Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josan Wright Callender. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Josan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

My company, MatJo International (LLC), began in 2016. It was inspired by my parents, Joseph and Mattie Wright. My parents, who seemed larger than life to me because of what they had accomplished amid difficult times, nurtured me and my siblings and gave us the encouragement and support to become our best selves – the same ideals embodied in the work that I do as an educator, writer, and in Matjo International.

Our parents taught us the importance of hard work and faith in God (old fashion principals that retain their value over time)! Their unwavering support of the family as we were growing up and their impeccable moral character (integrity, honesty and love) are modeled in my main characters (Charles and Dee Dee) in y new Christian Young Adult novel,Making Do: Growing Up Colored in the Jim Crow South During the Great Depression, Vol. 1 of the series, Believe: Tuskegee Strong.

They also motivated me to become an educator and a writer. I am honored that I can continue their legacy of motivating, encouraging and assisting this next generation in activities that build self-esteem, literacy and knowledge of our country’s history. These concepts make up the foundation of Matjo International’s primary and Young Adult educational materials.

Their early example taught me that true freedom is found in faith in God. This faith links us to each other and allows us to mature in wisdom, discernment and empathy. As these traits develop, we grow in our ability to relate to others and to see the universalities of humanity.

My dad grew up on a farm that his father owned, in Alabama. His father was one of the first Black men in the area of Billingsley, Alabama to purchase property in 1918. However, the Great Depression factored into my father’s decision to leave farming to participate in the pre-War industrialization that had begun in Bessemer, Alabama. It promised the steady work he knew he’d need in order to raise a family. Later, he enlisted in the Army at the start of the U.S.A.’s involvement in World War II. Daddy became a Sergeant Quartermaster in General Patton’s Red Ball Express (delivering supplies to the front-line troops).

My mother was a third-generation storyteller. She also instilled in us a love of God as well as a passion for reading and (to a few of us) a zest for creating stories. Mother was influenced by her grandfather and mother, who were both storytellers. While great-granddaddy Zander told African story tales that were passed down to him via oral tradition during slavery times, his daughter, my grandmother was said to have submitted movie scripts to Cecil B. DeMille!

Today, Matjo International produces a variety of media and ancillary products that are wholesome, educational and entertaining.

Josan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in the Downriver section of Detroit. At that time, Michigan was the automotive hub of the country. Southwest Detroit, our side of town, was populated with blue collar factory workers, the majority of whom owned homes, had businesses and were very family oriented. They watched out for each other’s children.

Almost everyone’s father or mother worked for Great Lakes Steel, Ford or Chrysler. However, when my parents arrived after WWII, they rented an apartment on the Eastside of Detroit, near a relative’s home. My father first worked at a ball bearing factory, but during that time, both hired themselves out as domestics.

Education was always emphasized in our home. While mama (who only had a high school diploma) and my dad (who had a 7th grade education but later worked for his GED) were not able to obtain a higher education degree, each wanted us to receive a college education.

My dad, who knew the importance of both having a nurturing home with a high level of consistency, worked hard to allow my mother to be a stay-at-home parent. He provided for us spiritually (with Biblical lessons) and financially (working three jobs at times), yet never complained. (He once told me that “if the Lord provides our family with children, He will provide a way for me to support them”).

When they were able to buy property, they bought a house strategically close to the neighborhood school (Boynton Elementary) just one block away. The school’s proximity strongly influenced my interest in becoming a teacher. I was able to participate in many of the school’s programs (future teacher, science club, art club, etc.). I loved school and everything related to the process of education!

What am I most proud of and what my clients/fans know about my brand and work are my enthusiasm for innovation in helping children both to develop critical thinking skills and to have empathy/compassion! This is exemplified in my books and educational materials.

This service sets me apart is an educator and author. I offer 27+ years of experience in finding solutions for delivering education to a variety of students ’as special education consultant and program developer. I also find that encouragement and expertise in the field of special education is strongly needed while delivering individualized instruction.

My experience in individualized instruction informs both my process and work ethic at a time when many school districts are focused on standardized testing. I offer a variety of services, but the main focus is as a problem solver and motivator for educators and their students. Children need to feel good about themselves in order to strive for excellence.

When I first began teaching, I always wondered why children didn’t seem to have the same excitement and love for learning that I did as a child. My curiosity about this led me to a lifelong journey of how to motivate and encourage children to “want” to learn. It fueled my desire to learn as much as I could about encouraging children and led me to complete both Masters of Education and becoming a National Board Educator. As an educator, my enthusiasm and innovative methods to encourage my students became widely known.

I’ve always been a problem solver. My National Bd. Teaching Certificate led me to teach several classes for a large school district’s intern program. During that time, I was able to encourage and mentor many educators, who brought multiple issues before me and the class to brainstorm on how to motivate and teach a diverse group of students. I saw the classroom as our “laboratory” for creating a safe place for the development of rigor in our lessons.

Later in my career, I’ve found becoming a writer allowed me to continue to problem solve when reviewing challenging topics. I was motivated into this new field by a group of writers when I worked as a legal secretary during one phase of my career. I wrote a short screenplay and was told that it was “very good,” by several of the television and screenwriters who populated the firm’s word processing department.

