We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Barbara (Bobbie) Match. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Barbara (Bobbie) below.
Barbara (Bobbie), thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
“I am very much a believer in mysticism and spirituality. I believe that if it’s meant to be, the situation will present itself and a path will be created.”
As an Early Childhood Educator I’ve noticed that in today’s world a new Social/Emotional phenomena is crippling our youth and preventing them from developing age appropriate mental, emotional and social health skills.
Ask any teacher and they will tell you that children are struggling to understand and interrupt non-verbal cues.
Sadly, with school shutdowns, many of today’s children are developmentally delayed and socially inept. This is because they spend hours behind a screen and lack one-on-one experiences with their peers. This is a serious problem and it concerns me. How are children going to learn how to become competent team players, interact in-group play, be creative, and develop and use their own natural critical thinking skills? Where can educators find resources to teach this? When I reached out to find them, I came up empty handed and frustrated. I knew I needed to help.
My journey to Social/Emotional health management began one afternoon at Barnes and Noble. My husband’s best friend Ken and I were meeting in the bookstores’ cafe for an afternoon coffee. Ken would read his short essays to me and I would share the silly antics of my preschooler’s from the days’ class. Ken asked me, “Would you consider using the scenarios from your classroom to write stories that can help children?” And this is where my story begins……..
“Do you know what the meanest, most cruel words a 4 year old can say to another 4 year old when they get mad or their feelings get hurt?” (Book #1) You Are Not Invited to My Birthday Party!” “Do you also know what it’s like to say something wrong in front of your classmates and get laughed at?” (Book #2) I Just Don’t Know and lastly “Did you know that it’s not OK to take something that doesn’t belong to you?” (Book #3) Love Potion #8.125 These scenarios played out in my classroom. Someone’s feelings were always getting hurt, so during Circle Time we would discuss ways to communicate to our friends that “mean words hurt our feelings?” “
Ken and I were on a mission. We worked diligently on our writing and wrote three stories on how to use your words to communicate effectively. Our main character is Stacey. She was a student in my classroom many years ago. She was a sweet happy little girl with soft brown curls and big blue eyes. She wore frilly party dresses with black patent leather shoes. At school she talked mostly about her Birthday Party because that’s what 4 year olds talk about. Stacey became our lead character along with some of the other personalities from my classes throughout the years that I was teaching.
Within10 years, we wrote three fabulous stories! Next step, illustrating and publishing. I researched writing query letters to independent publishers and agents. I submitted our stories to several publishing houses. Someone suggested I join Linked-In and from Linked-In I received a response from another children’s books author. She suggested that I join the SCBWI: The Global Community for Children’s Book Creators to learn about how to attract interest for my stories. I joined their Writers Group and in one of their magazine articles, they advertised an upcoming Author’s Seminar that was being offered to new writers. It was close to home, affordable and they offered lunch. It looked to be just what was needed. I’m in!
Ms. Millennial was our first presenter. She began speaking to us about the kinds of books her Publishing House was interested in. She said that they wanted stories with strong plots, engaging characters and perhaps something completely different that nobody has ever written before. My first thought was, “What about developmental stories for children with special needs?” “Cute is good for sales but we’re in a social skills crisis and where are those books for children’s healthy development?”
I couldn’t stop thinking about how obvious it was that Ms. Millennial has never been inside a working Pre-School Classroom. She has no idea about what children’s needs are. “Children are struggling and we need to offer literature with stories that kids can relate to.” My stories not only address a child’s developmental issues but they also help educators teach social skills development as well.
Plan B Mysticism: The planets are in alignment!
My husband and I were sitting outside drinking our morning coffee when it suddenly occurred to me that I might have a way to create these books independently. I can tap into my own superpowers otherwise known as my “girlfriends!”
Meet Dina. A beautiful and brilliant Children’s Special Needs Attorney. At a dinner party she asked me about my books and how things was going? I told her about the Seminar I attended and how frustrated I became and that I needed to go in a different direction because I was not Publishing House material. “I need an artist,” I said. Dina had a connection!
Meet Alexandra Adlawan. She’s an Autistic artist who writes, illustrates and publishes her own storybooks and she became my illustrator. I met her father, Floyd. He shared Alex’s books with me and I loved that she was a young entrepreneur. Alex and her family taught me how to make books.
Meet Diane. We went to Junior High School together. She works as a graphic artist. She helped me design and put together a business logo and business cards.
Meet Elyssa, my beautiful and amazingly talented daughter. She graduated with a Business Degree in Marketing. She came up with my company name, BusyOneBooks. When I sell at Conferences, it was her that designed and staged a booth for me.
Meet Einat I was her children’s pre-school teacher. She owns a Design and Printing Company called, Y-Not Graphix. Einat printed my books, bookmarkers and business cards.
Meet Patrick. He owns Clearian Communications. He created and maintains my Web Page.
Meet Betty. She was my former Pre-K team teacher. She is a business entrepreneur and actress. She’s in charge of marketing.
