The Dollpreneur™ Podcast
Welcome to the Dollpreneur™ Podcast!
I’m so excited to have you join me on this new adventure as I reignite my passion for the doll community with the Dollpreneur™ Podcast. Each episode celebrates the innovators and artists who bring this magical industry to life.
I’m Georgette Taylor, co-inventor, co-creator, and co-founder of the first plus-size fashion dolls, Big Beautiful Dolls and with years of podcasting experience from a business podcast to being the former creator, host and producer, of In The Doll World podcast.
Join me as I share inspiring conversations with talented creators from around the world, introducing both seasoned artisans and fresh new voices. The Dollpreneur™ Podcast offers a unique glimpse into the world of doll creators, blending art and entrepreneurship to showcase the passion that drives the doll-making world.
Whether you’re a doll enthusiast, an aspiring creator, or simply curious, the Dollpreneur™ Podcast is where creativity meets entrepreneurship, community, and every conversation inspires. Let me guide you through this world I’ve helped shape, from Big Beautiful Dolls to engaging discussions with the leading voices in doll-making.
Until we connect again, have a Dollpreneur™ Fabulous Day!
The Dollpreneur™ Podcast
Celebrating Superhero Mothers and Diversity in the Doll Industry: CJ Charles' Inspiring Journey
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring a beloved story to life, while also honoring the superhero in your own life?
Join us on the Dollpreneur™ Podcast for an enlightening conversation with CJ Charles, the visionary mind behind the bilingual children's brand "My Mother is a Superhero."
CJ's journey from a passionate storyteller to an esteemed author is nothing short of inspiring. Born of a deep love for superheroes and motivated by her own mother's legacy, CJ's heartfelt book not only celebrates her mother but also connects with mothers worldwide, especially those who often feel unseen. By crafting her book in both English and Spanish, she has created an educational resource that transcends linguistic barriers and fosters community connections.
Delve into the intricate art of doll creation as CJ shares the fascinating challenges and triumphs she encountered along the way. From collaborating with artisans across the globe to the invaluable guidance of Azhelle, from the Toy Creators Academy, CJ's journey through the toy industry is a testament to perseverance and innovation.
The conversation touches upon the financial investments and societal stereotypes she navigated, especially around black dolls. Through her experiences, CJ emphasizes the power of universal appeal and the critical need for diversity in the toy market as we head towards 2024.
Our discussion culminates in the powerful theme of representation in dolls and books, highlighting CJ's dual journey as a teacher and a creator of African-American dolls. This episode explores the joy and challenges she faces, striving to provide children with relatable dolls that resonate with their heritage.
CJ's story is a vibrant tapestry of love, gratitude, and human connection, honoring parents as heroes and leaving a legacy that bridges generations. As she looks to expand her doll line with new characters and a book-plush combo, CJ continues to inspire creativity and motivation in children and families everywhere.
To learn more about her book, My Mother is a Supero Hero and plush please visit www.mymotherisasuperhero.com
Thanks for joining us on The Dollpreneur™ Podcast! We hope you enjoyed the episode and feel inspired by our amazing guests and learn something new about the creative people within the doll community.
We would love for you to stay connected so please subscribe to us on Instagram, FB & our Youtube Channel all @thedollpreneurpodcast
You can also subcribe to The Dollpreneur™ Podcast newsletter by visiting our website The Dollpreneur™ Podcast to subscribe.
Until next time, have a Dollpreneur™ Fabulous Day!
Hello everyone, welcome to the Dollpreneur Podcast, where I get to chat and share with you the amazing doll creators and creators from around the world. I am your host and creator of the Dollpreneur Podcast, georgette Taylor, and I am so excited to highlight the inspiring stories from the people who keep the doll community buzzing with creativity and passion. So, whether you're a long-time doll lover or just curious, looking for something new and creative to listen to, join us for engaging powerful and insightful conversations that celebrate the heart and soul of the people within the doll community. Let's get this show started. Hello everybody, welcome to the Dollpreneur Podcast, where we're here to celebrate creativity, passion and entrepreneurship of doll creators from around the world.
