We recently connected with JoEllen Wilhoite and have shared our conversation below.

JoEllen , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The mission in creating my business, www.JoEllenW.com, is to teach elementary age children to stay safe while inspiring them to write and encouraging their creative expression.

My love of writing began at a very young age. My parents say I drew perfect circles all over pieces of paper when I was not quite 2 years old. As a fourth grader, I began creating lists of the places I wanted to go, people I wanted to meet and things I wanted to achieve. I took up journaling and wrote my first book in 6th grade. Luckily, my 6th grade teacher, Mr. McCaw, (my favorite teacher) encouraged me. I let him read my first book, Melanie, which was written in a spiral notebook with a cover made out of construction paper. Decades later, after my book, Safety Safari, was traditionally published, I was signing it for a long line of children. One of my most cherished memories was discovering Mr. McCaw standing quietly in the corner of that signing room, his face full of emotion and pride.

Highly sensitive and incredibly shy, writing provided an outlet and allowed me to safely unleash my creativity. At the same time, my fierce protectiveness of my younger brother overrode my reluctance to attract attention. I defended my brother who was often bullied, not only with harsh words, but sometimes a physical battle. It’s a helpless feeling to be a child trying to protect yourself and other children. I continue to actively advocate for others.

After I had my son, Caelin, my childhood experiences became more relevant. I took, personally, the role that caring adults should have. While Caelin was a baby, I had time to volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Training and association through CASA helped me see the vital needs children have for nurturing, guidance and support. Currently, I work at a nonprofit and observe these needs, firsthand. Combining my love of writing and my passion for helping others, led me to write Safety Safari, an interactive safety book. It’s a resource for children, caregivers, and educators. Resources are critical for a child’s success and safety education is an important aspect to include. Safety Safari also teaches children to read, write and communicate. I want to help children practice what to say and how to react in ambiguous situations so they have every advantage when faced with the unknown.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Through my business, I aim to teach elementary age children to stay safe while inspiring them to write. I also want to provide writing and publishing insights to all ages while encouraging creative expression from everyone.

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to write. My parents, who both began their careers as educators, say I drew perfect circles all over pieces of paper when I was not quite two years old. I began journaling and developed my lifelong love of lists in 4th grade. In the 6th grade, I wrote my first book titled Melanie.

I have also been an advocate for children since I, myself, was a child. I was a sister who defended my younger brother on more than one occasion. Sometimes this required harsh words and other times it required a physical battle. Later, I was a teenager who noticed and took action when other kids were tormented. It was often a helpless feeling to be a child defending and protecting other children. Still, I was willing to stand up to people who were bigger, older and often had more authority.

While completing my degree at Western Kentucky University, I spent summers providing much needed healthcare to underserved populations. I obtained my degree with majors in Psychology and Sociology and a minor in Criminology. Through work in the equine industry, radio and television advertising, and eventually my own media buying agency, I gained business, public relations and marketing experience. I was a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a long-term member of Bluegrass Crime Stoppers, and served on the Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth (SAFY) State Advisory Board. All of the positions I have held have allowed me to hone my writing skills. Compiling stallion portfolios for breedings, creating proposals and copy for advertising clients, and developing marketing content and press releases to promote my company, provided style variety which strengthened my writing.

After I had my son, Caelin, my own childhood experiences became more relevant. I started to take, personally, the role that caring adults should have. While he was a baby, I had time to volunteer for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program. Training and association through CASA helped me see the vital needs children have for nurturing, guidance and support. Combining my love for writing and my passion for helping others, led me to write my interactive children’s safety book, Safety Safari, a resource for children, caregivers and educators.

What would your child do if he/she gets separated from you in a store? Are your kids protecting themselves online? Does your family have a meeting spot outside in case there’s a fire inside your home? These are just a few topics Safety Safari covers. Safety Safari could save a child’s life.

Resources are critical for a child’s success and safety education is an important aspect to include. Unfortunately, there is a lack of time spent on safety issues. Safety experts and organizations estimate that between 75 and 90 percent of tragedies could be avoided through better safety awareness and prevention. There’s a tendency to discuss safety measures only after a tragedy occurs rather than spending efforts and resources on prevention.

Knowing the significance of safety preparation, I want children to feel and be safe. Safety Safari introduces sensitive and frightening topics in a non-threatening way. The information can be reiterated over and over again until children respond instinctively. Safety Safari also encourages children to read, write and communicate. Teaching our children how to evaluate and respond to ambiguous situations empowers them and leads to successful outcomes.

Reading Safety Safari is always a special experience. Engaging children in discussion and watching them process valuable information is extremely rewarding and beneficial. It could save lives. I cherish interaction with our youth and welcome invitations to read and sign Safety Safari. Parents, caregivers and educators know the importance of safety education. By providing a safety resource, I hope I have made it easier to open up a dialogue with children on topics that are critical but are oftentimes uncomfortable and scary. I look forward to reading and/or signing Safety Safari at schools, events or gatherings.

I’m committed to nurturing the creativity and passion of aspiring writers of all ages. Workshops are designed to help children and adults, alike, develop writing skills, explore new genres and gain the confidence needed to become successful writers. Cursive handwriting classes train the brain to integrate visual and tactile information, and help fine motor dexterity. Creative writing workshops develop storytelling abilities. I’m passionate about sharing my insight and knowledge to help others unlock writing potential and achieve their writing goals.

Every writer has a unique vision and voice. Through copy and line editing, my goal is to help bring that vision to life while ensuring that ideas are presented as clearly as possible. Copyediting focuses on spelling, grammar and punctuation. Line editing examines the language used to communicate a story by addressing creative content, word choice and writing style. It ensures that the writing is polished and professional, while still retaining the heart and soul of the original work. Whether looking to publish a first novel, submit a memoir, or polish up website copy, I’m here to collaborate and facilitate writing success.

Have you ever had to pivot?

After roughly 17 years in media advertising sales, I was exhausted. My success came at a cost. I no longer had work/life balance and gave a lot of myself without prioritizing ways to decompress and rejuvenate. I desperately needed a purpose and a mission that spoke to my heart. Resigning from my job on a Friday was a risk, but never one to linger in complacency, I took charge and pivoted.

I created a detailed list of everything I desired in a job. I knew that nonprofit work was where I belonged. Knowing precisely what we want is a prerequisite for getting what we want. However, many times we don’t know what we want and the ask isn’t detailed enough. To this day, job list was the most specific list I’ve ever created- down to the title of my position. Amazingly, months later, a job posting appeared for a Director of Philanthropy (the title I wished for) at a nonprofit and included every item I desired. I knew it was my job.

In addition to my writing business, I still enjoy working at the same local nonprofit…for almost six years now.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My best source of new clients are places devoted to children and education. Safety Safari is utilized in the youth programs at several nonprofits. Schools have been wonderful supporters of my offerings. Word of mouth has been so very helpful and a testament to the importance of building relationships. I love connecting organically which is a bit unconventional these days. However, safety and writing are very personal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JoEllenW.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/joellen.wilhoite
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellen-wilhoite-1230676/