handle it! But those who pursue their dreams in this area are so inspiring.
Amanda: What’s the best advice you can give to anyone who has a dream?
Laurie: Just to GO FOR IT. There’s literally nothing we can’t do in the world these days. Consistently show up, even if it’s 20 minutes a day. Keep at it, and you’ll get there.
Amanda: Thank you so much for your time, Laurie. The Mindful Mantra series is available on Amazon. My personal favourites are ‘I Can Handle It’, ‘I Can Do It’ and ‘I Believe In Myself’. I highly recommend you check them out.
If you want to get in touch with Laurie personally, you can find her on her website: https://LaurieWrightAuthor.com, and @LaurieWrightAuthor on IG & FB.