Speaker 1:I'm your host, georgette Taylor, and today I am so excited to introduce you to CJ Charles. She is the founder and CEO of the bilingual children's brand my Mother is a Superhero Yay, yes, we are and, as you know, now is a dollpreneur with the creation of the Justine Plush doll, inspired by one of her book's characters. So, cj, thank you so much for joining me on the Dollpreneur Podcast. I'm so excited to have you here.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me. It's such an opportunity and it's such a pleasure to be here to talk to you and to your audience. So thank you so much.
Speaker 1:So now, before we, let's start from the beginning, because before we get to your beautiful, amazing creation, justine, tell a little bit about your background and experiences that shaped you into creating the book first, and then the doll.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. So, everybody, I'm CJ Charles. I'm from Los Angeles, born and raised. I started writing books and stuff like that as early as first grade. So I used to attend Catholic school in LA when I was little and we always had weekly vocabulary words and we had to make a sentence. But I've always been extra. I didn't realize I was extra until I got older, but I've always been extra and so I would make little stories instead of just making the sentences. I was like anybody can do a sentence.
Speaker 2:So for me, when I think back, it really started right there with writing. And then as I got older in junior high, you know, we had a school newspaper I'd write for the newspaper. I would take stories in the Bible and I would rewrite them. Because I went to Catholic school and I realized that's when I fell in love with words at a really, really young age. And so I was in graduate school and we took a class on how to write books and we had a little, I think, like two weeks on how to write children's books. And so I was thinking about all the stuff I liked and I've always liked superheroes, x-men, superman, wonder Woman, right from the eighties but I was like I can, I can write a little book. So I started writing the book about 12 years ago and I know it's. I know the first one is always going to take longer than the ones that come.
Speaker 2:Just cause you know, I was just. I wrote eight different times. There's eight different versions of the story and that just was. They just wasn't it like I knew that wasn't it? So during covid, um, I had some time, had a lot of free time to sit and synthesize all those stories down to one story and and my mother's superhero was born.
Speaker 2:It's based on my mother, alice, so she is the superhero and I said I she, she feels, you know, she gets a whole book to herself, so she feels some kind of way. But, um, I'm the little girl, so I'm Justine and I'm a mother superhero and so it's just become a thing.
Speaker 2:So initially it was just like it was a school project, but I wrote it for my mother to say thank you for being a single mother in Los Angeles, and since we've been out the last four or five years so many mothers, the story has resonated with so many people that it really has bigger than what I initially thought of it as, and so now it's a thing and I teach, and so I can use it in my Spanish three class, and other teachers have taken the book and broken it apart and created worksheets and all kinds of really cool stuff with it, so oh, that's so cool. Yeah, it's become a thing, it's become a thing.
Speaker 1:The celebration of my mom has become a thing, which I think celebration of mom should always be a thing, right? I mean, I think that's no.
Speaker 2:I didn't know that it was abnormal. I didn't realize how many mothers felt unseen and unappreciated when we go out in public and people are like, oh my God, that's me. There's a page in the book that resonates with people. So that's me. Or you know, there's a page in the book that resonates with people. So my mother and I started looking at each other. Like you know, there's a Sri Lankan mother who feels this way. There was a Mexican mom you know European moms that felt this way and I was like, wow, I didn't know, this was a universal feeling and experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's become bigger than both. That's so interesting though that, like you said that, you that you thought that that there wasn't, that everybody didn't see their moms that way. You know, I think that's really. I think that's really interesting. I know you are a bilingual teacher. Do you have the book in Spanish too, as well as English?
Speaker 2:Yes. So what we did was out the gate. I wanted to create one book because that's literally all I could afford to print. It really was born out of necessity, like in all honesty. So I had one shot at the illustrator, I had one shot at the printer, so we put the book in English and Spanish. So it's two books in one, the Spanish side and the English side. And what's really neat is that I'm the teacher in me. I made vocabulary words, so I would highlight a word in English and red and highlight another English or Spanish word in blue so that people could see what the translation was. So some people use it to help them learn, learn Spanish and yeah, I probably would do that, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:My Spanish was terrible in school. I don't even know why, and it's so funny because my, my son, is actually half Puerto Rican. You would think I would know Spanish. But yeah, girl, no, and I would, and I grew up in the South Bronx. So I mean, I, you, know Spanish, but but I don't, I don't, but I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to buy it for my, my grandson. So he's actually a Puerto Rican, mexican and black, so, and I think he really needs to, like, learn a little bit more Spanish, you know, but he loves reading books. He loves reading books and his and my and my son loves reading books to him, and, uh, and so does his mom. So I think this would be a great book for them to read together, because it does have the English and Spanish version, which I think will help him so much, you know, and just help so many other children too who have a curiosity of learning to speak other languages.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it was just born out of necessity, literally so okay, so you took, you took this, you know these, these characters, and you created. Eventually, you created Justine. So why did you feel that she was important to to create from the book? Because you're going from not just being an author now, you're going to creating a doll. So what was that transition like for you and why did you think that that was needed?
