Stacey Kannenberg’s story is pretty impressive. Despite the fact that she’s never been a teacher, she publishes her own educational books Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!, both used in hundreds of schools in the USA. They have even gotten state approval. And to think that she started her publishing company Cedar Valley Publishing with only a computer and a telephone!
Stacey also keeps a blog. She’s mother to two beautiful girls, Heidi and Megan.
Below you’ll read Stacey’s views on mom entrepreneurship, giving back and book promotion.
- How is mom entrepreneurship different from other types of entrepreneurship?
Mom entrepreneurship celebrates being a mom and an entrepreneur working around the family schedule. Many of my friends who run companies from home are also working with products that are geared for families. Thus we have in house product testing. I am working on Let’s Get Ready For Second Grade. So who better to help me than my own Second and Fourth graders?
- Which are the educational needs that your books address and other similar books fail to do?
I was trying to find a book that covered the Kindergarten curriculum in a way that could be read over and over, just like Goodnight Moon, so that by the time my kids were in Kindergarten they would be familiar with the Kindergarten concepts. I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I created it myself.
I didn’t want a workbook that you complete once and never open it again. I wanted a book to be read over and over again with the Kindergarten curriculum presented in a way which children would find empowering and engaging.
I couldn’t believe that no one ever thought of putting together this book for kids. It’s the blueprint of education. If a family isn’t involved in Kindergarten, they are less likely to be involved in First Grade, Second Grade and beyond. So now I am on a mission to complete the series so that parents, kids and teachers have a blueprint for each grade.
- Why do you donate 10% of your company’s profits to literacy funds and back to schools?
For me it’s all about giving back. Ironically, when I give back, many of these schools receive donated books and decide, wow, these books can help improve Kindergarten and First Grade test scores, so they decide to purchase enough for their entire enrollment the following year. I guess it’s proof positive that if you do something good, good will come back to you!
- What would you recommend to those interested in replicating your success story?
It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you believe in something so much that it becomes a burning passion. I have so much fun helping others with my educational platform that the lines for me have been blurred between working and playing. I would recommend to others to find that passion that makes you so happy that you don’t know if you are working or playing!
- How do your presentations at schools, mom groups, conferences and book clubs help your business?
My business grows by word-of-mouth: everyone knows a teacher! I have been blessed with an amazing fan base that spreads my mission to others all across the globe. Every year we just keep getting bigger and bigger. Our goal is to be the “Goodnight Moon of Kindergarten,” that book that everyone thinks of when they think about going to school.
- What’s the best way to promote a book?
To create a classic that has the potential to live forever!
Find a niche and get your customers to help you spread your mission. My books have been reviewed by over 700 mom bloggers; those blog posts live forever on line and they help increase my Google footprint, which helps in search engine optimization for more and more families to know our name.
We are creating a brand that has the potential to live longer than my time on this Earth. My kids, who are only 7 and 9, talk about how they want to keep the books alive for generations to come. That’s powerful!
Stacey, thank you for this interview!
