Clinging to a Dream: Rosie J. Pova's Journey to Author and Entrepreneur
/
Photo credit: Rosie J. Pova
Rosie J. Pova is an award-winning, multi-published children’s book author, writing instructor, and creativity coach whose life’s work is to inspire children to be bold, take chances, and chase their dreams. She offers author visits to elementary schools and also teaches online writing classes for aspiring authors. Her latest picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine, and her new one, The School of Failure: A Story About Success (now available for pre-order on Amazon) will be released in the spring of 2022 in the U.S. and China.
Originally from Bulgaria, Rosie now lives in Dallas, Texas with her family.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Several years ago, as a mom of three small children and relatively new to this country, I struggled to find the balance between motherhood, a very demanding family business, and chasing after this crazy dream of becoming a children's author.
We were relatively new to Dallas, TX, had just bought our first house, and soon after, made a transition to being business owners.
But my heart was set on creativity.
Writing has always been my passion, ever since I can remember, and after the birth of my first child when I started reading children's books to her, I rekindled my love for the written word. And once that fire got re-ignited, there was no turning back. Writing stories for kids became an obsession.
I didn't have time to write, but I made the time -- even if it meant waking up at 5:00 a.m. so I can write for a couple of hours in a quiet house, uninterrupted, while everyone was still asleep.
At the time, I had no clue about how the publishing business worked. Being an immigrant from Bulgaria, English was not even my second language -- it was my forth, and I wasn't fluent in it, either. I made all the mistakes. Rejections from agents and editors piled up. Hundreds of them. Disheartened, I felt the pressure to abandon this "pipedream" from all directions -- inward and outward. Even coming from my spouse.
As a practical man, he just couldn't understand why I was willing to waste so much of my time on something so elusive instead of directing my efforts toward the thing that was already working and providing for us -- our plumbing business.
I almost gave up. Many times. But I couldn't really quit. I'd found my calling -- this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So, I pushed through. I kept going.
Many years later, I did finally realize my dream! I am now a multi-published children's author and my latest book, Sunday Rain, has been featured in The New York Times and Parents magazine. My new one, titled The School of Failure: A Story About Success will be released this spring, on May 10th, 2022 in China and the U.S.. It's a fractured fairy tale about the road to success that is paved with failures and mistakes, which is close to my heart and a reflection of my own journey.
What inspired you to start your business?
I've always loved playing with words and had been writing since my childhood. As I mentioned before, once I became mom and started reading picture books to my daughter, I wondered if I could write my own stories, too. The idea excited me and I decided to try my hand at it.
That how it all started, but being an author has evolved and expanded over the years. Now, I am also a school presenter as well as a Writing Instructor and Creativity Coach for both children and aspiring authors.
Where is your business based?
I work out of Dallas, TX.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
Breaking into traditional publishing is hard and it's a super slow process for most writers. For me, the first steps were to learn the craft and educate myself on the business side of publishing. That was a long process with lots of confusion and misconceptions along the way.
It's also important to find your community of peers, and that was the next step I realized I needed to take. For me, that meant joining a critique group which changed things tremendously. My path took a new direction and I was finally able to receive answers and gain some clarity. I understood the need and the value of investing in my growth as a writer, seeking guidance and training, and that's what I did next. I took my commitment to this business seriously and was determined to overcome the obstacles and learn whatever was necessary to help me advance with my craft and knowledge.
It was the right thing to do and it got me to where I am today.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I'd say starting a blog to give back to the community has brought me much more visibility, new connections, and an overall growth in awareness.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenges for me, being an introvert, have been creating awareness for my books and services, and increasing my visibility. Growth definitely happens outside of your comfort zone. So, becoming used to being uncomfortable is a must in order to move towards your goals quickly and more efficiently. The way I overcame these challenges was by taking action on the things I feared, the things that were a big stretch for me, the things I'd been putting off. I decided to practice until I got to a point where I felt more confident with my marketing and visibility: recording videos, doing live Zooms, starting a blog, learning how to promote better, reaching out and creating more connections -- all the while making peace with the fact that those attempts would be imperfect and may feel awkward at first. But, as my Business Coach, Fabienne Fredrickson, says, imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. And so I did act. I stumbled. I improvised. I wobbled my way into this new territory of being out there in ways I haven't before.