Speaker 2:So the transition has been challenging. It's a lot of barriers to this community. No-transcript. Have a doll. She's so cute, the character's so cute, the character's so cute and I think the character is cute. But that's me, you know, putting my heart into it. So I, you know, of course, like seeing your ugly baby, you think that's so. Um, more and more people have had this wonderful reaction to her, and so I just started looking into how do you make a doll. I didn't know anything about making a doll.
Speaker 2:I've made dolls out of old socks as a little girl you know watching my girls Homemade dolls, right, whatever little material I had in the house, you can make a little doll from that. But I hadn't had my own and as a little girl I only had, um, I had two black dolls growing up and they're the same two black dolls I've had for 40 years, um, and they're not ugly, but they're not as cute as I knew. I see the little black girls in my class are cute, or the little black girls are cute, but they're they're my dolls.
Speaker 2:You know, I love them. Even the cabbage patch doll that I had, she's literally just the white version. But cabbage patch doll that I had, she's literally just the white version but a brown skin and that's it. So cabbage patch, how old am I? We won't tell, but I just decided that. You know, I didn't see any black plush dolls on the market. So I saw black linen dolls. There's molded dolls that are black, but there's no, there's not as many plush that I saw. That I thought was really cute. So I said well, you know, let me just. I just went on, went online and I started typing in how to make a doll and, you know, chinese companies started coming up.
Speaker 2:So, I started. They said contact me, so I started contacting them, asking them how much for a sample and I didn't have any schematics for her. All I had were the pictures that my illustrator drew. So I sent a front and a back. They sent back some samples and I was like well, how much? You know how much is a cluster, let's do it. So it really. It just was simply. I looked up how to do it and I just followed the steps, literally wow, that's, that's very, that's very creative.
Speaker 1:It's so funny because I remember when I was doing, uh, the plus-sized dolls with, with my friend, audrey, the big beautiful dolls I pretty much did that too there was nobody really who was doing especially dolls, dolls that were like mine, like the ones that we created and I literally just went into the toy aisles and I started flipping over all the boxes on the vinyl dolls and I was like, okay, who manufactured this? And there was a company that was in Maryland called Integrity Toys, and we called them, we cold called them, we want to create this doll. You know, do you have time to spend with us? You know, and sometimes, like you said, you have to go and just do it, you have to just do the action, whether you know anything about it or not.
Speaker 1:You know, and I really applaud you for that, because that step alone can be kind of devastating for people like, oh my gosh, I can't find the right person, I can't find the right company, how do I get this started? And so many people have these ideas in their heads. You know, and it's so good to see that you took this, you know, because people were asking for it and you said I've never done it before, but guess what? I'm going to do it regardless, you know.
Speaker 2:And you know, the amazing thing is that I tell people all the time people ask me questions all the time about the whole process. If you see the process, god will bring somebody in your life to continue the process for you, help you, whatever, and so, as I, so, I had all these samples and this is a true story. So I found this girl on Instagram and she crocheted and.
Speaker 2:I crocheted all because the manufacturers in China said all these things and I can't do all that right now. So this was justine, prototype number one. She stitched her and she mailed her to me and I said that's pretty good. I was like she's pretty cute. Then I found these people in Peru who knitted dolls. So then they made this version and I was like.
Speaker 2:I was like, no, but we're getting one. Then I found somebody in China who said, oh, we can do a really quick sample, but this don't, don't judge my baby, but this is the Chinese version of her. And then finally I found I'll show you guys in a second I found the people I could do that one with. But in my search, in my journey of all the different Justines, I found a company and a young lady, african-american company, called the Toy Creators Academy.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love her. She was on one of the other shows that I was doing. I love her. I'm going to have her back. Yes, Agel Agel is the truth. I haven't taught her.