To my girlfriends, I am beyond grateful.
Barbara (Bobbie), 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?
I was very lucky in my professional life because I had a lengthy, fulfilling and joyful career as an Early Childhood Educator. Even though I am now retired, I still feel I have so much more to give, that’s when I decided to take my 25+ years of hands on classroom experience and write quality children’s stories. It is my wish to empower today’s parents/teachers with literature to help keep their young students engaged in becoming confident learners, team players and well rounded citizens because it seems that the world is moving so fast that we’re spinning out of control. We must teach our youth how to slow down, put away your tablets and get back to basics.
Being a teacher still continues to live passionately inside of me. I enjoy working at my local synagogue teaching Tot Shabbat to pre-school age children. Currently, I am currently forming a community Parent and Child class that teach Jewish Values/Judaism to families who might not otherwise have the opportunity to belong to a Jewish Temple.
I live in Southern California with my husband of 41 years, have two amazing adult children and a sweet poodle named Micki.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Now that I’m in my 60’s, I’ve adopted many new philosophies on life. I am proud to say that, “I can laugh at my mistakes, rationalize my shortcomings, and joke my way out of an uncomfortable situation. Saying “I’m sorry and oops” has become one of my go to words. But the most important lesson I’ve learned in all of these scenarios is that I’m not alone in making mistakes. We all fumble at one time or another and I’ve surmised that making mistakes is the best way to get smarter! Things happen for a reason! The secret though is what you do with your life lessons: philosophy #1) “NO” is not the final answer, you can easily turn it into a “Yes,” 2) If plan A doesn’t work there are 25 more letters in the alphabet and #3) when a door closes find the window.” If it’s meant to be you’ll know it because it will be waiting for you!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Nobody gets out of this lifetime unscathed. We’ve all been hurt in one-way or another and as I say, “that’s how we learn and grow!” I was entering my 20+ year of teaching at the pre-school. Summer camp had ended and it was time to get ready for my new class of 2015-2016. The ECC Director, I will refer to her as, “D” distributed the class lists to the teachers. She placed children by parent requests. (If 15 families requested you to be their child’s teacher she put those 15 children in your classroom.) Bad idea if you ask me. A Summer Camp Teacher, I’ll refer to her as “Ms. K” spent most of her summer recruiting families. I did not work during the summer so the score for Pre-K class assignments were Teacher “Ms.K” 15 and me 0.
“D” asked that since I had no student requests would I be interested in re-inventing the 3-year-old program because it needed help. I thought, OK, this would challenge me. So off I went into a new classroom to reinvent the 3-year-old program and two other teachers.
I worked hard to re-arrange the classroom and plan age appropriate curriculum. That next week, I was asked to attend a meeting with the Executive Director, I’ll refer to her as “E,” “D” attended the meeting too. I walked into “E’”s office. Oh No! Here comes that, “VIBE!” I asked both “E” & “D”, should I have brought a pad of paper and pen or a box of Kleenex tissues? They both said, “Kleenex.”
“D” just sat there as “E” began the meeting, “Bobbie, are you happy here?” “E” asked. Humm, I thought, where are we going, with this question? I started to stammer. I looked at “D” who was sinking down into her chair. “E” said, “Bobbie, nobody likes you here!” In fact, the other teachers say that, “you are not a team player and that it’s either your way or the highway!” “E” continued on, reading her bullet points of Bobbie hate, and I burst into tears. I immediately apologized for upsetting the other teachers and that I felt ashamed for taking up their time with this kind of meeting. I also was in shock! I excused myself from “E’”s office and quickly ran to my car and drove home in tears.
For the next 24 hours, “E’”s hurtful words and “D”’s reluctance to stand up for me penetrated my heart. School was starting the next day and today I was just thrown under the bus. Apparently, I have no more friends on campus and I am very embarrassed. Why work there? I called, “D” and quit!
I was heartsick that I quit a job that I loved so much. How could this have happened to me? I am an award-winning educator! The next day my phone rang. It was Alan, an Africa Travel Agent. He told me that he was going to visit schools in the Serengeti and had an empty duffle bag. He asked, “Do I have any school supplies that I would be willing to donate? “It’s a sign!” The timing was perfect! I packed up my classroom and filled up his duffle bag with 50 pounds of teaching materials! My heart felt full.
I have to say, that the beginning of the next five years was not easy for me. I was mourning a career I loved and lived for, my two brothers died unexpectedly, within 6 months of each other, we did major construction on our house and on a happier note, I went to Africa to see my school supplies.
Things happen for a reason and change is good! I was ready for that next new chapter in my life. BOOKS! I will write books for children with special needs and help teachers teach developmental skills learning. I’ve devoted the next chapter of my life to, “being the change in the life of a child!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.busyonebooks.com
- Instagram: busyonebooks
- Facebook: Busy One Books
- Other: E-Mail Address: [email protected]