We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin Mosley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristin, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I have been the only one in the room far too many times. I went to private schools growing up. Most of the time private schools are predominately white and I was often-times the only black kid in my class. It was hard as child to deal with that because there’s this thing called comparison. And if you don’t see at least a tiny bit of a reflection of yourself it can weigh heavily on a child’s self-esteem. I am a dark-skinned black woman at that and that adds another layer (for another story) to my experiences growing up. But not having the same cultural connections at school or not being able to relate when it comes to other aspects led me to becoming a bit of a loner and a bookworm. I often didn’t feel seen or heard so, I got lost in books as a way of escape. I was always in the library lol!
Eventually as I grew, developed and endured life’s experiences I became more confident in myself. Because self-esteem is essentially the building of confidence in ones self, and this took A WHILE to do!! At some point you have to sit with yourself and determine who controls the narrative in your head, you or them? And I’m here to tell you it’s YOU.
I believe a lot of my upbringing prepared me for my career which is in the DEI space and for being a children’s book author. Being in the field of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has a lot to do with ensuring voices of underrepresented groups are being heard and not just their voices being heard but also transforming and dismantling systems that have restricted those voices. I believe because I know what is feels like to not know I had a voice, to finding my voice, then learning to use it gives me the added umph to help others who feel like the “only one”in the room. It led me to write for children of color, like me, so they can see themselves reflected in a book. If you are never exposed to it, you will never know you can be it!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a native of St. Louis, Missouri. My desire to be a children’s book author comes from the love I developed for reading as a child. Reading allowed my imagination to transport me to mystical places and provided me with a tool to manage real-life experiences.
I created Krissy’s Kids Book Club (KKBC) as a space to champion literacy, to encourage kids to live in the realm of their imagination and to support my hometown through local STL community driven events. The first big projects through KKBC have been Queen Olivia and the Lava Monster which is my first children’s book and now the second book in the series, Queen Olivia and Superhero Dad is almost ready for the world to see! My ultimate goal is for readers to see that black and brown kids can be heroes, not just sidekicks. My hope is that my books will inspire young readers and the adults in their lives to imagine and dream big.
Lastly I value my faith and family. Tasting that first sip of coffee in the morning, inhaling the scent of an aromatic candle, dancing around the kitchen while I cook, and laughing until tears fall are some of the simple pleasures that I treasure. “Always be your authentic self” is the mantra that I lives by.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I would say the three qualities and/or skills that have been the most impactful while on my journey are authenticity, resilience, and learning to simplify complex topics. I chose authenticity because in anything you do, you must be you. Your brand is centered around being your authentic self. People are attracted to the uniqueness of YOU. So find that special thing about yourself and then begin to foster and cultivate it into a brand that beautifully highlights you. Next, resilience is key. There will be so many “no’s”, so many times you will trip and fall and seemingly fail during your process but it is how you bounce back from whatever setback you face. We all fall but it’s a matter of how fast you get back up. Anticipate the falls and fall forward!! Build up your resilience bank because it will be one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Lastly, as a children’s book author you have to learn how to simplify your language. You have to flip that internal switch to your inner child. I find being around children a lot helps me tap into my childlike thinking. Now in my first book I added some challenging words to show that kids are capable of understanding and learning with the help of their parents. Because I believe children become readers on the laps of their parents. But when creating a children’s story you have to constantly be mindful of how you write the story. So, as you write, read it out loud and imagine yourself as the kid you are reading it to. It also pays to have an amazing editor because sometimes we can become too close to our stories so having someone with a completely different POV helps tremendously!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kmosley.org
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/krissyskidsbookclub/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krissyskidsbookclub/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-mosley-mhrm-16b86917/
Image Credits
Pictures in the Author shirt are by Jaea Williams