Speaker 2:My journey with the doll was about two and a half years. I found Agel about a year into growing it up she Doing some amazing things, and her connection to the toy industry you know she worked with Toys R Us are very high up on the sales chain. She has so many patents, she is a treasure trove of information and her program was so affordable Some people's programs I'm like I can't afford that, even on my good month.
Speaker 1:Right, right, you'll teach a girl Look.
Speaker 2:Right, I'm like I'll tell you. No, she was fantastic. So we actually did a consultation first. I said, well, let me just talk to this lady before I invest any more money into something else. And we got on the call. She herself got on the call. Get the three versions I had. She told me to stop making stuff. She said I'm gonna need you to stop making stuff. She was like let me give you a list of people to reach out to. I've already vetted them. Call them. So if it wasn't for her, I don't know where I would be. You know, in this state.
Speaker 2:So she definitely was a blessing. And there's so much to this making a doll game.
Speaker 1:I know it is girl, I know it is.
Speaker 2:I'll just look at him oh this is so cute, like there are, so there's so much.
Speaker 1:So many components of that and so and so many things you have to really consciously think about. You don't that you don't think about? You know, and we, you know, I have this doll printers all the time, and I think a lot of times people say I want to make a doll, I want to do this, and I don't think. First they know the actual investment that it takes to bring a, to bring a doll to market and then to get about marketing it. It's just a whole nother beast, you know. So, um, yeah, yeah. So. So when you entered the doll industry and industry or the toy industry I should say, creating a doll, plush doll, and you learned about all those things, what surprised you the most about that? Because I know you probably had no clue what that meant, right? So what surprised you the most?
Speaker 2:cost the self-investment if you have to do it on your own, if you don't have, you know if you're not in a licensee agreement. And the second was how many people associate so much negativity with a brown face on a doll package and how they assume that it's not going to appeal to the masses because it's a black doll. I mean, we get it all the time with the characters. So many people walk for as many people as love the book. There is as many people who walk by and they give us a stinky face because of Black characters.
Speaker 2:They haven't even read it because it's a. It's a good story. They haven't even read it. They haven't seen the quality illustration, nothing but just just the physical turns some people off, not all of a sudden, and some people are really surprised at how children of other ethnicities and other genders I think it's only a girl brand People are usually surprised at how many people say oh my God, mommy, she's so pretty, who don't look like us. People are usually shocked by that and I'm like well, that's the universal appeal to the story. It's not about the outside, it's about how people feel on the inside about their mother, and that's what some people are missing.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's so. Wow, you know. You know what I mean and they're all very much connected. That's it. It's the human side of that. It's all connected and the fact that we're still having these issues, you know, like you said, about having brown dolls or faces on you know products is just mind blowing to me. You know, in 2024. It really, is it really?
Speaker 2:is, but that actually propels us. Anytime my mother and I are in an environment where people are being that type of way. We always have a great sales day, yeah, so that's how we know it's going to be a good day. We're like, oh, got a hater in the ministry. We're going to do good today, so that's how we know it's going to be on Thursday. We're like, oh, got a hater in the ministry.
Speaker 1:We're going to do it today. Well, it's past morning, it's so true. You know, when Audrey and I were doing the doll shows back in this was 1999, 2000. It was very much like that. There were not very many African-American dolls anywhere, especially in the vinyl industry, right In the fashion doll world industry, right In the fashion doll world, and what we found was very interesting because people would talk to us when they thought we were selling the product and somebody else did it. Yes, when they found that we were the creators and the owners of that, the conversation was so different.
Speaker 2:Yes, so it's really so interesting. So 24 years later, it's exactly the same. Right? This is what I'm saying. Two different people shared experience. What is that about? That's how you know it's a real thing.
Speaker 1:It's a real thing. It really is. But you know we could be down that rabbit hole forever. But anyway, let's talk about this Balancing your career and your creativity and your business right as a teacher. I know you don't have a lot of time because I mean, you know you're either creating lessons, you're doing things even during the summer. I'm sure you still focus on being a teacher for the next year coming. So how does you creating this book and a doll now? How does that balance in your life and how do you manage that balance?
