We recently connected with Jessica Watkins and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
A company’s mission can be defined as the purpose of a business and how it serves others. My mission for Jessicawatkinsbooks is to entertain, educate and inspire through literacy. Everyone can recall reading their favorite book(s) as a child and becoming immersed in the story. It is my passion to create this experience for readers everywhere. One day at the lowest point of my life, I sat on the balcony of my residence. I held my daughter in my arms, and I began to read to her. I quickly grew displeased with the choices of books. Writing has always been my passion, so I was instantly inspired to create books that other parents and I would enjoy reading to their kids. That night after putting my daughter to bed, I wrote my first children’s book. My mission was born that night, and since then, I have written ten books, with three published.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Jessica Watkins, and I am the owner of Jessicawatkinsbooks. I have always been passionate about writing. As a child, I would fill up countless notebooks with my stories. I cherished how you were able to read a book and become engulfed in the story of the character. I began to write children’s books one night after being disappointed with the variety of books, especially ones that showcased brown and black people. It was my goal that night to create books that would combat the issue of underrepresentation. Since then, I have written over ten books and published 3, including “My granddad’s a bear” and the “Amelia Fickson series.” The books I have written provide quality material based on my personal adventures in motherhood.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn the habit of negative thinking. I wasn’t programmed to expect a positive outcome in situations. Therefore, I created a life opposite of what I truly desired. I didn’t understand the power of positive thinking until one day; I was finally open for a change in my life. I began a new job where a coworker noticed that I would read on breaks. The following day she brought me a book that would change my life,” The game of life and how to play it”. The author Florence Shovel Shinn illustrates how we could change our circumstances based on how we think and act on those thoughts. It was a hard truth for me that my situation was manifested through what I had been believing. Since then, I have gained knowledge through books and videos with similar concepts expressed in the book, The game of life and how to play it. I have grown to understand the importance of positive thinking when wanting to live a fulfilled life.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
During my journey as an author, there has been opposition during the process. One of the most impactful moments occurred during the pandemic. During that time, the printing company stopped conducting business; when we could order books again, the wait was exceptionally long. These issues posed a massive problem in fulfilling potential orders. In a moment full of resilience, I continued to persist. I began to expand my Amelia Fickson series into merchandise, where everyone would be able to purchase items from cups to journals. Through my resilience, I researched marketing strategies to increase sales when things picked back up. Through a challenging moment, I was able to expand my business and continue my dream.
Contact Info:
- Website: jessicawatkinsbooks.com
- Instagram: Jessicawatkinsbooks2
- Facebook: Jessica Watkins