November 16, 2025 • 33 mins
What happens when a daughter launches a publishing company… and her 82-year-old mother becomes her indispensable right hand?
In this heartfelt and surprisingly funny episode, Ron sits down with Stephanie Larkin, founder of Red Penguin Books, and her mother Christine Rogeri, an 82-year-old tech-savvy powerhouse who helps run the business — publishing books, managing websites, wrangling social media, and breaking stereotypes every step of the way. Stephanie shares the unusual origin story behind Red Penguin Books — from a nonprofit crisis to coloring penguins red with a Sharpie — and how her company helps aspiring authors bring their book dreams to life. Christine talks about joining the company later in life, mastering new technology, and proving that “80 is the new 60.” This episode explores:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/45-forward--6550893/support.
In this heartfelt and surprisingly funny episode, Ron sits down with Stephanie Larkin, founder of Red Penguin Books, and her mother Christine Rogeri, an 82-year-old tech-savvy powerhouse who helps run the business — publishing books, managing websites, wrangling social media, and breaking stereotypes every step of the way. Stephanie shares the unusual origin story behind Red Penguin Books — from a nonprofit crisis to coloring penguins red with a Sharpie — and how her company helps aspiring authors bring their book dreams to life. Christine talks about joining the company later in life, mastering new technology, and proving that “80 is the new 60.” This episode explores:
- Reinventing yourself at any age
- The joys and challenges of running a family business
- The deeply personal process of helping authors become published
- The power of creativity, community, and purpose in later life
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/45-forward--6550893/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
My goal is really I think that I'm very much
a cheerleader, a dream maker.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Maybe I'm even a fairy godmother.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I don't know, but I'm here to help people to
achieve that goal of book publication.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hello everyone, I'm Ron Roell, the host of forty five Forward,
where my mission is to help you make the second
half of life even better than the first. If you
ever looked out on an iceberg filled with penguins and
one of them was read, well, you'd notice it right away.
Right well, that's the spirit behind Red Penguin Books, a
company that helps authors stand out and shares their voices
(00:42):
with the world. And today's show, I'll be talking with
Stephanie Larkin, the founder and president of Red Penguin, an
independent book and web development company which was launched in
an unusual way. Stephanie also has an unusually passionate vision
to help writers of all types realize their dream to
become published authors. Joining Stephanie today is someone very special,
(01:03):
her mother, Christine Mrgeri, who is also now part of
Red Penguin AND's proving that it's never too late to
start a new chapter in life. So now let's meet
my guest Stephanie Larkin and Christine Mrgeri, Stephanie, Chris, welcome
to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Nice nice introduction.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So, guys, as I intimated in the introduction, this is
an unusual way to launch a publisher company. Stephanie sort
of flipped the script, and so let's talk about that. Usually,
you know, people start books and then they move to
digital platforms. You guys have gone the other way.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
So so yes, certainly, I'm I'm probably one of the
very few publishers in the world who didn't either major
in creative writing or do an internship with you know,
random House when I was in college. I came to
it because I had started a web design company about
(02:04):
seventeen eighteen years ago. And even that company was born
out of necessity. It wasn't something that I said, Oh,
I'm dying to form a web design company. But my
own husband was running in a nonprofit organization and their
web designer, who was also their treasurer, embezzled all of
(02:28):
the money. So the organization was left bankrupt and with
no website. So one night over dinner, my husband had said,
oh my gosh, we have no money and we have
no website, and I said, well, I can't help with
the money, but I can make.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You a website. How hard could it be. I'll read
a book and I read them a website.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
And somebody heard and said, Stephanie, I heard you know
how to make websites.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And I made another one, and another one.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
By about the third or fourth one, I decided this
could be a business.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Why don't I incorporate?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And I formed a company that at that time was
called Red Penguin Web Solutions. And I decided to name
it Red Penguin partly because I had a bit of
a vision in my head of a lot of objects
that looked the same and one of them looked different,
(03:28):
maybe like the purple python or the crimson cow or something.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That there was a lot of sameness. And penguins are
kind of cute.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
If there were a whole lot of penguins on an
iceberg and one of them.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Was red, you'd see it. You'd stand out.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And Ron I also have to tell you that at
the beginning, we didn't have a lot of money, so
we could print all of our materials in black and white,
and I just took a red cheffie and I would
just color one Penguin Red and it worked.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So Rentenguin Web Solutions was born.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Quite a long I think it was two thousand and
seven that we started that company, and that company is
still going strong. We have loads and loads of schools, churches,
nonprofits and businesses that we handle websites and digital marketing
for all over the.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Tri State area.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
You are standing out, and we are standing out.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
We are standing out. And then we were doing a
lot of work for authors with their.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Digital books and websites. And I was doing a lot
of work for the National Writers' Union. In fact, probably
about eight years ago.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Or so, I was I was a keynote speaker at.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
A National Writers Union event and I was there to
talk about websites. And I was sitting in the back
of the auditorium waiting my turn, and they were authors
and whatnot up on the stage talking and I sat
in the back and I thought, yea, you know a
lot of our authors would say, well, I'd like to
have a print book.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Can I can?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
How do I get published? And I'd say, I don't
really know. And I was sitting there in the back
and I said, hey, we.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Could do that.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I came home from you know, giving my speech,
and I came home and said to my husband, who's
who's a good sport and goes along with the crazy
ideas I have. I came home and said, hey, honey,
I decided I'm opening a publishing company.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And he said, of course you are, of course you are.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And of course we were already called Red Penguin Web Solutions.
We were then called Red Penguin Books, and we added
the book portion to it.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
People will often ask me if we are related.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
To Penguin Books Pequin, which is now also owned by
Random House, and no, we just like the same bird.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Penguin.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Random House publishes about five thousand books a year.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
We publish about one hundred, much smaller Penguin. But one
thing that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
About us, and I love Penguin random House, but I'm
sure they can't name all of.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Their books or all of their authors, and we certainly can.
