We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly De La Rocha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.

Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I was 17, my parents got divorced. I turned to poetry writing to try to make sense of a world gone to pieces. Laying my confusion and sorrow down on paper helped me heal. During the pandemic, when it once again felt like the world was falling apart, I found new meaning in those old poems by rearranging their words. That experience became the scaffolding for my business, poem RENOVATION.

Words have the power to heal, to connect, to inspire. My mission is to give people of all ages the tools needed to harness that power. My method: poem RENOVATION.

Here’s how poem RENOVATION works:
Every day, poemrenovation.com presents visitors with a scrambled snippet of literature. Users select words that resonate with them, then move them around on a digital canvas to create something new. The rules? There are none. The objective? Simply to create.

Site visitors can share and save their creations, reveal each day’s passage in its original form and learn more about it. Selections are culled from works ranging from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew to pieces by up-and-coming wordsmiths.

Poem RENOVATION can also be used in a print version.

The simple, rule-free wordplay poem RENOVATION provides can generate impressive outcomes. It can boost literacy and spark creativity. Teachers recognized that right away, and also pointed out another important benefit: it can aid in social-emotional learning – the process of developing self awareness, self control and interpersonal skills. SEL took a hit during the pandemic and students are still struggling to recover.

I began visiting New York State middle school classrooms in 2022, sharing my story and inviting students to use poem RENOVATION and share their creations with the class. The results were very gratifying. Shy students came out of their shell. Students encouraged each other and gave positive feedback. They were proud of their creations and eager to share them. Teachers began using poem RENOVATION regularly as a warm-up activity in their classrooms.

poem RENOVATION has now been beta-tested by close to 700 high school and middle school students and is a staple in multiple classrooms in New York and California.

In July of this year, I began beta-testing poem RENOVATION in Ohio continuing care communities. Participants ranged from those in independent living communities to those in memory care. Using a combination of digital and print versions of poem RENOVATION, we were able to engage people with a variety of abilities.

Additional benefits made themselves known in this demographic: poem RENOVATION helped with word retrieval, it sparked conversation and became a fun pastime with visiting family members. It proved to be a creative means of communication for those who can no longer speak and helped staff members get to know their clients better.

I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to share poem RENOVATION with the world. It’s a simple tool that’s changing things for the better.

Kelly, 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?

Words have always been my thing. I’ve been a poet since age 17 and for most of my career, I’ve been a journalist. I’ve written for newspapers and a variety of other publications, academic institutions and organizations. I’m most proud of the stories I’ve written that have given a voice to those who may not otherwise have been heard, stories that have resulted in positive social change.

poem RENOVATION made me an entrepreneur in my mid-50’s, a time when many people would be starting to ponder retirement. The concept was born from a search for new meaning in poetry I’d written as a teenager trying to come to grips with my parents’ divorce. Eager to see if I could still find myself in those old poems, I printed them out on magnetic paper, cut out the words, stuck them on my refrigerator and began moving them around. The results were so revelatory, I knew I had to find a way to share the concept. A friend generously volunteered to translate my idea into an interactive website, and in early 2022, poem RENOVATION was born.

Poem Renovation is a word challenge that promotes literacy, creativity, mental acuity and social-emotional health. poemRENOVATION.com visitors are presented daily with a scrambled snippet of literature. They select words that resonate with them, then use them to create something new. Usable online and in print form, poem RENOVATION has found a home in academic and continuing care communities. It’s also taking hold as a creative diversion for the general public. The site is presently free to use and ad-free, with an option to donate to a tip jar to help cover operating expenses. We plan to offer enhanced software via subscription in the near future.

What sets poem RENOVATION apart from others is this: it’s a simple tool that helps everyone from pre-teens to senior citizens harness the power of language. The act of studying a small set of words, considering their myriad possibilities and arranging them in a way that resonates is a revelatory one. I’ve seen people who struggle with writing find a sense of accomplishment while using poem RENOVATION. I’ve seen that spark of realization when an individual discovers their voice. And I’ve seen myself in every single one of them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are two books that influenced my entrepreneurial thinking. The first is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. That book helped me to uncover what was holding me back from pursuing creative endeavors and get around that roadblock. It made me realize I was still listening to voices from my childhood, admonishing me to “do something productive.” That meant homework and chores. As an adult, I found myself constantly putting housework, yard work and other tasks first, leaving little energy for creative pursuits. The Artist’s Way helped me to see the value in them and to trust the inner voice that urged me to pursue a life with creativity as a focus.

The second book is Will it Fly by Pat Flynn. Once the concept for poem RENOVATION took root, this book helped me to evaluate its validity as a business concept and to assess whether or not it was a good match for the life I want to lead.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I’ve had to unlearn is: You’re too old to start a completely new career in your 50s. Not true! I feel like this is the best time for me to be pursuing a new endeavor. My kids are grown, I have the time, and all the life experience I have under my belt is a definite benefit. I’m learning new things, meeting new people and surprising myself with my tenacity. It’s also proven to be a great way for me to contribute something beneficial to the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://poemRENOVATION.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poem_renovation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoemRenovation/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-de-la-rocha-8780a8a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTqMRDBd9aLNTRqhKe2y2FA