Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Clark.
Hi Rebecca, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As a young girl growing up, I had vision. The imagination I had as a child gave me big dreams and ambitions. My story of who I am today and who I am becoming starts at the beginning. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, my parents worked hard to show me that success starts with putting in the work. My father retired 30+ years ago from Laclede Gas (Now called Spire Energy) and my mother retired Principal of Alton Middle. I will also add that I grew up in a pretty competitive household. My father played professional baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965-1967. With that type of ambition in the household, it gave me a drive to be focused and dedicated. I then started running AAU Track from the age of 7 through my senior year of high school. I even collected sports trading cards as a child, that would later be the beginning of my imagination journey. So to transition through my journey of life, graduating college, becoming a mother, working in corporate for more than 10 years, I noticed that everything that I was doing was all connected to my story. So many experiences brought me to where I am today.
I am a children’s book author, creative entrepreneur, and speaker that decided to be bold and courageous by sharing my gifts with the world.
Graduating from Lindenwood University with a Masters of Arts in Communications, I had an idea to build a life to fulfill my dreams. I had no clue how to tackle those ideas, but I had a vision. I remember when I traveled to Australia after college, I saw some of the most beautiful architecture I had ever seen. And I remember saying to myself, “I wonder how the creator went from an idea to execution”. I was blown away at the design and creativity.
So to fast forward to some of my accomplishments in life, it amazes me how my visions have connected. My imagination as a child led me to outlets of exploration, so I created Witty Kids children’s books in 2017. In elementary school, I was not an avid reader, matter of fact, I stuttered and did not feel comfortable speaking in front of people. I literally took remedial reading in the 3rd grade and I hated reading. 30 years later, I am writing children’s books for kids to explore their imagination. Talk about calling and clarity. That calling has led me to be a TEDx St. Louis Speaker and WE Day Speaker, to share my story.
As my life evolved, so did my business and my vision. Sharing my story of becoming an author, I learned that my visions had more reach. After experiencing a personal pivot in life that distorted my vision, I decided to begin the process of building an audience for women to connect through personal journeys. So, while growing and managing Witty Kids, I birthed BEK – Be Everything Knowingly.
Where I am today, I am loving this space. But what I love the most is the ability to encourage and work with others that want to execute their visions.
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?
Life is a journey. And along that journey, you learn that you are more capable than you think. You know honestly, I’m a single mother of two girls, which is a complexity in itself. I typically don’t like to lead with that, but combining my role as a parent with being a young CEO, creative, brand manager, all while positioning myself for continuous growth and development, is TOUGH. And that’s an understatement. Sometimes in the course of one day I feel just about every emotion the mind can conjure, but instead of running from those emotions I lean into them. I face those challenges head on.
One of my biggest challenges is growing from the unknown. In life, we get comfortable, it’s natural. But then there are shifts in our journey that require a change of pace, a new beginning, and ultimately a different way of thinking. The key is you have to be present, aware, PARTICIPATE. I think back to September 2019, I decided to do something absolutely crazy and left my corporate job of 10 years, 10 YEARS. All that I worked towards in building my career came to an end, but I quickly realized it was the beginning of my comfort with the unknown. For one of the first times in my life, I got out of my comfort zone and trusted my ability, my desire really, to start something new.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Be Heard Publishing, LLC, established in 2017. I am the owner and the concept of this business was to create a space for creatives to be heard and stories to be shared. I am currently working on expansion that will provide consulting to new and aspiring authors that want to write and publish books.
Witty Kids When Imagination Talks To You, established in 2017. I am the owner, the author, and creator. The word WITTY spells out – When Imagination Talks to You. The concept of Witty Kids is to encourage imagination and creativity in young readers. My books can be purchased online on Amazon and on my website.
My childhood imaginations were the beginning of my vivid storytelling. And sharing the concepts that inspire children about imagination, while providing representation, is something that I am passionate about. I want children and families to read books that look like them. I want children and families to know diverse characters that will become household names. And I want to encourage creativity and curiosity to build and grow the minds of generations to come.
As a creative influencer, I want to be known for the woman that decided to go for it! And that is reflected in my Witty Kids business, which then poured over to my personal story of self-discovery, that birthed BEK – Be Everything Knowingly.
While learning from the uncomfortable and rebuilding myself back up personally and mentally, I created a brand that will bring women together that builds community that uplifts one’s personal journey. I hosted my first empowerment event in Dallas, back in March 2021. My vision is to offer group mentoring and host networking events that will focus on growth and self-discovery. More information can be found at www.shesbek.com. Subscribe to receive updates. Stay tuned for updates and announcements!
What sets me apart is my creativity and passion for community and advocacy of personal development. Being an author and speaker comes with a passion to reach people and touch the hearts of readers all over the world.
Currently, the services that I offer are consulting for book writing and/or creative direction, virtual book readings, and hosting empowerment events.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice to anyone starting out in something new is to be a blank page, have your vision on one page but be ready to take notes on the other. Simply have an eagerness to learn. Whether that is starting a new business or just simply trying a new journey, learn along the way and not have expectations to have all the answers.
Starting out, I wish I had a mentor early in the process. Jumping into business by myself, I quickly learned that networking and relationship building is the key to learning and to be successful.
Contact Info:
- Email: www.shesbek.com
- Website: www.wittykidsclub.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wittykidsclub
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shesbek
Image Credits
Lance & Lola Photography
