Daily Inspiration: Meet Eden Estabrook

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eden Estabrook

Hi Eden, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have been an English nut my entire life. A lover of books as long as I can remember, I knew from the age of fourteen I was going to pursue a career in the writing field. But I also knew the stigma behind the English major and financial stability, so I decided to pursue a business writing degree, which kickstarted me into the career I still hold today in a 9-5 capacity.

With that said, there was always a part of me that wanted to be a published author. Admittedly, I always thought I’d be an essayist or write adult nonfiction. But then the idea of Arnie the Armadillo Goes to Antarctica came to me one day and after mulling on it for several months, decided that there was no time like the present, and took the plunge into entrepreneurship! My first book launched Nov 1, 2023 and I’m now the proud author of two books going into 2025!

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?
Not at all. I’ve only known the 9-5 life, which involved full teams of people, and there were a lot of challenges to navigating a business solo. Especially since my primary skill was communications and there are a lot of facets to business ownership that doesn’t include that skill, including inventory management, production of the book itself, finances/accounting, etc.

I still run the business by myself, and I still work full time on top of it! So there has been a lot of learning on how to prioritize tasks, while still honoring all the commitments and needs of the business. Especially in the book space, I can’t outsource events, since no one will buy a book at an in-person event from someone who isn’t the author. I’ve been learning what areas of the business I can ask for help, and from that, the importance of building a small business network to get that help from!

I’m forever grateful to all the people who supported me along the way, and still are there to lend a helping hand, when I needed a boost!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
During the day, I am a marketing communications specialist in the manufacturing industry. I love the industry and what I do, and I see no end in sight to my work in it. Interestingly, a lot of people think my job is an advantage for small business ownership because marketing is such a big part of gaining visibility. And, don’t get me wrong, while the marketing knowledge definitely helps, my day job is Business to Business (B2B) marketing and a children’s book is Business to Consumer (B2C).

Those are two very different types of marketing that leverage different strategies and I’ve had a lot of learning to adapt the knowledge I have from my 8+ years of experience doing B2B marketing and applying it to my work for Arnie the Armadillo!

I’m a data-based marketer, so I love using spreadsheets and analytics to guide Arnie the Armadillo’s business steps. That skill is something I can definitely credit to my professional career.

What’s next?
The future of Arnie the Armadillo is bright! Starting February 22, 2025, I kicked off the book launch tour for my second book, Arnie the Armadillo Goes Backpacking in Brazil, and that runs through May 24. In the summer, Arnie the Armadillo’s Beat the Heat Summer Story Time Series will run, followed by fall and holidays appearances!

Of course, with my books being alphabet based, there are plans to create books for the Letter C. But exact timing is TBD.

Pricing:

• Arnie the Armadillo Goes to Antarctica – 9.99
• Arnie the Armadillo Goes Backpacking in Brazil – 9.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.meetarnie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arniethearmadillo
• Other: https://linktr.ee/arniethearmadillo