How do you stay focused?
I keep my handwritten daily to-do list -- that I pull out of my calendar -- on my desk in front of me, and I work my way through it. I reread it often and pick what I feel like doing next, the thing that I feel inspired to do at that particular time. (Unless something is time-sensitive and urgent, of course, and takes a priority.)
I am a multi-tasker and very prone to distractions, too! However, I recognize the need to take a break when I come to a point of just not making much progress and losing my focus.
Oftentimes in those cases, people might be inclined to push harder in order to get their focus back, but I find that the opposite is actually much more effective. Stop and do something fun or relaxing, even if it's just for 15 minutes. When you come back to your tasks, you'd feel reenergized, recharged, and refreshed, ready to tackle the list with more enthusiasm.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I think that everyone has their unique approach, background and experiences that inform our products and services in a way that is organically distinguished, and because we are so very different in that regard, I don't feel like I'm competing with my colleagues.
The clients and readers that are a match for my work and my way of teaching will be attracted to what I have to offer. We are not meant to work nor connect with every single potential customer out there and that's okay. I know that what I offer can be of value to the people who need that exact product or service in that particular way I offer it, and that's all that matters.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Bringing authentic, valuable content to my community and audience through social media and my blog has been one of the ways I've been able to organically grow my business. As far as marketing strategies, placing my books in the optimal categories on Amazon has been of huge importance. When it comes to my coaching services, I'd say networking, creating effective marketing materials such as flyers and one-sheets, and also increasing my business exposure within my target audience.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Be clear on your vision and make a plan on getting there. You don't necessarily need to know ALL the steps right off the bat, but the first three things to start with will suffice to get you moving in the direction of that vision. This will give you actionable bits to work on.
More clarity in the steps to follow will emerge as you go along, but focus and discipline will bring progress. That, in turn, will give you motivation and excitement. There will be obstacles, of course, as in anything, but understand it's normal, don't dwell on those, and treat them as exciting challenges. Be playful about it. In addition, be kind to yourself and keep moving. Always look at the bright side and the opportunity to learn and grow from each challenge. This approach would create miracles for you and your business!
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I love using Canva and I can "play" with it for hours! It's been so helpful to me and I use it all the time for pretty much every piece of marketing and promotional material I create. My favorite blog is Fabienne Fredrickson's because she shares a wealth of helpful information and videos for business owners. As for my favorite books, I have many, but I will mention here The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield, which has given me structure and a deeper understanding of the clues to being successful.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I've worked with the Airtable and WetInk platforms and find them both very helpful because of the way they keep things handy and organized.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Fabienne Fredrickson, my Business Coach, because of her incredible transformation to becoming a multi-million female business owner while being a mom of three with a happy marriage. She's such a great example of living her best life, unapologetically, with grace, love, and authenticity.
How do you balance work and life?
I've gotten much better at it because I'm living my purpose and I don't have to compromise in that regard. On a daily basis though, since I work from home, it could be a bit challenging at times to wear all the hats all at once, but I am more relaxed about it compared to my earlier years. Now that my kids are older, I can -- and I do that every time -- tape a sign on my door that lets them know I'm on a call or in a Zoom meeting and they should not disturb me. I love what I do and I truly enjoy my work, so I cannot really separate the two, work and life. They're quite intertwined -- I can't imaging vacationing and being completely unplugged for example. I'd get super bored if I don't 'work" during my time away. My writing brings me excitement, my life informs my craft, and inspiration is the connecting tissue to both.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Writing, reading, walking, dancing, shopping, watching a funny movie or going to dinner with a friend.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
My new children's book, The School of Failure: A Story About Success, will be released in just a few months, so my focus will be on promotions for it, a blog tour, connecting with readers and educators through school visits, as well as creating more visibility for my work and my brand.
In addition, I plan to expand my writing programs and courses in order to offer broader mentorship opportunities to aspiring children's authors. It's been very rewarding to see my students succeed and I intend to help more writers achieve their dreams. I'd be happy to be able to share more opportunities for people to work with this year.
How can our readers connect with you?
I can be found on my website at www.rosiejpova.com as well as all over social media. My Twitter handle is @RosiePOV. Links to my Facebook page and Instagram are below:
https://www.facebook.com/RosieWrites
https://www.instagram.com/rosiepova/
