Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Winovich
Kristin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve put googly eyes on characters as long as I can remember, their silly nature always puts a smile on my face. The “Book Monsters” began in college at BGSU while studying at the library. I would doodle different characters to make sense of the endless genres and called them “book monsters”. I took a children’s book class my Senior year and turned the characters into a story to teach kids about the library. 10 years later, “Book Monsters Library Day” became my first self published children’s book. Seeing children love the book and have a connection to the characters was all the fuel I needed to hit the ground running. I soon rebranded “Book Monsters” as “Koobville” and dove into creating the world living in my imagination with books at the nucleus. Koobville inspires that “you can be any type of kid and find the joy of a book”. Today, Koobville has grown into an educational children’s brand with 6 books, an enchanting web series, kid talk show, merchandise and inspiring author visits. Kristin lives in Toledo with her husband, Peter and 3 kids, Penelope, Naomi and Peter John.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started to make a clever pun about smoothies to make light of this question, but I tossed that idea, lol. My biggest struggles have always been learning to be a business owner. Creativity comes first nature to me but managing the “businessy” things is where my learning curve lies. Any negative self talk is usually about my ability to manage it all, so when those moments surface I just focus on my passion and it pulls me through any obstacle. Hopefully someday I can hire a team around me to help lighten the load!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What sets Koobville apart is its endless possibilities. There are so many stories to be told and KIDS WANT MORE! There is a Koob for every child to relate to, with unique personalities celebrating all types of interests and genres. Reading is a hard skill for kids to master and I want Koobville to set the foundation that books can be a positive part of their world regardless of reading ability. Besides my books, I am most proud of my author visits that bring Koobville to life in the classroom in front of children. Their eyes light up meeting a “real author”. I encourage them to believe in their creativity, whatever form that is, and ensure them (with help from the Koobs) that books are cool! The Koobville book series can be found on Amazon and videos for kids and classrooms on YouTube.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I loved exploring all sides of myself. I did every sport and activity, enjoyed different friend circles and always gravitated towards creative things. My versatility has always been an assent to me, being able to relate and appreciate all types of people. I deeply believe we all have such unique gifts to share with the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.koobville.com
- Instagram: Koobville
- Facebook: Koobville
- Twitter: Koobville
- Youtube: Koobville