We have them on speed dial.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
We are We are very family oriented, not just in
our office but with our with our clients. We have
barbecues and parties and all of our authors come. So
we are a small independent press and absolutely love what
we do.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Absolutely yeah, yeah, So you flip the script and an
interesting way. Your mom is flipped the script in a
different way. But usually, you know, in family oriented companies,
it's the older generation that starts. But now, now, Chris,
tell us how you joined the journey, and it's a
(06:53):
little background about how you came into this situation.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Well after my from passed and I moved back back
down to Queens. You know, she was she was starting
her business and you know there I needed help. So
I was a little bit acquainted with you know, we're
talking about when when computers first really started. I mean
(07:20):
I recall working on computers where we had a phone
and we put it on the motive. Yes, absolutely, So
you know, I was familiar with how computers worked. And
then I retired, and then my husband passed away, and
then I moved back to Queens. But I understood a
little bit how because.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
She's a champ at it. She is a shamped at it.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
So Stephanie set me down and told me how to
you know, data process and you know, get things up
on the websites and change things that were up there.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
She can read HTML code. She's fantastic.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
It's been a long time.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, but but that's you know, so so you not
only break the stereotype.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
You know, you're you're eighty two? Is that right?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Sorry, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, So so you you break the age stereotype, and
you also break the family business stereotype.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
Yeah. And and also the stereotype that well, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Work with a lot of senior issues and one of
them is, okay, how do you teach seniors technology and
they don't like it and it's difficult. Well, you've basically
broken that meme too, So you you're you're, you're, you're
a three time stereotype breaker. I love it, Stephanie.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
I'll have somebody who will say to her, well, you know,
I can't do this this email stuff because I'm six,
and she says to them, my mother works for me
and she's eighty two exactly, So my mother can do it,
our clients can do it.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
News.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So how do you let's talk a little bit about
your workplace. I mean I want to well, in the
third chapter we'll talking more in depth about that.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
But but but how.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Do people respond to you, Christine? You know, in terms
of younger people work with you, are they surprised? I
mean they're probably a little bit surprised, and maybe humiliated really.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
A very family business. My daughter's sister in WW works
for us, my grandson works for us, and two of
her best friends from years ago.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
We're where the office people.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
And then she's got lots of people who are working
from home remotely. But so I've known these girls since,
you know, her children were born because they had children
are all the same age.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
And also you told me, and I found this fascinating.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I think you might like this ron that my mother
has a lot of friends who work for their children.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You'd mentioned other people who are working for their children.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
There might be someone who's working for their daughter who's
a lawyer, someone who's working for their son who's an accountant.
Speaker 7 (10:13):
So I think that it's almost like a stage of
life that that the uh children might work for the parents,
but at some point the parents are working for the children.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I'm wondering which of my three children I'm gonna work
for at some point, I know which one it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We all know which one it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
But uh, you know, mom, Mom had mentioned that when
she is, you know, at a social event with other friends,
she has other friends who are doing the same thing,
and they are working for their children.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
Yes, yes, it's really interesting. One one of them particularly
has uh her her son has several gas stations and
she doesn't pay roll for.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Wow, that's a big deal. That's a big deal to
pay roll for several gas stations.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
So it's not, you know, as peculiar as it sounds.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yeah, there's a lot of people out there in this
generational flip.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Yes, you might say, and you know, eighty is the
new sixty.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
He is absolutely the new sixty.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Pretty soon, it's gonna be a new fifty. Guys.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yes, well I think she's doing great.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
And for sure, if eighty is the new sixty, I
love that, Yes, because that means that I'm only thirty.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
There you go, there you go. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
So let's talk about so again now, Stephanie. So you're
changing the script in lots of ways. And I've worked
with a few major publishers and so you are very different.
And so there are two different cultures I want to
talk about one you started to talk about, which is
your sort of your workplace culture, which we'll get into
a little bit more later, but versus the publishing culture.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
So you know, your your mission is.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
To change lives, one book at a time, so talk
a little bit about how you work with the authors.
You know, and you're an author yourself, so so I've
read a little bit about you, and you've said that
there is something truly transformative about saying your name on
the cover of a book, because.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
At that moment you're not a writer. You're an author.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So talk about how you work with authors, and now
also how you find them and they find you.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah, well they find me. They definitely find me. Most
find me through someone else. I would say ninety nine
point nine percent of our business is referral. I'm not
sure which percentage is not, because everyone comes through someone else,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
There's there was a survey a number of years.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Ago, and I firmly believe this that ninety percent of
people surveyed want to write a book. And I definitely
believe that because when I walk into a room and
I'm introduced and people say, oh, you know, Stephanie is
a publisher. Everyone I meet they wrote a book. They
want to write a book.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
They've got a book and a drawer, they've got a
book in a head, they have idea. Everybody wants to
write a book.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
But only a very small percentage of them actually achieve
what is a very very common bucket list item. So
my goal is really I think that I'm very much
a cheerleader, a dream maker. Maybe I'm even a fairy godmother.
I don't know, but I'm here to help people.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
To achieve that goal of book publication. And people have.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Lots of reasons why they want to write a book.
It could be because you know, they had such a
crazy family that people have always said you should write
a book about that, or they did something amazing, or
maybe it's a business owner who wants to write a
book to get more clients.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And build their business.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Or maybe someone has two grandchildren and they want to
be able to share a children's book with the story.
So there were as many reasons for writing a book
as there are people, and we publish all of them.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We do not specialize.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Because I wanted to be able to be there as
a conduit for people whatever their reason. If their reason
is because they want to preserve family history, I'm there.
If their reason is because, I mean, there are people
who think in technicolor.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
They dream like whole worlds, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Fantasy and science fiction, and I'm there to help for
that too. So whatever the reason, is my first thing
when I meet someone is tell.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Me why why you are writing this book, and let's
let's make that goal. Let's make that dream happen. And
there is nothing like seeing a person holding a book
with their name, with their name on the book. There's
nothing like it. It's it's an amazing moment.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
It's we are very celebratory because like I said, it's
it's really.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Like it's like climbing Mount Everest. You did it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
You did something that so many people want to do.