Speaker 2:So, if I'm being honest with you, it's not too much of a balance right now. I'm tired, sleepy, no, but I have two full time jobs and I accept that because this is what this is my future. Like I know, this is where I'm going, this is where I'm going to retire from. This is I'm going to be 90 years old still doing this. This is an industry with no age on it, in my opinion. No-transcript in my company where I can say no to too many opportunities because, we need to.
Speaker 2:We need the exposure. We have to get out there and so so. I accept that. You know I'm not afraid of hard work because I know that it won't be much longer where I have to work six and seven days a week. It's a little unbalanced right now, but, um, but I'm still, you know I'm. You know teaching is easier because I'm not, excuse me, I'm 19 years into being a teacher, so I have everything worked out.
Speaker 2:It doesn't really require too much thinking on my part anymore, just the preparation organization. But this is my love right here, like I am so in love with this whole journey. So it's work, but I don't feel like it's hard work.
Speaker 1:So that's the difference, right, so it keeps you inspired. I was going to ask you, like, how do you stay inspired and keeping your creativity flowing, you know, especially when you do face challenges with your business or growing it or marketing it? But I guess, like you were saying, it's really, it's a part of love that you have for that. So, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So we're never selling this IP, this IP. I might sell some other IPs in the future, but this one stays in the family. But I think my creativity and my inspiration. I'm starting to get pictures now from people around the nation and around the world. We just sold a couple of dolls and I'll show you in London.
Speaker 1:I'm starting to get Congratulations. That's awesome. I'm so excited to meet you.
Speaker 2:You know it's the pictures of the little girls in the videos that I'm getting, of them holding the doll, sleeping with the doll, taking her to, you know, taking her to get a burger. I'm getting all these adorable pictures and that's what's like okay. So I wasn't wrong. You know, it's just it's a validation and it's um, I don't know, it's just, it's it's my motivation to keep on pushing her out there, because I know we deserve little girl dolls that are cute, that look like us, that can be a part of our childhood.
Speaker 2:We deserve that yeah and I don't want to be a part of that, you know yeah, that's so.
Speaker 1:That's so true, are you? Are you planning on expanding any more to any more dolls out of the characters, or any, or what else do you plan on going with this?
Speaker 2:oh, we're gonna take it to the moon. A la luna, we're going to the top. Um, so right now we have justine. Oh, sorry, I've been talking about her, but I haven't shown her.
Speaker 1:I love her pigtails. Oh my gosh, she reminds me of my cousin.
Speaker 2:It's so funny when she was little I think, reversal hairstyle, whether we got the pups or the break, we only get two options. No, so we have Justine, we have her sister Shayla in the book, so we're going to do a Justine-Shayla combo and then we're going to do a mom. So I wanted to have a three-pack, a three-pack plush.
Speaker 1:I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I want to do that. That's the goal for 2025 is to get a mom and a Shayla out in a box version of them. So we want to. So we want to do a book, a book plush combo for people. So this will be our little Christmas thing We'll do a book, book plush combo. And I want to do like molded doll. I want to mold it, Justine with the voice box, who speaks Spanish. So that's the. That's the five Cause I know that one's going to be another adventure so expensive?
Speaker 1:I because I know that one's going to be another adventure so expensive. I was just going to ask you were you going to transition to like a vinyl type of doll, you know, and the transition to that, but you have a great coach, you know. So, getting to that next step it'll still be challenging, but I think it'll be a lot easier.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I was kind of already starting to do some research on that, and so I've seen two dolls that probably a little more cost effective. They have a plush face, but a voice box is a molded body and plush leg, so that might be something that's a little bit more economical. We'll see, you know. You never know how this is going to blow up. Maybe I'll just be able to write that check, Send it over, you know.
Speaker 1:That's a dollpreneur's dream. Let me tell you.
Speaker 2:That or somebody can license this. If you want to license it, I'm down with it. Mattel, you just the right deal. I'm not against it. I'm not that independent if you want to license it. But yeah, it's a beautiful journey and I'm open to many things. I'm open. I don't want to be closed. I want to see how far God wants to take this and um and use me to to fulfill whatever the mission is here.
