We recently connected with Kayla Branstetter and have shared our conversation below.

Kayla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

I suffered a miscarriage on Valentine’s Day 2016, and I found this experience cruel, eyeopening, and painful. I discovered that a miscarriage was the oddest form of grief, because I endured this loss, but the individuals in my life couldn’t relate to me. I had a one year old at the time, and I struggled to get pregnant. In other words, I took this pregnancy loss hard. I eventually welcomed my second daughter in August of 2019, and her arrival taught me the consequences of being a working mother of two young children. Our society is not family friendly. This reality struck me during COVID. In some ways, I am grateful for the COVID pandemic. I had the privilege of staying home with my children. I was afforded the opportunity to see my infant daughter’s first crawl, followed by her first steps. It was during the summer of 2020 that an idea of crafting a book about women surfaced. I consulted my friends, my mom, and stepmom asking their advice, and they agreed. I didn’t need anyone’s approval, but I felt I desired affirmation.

To completely execute my idea, I needed connections. My plan involved interviewing American women from across the country representing different socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, religions, and ages from rural, urban, and suburban areas focusing on their reproductive health, issues surrounding their mental health, and trauma where many were not able or allowed to exercise free choice. To find such women required me to network among my social media platforms, friends, and family. Through these strategies, I was able to find the women who fit these descriptions, but I still had much to learn about the publishing world.

I found Keith Anderson & Associates, a company based in New York City, who helped me with my book proposal and gave me a list of literary agents to query. I struck out from agents, but in the midst of building my platform, I attended a local writers’ faire and walked away with a publishing deal. I am in the final stages of editing my book and on the verge of entering a new side of publishing, book sales and expanding my platform.

I have spent the last four years working on my platform, and I accidently found myself in healthcare. I have attended medical conferences, medical schools, and nursing schools speaking about my findings and advocating for change in women’s healthcare. I realized that my book introduced me to narrative medicine, and not only am I in the process of publishing my book, but I am in the beginning stages of adopting a narrative medicine or narrative in healing certificate for my college. My plan is to better prepare future healthcare professionals for the field through the humanities. These courses will focus on storytelling and recognizing that patients enter their doctor’s office with a story. Outside of developing cultural awareness and stronger communication skills among patients, these courses will introduce future healthcare professionals to healthy coping skills to reduce burnout.

Kayla, 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 am an educator to my core, and I envision a world where barriers to education and medical care are eliminated for all people. Comprehensive education that engages youth in seeing different points of view builds empathy. Empathy is the key to reducing harassment and assault. I have my first book being released later this year, and I have my next three books planned out. Outside of my books and writing, I frequently speak at events with a message about the power of storytelling and empathy.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My mom gave birth to me at the age of sixteen. I grew up in poverty, and for a brief moment in time, domestic violence. I had a front row seat to the lack of resources for women. This experience, coupled with my own experince, fueled my advocacy. After a teeth cleaning, my dental hygienist asked about my book. I provided a brief synopsis, and she began crying, followed by hugging me. She said, “I feel seen.” She proceeded to tell me she was teen mom who endured judgement and lack of resources. It’s moments like this where women who felt invisible, feel visible. Those moments are the most rewarding. I recently spoke to a group of nursing students attending a rural community college in Missouri, and when I delivered my speech, followed by reading a book chapter, I witnessed female students nodding their heads in agreement, or wiping away their tears.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I realized that writing a book required a tremendous amount of resilience, and deciding to write on real women’s personal stories added pressure. At this point in my writing career, I have received hundreds of rejections, and I can usually handle them. However, when I was in the process of finding a home for my book, and I continued to receive rejection after rejection, I felt dejected. I refused to let these women down because they trusted me to tell their stories.

Outside of trying to find a home for my book, managing my actual career with motherhood while writing a book proved challenging. I had to sacrifice sleep, events, and more to get this book together, and I struggled with mother’s guilt. I frequently reminded myself that I didn’t want my daughters, or anyone’s daughters, to undergo the same obstacles as past women. I found the sacrifices worth it in the end, but this didn’t mean I was sans tears.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kaylabranstetter.wpcomstaging.com/
• Instagram: @kbranstetter87
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kayla.branstetter.758/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-branstetter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-Hjf5mkZU&t=7s
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2VdZTr3ttY

Image Credits

TEDx

Jaclyn Kidd

Towner Studios

Gregory James