And that's what I'm here for is to make it happen,
whatever your reason, whatever your goal.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And so you work very closely with the authors and
you organize their the books and you have different anthologies,
right we do.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
We also have an anthology series that my son actually
who works for us, he dripped it up during COVID
and there were so many people locked up during COVID
and we really couldn't do the things we wanted, and
he thought, why don't we publish. We were publishing every
two weeks a new anthology during COVID. We're down to about,
(15:41):
you know, every two months now because you know, things
have gotten busier. But what the anthology series and it
has over fifty volumes.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We would announce a topic. Maybe the topic was romance.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Or maybe the topic was winter, or the topic was
you know, or robots, or we have one that's just
about cat mysteries, Pets on the prow that's just about
mysteries involving a pet. And people were whole and they
would write stories or poems.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And submit them.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
And we receive submissions from six continents.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
The only one we don't have is Antarctica.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
And okay, where penguins are.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Where penguins are exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And it was a great way for people who were
stuck in their house to have something to do and
to be part of a community.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And we would get on.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Zoom calls with all the authors and do readings and
share these books. I have authors who are in forty
five of our anthologies because every time we post, we're
going to have a new theme.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Even if they weren't comfortable writing in that genre, they
would write.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
And we actually have kind of morphed our anthology. Now
we do location based, so we had one on pas Mars,
one on Rome, one on London.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
New York just came out.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
We have California and Florida coming out so people could
write stories about.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Going to Disney World or lying on the.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Beach or whatever it might be, and it gets those
creative juices going for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Now, I'm sure there are lots of little surprises and
unexpected things in the publishing industry, as I've experienced myself.
But tell us so I know that you have a
couple of very interesting stories, and one of them in
particular shows your devotion to getting books out, and that's
the book party, or at least end all parties. So
tell us that story.
Speaker 5 (17:37):
That's a good story.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And if an author has a book event, you know,
we want those books to be at that event. And
like any of us, ron we're at the mercy of
printers and shipping companies and everything else.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
But we had a big event this past winter. Over
a thousand people were going to be there. They had
ordered a thousand books for an event.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And there was a big snowstorm that came through the
northeast and we were crossing our fingers that they would
arrive on time. So I finally threw in the towel
and said, I Am not going to sit.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Here and just hope that they come.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
And my assistant and very good friend Denise got in
the car with me and we drove New York, New Jersey,
Delaware down to Maryland. I called the printer in advance
and said, I'm coming with a van. I'm not gonna
worry about these books. Put them in the back of
my van, and we drove down. They loaded up a
thousand books into my van. We drove back, and I
(18:41):
thought that this would just be a fun story to
tell until we were crossing the Verizana Bridge and all
of a sudden, my car was overheating and I got
to the other side in Brooklyn, but boom.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
It was dead, dead in the water. And I called
my husband, who drove over.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
He had to actually borrow your car because your car
was the only other car big enough to fit.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
All the books.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
And drove to Brooklyn and we transported all the boxes
and then drove your car out to.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The book event. We will we will do anything.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
In mountains to support our authors, and I hope they
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I know they did. I know they did.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But you know, sometimes you got to drive four states
away to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
So listen, let me switch back to Chris a little
bit now and talk about how you work with the company.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
What sort of things do you do.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I have a couple of things that are like my job.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
I do a lot of jobs.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
I don't even know if you can remember them all,
you can.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Do a lot.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
One of them is with social media instead has a
couple of TV shows, YouTube shows like that. So I
put them up on you I put them up on Facebook,
I put them up on Instagram, I put them on LinkedIn.
So something should be coming up every day on you know,
(20:10):
on those various channels.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
And I hope everyone heard the eighty two year olds
who just named dropped Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Yeah, all
of that.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Well, I'm a big YouTube watcher.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Actually, yes, your YouTube watcher, and now you're content too.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
And the other thing that I do is with our
companies that work with us, who have their web their
web people, you know, they're not authors, their web people.
So we every every week we put up we change
what their you know, whatever it is that they might
be having, you know, happening that week, we put it
(20:53):
on the front page of their website.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
They many of the churches we.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Do churches, and many of them put the bulletins up
every week so that they can.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
See with it.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
But we also change their front page.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
Yep, you know they're having this kind of an affair
or whatever, and I changed their front page.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
And you handle our calendars also, Yeah, a lot of
things and a lot of correspondents. Yeah, my mother is
actually our only staff member that is in both the
web ends and the book ends. You know, most of
us on the staff are either dealing with websites or
(21:31):
dealing with books.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
You actually do both.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You deal with websites on like the second half of
the week, like Thursday and Friday, and she deals with
books and.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Authors on the early part of each week. So she
has to know a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So let me so, you know, for people who know
your background, you and you started out.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Yes, no, but you know working in the post office
as a manager toward the end of my career, and
I'll never forget it. I just mentioned, you know, typing
things and you want to get it to the main frame.
And in those days, because I'm talking about early seventies,
you know, it was quite a big deal for all
(22:17):
of us, you know, doing this kind of thing. Like
I said, put the phone on the motor and feed
in the information that you've put on. So but I
was fascinated by the very fact that it worked. In fact,
even before that, years and years ago, when I first
got a job, I was working for the telephone company,
(22:37):
and I was fascinated by the fact that we could
type something in the main office and they got it
at the maintenance office.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
It was a lot of facts.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
It was kind of like telegraphing, but you know, it
was it was really very cool, and it kind of
it kind of makes you aware that these kind of
things are I have going to be happening, and you know,
you want to be on the train when it comes exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
What's funny you mentioned the word mainframe computer. I forgot
that's what they were called. Yeah, and now we have
the cloud, yes, yes.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
But those mainframe computers they were in building all by
themselves and it was freezing.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
And that going right, right, A long time.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Ago, long time computer started first.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
But you were right there on the ground floor. So
when she came to work for a computer company, it
was you know, easy.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
It was, well, it was it was. It was challenging,
It really was. It was challenging.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
And uh, and certainly I enjoy the challenge, you know,
I figure, yeah, keeps my brain going that sure does.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Right, Well, that's what that's that's what we know is
that as you get older, it's important to keep your
brain prime because there is a notion to you know,
use it or lose it, and you're certainly using it.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yeahs interesting because you know, of course in those days,
the earlier days of the mainframes, right that when they
first came on we know that there are lots of
well a couple of movies now about you know, the
Rise of the rock and Women and Hidden Figures, where
women were really the human computers, right, and and the
(24:15):
people who were actually I guess that they were. This
talks about the space you know program, but you know
that it's the women who did all the calculations to
get the satellites and the rockets up. When the main
frames came on board, initially that people were like, well
I think, let me check, but the women are doing that.