Speaker 1:I'm very excited about it. Yeah, I'm very, I'm very, I'm very excited to get it, very excited to read it and to have it sent to my grandbaby, because that's going to be. She said let's ring this up today, let's get this done.
Speaker 2:I'm going to send you as a thank you. I'm going to send you some stuff, so don't you worry about it.
Speaker 1:Oh, oh, oh, thank you. Ok, you don't have to do that, but thank you.
Speaker 2:No, this is a blessing to me. You don't even know I used to fight to have to get people to even talk to us about this. So, yeah, just have somebody say to me hi, would you like to? Yes, I would.
Speaker 1:So now you, so you coming from transitioning to authors to dollpreneur Like what? What advice do you have for other people who are watching the show and have some amazing books that they want to transition or create dolls out of, like what would? What would be the words of encouragement for them? Because you know, it's still, it's still challenging, no matter what you know, going into business and being an entrepreneur from not being an entrepreneur, you know. So, yeah, what would you like to share with them?
Speaker 2:I think I would tell people to take your time and learn the industry. Go to as many events as you can that are related to toys. Whichever toy version you want to make, whether it's a plush, a hard doll, whatever it is that you want to make I would say do your research, attend events. Go into stores, like we were talking about earlier. Turn over boxes. I have literally about 200 or 300 pictures of different doll boxes where I'm measuring, where I'm seeing what the language is, what's the font on this, and I'm taking pictures. I'm going back to figure out what the font was.
Speaker 2:And don't be afraid to get creative. Sometimes you can only make the one. I had the sample for a long time. Raise money off the sample, see if there's any. You know you can get any type of investment off of a sample, but take your time. And if it takes you two years to get the doll made, then it took two years. If it takes you three years and it takes you three years, there's no rushing it.
Speaker 2:If you're going to do it right and you want to come out the gate with something that's strong, it's not going to be perfect out the gate, cause I see stuff now that you know one you got to get started. One you got to know that this is a journey. This is not a destination. I know that sounds cliche, but it's really true. Like this is something that's going to be alive and evolving year after year after year, and you have to go with it. But if you know for sure this is something you're committed to doing and there's a good reason behind it, and everything that you need is going to fall into place. And if you need some help find a gel weight, she's going to help that journey out.
Speaker 1:So true, so true. So many times I've been thinking about calling her, you know, for some project. But you know, I just you know I wanted to just go ahead and get my podcast started again, because I understand what you're saying about making sure that you just take the action and stay committed to what it is that you really want to do, whether it takes you six months or, you know, 12 months or 18 months. And I think, a lot of times when we get excited about something, you know we see the vision and we just want to, we just want to make it happen right then and there. So sometimes, when you, when you do run up against those, those stopping point, it is an opportunity for you to decide OK, you know what, am I really passionate about this and is this something I really want to have happen? Because, if it is, you do have to commit the time and the passion and and deal with the challenges and the triumphs. You know cause there's triumphs with all that, you know too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think it's all you know terrible. No, you're absolutely correct. So many wonderful moments in this process and you, just you get validated along the journey. You get so validated you're like, okay, okay, but it's work and people don't realize how much work I do. Like people see my instagram and you know taking cute pictures with kids and walking around and people like, oh, it's so much fun. There's a lot of work. Before this picture got taken, like there was some sweating in the car, there was things that dropped and broke and you know there's a lot of money involved.
Speaker 1:I get paid once a month full disclosure and on this once a month.
Speaker 2:we do all that we can, yeah, so you know, but it's necessary, it's needed and we deserve. Our children deserve to see themselves in everything that's positive. They deserve to know if you want to be a superhero, go be a superhero. We got it in our skin.
Speaker 2:we can do it if you want a surfer, go be a surfer. If you want to make dolls, go make dolls, whatever it is. Our children need to know that that's okay, yeah, and we celebrate them in all those different ways and varieties and they have to see it in their dolls and their books and their speech, and you know all their images.
