Playful Math Books - Tabletop Academy Press
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Denise Gaskins, Founder of Tabletop Academy Press, located in Boody, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
As a math coach and indie publisher, my goal is to help families conquer their fear of math through play. The Tabletop Academy Press books feature games and activity ideas that foster creative thinking and encourage readers to enjoy the adventure of learning.
My customers come from around the world: parents struggling to help their children learn math, teachers looking for ideas to enrich their classrooms, and homeschoolers eager to prevent math anxiety and build their students' reasoning skills.
Tell us about yourself
When I first began homeschooling many years ago, I noticed several of my friends struggled to teach math. Many people felt traumatized by their own school experience with math, confused by half-remembered rules that never made sense, shamed by past failures, and afraid of passing on the "bad at math" gene to their children.
But the "bad at math" gene is a myth, and barring a severe disability, any child can learn to succeed at school math. The key is to present the ideas in a playful way that keeps the stress level low and engages the child's mind.
So I began writing about math to help my homeschooling friends, and the business grew from there.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
All that matters are the children. My greatest accomplishment is to see the "Aha!" light of understanding in a student's eyes or to hear from a parent that "My child loves math because of your books."
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Perseverance. The most important thing- in math, business, and life- is just plain stubbornness in not giving up. It's so easy to get discouraged when you find yourself going in circles and aren't sure what to do next or when you face a series of setbacks. But if you want to succeed, you have to keep going.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Every business is a service business. Serve your customers well,
- Don't go into debt.
- Protecting your intellectual property if you run a creative business. Don't sign away your rights.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If you want to be an indie publisher, learn how to do it all yourself: how to run editing software, how to format text, and how to find art and design covers. Learn how to make a professional-looking product on a shoestring. Learn how to keep your books and file your tax forms.
As your business grows, you can hire people to do some or all of these tasks. But first, you must know how to do them yourself. Never be afraid to learn.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://tabletopacademy.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisegaskins/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisegaskinsmath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/letsplaymath
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3IafeNM
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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