I have more you know, confidence in that. So so yeah,
(24:38):
this is another chapter for you. And so let me
ask you about So what have you Chris and you Stepan,
You've learned about you know, you know, working working together
that that you that you know that that sort of
you know, changed your relationship or you know, enricher in
(24:59):
ways you didn't expect.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I love and I am so spoiled by the fact
that I get to spend so much time with my mother.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I know many of my friends.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Are incredibly envious of how much time I get to
spend with my mother. She's also our office mom, so
I do share her because.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
Yes, because her friends are her age.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
So yes, my friends are my age and unfortunately don't
get to spend the time with their mothers, so they
are thrilled to have a mom in the office who
takes care of all of us.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
I do have to be careful.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
She's a little bossy. She's definitely a little bit bossy.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
And I gotta tell you when she's gets bossy, my
staff thinks it's the most hilarious.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Thing in the world that she's bossing around. That's okay.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And she's also by far the best dressed in the
office because she remembers, you know, going to an office
and everything coordinates.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yes, I get dressed back, I go to work right,
and you know, I will.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Often dress just I'm on screens all day. They're in
flip flops and you know, and fine by me. But yes,
my mother comes in. There's always jewelry and the shoes
in the back.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Everything matches. It's great.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So so, Chris, is there anything that you learned that
you didn't expect in working with your daughter that it
would advise people?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
I'm terrified should I leave so you could be honest,
not that at all.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
Yes, you learn plenty of things.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
And the fact of the matter is when I'm at work,
I try very hard, regardless of what she says, to
be an employee.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (26:44):
I'm okay, I'm one of you know, the four people
who were working for her who.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Are in the office all the time.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
And yes, she says I'm bossy, but well, I try
very hard to be an employee and equal with everybody else.
I don't want, you know, special special treatments in any way.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Well, the fact is you were in a huge leadership position,
so you have that nately.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah, but I have to be careful.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
And you know, sometimes sometimes when you're very close with
your with your children.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
You say steph as a mother, and the girls will
just die.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
They will So because my mother gets away with saying
things to me that I know she wouldn't say to
my brother.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
I think it's it's made us even closer because we
have so much in common. Because when she starts talking
about things that are going on at work, I was fair.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Yes you were so.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yes, we all we all grouse about the same things.
We know what went wrong or what went right, and
to celebrate on it's you know, yes.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
The other thing I want to mention to you about
her authors very old an author will come into the
office for lunch, so all of us get to meet
that author. So the author has a personal relationship, Yes,
with the entire office.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
It's not just you know.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
It's not just me too. They meet everybody.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, they meet everybody.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
And then on top of that, she has parties in
her home and invites all the authors, so they meet
each other.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yep, it's really.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
I are family oriented like that. That's why the Red
Penguin family is not just me and my mom. It's
not just our office, which is very close family. But
our clients are family. Yes, you know, if somebody has
a loss, we send them, you know, flowers and a card.
If somebody has a baby, they're getting a new gift
(28:51):
for that baby. We are we are huge about all
of our authors feeling as much part of our family.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
As we are with each other in our office. That's
important to me.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Well, that's really is different from traditional publishing because most
of the time, how many books.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
House does not send baby gifts or champagne. Oh yes,
we send champagne every time a book is published. And yes,
I'm sure Random House doesn't do that.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Well, other than coming to Red Penguin, any advice from
either of you in terms of it, if somebody you
know you mentioned before, everyone has a book in them.
If someone is coming, you know, to midlife and has
a book in them, any advice you'd give them is
to what.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Sure whether you come to Red Penguin or not. And
I would welcome you with open arms, but certainly don't
be afraid do it if you if you want to
do it, do it.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
One thing technology wise that works for a lot of
our authors.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I I admit myself as a book publisher, I am
a terrible typist, terrible two fingers.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I'm really yeah, I can't type it all.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
But the way a lot of people write books now,
including myself, My whole last book was written via dictation.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Your phone now will take dictation.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
You can talk to it and it'll show up the
words right there on the screen. So I've been advising
authors who would like to say their book out loud,
go for a walk, just say it out loud. It's
a great way instead of sitting there at a computer
and typing. And as I said, my most recent book
(30:40):
that just came out over the summer, i'd say at
least ninety percent.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Of that was dictated.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
That's just the way I work, better than sitting at
a computer. So you would like to write a book
to it. There are a million writers' groups. There are
many that have sprung up online during COVID. You know,
go to Facebook and look for writers groups, people who
will support you.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
We have writers groups ourselves.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
I'd love to include you in ours, but don't shy
away from it.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
If you want to do it, do.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
It whether or not it gets published. If you have
a story in you, true fiction, whatever it might be,
get it out.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I'm all about it.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
So in terms of getting it out, let's conclude by
letting people know how to get in touch with you
and your work. I know you've got a couple of
podcasts yourself, so tell us about what's the best way
to contact you.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Probably the best way is just run over to read
Penguin Books dot com, Red Like the Color, Penguin Like
the Bird, and Books dot com has links to all
of our books, also all of all of our shows.
We have a number of different podcasts. I also host
(31:55):
a cable television show that goes out all over Long
Island and New York City. Links to all of those
things are at Redpenguin.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Books dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
You could also find us whether you're on Instagram or
handle is Red Penguin Books, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok. We're at
all of those places, but or if you just google
Red Penguin Books, you are definitely going to find us somewhere.
Stephanie Larkin, you can find us anyplace on the web,
(32:26):
and please tell us that Ron sent you.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
Yes, Okay, very good.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Okay, Well, there's always much more to talk about, many
more stories, but we'll have to leave it there for today.
