Today we’d like to introduce you to Theresa Villarreal.
Hi Theresa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The Storytellers Foundation, LLC is the business behind The Storyteller’s Shelf Podcast, a children’s publishing podcast and growing media and education platform created to help demystify the world of children’s books.
My co-host, Jackie Garcia-Morales, and I started The Storyteller’s Shelf Podcast with a simple belief: children’s books matter, and the people who create them deserve more honest, practical conversations about how publishing really works.
Jackie and I connected through the children’s literature community. We were both writers, readers, and advocates for books for young people, and we both saw how overwhelming the publishing world can feel. There are so many talented authors and illustrators trying to understand the industry, build their platforms, reach readers, and keep going, but there is often a gap between the dream of publishing and the practical knowledge needed to navigate it.
That is where the podcast began. We wanted to create a welcoming space where authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, librarians, educators, and other book professionals could share their stories and insight. Our goal was not just to talk about books, but to help listeners understand the larger ecosystem that brings books to young readers.
Since then, The Storyteller’s Shelf has grown into part of a larger vision through The Storytellers Foundation, LLC. We interview people across the industry, highlight meaningful books, and create resources and events for the kidlit community. We also launched the Big Bang Notable Book List Award as a way to celebrate children’s books and support discoverability for authors and illustrators.
This June, we are hosting our upcoming Marketing Mastery Summit, a live virtual event for kidlit authors and illustrators who want practical, actionable guidance on building visibility, reaching readers, and marketing their books with more clarity and confidence. The summit is part of our larger mission to give creators access to the kind of education and industry insight that can be hard to find when you are trying to grow a writing career.
We are also expanding with the launch of an app designed to provide authors with resources, guidance, and practical support as they navigate writing, publishing, marketing, and building sustainable creative careers. For us, the app is a natural extension of the work we are already doing through the podcast, summit, and educational resources.
Today, our mission is to demystify children’s publishing, build community, and help more people understand how stories move from the creator’s imagination into the hands of children, families, classrooms, libraries, and bookstores. It has been a journey of learning, persistence, and connection, and we are excited to keep growing The Storytellers Foundation, LLC into a platform that supports creators at every stage of the journey.
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 has not been a completely smooth road, but I think that is true for most meaningful things that are built from the ground up.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to grow while still doing the work ourselves. My co-host, Jackie Garcia-Morales, and I are building The Storytellers Foundation, LLC as a two-woman, women-owned business, which means we wear a lot of hats. We host the podcast, research guests, prepare interviews, record episodes, promote content, build community, develop programming, manage outreach, and continue planning for the next stage of the business. There is a lot happening behind the scenes that people do not always see.
Another challenge has been turning a mission-driven idea into a sustainable business. We care deeply about children’s books and the people who create them, but passion alone does not pay for technology, production, marketing, event platforms, business tools, or growth. We have had to learn how to think not only as creators and advocates, but also as business owners.
There is also the challenge of being taken seriously as a women-owned business in a space that people sometimes underestimate. Children’s books can be treated as sweet or simple from the outside, but the ecosystem behind them is complex. A book does not reach a child by magic. It travels through authors, illustrators, editors, agents, publishers, librarians, educators, booksellers, reviewers, parents, teachers, podcasters, marketers, and readers. We are working in that ecosystem, building visibility, education, and access, but we have still had to prove that this is not just a passion project. It is a real business with a real mission and a real audience.
We have also seen how difficult it can be for women, especially women building something outside the traditional gatekeeping structures, to be recognized for the value they bring. Jackie and I are not waiting for someone to hand us permission. We are creating the table, inviting people into the conversation, and building the kind of platform we wish more creators had access to.
Visibility has been another challenge. There are so many talented authors, illustrators, educators, librarians, and publishing professionals doing meaningful work, and it can be difficult to break through the noise online. We have had to be persistent, creative, and willing to keep showing up even when growth feels slow.