Speaker 1:Yes, representation is important. It doesn't, you know, in every aspect. You know every aspect of everything that's happening, you know, within business, within entrepreneurship, within science, within whatever it is inventing. It's important to see people that look like you, to see people that look like you, and the cool thing about it is that you have a book that not only doesn't represent just what people look like, also represents what people sound like, because other people have their own language, their own vocabulary. You know what I mean, and so you're celebrating that in one book, and I think that that is really so powerful too.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, thank you so much. I never thought about it like that. But yeah, you're right, you powerful too.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, thank you so much. I never thought about like that, but it's yeah, you're right, you're spot on, you are spot on, I you know, making this doll. It's just, it's changed my life and so many. Oh, I was gonna ask you, how has it been?
Speaker 2:for you making this doll, you know, oh man, it just reminded me that I can. I can do whatever my creator gives me a little hint of. I'm like. I think I can do that. I know I can do that. It's given me an appreciation for my mother that's been exponential. I've always appreciated her, but now I'm like dang, you're an awesome girl Like this is crazy. You know, she just turned 71, looking fine, that's so great.
Speaker 1:She must be so proud of you, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she's embarrassingly proud of me, but we feel my sister and I feel the same about her. We are too proud of her because all of this literally is for her and from her life and her life choices, and we just want to make that second half of her life as memorable and make it count just as much as the first half of her life did. And so just I'm, I'm living her right now. Just when we're out and people want her to take pictures and they want her to sign books, I just sit there I'm tickled pink because you know, we're a family from South Central Los Angeles and this is wasn't something that we even conceptualize.
Speaker 2:So the other day she said to me we were flying back from Atlanta as a matter of fact and for an event and she said I never imagined any of this kind of stuff. And I looked at her and I looked at my mom doesn't talk like that. So I was like I was like imagine what? And she's just like like all of this. She was like books and and and pictures and dolls. She was like I couldn't even imagine this, you know coming from the.
Speaker 2:South, and so it's like wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Just to know that, at 71, she's experienced something that's brand new. That's for her, you know.
Speaker 1:Right, but you know it's wow. That just touched me so much right now. Okay, I'm going to get emotional right now, wow. Okay, that's really because you know, I look at that like if my son did something like that for me and I'm not saying they do amazing things, right so just to know that she felt that, like you said, after all the years of doing what she does as a mom, that that's respected and that you know you guys revere her as being your superhero and that and I think every parent I mean, I think every child can can feel that way, no matter how old you are. You know what I mean. You could think about that from your mother, right? You could think about that from your mother, right. You could think about that from you looking at your mother. But you could also think about that from you looking at your child, if you have children, and hopefully how they see you.
Speaker 2:So I think that's really, really beautiful. Yeah, yeah, that's the appeal of which people we were talking earlier, which people they don't. On, I guess, on first. In Spanish you say primera vista, la ita, la primera vista. At first, look, you're just like, eh. But if you read the title, I've had men, grown men, read the title and then they double back and they're just like my mom is too, and they'll keep walking. So it's just, it's that humanness that, I think, is what's going to propel everything forward.
Speaker 1:It's just that human factor and glad that you, I'm so glad that you had that idea to bring that love out of you for your mom and for every other mom out here. Really it's again, it's not just it's personal, but it's very universal for you. Now I think you're definitely seeing that. So I'm excited, I'm so excited to watch your journey. I'm so excited to like read your book. I'm just, I'm so excited for you, you know, for you and your mom and your sister to have something that is a legacy for you and your family. You know that's a beautiful thing and I think it's very, very important, very much needed. So thank you so much. I really appreciate all your work.
Speaker 2:Oh you just. You're filling my bucket for the weeks. I will think of you. On Tuesday, when the kids are not listening, You're filling my bucket for the week I will think of you on Tuesday when the kids are not listening.
Speaker 1:I'm like I'm sitting there talking to your dad. It was great, so I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:It's another part of my real life you know my real, real life and I'm not taking pictures and stuff. Yes, that's great, I do have a real life. People I'm like this is fun. People are always surprised that I work full time as a teacher. And because I do so much with this, people are like you go to work every day. I'm like, yes, at seven am I'm, you know, five into school. I'm like, yes, I'm going to be disciplined.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to be disciplined. You really do, especially when you're running a business, and that's the other thing too. Like you want to be a doll creator and even an author. You know people say I want to write a book, I want to do a doll, that's great, but it is a business. And if you don't treat it like a business and learn how to treat it like a business, because you don't come to the forefront, you know, especially if you're doing a nine to five, you don't come to the forefront and be like oh yeah, I'm just going to be an entrepreneur.