But thanks for sharing your story and reminding us that
reinvention is not only possible, but it's very powerful. So
once again, folks, this has been Ron Rowell, a host
of forty five Forward. If you want to know more
about me, go to forty five Forward dot org and
(32:54):
you can listen to all my podcasts and see them
on there, and if you have suggestions or questions, uh,
you know, send them to you know, Ron at forty
five forward dot org. So in the meantime, folks, uh,
as we all go forward to the next episode, look
for forty five forward.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
Mm hmmmm
My goal is really I think that I'm very much
a cheerleader, a dream maker.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Maybe I'm even a fairy godmother.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I don't know, but I'm here to help people to
achieve that goal of book publication.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hello everyone, I'm Ron Roell, the host of forty five Forward,
where my mission is to help you make the second
half of life even better than the first. If you
ever looked out on an iceberg filled with penguins and
one of them was read, well, you'd notice it right away.
Right well, that's the spirit behind Red Penguin Books, a
company that helps authors stand out and shares their voices
(00:42):
with the world. And today's show, I'll be talking with
Stephanie Larkin, the founder and president of Red Penguin, an
independent book and web development company which was launched in
an unusual way. Stephanie also has an unusually passionate vision
to help writers of all types realize their dream to
become published authors. Joining Stephanie today is someone very special,
(01:03):
her mother, Christine Mrgeri, who is also now part of
Red Penguin AND's proving that it's never too late to
start a new chapter in life. So now let's meet
my guest Stephanie Larkin and Christine Mrgeri, Stephanie, Chris, welcome
to the show.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Nice nice introduction.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So, guys, as I intimated in the introduction, this is
an unusual way to launch a publisher company. Stephanie sort
of flipped the script, and so let's talk about that. Usually,
you know, people start books and then they move to
digital platforms. You guys have gone the other way.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
So so yes, certainly, I'm I'm probably one of the
very few publishers in the world who didn't either major
in creative writing or do an internship with you know,
random House when I was in college. I came to
it because I had started a web design company about
(02:04):
seventeen eighteen years ago. And even that company was born
out of necessity. It wasn't something that I said, Oh,
I'm dying to form a web design company. But my
own husband was running in a nonprofit organization and their
web designer, who was also their treasurer, embezzled all of
(02:28):
the money. So the organization was left bankrupt and with
no website. So one night over dinner, my husband had said,
oh my gosh, we have no money and we have
no website, and I said, well, I can't help with
the money, but I can make.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
You a website. How hard could it be. I'll read
a book and I read them a website.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
And somebody heard and said, Stephanie, I heard you know
how to make websites.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
And I made another one, and another one.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
By about the third or fourth one, I decided this
could be a business.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Why don't I incorporate?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
And I formed a company that at that time was
called Red Penguin Web Solutions. And I decided to name
it Red Penguin partly because I had a bit of
a vision in my head of a lot of objects
that looked the same and one of them looked different,
(03:28):
maybe like the purple python or the crimson cow or something.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
That there was a lot of sameness. And penguins are
kind of cute.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
If there were a whole lot of penguins on an
iceberg and one of them.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Was red, you'd see it. You'd stand out.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And Ron I also have to tell you that at
the beginning, we didn't have a lot of money, so
we could print all of our materials in black and white,
and I just took a red cheffie and I would
just color one Penguin Red and it worked.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So Rentenguin Web Solutions was born.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Quite a long I think it was two thousand and
seven that we started that company, and that company is
still going strong. We have loads and loads of schools, churches,
nonprofits and businesses that we handle websites and digital marketing
for all over the.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Tri State area.
Speaker 5 (04:25):
You are standing out, and we are standing out.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
We are standing out. And then we were doing a
lot of work for authors with their.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Digital books and websites. And I was doing a lot
of work for the National Writers' Union. In fact, probably
about eight years ago.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Or so, I was I was a keynote speaker at.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
A National Writers Union event and I was there to
talk about websites. And I was sitting in the back
of the auditorium waiting my turn, and they were authors
and whatnot up on the stage talking and I sat
in the back and I thought, yea, you know a
lot of our authors would say, well, I'd like to
have a print book.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Can I can?
Speaker 1 (05:06):
How do I get published? And I'd say, I don't
really know. And I was sitting there in the back
and I said, hey, we.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Could do that.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So I came home from you know, giving my speech,
and I came home and said to my husband, who's
who's a good sport and goes along with the crazy
ideas I have. I came home and said, hey, honey,
I decided I'm opening a publishing company.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And he said, of course you are, of course you are.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
And of course we were already called Red Penguin Web Solutions.
We were then called Red Penguin Books, and we added
the book portion to it.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
People will often ask me if we are related.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
To Penguin Books Pequin, which is now also owned by
Random House, and no, we just like the same bird.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Penguin.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Random House publishes about five thousand books a year.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
We publish about one hundred, much smaller Penguin. But one
thing that's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
About us, and I love Penguin random House, but I'm
sure they can't name all of.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Their books or all of their authors, and we certainly can.
We have them on speed dial.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
We are We are very family oriented, not just in
our office but with our with our clients. We have
barbecues and parties and all of our authors come. So
we are a small independent press and absolutely love what
we do.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Absolutely yeah, yeah, So you flip the script and an
interesting way. Your mom is flipped the script in a
different way. But usually, you know, in family oriented companies,
it's the older generation that starts. But now, now, Chris,
tell us how you joined the journey, and it's a
(06:53):
little background about how you came into this situation.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Well after my from passed and I moved back back
down to Queens. You know, she was she was starting
her business and you know there I needed help. So
I was a little bit acquainted with you know, we're
talking about when when computers first really started. I mean
(07:20):
I recall working on computers where we had a phone
and we put it on the motive. Yes, absolutely, So
you know, I was familiar with how computers worked. And
then I retired, and then my husband passed away, and
then I moved back to Queens. But I understood a
little bit how because.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
She's a champ at it. She is a shamped at it.
