We recently connected with Kikki Mattocks and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kikki, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

Within the educational system, we should elevate the value of books and reading. Encouraging a child to read, in those elementary range ages, opens up doors to traveling, exploring their gifts and talents, understanding the world around them and so much more. To further engage our children, group discussions should be had about how important reading is and the reasons why. These discussions would also give parents and teachers alike, the knowledge of what our children are thinking and the opportunity to provide guidance in the direction of their young lives. Reading and comprehension also places appreciation on careers in the arts, as more of our children will aspire to be writers, artists, musicians, entertainers and better yet, they will see more opportunities and less limitations.

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 story began in the 3rd grade, as I discovered I was a great writer. We were all tasked with writing a story, which would be bound and made into a book. I decided to write a story called, “Ohhh, It Was So Funny,” about a time when my mother saw a mouse and jumped on top of a bed. I drew my own characters for the book, but quickly found that illustration was not my gift, but writing, indeed was. My book earned many accolades and eventually was displayed in a glass case in our elementary school lobby. From there, I continued to write and create. On my days off from school, my father would take my brother and I to the library, where I would sit and read books, but always found a way to check a few out, to take home. I fell in love with reading. The exposure of books and writing was all I needed. I started a diary in middle school and immediately started to notice how the written word gave me purpose and strength. I began to write various short stories, poems, and entered a few contests. I won the spelling bee in my entire 6th grade class and represented my middle school at the County Spelling Bee. In high school, I even wrote a historical piece, that I delivered at a family friend’s funeral, who passed away at 103 years old.

In college, I continuously wrote papers the night before their due date and always received a B grade or higher. After college, when I started my job traveling, I felt a strong urge to write a children’s book, based on my life and the life of a young man, who I met in my travels. This idea and dream became a children’s book, for ages 5-9, “In His Hands” and “En sus manos,” both self-published in 2011. Book sales were not as strong as I would have hoped, but in 2020, I decided to focus on tutoring students in reading and writing. I joined Kumon Math and Reading Learning program, in an effort to learn more about young readers. During this time, I also committed to various elementary schools around the Atlanta area, to read books, participate in career days and encourage our youth, by simply showing up and speaking about my accomplishments in travel and being an author. I also held a position as a facilitator in my daily career, so I felt completely prepared for the speaking engagements and reading events. All of these experiences led me to form my company in 2020, called Reading Is All Write, LLC. The company mission, in the beginning was simply for tutoring virtually, as I believed minority children would suffer, without proper technology in their homes and not having access to local classrooms, due to Covid. Through much thought and consideration, my company and website expanded to include the sale of my children’s books and speaking engagements. I included speaking engagements because I remember the impact my presence had on children in the classrooms, as a special guest. Children learn with adult interaction, with discussions about travel, their gifts and thought processes.

My website is WWW.INHISHANDSBOOK.COM. Through the sale of my second edition of “In His Hands,” due out later this year, I hope to continue to inspire our children to read and discover the beauty within page-turning. I also hope to cheer on our young people, as they discover their own gifts and talents, that may lie outside of what they dreamed could be possible. I am hopeful my interactive speaking engagements will open a world of possibilities and abstract thinking, and the reminders will be evident in my merchandising efforts and even in living rooms through the world soon. In April of 2022, I began writing and editing my first script, in preparation for my book to continue its influence on the big screen, via an episodic television show or movie.

I am most proud of my journey, how far I’ve come and my ability to be flexible. The dreams and desires we see for ourselves sometimes change, and this change can be an amazing opportunity for growth and making a difference. I have seen and discovered a power within myself and how the power of prayer has aided me throughout my journey. I have been met with open doors and open hearts, as I move forward day by day. Seeing other entrepreneurs and inspired individuals on their journeys, has also set the tone and inspired me to keep going. I know the brand I’m creating is built on love, a desire for learning and teaching, and has far reaching potential to our youth. I simply cannot wait to see its impact on our world.

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

One lesson I had to unlearn is staying still and settling for ways I have always been successful. I have had to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and embracing the unfamiliar. For the last 19 years, I have worked in the travel industry and remained comfortable with my career day in and day out. About ten years ago, I decided to become a facilitator within the company, where I enhanced my my gift of writing, speaking, and presenting. Those soft skills turned out to be a way to grow in my own skin and find joy in sharing information in front of large crowds. In 2020, when I formed my own personal company, Reading Is All Write, LLC, I realized that I would need more freedom to dedicate to my new venture and expansion of my gift. I hesitantly took a leave of absence from facilitating in 2021, which opened my mind to possibilities and returning to the flexibility of down time to write and create. In 2022, after much prayer, I took a leap of faith to leave this portion of the industry and return to full-time travel. The full-time travel opened space in my schedule to answer a call from a production company, interested in my work, which in turn created space for the beginnings of my first script, in the spring of 2022. The first time script writing gave me the confidence to seek options about creating my very own website and inspired ideas about a future in creative writing and encouraging children. Being and remaining open to mobility, change and the unfamiliar, bred an amazing adventure, where positive influence is a definite result.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative, is the impact I have on others. When I began this journey in 2010, I believe my only impact would be on our children. I also believed that impact would only go as far as the 24 pages in my children’s book, “In His Hands.” After the publication of the book, and as friends and family began to support my efforts, I received so many comments about how my genre of book and subject reached adults and parents. The subject matter of my children’s book is how God makes each child different on purpose. Little Brian, in my story, has large hands and he discovers his hands are a very special gift, just for him. Over the years, I have had discussions with adults who admitted that as a child, they struggled with differences, some great and some not so great, that led to insecurities as adults. My book helped those adults adjust their thinking and thoughts that had put in the back corners of their minds. Knowing that I can have a positive impact on children and adults alike, gives me all the fuel I need to keep going. Positive self-image controls and affects so many areas of a person’s life. I never underestimate the potential touch my message has on our world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inhishandsbook.com
• Instagram: in_his_hands_book
• Facebook: “In His Hands” / “En sus manos” the book
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kikki-mattocks

Image Credits
Mia Woodall Tonya Bonny