This week brought some incredible news.
I was honored to be named Author of the Month in 501 Life Magazine.
While I am grateful for the recognition, the feature meant far more to me than seeing my story in print.
It represented a journey.
A journey that began with uncertainty, disappointment, and a loss of identity.
A few years ago, I experienced what many people fear most: the loss of a career path I had worked hard to build. Along with the loss of income came the loss of certainty. My confidence took a hit. My self-esteem suffered. Like many people, I had unknowingly tied parts of my identity to my title, my work, and what I could provide for others.
For a while, I viewed that experience as something that happened to me.
But recently, I’ve started to see it differently.
Instead of saying I lost my job, I’ve begun saying:
The job lost me.
That simple shift changed everything.
Because the truth is, I wasn’t thriving. I wasn’t fully operating as my authentic self. I had become disconnected from who I was meant to be.
And maybe you’ve experienced that too.
A job ends.
A relationship falls apart.
A door closes.
A dream gets delayed.
We naturally focus on the event itself. The disappointment. The rejection. The hurt.
But what if we focused instead on what comes next?
What if a layoff wasn’t a setback but a push forward?
What if being let go was actually freedom?
What if rejection was simply a notice to move on to something better aligned with your purpose?
That perspective helped me survive countless “no’s.”
Agents said no.
Publishers said no.
Opportunities said no.
Yet every rejection redirected me toward something greater.
Eventually, those experiences led me to write Oh Brother, My Brother, launch my business, strengthen my voice as a storyteller, and discover a deeper sense of purpose.
Most importantly, they taught me that our internal dialogue matters.
The stories we tell ourselves become the lives we build.
That’s why I wrote Oh Brother, My Brother. Not simply to tell a story, but to help children and families reshape the narratives they carry about themselves, their potential, and their future.
Because every family deserves conversations that build confidence, connection, and hope.
So today, I encourage you to reconsider the story you’re telling yourself.
Maybe you weren’t rejected.
Maybe you were redirected.
Maybe you weren’t laid off.
Maybe you were pushed forward.
And maybe the thing you think you lost...
Actually, lost you.
🌱 Sometimes the greatest transformation begins when we change the narrative.
📚 Pick up your copy of Oh Brother, My Brother and continue the conversation with your family.
🎤 Join me and five incredible family-focused authors at Family Authors in Conversation on June 14 from 2–4 PM in downtown Little Rock’s historic West 9th Street District as we explore the power of family, literacy, storytelling, and connection.
Books on Da Block event on June 12-14.
Join us for Family Authors in Conversation on Sunday, June 14th from 2 PM–4 PM at Beyond the Divide - 724 West 9th Street in Little Rock. In celebration of National Children’s Day, local authors will share their journeys, inspirations, and how storytelling can strengthen families, support emotional growth, and inspire lifelong learners. Families will enjoy audience Q&A, opportunities to meet the authors, and signed books available for purchase.
Click here to RSVP.