Speaker 6 (07:43):
So Stephanie set me down and told me how to
you know, data process and you know, get things up
on the websites and change things that were up there.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
She can read HTML code. She's fantastic.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
It's been a long time.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Yeah, but but that's you know, so so you not
only break the stereotype.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
You know, you're you're eighty two? Is that right?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Sorry, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, So so you you break the age stereotype, and
you also break the family business stereotype.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
Yeah. And and also the stereotype that well, you know, I.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Work with a lot of senior issues and one of
them is, okay, how do you teach seniors technology and
they don't like it and it's difficult. Well, you've basically
broken that meme too, So you you're you're, you're, you're
a three time stereotype breaker. I love it, Stephanie.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
I'll have somebody who will say to her, well, you know,
I can't do this this email stuff because I'm six,
and she says to them, my mother works for me
and she's eighty two exactly, So my mother can do it,
our clients can do it.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
News.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So how do you let's talk a little bit about
your workplace. I mean I want to well, in the
third chapter we'll talking more in depth about that.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
But but but how.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Do people respond to you, Christine? You know, in terms
of younger people work with you, are they surprised? I
mean they're probably a little bit surprised, and maybe humiliated really.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
A very family business. My daughter's sister in WW works
for us, my grandson works for us, and two of
her best friends from years ago.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
We're where the office people.
Speaker 6 (09:41):
And then she's got lots of people who are working
from home remotely. But so I've known these girls since,
you know, her children were born because they had children
are all the same age.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
And also you told me, and I found this fascinating.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
I think you might like this ron that my mother
has a lot of friends who work for their children.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
You'd mentioned other people who are working for their children.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
There might be someone who's working for their daughter who's
a lawyer, someone who's working for their son who's an accountant.
Speaker 7 (10:13):
So I think that it's almost like a stage of
life that that the uh children might work for the parents,
but at some point the parents are working for the children.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I'm wondering which of my three children I'm gonna work
for at some point, I know which one it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
We all know which one it's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
But uh, you know, mom, Mom had mentioned that when
she is, you know, at a social event with other friends,
she has other friends who are doing the same thing,
and they are working for their children.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
Yes, yes, it's really interesting. One one of them particularly
has uh her her son has several gas stations and
she doesn't pay roll for.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Wow, that's a big deal. That's a big deal to
pay roll for several gas stations.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
So it's not, you know, as peculiar as it sounds.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yeah, there's a lot of people out there in this
generational flip.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Yes, you might say, and you know, eighty is the
new sixty.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
He is absolutely the new sixty.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Pretty soon, it's gonna be a new fifty. Guys.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Yes, well I think she's doing great.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
And for sure, if eighty is the new sixty, I
love that, Yes, because that means that I'm only thirty.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
There you go, there you go. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
So let's talk about so again now, Stephanie. So you're
changing the script in lots of ways. And I've worked
with a few major publishers and so you are very different.
And so there are two different cultures I want to
talk about one you started to talk about, which is
your sort of your workplace culture, which we'll get into
a little bit more later, but versus the publishing culture.
Speaker 5 (11:52):
So you know, your your mission is.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
To change lives, one book at a time, so talk
a little bit about how you work with the authors.
You know, and you're an author yourself, so so I've
read a little bit about you, and you've said that
there is something truly transformative about saying your name on
the cover of a book, because.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
At that moment you're not a writer. You're an author.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So talk about how you work with authors, and now
also how you find them and they find you.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah, well they find me. They definitely find me. Most
find me through someone else. I would say ninety nine
point nine percent of our business is referral. I'm not
sure which percentage is not, because everyone comes through someone else,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
There's there was a survey a number of years.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Ago, and I firmly believe this that ninety percent of
people surveyed want to write a book. And I definitely
believe that because when I walk into a room and
I'm introduced and people say, oh, you know, Stephanie is
a publisher. Everyone I meet they wrote a book. They
want to write a book.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
They've got a book and a drawer, they've got a
book in a head, they have idea. Everybody wants to
write a book.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
But only a very small percentage of them actually achieve
what is a very very common bucket list item. So
my goal is really I think that I'm very much
a cheerleader, a dream maker. Maybe I'm even a fairy godmother.
I don't know, but I'm here to help people.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
To achieve that goal of book publication. And people have.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Lots of reasons why they want to write a book.
It could be because you know, they had such a
crazy family that people have always said you should write
a book about that, or they did something amazing, or
maybe it's a business owner who wants to write a
book to get more clients.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And build their business.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Or maybe someone has two grandchildren and they want to
be able to share a children's book with the story.
So there were as many reasons for writing a book
as there are people, and we publish all of them.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
We do not specialize.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Because I wanted to be able to be there as
a conduit for people whatever their reason. If their reason
is because they want to preserve family history, I'm there.
If their reason is because, I mean, there are people
who think in technicolor.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
They dream like whole worlds, you know.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Fantasy and science fiction, and I'm there to help for
that too. So whatever the reason, is my first thing
when I meet someone is tell.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Me why why you are writing this book, and let's
let's make that goal. Let's make that dream happen. And
there is nothing like seeing a person holding a book
with their name, with their name on the book. There's
nothing like it. It's it's an amazing moment.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
It's we are very celebratory because like I said, it's
it's really.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Like it's like climbing Mount Everest. You did it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
You did something that so many people want to do.
And that's what I'm here for is to make it happen,
whatever your reason, whatever your goal.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
And so you work very closely with the authors and
you organize their the books and you have different anthologies,
right we do.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
We also have an anthology series that my son actually
who works for us, he dripped it up during COVID
and there were so many people locked up during COVID
and we really couldn't do the things we wanted, and
he thought, why don't we publish. We were publishing every
two weeks a new anthology during COVID. We're down to about,
(15:41):
you know, every two months now because you know, things
have gotten busier. But what the anthology series and it
has over fifty volumes.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We would announce a topic. Maybe the topic was romance.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Or maybe the topic was winter, or the topic was
you know, or robots, or we have one that's just
about cat mysteries, Pets on the prow that's just about
mysteries involving a pet. And people were whole and they
would write stories or poems.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
And submit them.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
And we receive submissions from six continents.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
The only one we don't have is Antarctica.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
And okay, where penguins are.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Where penguins are exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
And it was a great way for people who were
stuck in their house to have something to do and
to be part of a community.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And we would get on.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Zoom calls with all the authors and do readings and
share these books. I have authors who are in forty
five of our anthologies because every time we post, we're
going to have a new theme.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Even if they weren't comfortable writing in that genre, they
would write.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
And we actually have kind of morphed our anthology. Now
we do location based, so we had one on pas Mars,
one on Rome, one on London.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
New York just came out.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
We have California and Florida coming out so people could
write stories about.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Going to Disney World or lying on the.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Beach or whatever it might be, and it gets those
creative juices going for a lot of people.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Now, I'm sure there are lots of little surprises and
unexpected things in the publishing industry, as I've experienced myself.
