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

Hi Felice, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. In college I was a weekly columnist and wrote about my grandmother’s eventual suicide, years after surviving Auschwitz. After that piece came out, my grandfather asked me to tell his story. It took me 18 years, working on and off, and I wrote the story of his life before, during and after the Holocaust and it became my first book. I wrote it as a gift for my grandfather never expecting to sell any copies. I had moved into a tiny NYC apartment (90 sq ft) because it allowed me to quit my job at the time and finish the book. Well, a video of me in that tiny apartment went viral and the book, featured in the video, went on to sell around the world, was endorsed by Elie Weisel, taught in schools, translated into Polish, is sold in many Jewish museums, has almost 1,000 reviews on Amazon and is still selling. The book made me an author. Again, I wrote that book as a gift for my grandfather and it ended up being a gift for me.

Felice, 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?

In college I was recruited to play on two different Division I women’s teams. I ended up quitting both because DI was a job and no longer fun. After I put down my cleats, I picked up a pen and never looked back. I moved to NYC to pursue writing. To pay the bills I worked as a professional organizer. After writing my first book, What Papa Told Me, which sold around the world thanks to a video of me living in a tiny NYC apartment, I wrote my second book, 90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (Or More), about that experience living in a tiny studio and how to declutter and organize your own space. I’ve spoken around the country about that experience, motivating others to live large with less. My third book is Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love. I then started speaking and teaching others how to craft their own memoirs. For my next book, I’m writing a memoir using some of the 1,000 handwritten letters I’ve saved since I was a child. I also write the Substack “A Love Letter to Letters” about the importance of mail and everything related to it. In 2025 I handwrote one letter a day and often wrote about that experience as well.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The freedom. The freedom to make your own schedule and do what you like. This is huge. I first realized this when I lived in that tiny apartment. Without the pressure of a large rent or mortgage, without tons of space or stuff, my life of less grew larger. I suddenly had the freedom to wake up without an alarm clock and to spend my time doing what I loved. That’s worth a lot.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I have worked as a chief of staff to a college president and, hands down, what motivates people is letting them know they’re appreciated. That what they’re doing matters. Recognize their hard work, their dedication. Thank them often.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.felicecohen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicecohen90/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/felicecohenauthor
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/felice-cohen-728a1a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FeliceCohen
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Felice+Cohen&i=audible&ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1