Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marla Stahl. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Marla, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of sales to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.
Yes, I donate 10% of net sales income mostly to animal rescues, but sometimes to people-oriented causes as well. I was motivated by a trip to Puerto Rico, where there are stray dogs everywhere, and it broke my heart. When I was looking for the address to write to the Governor, I found a wonderful rescue there and started supporting them first. I have since expanded to many other organizations, for both animals and humans.
Marla, 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 have always been an animal lover, and have had dogs almost all of my life. It never occurred to me to be a children’s book author until I adopted my current dog, Sugar. There was an oddly wonderful series of events that led me to think, “Hmmm, this would make a fun children’s book!” And the rest is history! From there certain things would happen or people would say something to me that sparked a creative idea, and I would run to my computer and start writing. I have 11 books to date, 10 of them for children, and one for adults that is somewhat spiritual. The children’s books are fun, with a little bit of humor to even make the adults laugh. But embedded in these stories is always a message of kindness to others, whether animal or human. What am I most proud of? I am proud that so many little ones and their grown-ups have loved my books, and especially proud that I can help animal rescues and other folks in need with part of my sales proceeds. It feels good to make a difference for others and possibly help save lives.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
To be honest, word-of-mouth has been the best source of new clients for me. Some of my best customers and repeat customers are friends from work, from church, from the community. Many of my friends are grandparents, so my books are a fun way for them to celebrate their grandchildren’s birthdays, holidays, and milestones. Many of my young friends give my books as baby shower gifts to their friends who are expecting babies. One of my fellow children’s book author friends also shares information about my books with her peers. I also read my stories to elementary school kids in different states via Zoom, and the teachers also share information about those books and buy some for their classrooms. It’s amazing how networking can help!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
In addition to helping support charitable causes, I want to instill a love of reading in kids, as well as the concept of kindness. Last Fall it was so fulfilling to know that one of the teachers whose class I read to online had used that concept of kindness from one of my books to motivate a joint kindergarten/4th grade class to collaborate on doing something beautiful in the community. They decided to buy flowers and flower pots and make special cards; the fourth graders helped the little ones assemble everything, and they delivered the them to seniors at a local senior living facility. This joint effort also taught the fourth graders how good it feels to help someone, in this case the kindergartners, to do things they might not have been able to do on their own. It was a beautiful thing all around. It’s this kind of thing that keeps me going!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.woofbooks.com