Speaker 2:I mean, you may think about it but it's a lot of work you know what I'm saying, and a lot of sacrifices, you know.
Speaker 1:So, um, especially when you're a solo one, you know it's. Uh, it can be a challenging journey, you know, but uh, it is.
Speaker 2:it's a lot of sacrifice and there's a lot of things I've missed out on doing the last four or five years with friends and family because I'm like, ah, I can't, I gotta be, you know, I can't make it. So if you're going into this, you're going into it, there's some glory to it. You know there's some fun stuff, but it's work and it is a business. And if you plan on, if you go into it thinking this is a business, that is my passion project, as people say, then it will feel different than just you know, I made a doll.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so true. Tell everybody where they can find your beautiful book. My mother is a superhero and your doll, Justine, share where they could find you at and reach out to you.
Speaker 2:Oh, we love that, so we are on Amazon, so let me put them both together. So the book and the doll are both on Amazon. We prefer if you buy them from us, though, so you can find us online at wwwmymotherisasuperherocom that's our website, um, and then, obviously, you can always reach out to me on Instagram under the same name. My mother is a superhero, uh, and you know we have a whole trilogy coming out, so we have a second book. Um, her teacher is also a superhero, and then her dad is a superhero, so we're illustrating that one right now.
Speaker 1:So we're going to come out with the book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we wanted to make sure, because the character in the book, she's not a single mother in the book. Now, real life yes, I did grow up with a single mother, but I want my character to have a mother and a father so she does um, uh, which is funny, because people always say where's the daddy? He's there, he was in the picture background. She's not daddy-less, just because I don't want that, you know right?
Speaker 1:no, I get that. I totally understand that, because there are some dads who are very, very, very much, uh, involved in their raising of their children.
Speaker 2:So yeah, absolutely, and we don't want to. We don't want to. You know, you know propel that myth, but when you get Justine in the mail, she comes in a cute little box. She comes in her box and then on the back is the story of my mother and I. So that's a picture of mom and I from the 70s and it's in English and Spanish on the back. And um, so yeah, she is ready to go home with you around the world and become your little one's best friend. She is 12 inches, she's a 12 inch plush. She's very soft, very squishy, um, and she is, you know, all safety tested and ready to go. So she's ready to come home with whoever wants her. We are so proud of her and we hope, um, this is just the beginning for us.
Speaker 1:So well, it is just the beginning for you, don't worry you friend.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you. Look, I'm gonna come to atlanta come get lunch, yeah will you.
Speaker 1:Yes, please, when you come to atlanta, let me know you know, I'll do you in my my, all my information. That'll be. I would love, I would love to do that. I really would love to do that. So.
Speaker 2:I love to be friends in different places. My, my family always makes fun of me because I have a friend almost everywhere around the world.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. I love your spirit. I would. I would so do lunch with you in a heartbeat. Well, I want to say thank you so much to you, cj, for being on the Dollpreneur podcast. I'm so excited to start this new journey of my life, too, and I'm so excited for people to get to see you, to see what you're about, and also to listen to your journey and purchase your beautiful doll and your book, because I think it's really something that's very powerful and something that's still needed, obviously, based on our conversation earlier, something that's still needed to have us be represented in a positive light, not just in the book, but also in life and in business. So, thank you so much for that. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you. I couldn't be happier to be here. Thank you, everybody, and if you have any questions about how to make dolls, how to make books, please feel free to reach out.
Speaker 1:I'm always here for questions, no well, I'm sure they will no problem. Thank you again for being on the Doppelner podcast. Thank you so much. Okay, bye, bye-bye. Thank you so much for joining us at the Doppelner podcast. We really hope you enjoyed the episode and feel inspired by our amazing guests, as well as learn something new about the creative people within the Doppelner community. So don't forget to visit our website at wwwthedollpreneurpodcastcom for more content and please, we would love for you to stay connected to us, so please subscribe to the Dollpreneur Podcast newsletter, youtube channel, instagram and Facebook pages, and they can all be found at the website wwwthedollpreneurpodcastcom site wwwthedollpreneurpodcastcom. Thank you again for listening to the Dollpreneur Podcast and until next time, have a doll, fabulous day.