Their encouragement began my writing career. I wrote for the next 10 years, won several awards, and was invited to join the Writers Guild of America/West! Surprisingly, I found that writing was another way to inspire my audience both in and out of the classroom.

This led to Matjo International’s first picture book, The Happy Little Garbage Truck. It was created to reach a young student who had attention challenges. He wasn’t interested in anything I said as his teacher. He was only interested in garbage trucks, and I didn’t have any material on this topic!

In sharing my dilemma with my mother, she said, “Why don’t you write a book about a garbage truck?” It was instrumental in helping him to feel good about himself and make friends. Twenty-odd years later, this young man still considers his friendship one of the most important aspects of his life.

Several years later, the story about how my mother and father met was tugging at my heart to be written. I was more than a little bit in awe of those who could write over 300 pages about any one subject! After MatJo International had published The Happy Little Garbage Truck, its teacher’s guide and Student Activity Book, I picked up my notes and plunged into writing Making Do: Growing Up Colored in the Jim Crow South During the Great Depression.

What began as an homage to my parents, I felt had to have elements that I, as an educator, could demonstrate in the harshest of times, with faith in God and belief in his promises, one can navigate all of life’s adversities. The 1920s through 40s was my parents’ era. It was a restrictive period of our country’s history (both with the Jim Crow prejudices toward minorities and the Great Depression).

However, they found strength and solace in God. The release of this first volume became the focus for my Christian Young Adult audience. It was a period where many Black families trusted in their faith — which brought them through slavery and into freedom (both mental and financial freedom). My parents were over-comers!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

ADVERSITY TO OPPORTUNITY When I began focusing on marketing my picture book, The Happy Little Garbage Truck and teacher’s guide, I began offering it to elementary schools. I thought it was perfect for the development of social skills – in a fun way! However, just before the Covid-19 school closures began, I met with a principal who suggested that I focus on helping children learn how to connect with others. The Covid-19 school closures made this a very important part of my focus.

The school closures resulted in my having to shelve my classroom program marketing direction and take a closer look at e-teaching. Realizing that many educational programs were being taught virtually, I began researching how I might participate in this new way of teaching to both encourage and motivate children (as well as their teachers) online.

That led to my “pivot.” I began a YouTube channel, “The Happy Little Garbage Truck,” that focused on how the brain functions and the special strategies that children needed to develop their needed skill in making social connections (ex. how to develop social skills; conducting social autopsies; etc.).

Another pivot has been in looking another way of sharing Making Do: Growing Up Colored in the Jim Crow South During the Great Depression. Several family members and friends loved getting a copy of the novel, but shared an audiobook would have worked better for their active lifestyles (driving to work, gardening, etc.)

So, my friend (and international storyteller) Phyllis Kelly and I decided that we would create the companion audiobook! It took several years, but we continued to work on it around our own busy lives. Finally, this month, it was completed and is now available on Spotify. It has already gotten great reviews, as Phyllis is an extremely talented narrator.

Two studios were involved. Charles “Huca Bera” Laster, recording engineer, at space2813 Recording Studio in Burbank, California recorded Phyllis’s narration. Charles Lawrence Productions did a masterful job of editing and engineering the audiobook’s final edit with key sound effects and music of the era. CLP is a well-known studio production editor in Los Angeles, California.

It was a new adventure for the both of us. However, we’ve learned when specific products are requested by multiple individuals, we have to listen and respond!

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

While Matjo International has an online store that sells hardcover and paperback books on: www.matjointl.com, I am moving into daily into more of a virtual or e-business model for both my merchandise and my services. I find that this very portable process reflects my travel needs. However, as with anything, this has pluses and minuses.

When I first started, I knew Amazon was the biggest bookseller for exposure and distribution. So, Amazon became my first e-bookstore experience. This, coupled with the ease in which I was able to use the IngramSpark publication/distribution site made Amazon a “no-brainer” — IngramSpark has direct distribution with Amazon.

However, after being a part of Amazon’s Minority Business Program since 2022, I’ve seen a fall-off in my overall sales volume and pricing. Costs became prohibitive for shipping books to the warehouse. Apparently, for pricing, Amazon’s policies allow them to adjust the price of a book to fit the current market prices for similar material. This has not worked in my favor.

This year, I’ve looking at other booksellers such as Draft2Digital for distribution to bookstores and libraries as well as Find Away Voices for audiobook creation and distribution. These facts also informed my choice to make the Christmas release of Making Do Audiobook on available on Spotify, rather than Audible. The Audiobook will appear on Audible after the first of the year (2025).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matjointl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappylittlegarbagetruck/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053458402977
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/josan-wright-callender-a4564b8
• Twitter: https://x.com/DjosieB
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DjosieB1
• Other: Making Do Audiobook: https://promocards.byspotify.com/api/share/b16fead3-c34f-4033-9bed-2671a0cb617f
  Retailers: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-do-josan-wright-callender/1140837283 https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Josan_Wright_Callender_Making_Do?id=AQAAAEDypk3mrM
  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/making-do-1
  https://www.storytel.com/se/sv/books/making-do-growing-up-colored-in-the-jim-crow-south-during-the-great-depression-9929704

Image Credits
Frank Espinoza Emily Miller Kevin Kelly Joseph Beth Bookstores Karrianna Nicolina Castruita Saundra (Glamma) Castruita