Meet Frances Collazo of Cleveland Heights

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frances Collazo.

Hi Frances, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my career in design and communications, working across industries and cities, and I carried with me a deep love for storytelling—how words and visuals can move people. Over the years, I found myself not just creating campaigns or shaping narratives for others, but also wanting to build tools that could help people navigate the messiness of their own inner lives.

That’s where my books began. Each one is less about presenting answers and more about creating space—interactive, art-driven workbooks that serve as companions for people in challenging times. The Love & Letting Go Workbook was born from lived experience, crafted for anyone struggling to love someone in addiction while trying not to lose themselves. From there, I expanded into The Rage & Reckoning Workbook, a raw journal for women reclaiming their fire, and am now working on The Altar of Small Things, a quieter book of rituals for healing fractured days.

These projects originate from the same place: a conviction that books can be more than mere static objects. They can be mirrors, prompts, even companions—spaces where people can reflect, reclaim, and reimagine themselves. Liongoat Press, my small imprint, is where I bring these ideas to life, blending design, writing, and lived honesty into something that feels both personal and communal.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. The work I do is rooted in very real, very hard experiences—loss, addiction, anger, and the quiet exhaustion of holding it all together. Those struggles weren’t just obstacles; they were the material. Writing these books meant sitting with pain that was personal and, at times, overwhelming. Balancing that with the realities of family life and professional demands added another layer of challenge.

But those same struggles gave the books their shape. They taught me that people don’t need polished answers—they need honesty, space, and tools that respect the complexity of what they’re going through. Every detour and difficulty has pushed me to create books that are raw, real, and ultimately hopeful.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work lives at the intersection of design, storytelling, and healing. I create interactive, art-driven workbooks that invite readers to actively participate—through guided prompts and reflection pages—so they can shape their own process inside the book.

I specialize in helping people navigate complex emotional terrain—grief, anger, loving someone in addiction, and the search for small, steadying rituals. I’m most proud of the honesty that runs through my books. They don’t promise quick fixes or tidy resolutions; they create space for clarity and choice. The Love & Letting Go Workbook, The Rage & Reckoning Workbook, and The Altar of Small Things share that DNA: companions for the messy middle, not manuals with a single right answer.

What sets my work apart is the blend of raw, unvarnished truth with intentional, design-forward structure. The visual language sets a mood, but the engine is interactivity—prompts, checkpoints, and open-ended pathways that meet readers where they are and let their experience drive the outcome.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success, for me, is keeping a promise I made to my past self: tell the truth and make something I wish I’d had. If a page I write helps someone name their fear, set a boundary, or sit with their grief without shame, that’s success. It’s not applause; it’s usefulness. It’s finishing a chapter that doesn’t flinch, honoring the people I’ve lost, and giving readers a way through that I had to piece together the hard way. If one person uses a prompt to have a conversation they were avoiding—or to choose themselves—that’s the win.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.liongoatpress.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liongoatpress/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573961745662
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liongoat-press