Katie Keridan shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Katie, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I am most proud of my ability to face a stressful situation and keep breathing. One of my default ways of handling stress used to be holding my breath…I never meant to do it and didn’t even realize I was doing it until my husband pointed it out one day. Our bodies need air to function, especially when we’re under stress or having to make a decision in the middle of a crisis, and I’ve worked hard to face challenges without letting them steal the very air from my lungs. No one would ever know this just by looking at me, but it’s something I’m really proud of.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Katie Keridan, and I’m a former pediatric neuropsychologist turned author. I love writing stories for children and young adults that focus on themes of growing up, resiliency, and standing up for what you believe in. Before becoming an author, I worked with children with cancer, assessing cognitive abilities across chemotherapy and radiation trials, in addition to helping with school reintegration. I write for readers who feel alone, left out, or misunderstood. I love inspiring and encouraging other writers, especially young ones.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed it was my duty to fix other people. If my parent or sister wasn’t happy, it was up to me to fix it. I became an expert at reading body language, tones of voice, and silence, certain that if I could anticipate something before it happened, I could keep everyone in my family happy. Over the years, I’ve learned that I’m not responsible for how others feel or behave. I’m responsible for the things I say and do and that’s it. I’m more than happy to help anyone who needs assistance, but it’s a relief to know I’m not in charge of fixing anyone else.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me strength in a way success never did. With success, there’s happiness and celebration and excitement, and one good thing launches you towards another. But nothing good lasts forever and you can’t sustain success indefinitely. Suffering has showed me how bad things can be, but also that I’m stronger than the situations around me. It’s shown me that I can count on myself in times of trouble, and I can grow and adapt to accomplish what needs doing. Suffering has shown me the depths of my flaws and given me the chance to accept or change them as I’m able. Success feels so much better than suffering, but success never prepared me for anything except more success. Suffering gave me patience, insight, and the opportunity to change, as well as to master effective coping skills I can employ when needed. Success is the reward, but suffering is what prepared me to enjoy it.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie in the book publishing industry is that books are published based on merit or how good they are. This is a massive lie…books are published because they’re written by a celebrity with a large following that will translate into millions of dollars for the publisher. Books are published because of connections within the industry or because insiders have decided it’s time for a certain author to receive their dues. The most deserving books are not always the ones that receive the biggest marketing budgets or win awards or get adapted into a film or tv show. Being a writer is a combination of skill, persistence, and luck, and writers can only control two of those three things.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, role, and possessions, what would remain are the lessons I’ve learned. It’s true we regret the chances we don’t take far more than the ones we do, even if they don’t work out the way we hoped. But the things I’ve been through have made me into the person I am today and no one can take that away from me. I could shed everything and be completely alone and still be left with who I am as a person, due solely to the challenges I’ve experienced, the losses I’ve suffered, and the goals I’ve achieved. What I’ve been through and how it’s changed me is unshakable, and even though it’s mostly invisible, I embody it every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katiekeridan.com
- Instagram: @KatieKeridan
- Twitter: @KKeridan
- Facebook: @KatieKeridan
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
