Let's Get Ready For Kindergarten & Let's Get Ready for First Grade - Blame Oprah Winfrey - Stacey Kannenberg was inspired by some of Oprah's programs - so she did her research and launched
two successful books.
Stacey Kannenberg - Author
I had always been a bit of the entrepreneur in Corporate America. Many of my former employers would either, let me work from home or create a new job within their company. One such employer let me develop a new product line, test it by selling it myself to our target market and then once it worked, let me teach it to our entire sales force!
I was already working from home, but doing a ton of travelling so the day I got pregnant, I knew I wanted to be at home full time with my baby. We had built our dream house and included an office because someday, both my husband and I just knew I would work from home and create my own company. I just didn't know what that company would be!
It was a series of Oprah Shows that started it all. I was overwhelmed and a bit lost after my second child, until I realized during an Oprah Show that I needed to "network" just like I had always done in my professional life. So I started having and going to "play dates" and "playgroups". At every step, Oprah had a show that answered my next burning question and set me on a path that would not only change mine and my family’s life but would impact Kindergarten and First Grade education. Oprah had the "follow your passion show" and I would yell at the television, "but I don't know what my passion is?"
Then Oprah had the Walking Buddy Show and I called my neighbor and we started walking with our children. My girls were ages 3 and 1 and her girls were ages 5 and 3. Since she had a daughter in Kindergarten she was telling me what her daughter was learning in school and how advanced it had become with new phrases like positional words, high frequency words, sight words and skip counting. I was shocked and immediately started searching for a book to help! I couldn’t find what I was looking for and was getting extremely frustrated. So when Oprah was advertising for her first Big Dream Contest, I told my neighbor that I wished I had an idea for Oprah’s Big Dream Contest. She exclaimed, “How about that book you can’t find – one book, for each grade that helps parents, kids and teachers all get ready for Kindergarten?” Her answer changed my life!
I did the research and found many states were complaining that children were not showing up ready for Kindergarten. I questioned where are the public service announcements alerting parents on the 7 things that kids need to know for that first day of school? Or where is the national Kindergarten book to help parents, kids and teachers all get on the same page? I decided to do it myself. Believe it or not, but Oprah had a show on Self Publishing to show me how and her show on successful Mom CEO’s gave me the inspiration to follow through and her trip to Africa changed my characters to become global kids in a durable book that could be used by a child living in a hut, as referenced by her Trip to Africa Show.
Was it a difficult journey? Yes! Was it the most amazing experience of my life? Yes! I learned from Oprah that the key is to follow your passion and to look at obstacles as opportunities and when I am not sure what to do, I found myself watching Oprah because it seemed as if many times her shows directed me to the next step. I find that in everyday life too! People call me out of the blue and say funny things like: "I'm not sure why I am calling you, but..." or the people who just happen to sit next to me on a plane and "ta da" they hold the missing link! It has become so much bigger than I. I am at a point where is has become easier because many times it's like I am sitting on the sidelines watching it happen and magic happens all around and I just hang on and enjoy the ride! It's so much fun that I can't tell if I am working or playing!!!
