Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Solomon.
Hi Stephanie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have lived a whimsical life, always striving to treat each day like it was my BIRTHDAY, as time can’t be reimbursed, so I save nothing for “special occasions”. Navigating life’s highs and lows with this magical mindset has elevated my life in endless ways, including my move to California.
Growing up, I had always wanted to write a children’s book and leave a legacy that I would be proud of. I knew my motto would be “purpose over profit”, but needed to meet all the right people to be able to follow through with achieving this goal in all its glory.
My first book, #knowyourworth (published 2018) was inspired through watching one of my closest friends and family members deal with her diagnosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer at the age of 30. Ariel’s bravery and resilience in battling breast cancer with such strength and grace along with sharing her story made me want to make an impact while making a difference, thus #knowyourworth was born with my pet tortoise Penelope Joy as the main character.
It took 12 years, but #knowyourworth has been my greatest accomplishment. Since published, I have sold over 1,000 copies and have volunteered mine and Penelope Joy’s time reading to elementary school classrooms & children’s hospitals in hopes of motivating young readers to become authors. Apple of His Eye Charity also took #knowyourworth to India to share the importance of knowing your worth with women & children living in poverty. I have raised thousands of dollars towards breast cancer research and education and recently started donating a portion of the proceeds towards the Breast Friends non-profit in Portland, Oregon, my hometown. An Organization Built around providing emotional support for women battling breast cancer, one friend at a time. I am always looking for small non-profits to contribute to that help women going through this fight, so they never have to do it alone.
My second book, Delicious Dreams (published 2019) was created to inspire heightened imagination in others both big and small. It is extra special because it is illustrated by my aunt Shelly, who totally nailed the images I came up with in my wild imagination. I have sold over 500 copies of this book and am continuing to raise money and awareness towards St. Baldrick’s Foundation for children with cancer.
Book three, Aloha Oe’, is currently in production and was inspired by a dear friend’s experience with infant loss. This book aims to provide parents with a soft, beautiful, and gentle approach to explaining the hard feelings, emotions, and reality around losing a sibling. Inspired and created out of love and light for Luna Baker, whose heart stopped beating Christmas night 2020 at 33 weeks, I teamed up with Luna’s mom, Ashley Baker, to create Luna’s Light Foundation, a pending 501(c)3 non-profit.
Luna’s Light Foundation’s plan is to provide grief boxes to hospitals for siblings who have lost a baby brother or sister and will coordinate local meet ups for #infantloss and #babyloss families. Our goal is to break the stigma surrounding infant death by empowering others through shared experiences and addressing how we can work collectively to help our children through their grief while dealing with our own.
For every book sold, a portion of the proceeds will go towards Luna’s Light Foundation with the purpose of “learning from the moon to shine bright, even in times of darkness.”
I’ve found through my whimsical journey of heartache, worldly travels, happiness, and overall life experiences, that when you find your purpose, it truly is a gift that needs to be shared and that’s what I’m aiming to do: make a difference by leaving the world better than I found it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Fundraising and timelines. I am a woman that strives to break glass ceilings. It was not easy to raise $5k dollars in less than 30 days, but I did it and exceeded! I had to be resourceful and creative, so much that I even reached out to past “Bumble” dates that didn’t work out but I knew were good people. Also, finding someone to publish my book. The process can take months or years and I wanted to get my books out there as soon as possible which is why I self-published to meet the deadlines I had set at the start of this goal. I really wanted to publish two books in two years. To make that happen, I had to increase my effort rather than decreasing my goal. This whole process taught me that God never gives you a dream that matches your budget; he’s not checking your bank account, he’s checking your faith.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a “Jaqueline” of all trades: a full-time Marketing and Community Outreach Director for an Orthodontic office by day, a children’s book author by night, and I also own a travel company, KNOW YOUR WORTH- Cruise Planners. I’ve always been a Hustler, and when someone asks the question, “what do you do?”, my response is “whatever it takes.”
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is probably defined differently than most. My net worth at one point after my divorce was less than $800. Money to me is not in the equation for success. Of course, it makes things easier and a lot more comfortable but not having much is what taught me to be resourceful and humble. Success to me would be having my story be someone else’s survival guide. Having them CHOOSE HAPPINESS and knowing that difficult times don’t last forever, strong people do. I said in the beginning that time can’t be reimbursed which is why we should spend it being HAPPY. Self-care and balance. Being kind and genuine. Society and the media have tainted so much of what success “should be”, but the reality is success should be measured based on the alignment of your dreams, visions, and goals. In the end, are you proud of what you’ve done/ what you are doing? Have you inspired others? Are you a good human? Success to me shouldn’t be measured in finances or materialistic things but in impact. The print you leave on the world to remember you. Everyone can be replaceable, strive to be unforgettable.
Pricing:
- $20 #knowyourworth (soft cover book)
- $12 Delicious Dreams (soft cover book)
- $40 KnowYourWorth Rose Gold (plated) Necklace
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/pursuitofstephanie
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuitofstephanie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pursuitofstephanie/photos/?ref=page_internal
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KnowStephanie
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/mq1ZkV7_hvg | https://youtu.be/BynOXc-zJI8
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Solomon/e/B07K9F12G7?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000
Image Credits:
Salar @ Raffael Jacob Studio