But tell us so I know that you have a
couple of very interesting stories, and one of them in
particular shows your devotion to getting books out, and that's
the book party, or at least end all parties. So
tell us that story.
Speaker 5 (17:37):
That's a good story.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
And if an author has a book event, you know,
we want those books to be at that event. And
like any of us, ron we're at the mercy of
printers and shipping companies and everything else.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
But we had a big event this past winter. Over
a thousand people were going to be there. They had
ordered a thousand books for an event.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And there was a big snowstorm that came through the
northeast and we were crossing our fingers that they would
arrive on time. So I finally threw in the towel
and said, I Am not going to sit.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Here and just hope that they come.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
And my assistant and very good friend Denise got in
the car with me and we drove New York, New Jersey,
Delaware down to Maryland. I called the printer in advance
and said, I'm coming with a van. I'm not gonna
worry about these books. Put them in the back of
my van, and we drove down. They loaded up a
thousand books into my van. We drove back, and I
(18:41):
thought that this would just be a fun story to
tell until we were crossing the Verizana Bridge and all
of a sudden, my car was overheating and I got
to the other side in Brooklyn, but boom.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
It was dead, dead in the water. And I called
my husband, who drove over.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
He had to actually borrow your car because your car
was the only other car big enough to fit.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
All the books.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
And drove to Brooklyn and we transported all the boxes
and then drove your car out to.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
The book event. We will we will do anything.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
In mountains to support our authors, and I hope they
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I know they did. I know they did.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
But you know, sometimes you got to drive four states
away to make it happen.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
So listen, let me switch back to Chris a little
bit now and talk about how you work with the company.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
What sort of things do you do.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I have a couple of things that are like my job.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
I do a lot of jobs.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
I don't even know if you can remember them all,
you can.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Do a lot.
Speaker 6 (19:49):
One of them is with social media instead has a
couple of TV shows, YouTube shows like that. So I
put them up on you I put them up on Facebook,
I put them up on Instagram, I put them on LinkedIn.
So something should be coming up every day on you know,
(20:10):
on those various channels.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
And I hope everyone heard the eighty two year olds
who just named dropped Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Yeah, all
of that.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Well, I'm a big YouTube watcher.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Actually, yes, your YouTube watcher, and now you're content too.
Speaker 6 (20:30):
And the other thing that I do is with our
companies that work with us, who have their web their
web people, you know, they're not authors, their web people.
So we every every week we put up we change
what their you know, whatever it is that they might
be having, you know, happening that week, we put it
(20:53):
on the front page of their website.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
They many of the churches we.
Speaker 6 (20:57):
Do churches, and many of them put the bulletins up
every week so that they can.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
See with it.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
But we also change their front page.
Speaker 6 (21:05):
Yep, you know they're having this kind of an affair
or whatever, and I changed their front page.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
And you handle our calendars also, Yeah, a lot of
things and a lot of correspondents. Yeah, my mother is
actually our only staff member that is in both the
web ends and the book ends. You know, most of
us on the staff are either dealing with websites or
(21:31):
dealing with books.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
You actually do both.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You deal with websites on like the second half of
the week, like Thursday and Friday, and she deals with
books and.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Authors on the early part of each week. So she
has to know a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So let me so, you know, for people who know
your background, you and you started out.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
Yes, no, but you know working in the post office
as a manager toward the end of my career, and
I'll never forget it. I just mentioned, you know, typing
things and you want to get it to the main frame.
And in those days, because I'm talking about early seventies,
you know, it was quite a big deal for all
(22:17):
of us, you know, doing this kind of thing. Like
I said, put the phone on the motor and feed
in the information that you've put on. So but I
was fascinated by the very fact that it worked. In fact,
even before that, years and years ago, when I first
got a job, I was working for the telephone company,
(22:37):
and I was fascinated by the fact that we could
type something in the main office and they got it
at the maintenance office.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
It was a lot of facts.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
It was kind of like telegraphing, but you know, it
was it was really very cool, and it kind of
it kind of makes you aware that these kind of
things are I have going to be happening, and you know,
you want to be on the train when it comes exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
What's funny you mentioned the word mainframe computer. I forgot
that's what they were called. Yeah, and now we have
the cloud, yes, yes.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
But those mainframe computers they were in building all by
themselves and it was freezing.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
And that going right, right, A long time.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Ago, long time computer started first.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
But you were right there on the ground floor. So
when she came to work for a computer company, it
was you know, easy.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
It was, well, it was it was. It was challenging,
It really was. It was challenging.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
And uh, and certainly I enjoy the challenge, you know,
I figure, yeah, keeps my brain going that sure does.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Right, Well, that's what that's that's what we know is
that as you get older, it's important to keep your
brain prime because there is a notion to you know,
use it or lose it, and you're certainly using it.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yeahs interesting because you know, of course in those days,
the earlier days of the mainframes, right that when they
first came on we know that there are lots of
well a couple of movies now about you know, the
Rise of the rock and Women and Hidden Figures, where
women were really the human computers, right, and and the
(24:15):
people who were actually I guess that they were. This
talks about the space you know program, but you know
that it's the women who did all the calculations to
get the satellites and the rockets up. When the main
frames came on board, initially that people were like, well
I think, let me check, but the women are doing that.
