How About This presents Karen Dean
A Nova Scotia based author shares a few thoughts with us
Welcome to Atlantic Canada Mondays, a regular feature of How About This where we interview interesting residents of the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Today’s interview is with Nova Scotia based author and entrepreneur Karen Dean. Karen published We Are Unbreakable, a collection of the inspiring stories of 22 Nova Scotia women as well as Fierce & Fabulous: A Self-Love Journal, in addition to her entrepreneurial and volunteer work.
Here’s Karen!
When you were a teenager, what did you want to become when you grew up?
When I was a teenager I wanted to be a military fighter pilot or a teacher. I wanted to be just like my senior high French teacher, but I also loved the adrenaline rush that I imagined you would get as a fighter pilot, inspired by the movie Top Gun, of course. As it turned out, because I had glasses, I wasn’t able to be a fighter pilot, and I didn’t go the traditional teacher route either. I like to think that my current life is a perfect combination of my two dreams. I get an incredible adrenaline rush from speaking onstage and seeing people connect with my stories and teachings. And I love hearing feedback from readers about the impact that my books have had on them.
Do you prefer writing by keyboard, do you prefer pen and paper, or do you have another favorite method?
I prefer old-school pen and paper writing but I have embraced technology and use an app on my iPad that allows me to use my Apple Pencil to hand write and my writing is automatically converted to typed text. It is the best of both worlds.
What's the story of how you came to publish your first book?
My first book, We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia in 2020 was inspired by my friend, Gina Goulet, who was taken from this world way too early and very tragically. She was a fierce woman who shone so bright everywhere she went. One morning I woke up and heard her voice in my head telling me to write the book, to share the stories of women who were going through so much in that year of unprecedented change and struggle. The women’s perspectives of what it was like to parent, work, run businesses, and live through a global pandemic are stories we can all relate to.
The book became my distraction as I supported my son through treatment for cancer and I was able to collect the stories and self-publish the book just 41 days after I heard Gina’s voice in my head. It rose as high as #52 in Books on Amazon and was a category bestseller for over 6 months. I am also very proud to say that it is a Canadian bestseller. I am so grateful for all of the women who so willingly shared their stories, especially on such a tight timeline.
What's one thing about being an author that most people don't understand?
The one thing that has really stood out to me as an author is that, although the task seems overwhelming while you are doing it, writing the book is actually the easy part. Marketing the book after the fact is the hardest part and requires a lot of energy and time commitment. Like any other business, people need to know that your product is available. Most authors don’t have huge budgets for marketing and do the work themselves, so it adds a very different challenge to the business side of being an author.
Do you do any writing exercises or other work to further develop your writing skills?
I am constantly taking writing courses online and learning from people who have been writing for far longer than I have. I believe in lifelong learning and I love to expand my knowledge about things that I am passionate about. I find a lot of my inspiration from listening to stories of other people. I also read a lot of books to help further develop my skills. I believe that good writers also have to be avid readers.
One of your roles is as a public speaker/motivational speaker. How did you develop your public speaking skills?
I have been speaking and performing on stages since I was in elementary school. From school concerts and plays, to being a student government representative, I never shied away from speaking in front of a crowd. I was elected class valedictorian for my graduating class in high school and I continued to grow my skills throughout my adult years in my many business and volunteer roles. I have taken some courses and asked a lot of questions of people who have reached a higher level of success than I have and I have always stayed open to taking advice to help me hone my skills.
How did you come to be involved with the Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited Board? You were one of only two female board members to date: how hard was it to become a board member?
I was once a partner in a dairy farm operation and I decided that I wanted to be able to make a larger impact on the industry, so I ran for a position on the board of the Dairy. I ran for the position against three male farmers who had been in the industry for far longer than I had been, and I was shocked when I received the most votes. Sadly, my term only lasted for one year, as we ended up selling our farm, but I am still proud to have been elected and to have been able to make a difference for the short time that I was able to. There is no longer a board of directors for Farmers Dairy as it was bought out by a larger co-operative, so I am glad I got the opportunity when I did.
Do any of your children share your creative/entrepreneurial interests?
All three of my children share my entrepreneurial interests. My oldest daughter, who is 25, works full-time but has a side hustle and also helps her boyfriend with his construction business. She was very involved with my clothing business when she still lived at home. My son, who is 22, has lots of entrepreneurial ideas but currently works full-time at a job that doesn’t allow him much time to pursue them. He is saving money with a goal of having his own business someday. And my youngest daughter, who is 14, wrote a children’s book when she was only 13 years old to help make money to pay for her horse.
How long have you lived in Nova Scotia? Would you recommend it as a great place to live?
I have lived in Nova Scotia for my entire live, and currently live in the same community that I grew up in. I would highly recommend it as a great place to live. The scenery is beautiful. The people are kind. And, no matter where you are in Nova Scotia, you are less than a one-hour drive to the ocean.
Pretend you wake up one morning and you learn that the Internet has been destroyed. What's the first thing that you do?
Luckily I grew up in a world without internet (I am aging myself) so, although it would be a huge inconvenience, I would not panic if the internet was destroyed. I would go back to picking up the phone and calling people to do business. I would send letters by snail mail and I would have to go back to shopping in stores, instead of primarily online. And I would enjoy the cost savings of not having all of the online subscriptions that I currently have!
Thanks to Karen for agreeing to this interview!
Great interview Mark and Karen!
It's a rare thing to find an author who says writing is the easy part! Good for Karen Dean!