We recently connected with Renee Hayes and have shared our conversation below.
Renee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Prior to becoming a business owner and author, I was an elementary teacher for 15 years. During that time, my travels worldwide inspired The Teacher Tourist, LLC brand. I would bring these experiences back to my students in the form of stories, pictures, or hallmark writing assignments. My students saw the world with a new lens and it sparked their curiosity to research and learn more. It was one of the things that held them in the palm of my hands and allowed us to bond in new ways. I knew I had to make this a part of my brand as these two areas–traveling and teaching hold a special place in my heart. The Teacher Tourist brand is where literacy and travel meet.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Of course! My name is Renee Hayes and I’m a children’s book author, educator, and travel fanatic. I am also the founder of The Teacher Tourist, LLC. My love of reading started at an early age and I am often found reading multiple books at a time. Not to mention that I taught 4th-grade Language Arts for the majority of my career. All of these years surrounded by books definitely inspired me to become an author.
What most people don’t know is that the idea for my debut book, The Gingerbread Twins, was inspired by a classroom activity I created for my students ten years ago called Gingerbread Buddies. My 4th-grade students were partnered with a 2nd-grade buddy for this event. They wrote creative gingerbread-related stories, decorated their desks, and invited their buddy into our classroom. This yearly tradition captured the reading-writing connection with an authentic audience. The popularity of this event welcomed fellow teachers, administrators, parents, and board members and immersed them in the experience! An additional layer of my inspiration came from teaching numerous sets of twins and realizing there were very few books that had twins as book characters. I combined these two things and took the leap to write The Gingerbread Twins in 2020.
When I’m writing my books, I put my teacher’s heart into every page. I want children to be immersed in the read-aloud experience and relate to the characters in the story. Above all else, I want my books to spark a love of reading and serve as inspiration for following your dreams. I know that educators appreciate getting extra mileage out of the books they read to their students, so I have created additional resources to help them cover state standards in creative ways through my book companions. I think that extra layer helps set me apart from other authors, as each book I am writing undergoes critical analysis on how it can best reach each child. That is combined with carefully crafted extension activities that go beyond the book to foster engaging learning experiences.
I am most proud of transitioning from teaching students to now teaching adults. This has opened the door for me to work alongside authors and coach them on their journey. Whether it’s through coaching calls, mentorship, or designing resources for their book, I am still a teacher at my core! All the book awards and accolades that I have earned don’t even come close to the feeling of having authors trust me with their books! That is the ultimate achievement and one I treasure the most.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Yes, absolutely. I think that when people see the end product, they don’t stop and think about what the journey looked like to get there. Overcoming obstacles and navigating in new directions is something that doesn’t get discussed.
The date was 2-3-04, a day that I will never forget. I was leaving my apartment and going to class during my junior year in college, just like every other day. What happened next was something I never thought possible. I fell down the icy stairs and suffered a skull fracture and concussion. As bad as that sounds, it was all of the invisible outcomes that were worse. I had to unenroll in my coursework for the remainder of the semester. This would now cause everything to shift a semester and delay my upcoming student teaching and graduation.
Beyond that, were the daily obstacles that became my new normal toward recovery. The constant headaches. The vertigo. The heightened sense of hearing. The relearning how to read and comprehend what I read. Basically, I was starting over in all aspects of my life. From the day I was in the Neuro-ICU to the time I was back in my apartment, I began mentally preparing for what was next. I remember sitting in my hospital bed giving myself math facts and reciting what was just on TV. I was quizzing myself on everything I could think of. I would do stretches in bed and try grabbing things with my non-dominant hand, anything that I thought would help me recover faster. This was the first time I saw my tenacious spirit channeled in new ways.
This same tenacious spirit would have me back in college in May, only three months after my accident. I took a May minimester and then a full courseload in summer school. I had completely caught up and was back on track with my original schedule of coursework.
While the headaches and vertigo continued for almost a year, I was determined to do everything in my power to live the life I was supposed to live. This second chance at life was the ultimate gift, one that wouldn’t be taken for granted. I know that this was supposed to happen to me because I can now be a voice for others that think they can’t do hard things…because they can!
We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.
There are so many paths to take in this business that finding the one that works for you takes a lot of trial and effort. Before I started this journey, I had zero experience in web design. When I tell people that I started from scratch, I mean it to its fullest. Not only that, but I had to learn the difference between POD and offset printing and how they could be leveraged correctly for my goals. Ultimately I decided to list my hardcover books and additional book resources on my website.
Additionally, my digital book resources are on my Teachers Pay Teachers shop page. I like knowing that educators can find literacy resources in my shop as well as book-specific ones as well.
Learning how to create a website was only one piece of the puzzle. Learning how to package and distribute was another! Once that was underway, I realized how much I enjoyed having ownership of my website, a place where I could connect with my customers. I love the personal experience that they get from signed copies to exclusive coupon codes and bulk pricing. I also love being in charge of the quality of the product and packaging. The best part is that I am able to connect with customers in ways that I can’t on Amazon.
My books are listed on Amazon as well, but the personal touch is lost. I leveraged this to my advantage by sending my hardcover copies to Amazon. At least there’s a small way that I know the books came from me, even when I can’t customize them for the customer. I know the quality of the hardcovers is the same as they can expect from my website. However, I’ll never know how they’re packaged and distributed. I have to have faith that my customers will receive the same quality as if they ordered from my website. Also, Amazon does all of the paperback printing via POD, I still have to keep the same faith in the quality produced, as I never have a way to see the final product. Sometimes in business, we have to do things that will reach the most customers through networks they’re most familiar with. However, if it were up to me, I’d love to handle every order via my website.
I think the best piece of advice I can provide other authors in a similar situation is to do your research and then do more. Approaching every decision from a business standpoint can help guide you to actionable steps that are best for your goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://reneehayesbooks.com/
- Instagram: @reneehayesbooks
- Other: Instagram @the.teacher.tourist