The Unexpected Author
Sometimes the best journeys are the ones you never saw coming
Picture this: A woman who makes a living predicting the future for major brands suddenly finds herself with a children's book manuscript, zero publishing contacts, and absolutely no idea what comes next. That woman was me.
Having worked as a strategist and trend forecaster for the majority of my professional career, it's kind of funny that Za Za's Scent-Sational Super Power started as an imaginative idea without a completely thought-out plan. It feels a bit like a paradox to the skills I've honed, but it has been the most delightful creative journey—complete with launching a book at the very beginning of COVID, frantically trying to figure out how to get books into stores when everything was shutting down, and spending what felt like forever navigating the publishing maze.
As an art history major, I often got the question "hmmm, so what are you going to do with that degree?" But thanks to my encouraging parents who supported my creative pursuits, they let me trust my gut that I would figure something out. I stumbled upon my dream career while taking a graduate course in Europe after my senior year of college. The presentation was given by Trend Union. Sitting in the audience of this gorgeous auditorium, I finally had the lightbulb moment I had been yearning for (and possibly manifesting).
Seeing this gorgeous presentation with thought-provoking visuals, compelling storytelling, and a future-oriented approach to guide people and brands on what's emerging and how to plan for the future, I was captivated. I got home and immediately tried to learn everything I could about how to get into trend forecasting. Keep in mind, this was in the early 2000s, so online research was there, but definitely limited. I attended trade shows, put together my own reports, traveled where I could, and eventually worked my way into forecasting beauty, color, fashion, fragrance, flavor, and socio-cultural trends for Procter & Gamble.
Within this corporate atmosphere, I had incredible supporters, managers, and mentors who fostered my innovative thinking and helped me find non-traditional roles in a relatively formal structured organizational setting. As the years went on, I found a desire to work in more hands-on ways with a variety of people and brands through my own strategy and trends consultancy.
Similar to navigating my "day job," I had this personal quest for writing a children's story. After reading countless bedtime stories with my twin daughters, I really wanted to craft my own story and bring them along for the ride with me. I had no idea where to start.
The Topic
I knew I wanted to write, but it took me quite some time to figure out what to write about. Finally, I realized that when I was training in perfumery, I was like a small child—soaking up all of this incredible knowledge and information about the incredible power of our sense of smell. I also realized that I wish I had known that I could become a perfumer, flavorist, food scientist, or work in cosmetics as a small child. Wow—that would have potentially opened a whole world of professional possibilities. I wanted to share that option and how it connects with STEM/STEAM career possibilities with small children.
How Do I Write a Book?
I had to get brave and ask for help. Once I got comfortable with that, I discovered the kindness of the author/illustrator community. From school librarians to the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), to local authors, bookstores, friends, and family—people were incredibly thoughtful and shared guidance along the way. One special school librarian introduced me to Linda Ashman’s book, The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books. This guide gave me the blueprint I needed to feel more confident and prepared in book writing.
Stay tuned and I'll share more on how I found an illustrator and actually got a book published! Still mind-opening to me 😊.
If you're navigating your own creative pivot or feeling stuck between the "practical" and the passionate, you're not alone. Sometimes the most rewarding journeys are the ones we didn't plan for.