An Interview With Jake Frankel
Publishers, including the major ones are strapped and short-staffed, which each project manager juggling dozens of books and authors. I don’t know how anyone without a PR background manages to procure any media exposure for their books, unless their publisher is doing it for them. You have to pitch the right reviewers that cover your genre and also target the general mainstream media to those that regularly report on children’s books. Thankfully I am well-connected here in Cincinnati, but the national exposure, even for me, has been tough!
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Whitney.
Julie Whitney is a public relations professional with forty years of experience in public relations and marketing, having worked on both the agency and client side as well as in the television industry. Her company, Phillippi-Whitney Communications, LLC, founded in 2000, represents both large and small clients in a wide variety of industries. She has promoted dozens of authors throughout her career, often supplementing the efforts of the internal PR teams of their publishers. She also works as on-camera talent, appearing in both television commercials and video podcasts. She even appeared as an extra in the movie Grease, which was shot on location in the summer of 1977 in Los Angeles. Astra In Hollywood is the second book in the Astra The Lonely Airplane series.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I am an only child raised mostly by a single mom which made me fiercely independent. Also initially shy as a young child, I quickly crawled out of that shell and was singing in citywide competitions when I was just in the 4th grade. In addition to singing, I also loved performing on stage, continuing through my high school years. My junior year in high school, I entered a nationwide talent search to appear in the movie “Grease,” and was chosen the winner from Cincinnati. I flew to LA where we filmed the Summer Nights scene and last day of school scene at Venice High School, and experience that was one of the highlights of my life. I was also a teen model, doing lots of print ads during my high school years. I “grew up” on the stage and in front of the camera.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Kill ’em with kindness.” It always goes a long way and it is much easier and a smile certainly does go a long way. It takes a lot less energy to be kind to someone then it does to lose your temper. I always try to lend a helping hand, and when someone is rude to me, it pushes me to be even nicer.
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much?
When starting my own PR consulting business, I needed a tremendous amount of confidence and believing in myself and my capabilities. I had already worked in the industry 17 years, when venturing out on my own. It was a huge undertaking, so I had to believe that I could do it, and that I could land clients. It also helped me when I submitted my Astra The Lonely Airplane manuscript to publishers.
I had quite a few rejection letters, but I kept on going, believing in my heart that I would be published.
People tell me that I am always smiling, (even though I may not be aware of it), and I do believe that my friendliness and outgoing personality has helped me succeed in the world of public relations. It also helps me when I am reading my books to assemblies filled with 600 children. I think my bubbly personality shines through. One class of third graders asked if they could adopt me!
In terms of becoming a both a PR professional and now a children’s book author, I believe that the ability to know a good story and see what other people can’t are key. I always know a good story when I see it or pitch it! I knew that Astra The Lonely Airplane would tug at the heartstrings and captivate children.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
I worked in the field of advertising and public relations on both the agency and client side and also in the field of television prior to starting Phillippi-Whitney Communications LLC in 2000. I have worked with clients in virtually every industry to establish media presence for 24 years, including dozens of authors.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
I became a children’s author in my Second Chapter during the lockdown of 2020.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
My husband, a former naval aviator, had been the Chief Corporate Pilot at a company where he had worked for 13 years. His company decided to eliminate the flight department and his job and sell the Gulfstream 100 jet on May 5, 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. He had flown this beautiful jet several times a week, and they were the perfect team. I went with him to clean out his office and hangar that night and asked if I could sit inside her beautiful interior and say goodbye. I started crying uncontrollably at this huge loss. I felt so sad for not just my husband, but for the beautiful G100 plane, and pictured her sitting all alone in a cold, dark, hangar day after day, wondering where Captain Dan was and why she wasn’t flying? I went home and started writing the book that very night. It was never on my bucket list, but I had to channel my emotions by turning lemons into lemonade! I signed with my publisher in August 2020, and Astra The Lonely Airplane was released on March 2, 2022 during “Read Across America Week.” But it doesn’t stop there, the second book in the series, Astra In Hollywood was released on March 4, 2024!
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
I have always been good at writing poems, and write them for my friends, family and clients on special occasions and birthdays, so I knew that I wanted to write a rhyming picture book.
I believe I am actually using all of my existing skillsets in terms of reading the book to large groups of children, while standing on a stage and using a microphone, pitching my book and story to reporters and book reviewers, and selling the book to retailers. All of the skills that I have used throughout my PR career have translated quite well.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
I am overwhelmed with the success of the series. There are so many huge milestones that have occurred:
-The first book was a finalist for the NIEA Award (National Independence Excellence Awards)
Too early to say if the second book will win.
