In this episode Bella speaks with Nicole Moore, a mompreneur who runs a marketing and promotions company for authors. She is also a mother to a micro-premie born at only 9.6 oz.
Listen in as Bella and Nicole discuss a variety of topics including how Nicole was able to build her email lists, how working together is better, and her thoughts on tolerance and patience in business and life.
Nicole was able to build a massive email list of authors in which they all work together to promote each other’s content. She’ll discuss valuable tips on how you can build your networking online and maintain strategic business partnerships. She also talks about her strategies and promotions she used to attract her specific clientele base.
Nicole has such a unique and inspiring story that will surely motivate you to think about what you can do in your own business and life.
Nicole has been an author since 2011, writing as a mom blogger, but it was after the birth of her daughter, Kenna in January of 2012, that she was determined to make it a full-time career. As the fourth smallest preemie in the world, Kenna’s medical needs would prevent her from ever going to day care.
Her writing can also be found on Shine, where she is a Shine Parenting Guru and an award winning Yahoo! Contributor on YourWisdom as the relationship and dating expert. In addition, she has been published by McClatchy News in their syndicated papers.
She was written a number of books including her “Keeping Up With Kenna” series which documents the story of her daughter as well as a variety of romance novels. Her books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, and Smashwords in ebook, paperback, and even some audiobooks.
Nicole is also the founder of The Dreamers Do Project which is dedicated to helping people create the life of their dreams. They believe if you can dream it, you can do it.
She is an example of someone who does it all, and is a true inspiration to pet business owners everywhere.
You can find out more about Nicole at:
Nicole’s biography was adapted from her website, thedreamersdoproject.com
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Transcript:
This is episode 33 of Bella in Your Business.
Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump.
Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta with Jump Consulting, and today I’m here with Nicole Andrews Moore. Nicole, how are you?
I’m doing great. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on. You are one of the most dynamic people that I know, and let me back up for a minute and explain to our audience how I came to know Nicole. You’ve probably already heard my story that about two and a half years ago, I gave birth to a 12-ounce baby. So picture this—like you’re at Outback and you’re ordering a steak. That’s how small she was. And I thought my baby was small, but Nicole actually has Kenna, who was how many ounces?
She was 9.6 ounces. She was a 24-weeker—24 weeks and three days.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. And I found Nicole because I was searching the internet, as many of us do when we have problems or questions or are just seeking help. I stumbled upon not only Kenna’s story but her mom, who just happens to be an author. I found comfort in reading her beautifully written story, and I actually listened to it on audio from Amazon. That’s how I reached out to Nicole, and we became friends. Then I realized how dynamic she is and said, “You have to get on my show,” because there are so many mompreneurs out there with so many balls up in the air.
Nicole, tell us all about you. Tell us about the journey you’re on with Kenna. Keeping Up with Kenna is the book name, right?
Yes, that’s the nonfiction. So basically, I live a few different lives, which keeps it interesting. I had always said that I wanted to be an author, and a big part of that was just writing. I was a mom blogger and doing pretty well with that—working with Yahoo and a couple of other big companies. Then I had Kenna.
Being a mom blogger doesn’t pay as well as you might imagine. So part of what I had always done was blogging and journaling—keeping track of our life. Keeping Up with Kenna had started because when you have friends and family all over the US and the world and they want to know what’s going on, I didn’t have the energy to be in touch with everybody daily. So I started the Facebook page and wrote more detailed information and blog posts. Eventually, that all turned into a writing career because one of the special-needs moms I met through blogging reached out and said, “Listen, if you’re serious about doing this writing thing, I have a friend who’s a bestselling author on Amazon, and she’d love to mentor you.”
We all kind of stick together. We have a really big why—why we have to make this work. The reality is, who in the world would ever hire me? Kenna came home; nobody told me I could have nursing. I about turned myself inside out trying to take care of this baby. She came home at six pounds, which was fantastic, having grown from 9.6 ounces—she was a pork chop! But she came home on a heart monitor, oxygen, and a feeding tube. This isn’t a child you get a nanny for—this is a child you get a nurse for.
So I had to learn how to make money and help supplement the family income because let’s face it, most families need two incomes unless you’re infinitely wealthy. And when you have all the medical things, it’s difficult—you also have to be a nurse.
I was so happy to have her home that had they told me I had to stack marbles every day to keep her, I would’ve found a way to make it happen. So I ended up writing the books about Kenna because everybody wanted updates. Then I had also been a romance author—I’d aspired to be one. I separated the nonfiction from the fiction because they just don’t really go together.
I wrote romance novels and picked up on how to market them pretty well. Other authors on Amazon started reaching out and saying, “Hey Nicole, I saw what you did with your book release. Any way you could help me?” Next thing you know, I’m helping all these authors. Then people said, “You should really charge for this.” And I thought, “Well, who knew?” Next thing you know, now I’ve written 16 books and four box sets—romances—since 2013. I have a company, Love Kiss Books, which has turned into Love Kiss Book Bargains.
