We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natasa Zoubouridis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Natasa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I always wanted to write, but I fell into producing TV instead. My last big production was the first ever late-night comedy show in Chicago on WGN-TV called “Man of the People with Pat Tomasulo”. It was a fantasy job. I was essentially getting paid to make people laugh every week.

When the show ended I was devastated. I started a video marketing company and quickly learned I hated marketing. Covid hit and I felt like I lost my identity. Who was I if not a producer?

My best friend had her first baby during this time and asked if I could nanny. I agreed, assuming I could apply for jobs while she napped and figured out my next move. Little did I know this baby was going to ignite my lost passion for writing sending me into an entirely new career and life path.

I loved this baby so much that one day during my daily journaling, I decided to write her a love letter explaining why she called me “aunt” though I was only her mother’s friend. Since she was a baby and couldn’t read I decided to add pictures, and so, my first children’s book was formed. I intended for it to be a Christmas gift. I learned Amazon printed for cheap, so I decided to upload it not thinking anyone would buy it. With over 5,000 copies sold today, I see now I greatly underestimated how many people share this same relationship.

The title of my first book is “Mommy, Who is this Lady? A Love Letter from Your ‘Kind of’ Aunt”. In the story, the ‘kind of’ aunt explains how she has been there for the child’s mother and will be there for the child just the same. She will help the child with homework, and heartache, and teach them everything she knows. The moral of the story is relatives are given to you, but family is chosen. 

I knew I was onto something with this book when I felt my depression lift and my creativity flow. The entire process took no time at all and it felt so easy like I was always supposed to be doing this. It felt amazing seeing people connect with a story I wrote for my loved ones. I learned through my other books that stories about personal relationships are universal and can touch a lot of people. Writing from the heart has been the key to my success and I am so grateful. 

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

If you’ve never heard of me, it makes sense. I’ve always been behind the scenes, literally. For the last decade, I was a producer in Chicago. I worked on ABC7, WGN-TV, and other commercial work. I also worked with many cancer charities, producing marketing videos to help with their fundraising endeavors.

I really fell into producing as my passion was always writing. I went to college to become a screenwriter but realized my dream of eating food and paying rent was stronger than my dream of fame. When I finally wrote my first book my entire life changed. I went from 14-hour work days and no social life to being married, owning a home, and having my first child.

I can’t say I have built a brand with my works but I have built a family and a collection of stories that people resonate with. All of my books are about relationships, appreciating the people in our lives, and valuing the bonds we share with others. From your mom’s best friend you call “aunt”, to a DIY father and son bond, and the shenanigans we would get into with our “Crazy Cousins” there is bound to be a story you connect with. My children’s books make great gifts for baby showers, birthdays, Father’s Day, and more. When you gift or read one of my books to your child you are showing them love. I don’t write generic counting books. My stories are personal love letters to your favorite people that you don’t have to come up with yourself. I paid the illustrator and did all the heavy lifting for you. And I’ve only brushed the surface. I have 30 more titles on the backburner I can’t wait to share with children and families solidifying the importance of the people around us.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn self-doubt and perfectionism. Self-doubt is a learned behavior we cement over the years. To release my work I had to come to terms with my self-worth and accept there is no true perfection. My work is just as good as the next writer and I cannot continue to hold myself back. Some people will like me and others won’t and that’s ok.

It took years of personal development courses and a personal coach to help me see that. We can make excuses about how hard things are, but they aren’t. I’ve learned life is a matter of perspective, and it’s a lot simpler than we want it to believe. When I learned to truly love myself I chose to stop holding myself and my work back. I would rather release a piece of work now than hold onto it for years never knowing if it or I are “good enough”.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The reactions I’ve gotten have been some of the most rewarding aspects of being a writer. It might sound horrible but I love seeing people cry about my books. I wasn’t expecting or planning to make people emotional, but I have had many people and reviewers admit they were moved to tears by my stories. Knowing that my words touched someone enough to evoke a physical response is an artist’s dream come true. I once had a woman buy 4 books from me at once because she had 4 kids she was a ‘kind of’ aunt to. She told me she cried when someone gave it to her kid, and now she wants to share the love.

Another physical response was to my second book when a father took his son to the hardware store wanting to create a core memory. It’s just so sweet to hear things like that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.natasaz.com
• Instagram: @natasaz