-Junior Achievement of Cincinnati has partnered with me and brings me in to area elementary schools
As part of their efforts to teach children about entrepreneurship and careers. I wear a pilot uniform to all of my events, and Captain Dan, (my husband), comes with me if he is not flying the friendly skies.
-Hudson Booksellers has picked up the books for 37 of their airport stores in major locations, and also for their store at Penn Station.
-Most of the major pilot shops in the U.S. are now carrying the books.
-A dozen of the top aviation museums in the U.S. are now selling both books.
The list keeps growing and pilots are buying the book for their kids and grandkids and loving it!
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I would have to say my husband, Captain Dan. He is a major character in the book after all!
He starred in a three-minute video which accompanies Astra The Lonely Airplane, (via a QR code in the glossary), and gives kids a tour of the real Astra! He helped me with the definitions and facts about Astra that are included in the two-page glossary, and even built my Astra website! He comes with me to schools and bookstores when he is able, and willingly answers all the kids questions, and they thoroughly enjoy it, as does he!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?
I get recognized in shopping malls and grocery stores! “Are you the lady that wrote the airplane book?”
I have appeared on local TV quite a bit and am very active on social media, so I am now known as the airplane lady!
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
I have gotten shot down by reporters and rejected by publishers but have learned that the more darts you throw at the dartboard, the more likely they are to stick! You just have to keep on pitching until you find the reporter or publisher that believes in your story!
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
I had my husband’s universal support for this “Second Act,” for he is an integral part of every element.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?
1.)How very much time and energy it takes to query publishers and literary agents.
I had to burn the midnight oil while still doing my day job. Each publisher has a different type of query form and expects different responses so there is no one size fits all. You have to read their requirements and submit precisely what they ask for and then be prepared for rejection.
2.)How long it takes to publish a children’s book from start to finish.
I signed with my publisher in August, 2020 and the book was released in March 2022. Once you have a working manuscript, you work with your project manager or editor to refine it for months until it is perfect. Then you have to pick an illustrator that will capture your vision, and ask them to submit samples of your characters. Then you have to provide excellent and descriptive art direction of exactly what you are looking for until the illustrations are perfect. Then comes the final proof, then the printer’s proofs. Then months of pre-promotion until the launch.
3.)How much self-promotion is required.
Publishers, including the major ones are strapped and short-staffed, which each project manager juggling dozens of books and authors. I don’t know how anyone without a PR background manages to procure any media exposure for their books, unless their publisher is doing it for them. You have to pitch the right reviewers that cover your genre and also target the general mainstream media to those that regularly report on children’s books. Thankfully I am well-connected here in Cincinnati, but the national exposure, even for me, has been tough!
4.)How competitive the children’s book industry is.
Just about every celebrity on the face of the planet has now written a children’s book. Most of the national television shows and print media, only report on celebrity children’s books. It is very frustrating and hard to break through the clutter! I had a producer at Bravo! TV promise to hand deliver my book to Andy Cohen, (whose son Ben loves airplanes), and I never heard back. I was going to be booked on the Nick Cannon show with a new segment he was starting called “Cannon’s Kids Book Corner.” The producers loved the book, and made sure I was vaccinated and able to fly to New York, and then the show was unfortunately cancelled before it came to fruition.
The book has such a great back, human interest story, and it’s really hard to breakthrough and get the national exposure that the book needs.
And I have had at least fifteen people contact me personally for advice on how to publish a children’s book. There are just so very many kids books out there.
5.)How rewarding it is to see a smile on a child’s face when you are reading your book!
This one got me. The first time an audience filled with children applauded and hooted and hollered loudly, my eyes filled with tears. There is nothing like seeing a child that is totally engaged with your written word. This is why we children’s authors do it!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
When lives gives you lemons, you truly can make lemonade! My husband’s misfortune led to something that has bonded us together and made hundreds of children happy!
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
In addition to the third Astra book which will be, Astra’s Canine Rescue, I have written a treatment for the Astra And Friends or Astra The Lonely Airplane animated streaming children’s series about a speedy little airplane who always helps others and saves the day. Over 20 episodes are included in the treatment. I need an agent to believe in me and pitch my show to the Children’s Programming People at Apple TV or Nickelodeon or Disney or Netflix! There has never been an animated show quite like this and the series teaches children about different countries, phrases in foreign languages, rescuing animals, rescuing people, making new friends, helping others and so much more! Who do you have for me? Please tag away!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
So very many places:
Astrathelonelyairplane.com (Astra website)
@Juliewhitneyauthor IG
@Whitneyjulie IG
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillippiwhitneycommunications/
pwcommunications.net (PR website)
julie.phillippi.whitney FB
bestcincyprpro FB
bestcincyprpro X (formerly Twitter)
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Julie Whitney: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.