We recently connected with Nadine Joseph and have shared our conversation below.

Nadine , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I have always enjoyed writing and telling stories. I’m a lover of a good story with a good theme. When I was in high school, my English teacher consistently complimented me on my essays and told me I wrote in a vivid manner. I was motivated to continue to read, so my writing could improve.

Once I got to college, my African American History professor pulled me to the side one after and told me I should minor in History and pursue writing because I was “fantastic” as she enthusiastically described. I was so thrilled because I deeply admired this professor.

Unfortunately, I never really pursued writing because I didn’t want to write in vain. I always wrote when I was inspired or needed a healthy release.

After I graduated college, my former middle school teacher, and mentor at the time, suggested I write a book. I laughed at the idea yet again because I didn’t see myself as an author or even that good to publish my work. He encouraged me and told me it’d be a great investment and aligned with my love for education and children. I considered it but again, I didn’t act on it. I just knew if I wrote a book it’d have to be in the most beautiful time with an intentional message.

Late 2019 (November), I was in the darkest season of my life. I was in a deep depressive state and could not see the light. I asked God to give me the confidence to boldly be the woman I knew existed within me. It was in that very moment, I sat in my car, with tears in my eyes, and wrote my first children’s book, Imani’s Crown. Imani’s Crown focuses on building confidence, trying something new/scary, and working hard. This book means so much to me because it’s a testament of God’s grace and kindness/love towards me. In the midst of my mess, I found a message I get to share with children and adults who may have experienced the same thing. Although I wrote this book in 2019, I didn’t have to the confidence to publish it until almost nearly a year later (November 2020). I wisely used the stimulus check distributed by the government during Covid-19 to publish my book. I found my illustrator on Instagram and the rest is history.

I knew this pathway would be worthwhile because it merge two things I’m passionate about: education/children and literature. Just 9% of children’s books published in 2021-22 were written by Black authors and showcase Black children. I believe I am in this business and position to increase this number and to provide Black and Brown children books that positively reflect who they are and/or who they can become.

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?

Hi everyone! I’m Nadine. I’m a Florida educator and children’s book author. Right now, I have the privilege of writing children’s books that represent the underrepresented. My debut children’s book, Imani’s Crown, captures the essence of a little girl finding beauty in who she is (afro hair) and realizing she can do hard and scary things. Currently 7.9% of all children’s books are written by Black authors. Therefore, my craft is extremely important. Black and Brown children are only represented in 11% of books and 5% of cartoons, which means there is a huge gap in representation. Many of what is represented is stereotyped media which leads to poor self-esteem, low academic performance and little to no future aspirations. My discipline aims to fight these statistics and provide positive literature for children to read and learn from. Black and Brown children deserve to and should see themselves represented in a positive light just as much as their counterparts. Currently my children’s book is available in many local bookstores around Florida, and New York. Imani’s Crown is also available online via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, etc…

I am most proud of my resilience throughout this journey and the amazing children/families I have met. I am sure many business owners will agree with this statement: “Mistakes are a part of the game.” And I have made a ton of them throughout this journey but I am proud I did not let them defeat me. I cried, analyzed the lesson, and moved forward. Aside from the mistakes I have made, I met some amazing children and families, who absolutely LOVE my book and everything it stands for. That means everything to me and makes this whole journey worth it.

I want potential clients to know every single book I write was written with intention and love. It was not in vain. Each book I have written or will write, has been/will be written with precision and a true heart. I hope potential fans feel loved and reassured after reading my book(s). I hope followers know they too can do hard things and make beauty out of ashes. I am all about empowerment, confidence, self-love, and joy. I hope my work and brand resonates that.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I am a Covid author. By this I mean, I decided to publish my book during the unfortunate pandemic during 2020. I decided to use the stimulus check that many Americans received, to fund my children’s book. Not really knowing where to start I browsed online at different publishing and printing companies. I compared prices and read tons of reviews before making a decision. Once I found a printing company, I went on a hunt for an illustrator. I went online and searched for “black illustrators” and “black children’s art”. I went through over 50 artists before I stumbled across Martine Shannon’s art. I perused through her Instagram page and loved the cleanness yet fun spirit of her art. I took a chance, sent her a direct message, and the rest is history. After having a conversation with her, I learned she too is an author, Haitian, and loves children through and through. She was able to bring my vision to life within weeks. I was in awe and so amazed by her professionalism, keen eye, creativity, and gifted hands. Without her obedience to her calling, my story wouldn’t be the same. She beautifully captured the essence of my words. She took my story/words and brought it to life. Since my first book, Martine has helped create mockups, holiday themed illustrations, and so much more. Funny thing about Martine and I, we have never physically met but I feel like I have known her for years. I am so thankful for our business relationship and look forward to creating more brilliance with her.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my small yet mighty audience on social media by simply being myself and not focusing on the number of likes I get and the number of followers I have. I would rather have 400 solid followers that genuinely support, repost my content, and purchase my crafts/products, than 10K followers that don’t interact or promote my brand/work. It is easy to lose yourself with the social media world but it’s also easy to make meaningful connections that can propel your business in the right direction.

I would advise those trying to build their social media presence to:
1)stay true to themselves, 2.)remember quality over quantity, 3.) learn your craft, 4.) don’t compare your tree to someone else’s tree, 5.) don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you’re inspired by, and 5.) have fun.

Contact Info:

• Website: nadinejoseph.com
• Instagram: @signedbynadine