We were lucky to catch up with Carol McKibben recently and have shared our conversation below.
Carol, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose along a convoluted path. I got married at age 19 to my University of Georgia college sweetheart. We had a son and a daughter together, and then I went back to finish my education at the University of Kentucky in my late twenties. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Education, with an emphasis in English and Journalism, I began teaching high school in those subjects as well as in the Gifted program in various states as life moved me around. Along the way, I got a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Rollins College.. After landing in Los Angeles, California, I taught for two years and then was lured away to Miramar Publishing Company, producers of trade magazines. After working as Director of Marketing, then an editor, and later as publisher to new startup, Special Events magazine, I also produced a companion tradeshow for that publication. After a decade, I left to begin my own company, McKibben Communications, with my husband Mark. As president, I worked with a team of 35 employees to reach Inc. Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies three years running. I also initiated another startup entitled EventPros to try and win the rights to the Torch Relay for the Nagona Olympics. The 1985 earthquake in Japan shattered that dream, even after we had secured the primary sponsor, Proctor and Gamble. After seven years, we sold McKibben Communications, and I still felt like I had more to do. I initiated another startup, Azina Communications, to create and produce Dream Spaces, a consumer home design magazine. Finally, I settled on my purpose – book editing and writing and publishing some eighteen novels. When I landed that, I knew I had arrived upon my purpose. While I found everything I’d done in the past rewarding, what really made my heart sing was letting my imagination run wild with creations in print. To maintain cash flow, I became an independent editor and currently work as a consultant with Manuscripts, LLC as a Revisions Editor. This allows me to still work on my purpose: Being a novelist.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I covered most of my past professional story, so let’s focus on my current work. As I mentioned, I work as a Revisions Editor for Manuscripts, LLC, a hybrid publisher. When writers come to me, I work with them from a developed draft that always needs a lot of work. What I love about it is twofold: 1) It’s a thrill to work with emerging talent full of excitement about their work. I love to see the looks on their faces and their words of joy when they become published authors. I work with them virtually, so that allows me time to 2) work on my own novels. Here’s a list of what I’ve published so far: A five-book fantasy series entitled Snow Blood; a five-book series, Moon Blood; a two-book offering entitled Reign–The Silver Blood Knight Series; Kane, a prequel to the Snow Blood Series; Luke’s Tale — A Story of Unconditional Love (told through the eyes of a blind dog); and two under a pen name, Penn Scripter, with my daughter Stephanie McKibben. They are The Demon of Reginhart (a fantasy) and The Reincarnation of Charlie (paranormal). Currently, I am working on a story with paranormal overtones I call Caddy’s Tale.
All of this keeps me quite busy!
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?
The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful: 1) Being organized. I couldn’t have multi-tasked the way I do without being super efficient. I have to tell you, I still use a DayTimer to do it. I’m a paper girl.
2) Being persistent. I don’t give up when things get tough. I do know when to cut my losses, and that’s important too. I like to think of it as being the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
3) Having empathy for other people. Through all my professional life, I’ve treated other people ethically. But more importantly, I’ve always considered the situations of those other team members, clients, vendors, etc.,and treated them as such, It’s important to treat others with respect, considerations, and always be on time!
Advice? All of the above. Critical: Understand that nothing is constant except change. When things change, roll with it. Change equals opportunity. Don’t forget it.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents taught me that I could accomplish anything that I wanted to do. My Daddy in particular encouraged me to be a writer. I started writing in journals when I was a pre-teen. During that time, I would write short stories. When I was fourteen, I wrote a story just for him to read. I remember that he sat there in his big high-back chair with his glasses perched on his nose and read slowly and carefully. I paced up and down with frayed nerves afraid of what he might say. That it was awful. That I needed to try again.
When he finished, he put the notebook down in his lap, took off his glasses, and said: “Carol, you are a writer.. I expect to read your first novel.” He then proceeded to make me promise I’d get my Masters Degree in English, and I swore that I would.
He never got to read my first novel or see me standing on the stage accepting my Masters, but he was in my mind the entire time for both those event. My first novel was Luke’s Tale — A Story of Unconditional Love. It was my Daddy’s unconditional love that made that the theme of all my books. It’s a theme that human beings need to take to heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carolmckibben.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolMckibbenAuthor/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolmckibben/
- Twitter: @CarolMcKibben4
