very independent children who, if they choose this path, will certainly be well-equipped for an entrepreneurial career themselves! In terms of finding “sanity” time, my family goes every summer to our farmhouse in rural Southwest France, which we bought many years ago when we lived in England and had four tiny children. I work when I am there, but my kids, and more recently their friends, are around all the time, running in and out of my office, drawing, reading, playing games and having fun. I always stop for lunch every day when I am there and share time with family and friends, which is incredibly relaxing. Being in a different environment with a different view and a fresh perspective is a great way to recharge my batteries and get the big picture back. What I like about being a mom and an entrepreneur is that my kids have grown up surrounded by hard work, creativity, energy, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Since they were very little, they were always involved in Barefoot Books in some way – stuffing envelopes, working at events, giving their feedback on artists and manuscripts. They also quickly became comfortable around adults as, at one point in London, I had 16 people working in my house every day. Now, as they are older, I think they feel a strong connection to Barefoot Books and the important role it plays in our family life. My son, Jordie, recently recorded the introduction and closings for our Barefoot Books Podcast, which was lots of fun. All of our children have been involved with the opening of our new Barefoot Books Studio in Concord, MA: from helping customers find just the right book, to running craft workshops, painting shelves, and greeting authors and artists who come in to do family events, our children have been very instrumental in the success of the Studio..and of Barefoot Books! GCM: Tell me a little bit about the process of selecting authors and artists to publish under the Barefoot Books umbrella.
Nancy: We look for authors, artists and musicians who share the Barefoot Books’ ethos and who can engage children with wonderful and imaginative stories, creative, colorful and distinctive illustrations and fun music to sing along to! We have an amazingly talented team of contributors from all over the world, many of whom have also become great friends, for example, Clare Beaton (illustrator of beautifully crafted books and gifts created from felt, fabric, beads and bric-a-brac), Hugh Lupton (world renowned storyteller extraordinaire) and Miriam Latimer (playful, funny and extremely talented artist). At this time, our editorial program is closed as we are already hard at work developing our offer through 2012! GCM: Tell me about the Ambassador program Barefoot Books has set up to assist other moms (and dads, grandparents, educators…) in getting involved in making a little extra income for their family while promoting products all families are sure to love! Nancy: Since we started Barefoot Books back in 1992, we always believed we were more than a publisher making and selling books and trying to find the million copy bestsellers that define success and identity in the market. Instead, we wanted to be a community of people who care about how our next generation of children is raised. We believed passionately that Barefoot Books could be a “lifestyle brand” and we wanted to connect as closely as possible with the parents and educators who supported us. The Barefoot Books Ambassador Program embodies our core philosophy of creating a community of likeminded people who share our values, love what we do, and want to “live Barefoot”. In the current economic climate, families everywhere are looking for ways to supplement their income, either working full or part-time. Parents, grandparents, educators and librarians – as well as independent retailers – can join the Ambassador program to earn income, fundraise or simply connect with others with whom they may share interests or goals. I was recently speaking 13