I have more you know, confidence in that. So so yeah,
(24:38):
this is another chapter for you. And so let me
ask you about So what have you Chris and you Stepan,
You've learned about you know, you know, working working together
that that you that you know that that sort of
you know, changed your relationship or you know, enricher in
(24:59):
ways you didn't expect.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I love and I am so spoiled by the fact
that I get to spend so much time with my mother.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
I know many of my friends.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
Are incredibly envious of how much time I get to
spend with my mother. She's also our office mom, so
I do share her because.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
Yes, because her friends are her age.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
So yes, my friends are my age and unfortunately don't
get to spend the time with their mothers, so they
are thrilled to have a mom in the office who
takes care of all of us.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
I do have to be careful.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
She's a little bossy. She's definitely a little bit bossy.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
And I gotta tell you when she's gets bossy, my
staff thinks it's the most hilarious.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Thing in the world that she's bossing around. That's okay.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
And she's also by far the best dressed in the
office because she remembers, you know, going to an office
and everything coordinates.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yes, I get dressed back, I go to work right,
and you know, I will.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Often dress just I'm on screens all day. They're in
flip flops and you know, and fine by me. But yes,
my mother comes in. There's always jewelry and the shoes
in the back.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Everything matches. It's great.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So so, Chris, is there anything that you learned that
you didn't expect in working with your daughter that it
would advise people?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
I'm terrified should I leave so you could be honest,
not that at all.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
Yes, you learn plenty of things.
Speaker 6 (26:31):
And the fact of the matter is when I'm at work,
I try very hard, regardless of what she says, to
be an employee.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (26:44):
I'm okay, I'm one of you know, the four people
who were working for her who.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Are in the office all the time.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
And yes, she says I'm bossy, but well, I try
very hard to be an employee and equal with everybody else.
I don't want, you know, special special treatments in any way.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Well, the fact is you were in a huge leadership position,
so you have that nately.
Speaker 4 (27:08):
Yeah, but I have to be careful.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
And you know, sometimes sometimes when you're very close with
your with your children.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
You say steph as a mother, and the girls will
just die.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
They will So because my mother gets away with saying
things to me that I know she wouldn't say to
my brother.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
I think it's it's made us even closer because we
have so much in common. Because when she starts talking
about things that are going on at work, I was fair.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Yes you were so.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yes, we all we all grouse about the same things.
We know what went wrong or what went right, and
to celebrate on it's you know, yes.
Speaker 6 (27:54):
The other thing I want to mention to you about
her authors very old an author will come into the
office for lunch, so all of us get to meet
that author. So the author has a personal relationship, Yes,
with the entire office.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
It's not just you know.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
It's not just me too. They meet everybody.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
Yeah, they meet everybody.
Speaker 6 (28:20):
And then on top of that, she has parties in
her home and invites all the authors, so they meet
each other.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
Yep, it's really.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
I are family oriented like that. That's why the Red
Penguin family is not just me and my mom. It's
not just our office, which is very close family. But
our clients are family. Yes, you know, if somebody has
a loss, we send them, you know, flowers and a card.
If somebody has a baby, they're getting a new gift
(28:51):
for that baby. We are we are huge about all
of our authors feeling as much part of our family.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
As we are with each other in our office. That's
important to me.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
Well, that's really is different from traditional publishing because most
of the time, how many books.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
House does not send baby gifts or champagne. Oh yes,
we send champagne every time a book is published. And yes,
I'm sure Random House doesn't do that.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Well, other than coming to Red Penguin, any advice from
either of you in terms of it, if somebody you
know you mentioned before, everyone has a book in them.
If someone is coming, you know, to midlife and has
a book in them, any advice you'd give them is
to what.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Sure whether you come to Red Penguin or not. And
I would welcome you with open arms, but certainly don't
be afraid do it if you if you want to
do it, do it.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
One thing technology wise that works for a lot of
our authors.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I I admit myself as a book publisher, I am
a terrible typist, terrible two fingers.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
I'm really yeah, I can't type it all.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
But the way a lot of people write books now,
including myself, My whole last book was written via dictation.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Your phone now will take dictation.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
You can talk to it and it'll show up the
words right there on the screen. So I've been advising
authors who would like to say their book out loud,
go for a walk, just say it out loud. It's
a great way instead of sitting there at a computer
and typing. And as I said, my most recent book
(30:40):
that just came out over the summer, i'd say at
least ninety percent.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Of that was dictated.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
That's just the way I work, better than sitting at
a computer. So you would like to write a book
to it. There are a million writers' groups. There are
many that have sprung up online during COVID. You know,
go to Facebook and look for writers groups, people who
will support you.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
We have writers groups ourselves.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
I'd love to include you in ours, but don't shy
away from it.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
If you want to do it, do.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
It whether or not it gets published. If you have
a story in you, true fiction, whatever it might be,
get it out.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I'm all about it.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
So in terms of getting it out, let's conclude by
letting people know how to get in touch with you
and your work. I know you've got a couple of
podcasts yourself, so tell us about what's the best way
to contact you.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Probably the best way is just run over to read
Penguin Books dot com, Red Like the Color, Penguin Like
the Bird, and Books dot com has links to all
of our books, also all of all of our shows.
We have a number of different podcasts. I also host
(31:55):
a cable television show that goes out all over Long
Island and New York City. Links to all of those
things are at Redpenguin.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Books dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
You could also find us whether you're on Instagram or
handle is Red Penguin Books, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok. We're at
all of those places, but or if you just google
Red Penguin Books, you are definitely going to find us somewhere.
Stephanie Larkin, you can find us anyplace on the web,
(32:26):
and please tell us that Ron sent you.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
Yes, Okay, very good.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
Okay, Well, there's always much more to talk about, many
more stories, but we'll have to leave it there for today.
But thanks for sharing your story and reminding us that
reinvention is not only possible, but it's very powerful. So
once again, folks, this has been Ron Rowell, a host
of forty five Forward. If you want to know more
about me, go to forty five Forward dot org and
(32:54):
you can listen to all my podcasts and see them
on there, and if you have suggestions or questions, uh,
you know, send them to you know, Ron at forty
five forward dot org. So in the meantime, folks, uh,
as we all go forward to the next episode, look
for forty five forward.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
Mm hmmmm
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