We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nancy Shepherd, Phd. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nancy below.

Hi Nancy , thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

When I conceived Rolling Pin Production, I knew I had to do more than write books and sell spices and dipping oils. I had to make a difference for others.

America is experiencing a National Literacy Crisis! Upwards of 85% of our children cannot read above a fourth grade level, and 43% of adults with the lowest literacy live in the worst poverty. An illiterate nation impacts us all. Lower literacy rates directly correlate to higher unemployment rates, reduced income, and overall impacts U.S. competitiveness on the global stage. There are other disparaging statistics, but suffice it to say, there are issues to work on. So you might be asking, what does this have to do with my company?

I teach college students and I know that it is too late to work on literacy at this level and make a significant impact, but starting with young children can make a difference! That is not to say that teaching college students about literacy to help them understand child development, language and how important literacy is in society won’t matter. However, this is where Rolling Pin Production comes into the picture. Young children in underserved areas often do not have access to books or reading tools. Their parents may be working two jobs to make ends meet and not have money to buy books or time to read to them. Getting books in the hands of these children is vital to change the picture of literacy in America. There is overwhelming evidence that children can learn to read! We just need to get the books in their hands and teach them.

So what is the plan………….. I am creating Rolling Pin Reading Rooms in underserved areas. The purpose is to create a space with books for children who might not have books or someone to help them learn to read. Books will be given to children to take home and activities will help build literacy skills in children. With the reading rooms located in the underserved areas, families will have the convenience of the neighborhood resource. Through my website, individuals, businesses or foundations could contribute books or donations to support the construction of a reading room, www.rollingpinproduction.com. Making a difference can begin with one reading room at a time!

Nancy , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As an educator, author, entrepreneur, mother, and wife I am blessed to bring my worlds together in a new way with Rolling Pin Production. I believe my experiences in life and my career have prepared me to share more than just our products as we are on a mission to develop life skills in young children, refine the cooking palette, and support literacy through our Rolling Pin Reading Rooms in underserved areas. Our children’s picture books and teacher/student resources are embedded with life lessons which are necessary to be successful in life. Join us in supporting literacy and empowering young minds!

My journey began in business and industry after college as I worked in wholesale and retail management, and I started my first company. As the industry changed, I adapted and later I started my interior design firm- Interior Connections in Portland, Oregon. The business grew and one year it was up 300% with two designers working with me. I taught at the local Community College and Art Institute as requested and loved helping others learn and reach goals. Sometimes I think back to a comment my college advisor said and laugh, “You will make a great teacher”. she said. My reply- “Oh no, I am going into business.” It is interesting how others can see something in you when you are young. I tell my college students this now and let them know to listen to those with more experience.

I moved back to Northern Idaho and I went back for my Masters and then on to my Ph.D. and moved around the country. I grew up in Northern Idaho, lived in Seattle, spent 20 years in Portland, Oregon and moved to Texas in 2007. I encourage others to spread your wings and explore different cultures and regions. It allows one to expand their mind and consider different possibilities.

So where did I end up? Teaching of course. It has been a real pleasure to be in the classroom teaching and learning from students. Everyone brings knowledge to a classroom. Discovering a student’s potential and advocating for their success goes beyond the classroom. Teaching is apart of RRP. I share free downloadable teacher/parent resources on the website that go along with the book. When I visit classrooms and read the books, we talk about the lessons embedded in the story. Children need to be taught important life skills to be successful with the challenges they will face in life. Life is a journey and we don’t know what hills and valleys we will travel. Being prepared for the journey is important.

Now I am cooking up stories and inspiring young readers and future chefs with my books and products. My lifelong love of cooking and baking inspired me to develop a handmade line of spices, rubs and dipping oils that pair well with the books which make a hands on learning experience for families. We can celebrate the power of storytelling, one page and one recipe at a time. I am pleased to offer products for the young and young at heart. I believe every creation carries a piece of my heart.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I swore I would never go into business again!

My husband had been pushing me to be an entrepreneur for a long time. I was actually fine working for someone else and taking home a paycheck with benefits. Did I like the idea of having my own schedule and building my own concept? Of course, but there were some potential pitfalls and concerns. He was already working on his own (not really the breadwinner) and if I started my own company and it was slow to take off who would really be paying the bills? Not to mention fund the start-up………….. Well, he finally pushed me over the edge and I launched my Interior Design firm. It didn’t take off right away, but it did grow slowly. My third year, I was experiencing a 300% growth and had a designer working with me, but I got pregnant (at 40 years old) and the Doctor said you need to slow down. Clearly, he didn’t understand. My business was at an all time high, I had multiple marketing events planned to continue the growth plan and I was Co-Chair of the Street of Dreams working with the biggest builders in the city. I was also President-Elect of the NW Interior Design Society. Sounds like a perfect world. Not quite.

Turns out, my husband liked to manage the money. He didn’t really know how, but insisted he had it handled. Soon the wheels feel off so to speak. I almost died in childbirth, my Mom died a few weeks later and on the way to the airport to go to the funeral, my husband thought he was having a heart attack. We got him to the hospital and after a while found out he had a blood disease. He didn’t work for awhile. I didn’t either. The wheels were off the track and my designer quit too. The business was no longer up 300%.

So now you have the backstory. What was the lesson? Be cautious if you want to go into business with a spouse. My business finances were a mess and now neither of us were bringing in the income we needed to survive and take care of our family, because we were both entrepreneurs with dreams that had troubled waters. We eventually got a divorce and he continued his business. I eventually closed mine and went on to teach. My story doesn’t have to be the story for others as I know many spouses work well together, it just didn’t work for us.

I learned from the lessons of the losses and hardship and I decided to be bold and launch Rolling Pin Production. It can be very rewarding to learn from the past and be successful.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Growing a business should begin with those who know you best because they care about you and your success. Call them your family, ambassadors, or any other group name you like but they are your go to group. They should be the first group who hears about your next marketing strategy and works it for you.

Here is an example. You have an email list of all of the family and friends, I call them my ambassadors. I draft a new marketing strategy that I am sending out. I ask them to do something simple in an email that outlines the plan. Maybe I am sharing the launch date of my new book and I would like them each to share the email draft I am sending them about the launch with at least five of their friends. Now I have expanded my marketing substantially. Or I might share a link to a article I was featured in and ask them to share it in a local publication.

Beyond my ambassadors, I have selected 3 social media options to focus on and when I release new marketing information I post it on each of the social media platforms. This has also been successful since I have a following. Obviously, the more you post and the more you respond to comments the more attention your marketing will receive.

Are you making your list of your Ambassadors??

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rollingpinproduction.com
• Instagram: Nancy Shepherd
• Facebook: Nancy Shepherd
• Linkedin: Nancy Shepherd

Image Credits

[email protected]
Tyiekia Lawson