Meet Katie, Author of The Honey Bees: Recharge Mommy Bee and Family Teamwork.
The books create a social story for moms and kids to both understand their need for rest, and how to communicate those needs effectively. Keep reading to learn more about Katie and her mission with these books.
What made you start your business?
I have always dreamed of becoming an author but I wasn't sure what avenue of writing I wanted to pursue. As a new mother, I struggled with communicating my own needs and finding balance with all my new roles and responsibilities. When I eventually found strategies that worked for me, I knew I wanted to share them with other families. I decided to focus on children's stories so that these messages of wellness could be applied to the whole family. It is my philosophy that in order for children to integrate healthy habits, these strategies need to be modeled by the adults in their lives. After deciding to use the endearing nickname, “Honey Bee”, that my then 4 and 2 year old called me, the Honey Bees series was born. I have since self published two books and I run an Instagram account (@honeybeeshive__) where I share information about wellness for moms and families. Just like in a real beehive, if the queen bee is not well, the hive suffers, it is time for moms to put their needs first, and The Honey Bees help families do just that!
Biggest accomplishment so far?
While I am proud of milestones such as book sales, or seeing my book up on the Barnes and Noble website, my biggest accomplishment is when I receive feedback that my stories are helping moms meet their needs. One message in particular stands out from a family who read The Honey Bees: Recharge Mommy Bee, the mom shared, “My son saw I was getting tired after dinner the other night and he told me it was time to recharge my batteries! I couldn't believe the metaphor actually worked, and I didn't feel so guilty about taking a break that night”.
How do you handle competition in your field/market?
It would be an understatement to say the children's book market is saturated, that's a given! My niche in this market is the focus on maternal health, putting moms' health and wellness needs first in my stories. My metaphors, strategies, and techniques take a family-centered approach by making each lesson applicable to the adults and kids in a family structure. I love connecting with other maternal health workers or authors to learn from them and improve my business strategies. When it comes to helping mothers, kids, and families, there really is no competition, we are all on the same team trying to make a difference for this generation.
What are 3 personal goals you have for the next year?
This year is all about self improvement for me. I have two little boys who are finally out of diapers, and who have a little bit more independence, so, I am ready to start focusing on things that make me feel good again. These include:
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Daily Journaling
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Daily Meditation
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Learning to paint with watercolor
It is amazing how consistent journaling and meditation improve my mental hygiene, I am working on making it a daily habit. I also recently purchased a “learn to water color” workbook and I have been enjoying the process of trying something new, being patient with myself while I learn, and carving out much needed “me time”.
What is your favorite product you make/sell?
I can't pick a favorite book because, well that's like picking a favorite child, I love them both equally! During in person events I sell honey bees merchandise and my favorite one is the bee antenna headbands for the kids. I love seeing the kids out in the audience wearing their bee antennas and listening to my stories!
Thank you so much, Katie! You can shop her book on Autumn and June here, and you can find more on her website! You can also find her books here and here on Autumn and June!
Katie resides in New Jersey with her husband and two children. She has always dreamed of being a published author and is making her debut with the vibrant and adorable characters, The Honey Bees. Katie enjoys all the mental health based books out there for children, but identified a gap in the literature teaching parents, specifically moms, how to use these strategies. She believes parents need to be able to model these wellness strategies first, in order for their children to effectively use them.
Katie works as an occupational therapist, and has experience working with adults and children in the home setting. She has most recently shifted her professional focus to maternal health and is certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C) and pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise (PCES). She used her personal experiences as a mother, and her professional education as a therapist, to create this story line. She hopes it helps mothers everywhere to be able to express their need for rest and self-care in a healthy way.