My 22-year-old daughter needed a job, so she runs Boxed Romance Bargains. A friend who’s also an author writes paranormal, so she runs a site for us. We grew by four sites in the last few days, and now we’re up to eight websites that are all part of this marketing. I love it. I’m grateful because I can be around for Kenna—I don’t miss a minute. And I’m able to help other authors, many of whom have similar stories—illness, single motherhood. It feels good to help people and help my family by earning money doing it.
You said you have a really big why. There’s a difference between an idea and execution. There are people who get stuck in the ideas. Tell us more about your Dreamers Do Project and what you think it takes for someone to go from “I wish I could” to “I’m doing it.”
The idea behind Dreamers Do Project was: what others dream, dreamers do. And of course, the whole “a dream without a plan is just a wish.” I had to take the leap because I think success is just a few steps outside your comfort zone. Pushing past the comfort zone, trying new things—honestly, what’s the worst that happens? You fail and try something else. Failure isn’t bad; it’s a stepping stone.
Kenna was my motivation to move past fear because I had to find a way to stay home with her. And I think being open to possibility is key. I started Love Kiss Book Bargains on January 1st, 2016. I hoped to grow an email list big enough that other authors would pay me to share their books, while I could share mine. Little did I know it would become what it has.
Technology was a challenge. You need a team of people around you—you can’t do it all. What started as my little dream has now turned into a group of 10 women working together. I have two personal assistants, another woman who handles promotions, and six others managing sites. I started a Facebook group for authors to ask questions, and what began as a small group is now just shy of 1,000 authors and over 1,800 on the email list.
That’s amazing. Let’s talk about that email list—how did you build and use it?
I knew I needed email lists for authors and readers—two totally different strategies. I started offering free promotions. For example, on Amazon, authors can run book giveaways to gain followers. My theory is that it’s better together—everyone collaborating. I’d create group promotions where everyone shares and succeeds.
Every time someone signed up for these free promotions, I’d add them to my list. That’s legal if they’re essentially buying your product. I’d also let authors submit their new releases, and I’d promote them for free. Authors love free promotion, and it grew from there. The more active the Facebook group became, the more Facebook promoted it, and happy authors referred friends.
For readers, it’s about giveaways—but they must be book-related to attract the right audience. The key is defining your niche and targeting it. That’s why my promotions are successful. You build a quality list by attracting the right people.
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Let’s switch subjects. We were talking about empathy and compassion. Sometimes people give us pity—“I’m so sorry”—but that’s not how we feel. I relate that to pet sitters who get calls from clients dealing with sickness or death. We often don’t stop and have an emotional pulse on things. We need to see people as humans and ask, “How can I best support you?”
Exactly. I see this with Kenna all the time. She’s been going through a stage with sensory issues, and people mistake it for temper tantrums. They don’t understand that loud noises, bright lights, and changes in routine overwhelm her. She lives by her routine, and when something changes—like going to a new doctor—she struggles.
One time, she went with me to the doctor. She didn’t want the doctor listening to my heart or looking in my ears. And when there were no stickers or lollipops afterward, she screamed. People stared at me in the waiting room, not understanding. Maybe I would’ve judged the same way before. But now, I’ve learned compassion—seeing the world from others’ perspectives. It’s changed how I interact with people and deepened how I care.
What I’m hearing is that as a society, we’re ignorant to situations that aren’t our own. We’re quick to judge without understanding. If we could be less ignorant and more compassionate, we’d all be happier and more successful.
Before closing, I want to congratulate you on being such a proud Marine mom. Your son just passed in the top 5% of his class. Life isn’t easy, but the fruits of your labor are beautiful.
Thank you. You know how I’m all about just loving them through it.
Yes—you say that a lot in your blog: “I’m just going to love you through it.”
It works in every aspect of my life. Keenan was a two-pound, ten-ounce preemie who nearly died at a week old. He stopped breathing 28 times in one day. I stood there and said, “No, I’m not going to lose this child.” I’d call his name every time he stopped breathing, and he’d start again. He was the little boy I never knew I always wanted. I’ve been blessed with two girls and a boy. It hasn’t been easy, but I wouldn’t trade a minute. We just love each other through it.
You’re amazing. What’s the easiest way listeners can learn more about you?
If you’re looking for love and inspiration, check out thedreamersduproject.com—that’s my Still a Mom blog. If you’re into romance, visit lovekissedbookbargains.com. And if you can keep a secret, I’m Emma Nichols.
Thank you for being on the show, Nicole.
Thank you for having me—it was a pleasure.
This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. You can catch us on Stitcher or iTunes by typing in Bella in Your Business. Please like and subscribe, and if you want to find out more or get a free 20-minute consulting session, visit jumpconsulting.net.
Thank you so much—and always remember to keep jumping.