At the same time, these challenges have clarified our purpose. If publishing, marketing, visibility, and platform-building can feel overwhelming to us as we build this business, we know many authors and illustrators are feeling that same overwhelm in their own careers. That is part of why we are expanding beyond the podcast into events, educational resources, and an app designed to offer more practical support.
The road has required patience, faith, and a willingness to keep learning. Even with the challenges, we continue to strive, grow, and build because we believe this work matters. Every conversation, every listener message, every guest interview, and every new connection reminds us that there is a real need for what we are creating through The Storytellers Foundation, LLC.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Through The Storytellers Foundation, LLC, we are building a children’s publishing media and education platform centered on access, visibility, and practical support for the kidlit community.
Our main platform is The Storyteller’s Shelf Podcast, where my co-host, Jackie Garcia-Morales, and I interview authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, librarians, educators, and other professionals who help bring books to young readers. We specialize in conversations that make children’s publishing feel less hidden and more understandable. Our goal is not only to celebrate books, but to help people understand the larger ecosystem behind them.
We are known for creating warm, thoughtful, and practical conversations around children’s literature and publishing. We care about the stories, but we also care about the journey behind the stories. How do books reach readers? How do authors and illustrators build visibility? What role do librarians, educators, reviewers, booksellers, editors, and publishers play? Those are the kinds of questions we love to explore.
Beyond the podcast, we are expanding into educational events, book discovery, and author resources. This June, we are hosting our Marketing Mastery Summit, a live virtual event designed to help kidlit authors and illustrators market their books with more clarity and confidence. We also created the Big Bang Notable Book List Award to highlight meaningful children’s books and support discoverability for creators. In addition, we are developing an app to provide authors with practical tools, resources, and guidance as they navigate writing, publishing, marketing, and building sustainable creative careers.
What I am most proud of is that we are building something with heart and purpose, but also with structure and vision. We are not only interviewing people. We are listening to the needs of the community and creating resources around those needs. We have spoken with respected voices across the publishing world, from authors and illustrators to editors, publishers, librarians, and industry professionals, and each conversation has helped us build a clearer picture of what creators need to keep moving forward.
What sets us apart is that we sit at the intersection of storytelling, publishing education, community-building, and practical support. We are two women building a platform from the ground up, and we understand what it feels like to be creators trying to make sense of a complicated industry. That perspective shapes everything we do. We want our audience to feel encouraged, but we also want them to walk away with information they can actually use.
At the heart of our work is a simple mission: to demystify children’s publishing and help more stories find their way into the hands of young readers.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to us is helping people feel less alone and less confused as they navigate the world of children’s books.
Children’s publishing can look charming from the outside, but the path behind it is often complicated. Authors and illustrators are expected to understand craft, marketing, visibility, school and library outreach, social media, submissions, branding, book discovery, and the business side of publishing, often without clear guidance. We care about making that path feel more understandable.
At the heart of our work is the belief that children’s books matter because children matter. The stories young readers encounter can shape how they see themselves, how they see others, and how they imagine what is possible. When we support the people who create, publish, share, teach, review, and champion those books, we are also supporting the children and families who will eventually be reached by those stories.
Community also matters deeply to us. My co-host, Jackie Garcia-Morales, and I know what it feels like to build something from the ground up and to keep going even when the road is not easy. That is why we want The Storytellers Foundation, LLC to be more than a business. We want it to be a place where authors, illustrators, educators, librarians, parents, publishing professionals, and readers feel connected to something bigger than themselves.
What matters most is access, encouragement, and practical knowledge. We want to demystify children’s publishing so more creators can move forward with clarity and confidence, and so more meaningful books can find their way into the hands of young readers.
Those who resonate with our mission should definitely reach out to us: https://thestorytellersshelfpodcast.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thestorytellersshelfpodcast.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestorytellersshelfpodcast/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStorytellersShelfPodcast/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-storyteller-s-shelf-podcast/?viewAsMember=true
- Twitter: https://x.com/StoryTShelf
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStorytellersShelfPodcast
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-storytellers-shelf-podcast/id1795873951
