Writing with Purpose: Storytelling, Self-Worth, and Building a Legacy Platform with Jynesis Hawkins

What does it look like to write a book not for attention, but out of love? For author, educator, and literacy advocate Jynesis Hawkins, it started with her son.

In this episode of Penned By Design, host Destiny Jordan sits down with Jynesis Hawkins, author of Kai: The Jungle King, a children's book rooted in self-worth, courage, and the power of embracing who you are unapologetically. Jynesis opens up about the real story behind the book, what it means to write for a child who is non-verbal, and how 50 copies selling out in two weeks confirmed that her message was bigger than she imagined.

But this conversation goes far beyond one book. Jynesis and Destiny dig into what it takes to build a purpose-driven creative platform while holding down a full-time teaching career, raising a child with special needs, and still finding ways to pour into yourself along the way.

In this episode you will hear:

• Why children's books are one of the most powerful tools for building confidence and emotional intelligence in young readers
• What the "anti-life" framework is and how writers can use it to design a creative life they actually want
• The real costs and decisions behind self-publishing a children's book, including sizing, printing, and ISBN basics
• How Jynesis used AI tools ethically in her illustration process and what that means for indie authors today
• What habit stacking looks like for a busy creative who keeps breaking promises to themselves
• The question that will stop you cold: is your paycheck worth your peace?

Whether you are an aspiring author, a self-published writer, a parent, an educator, or a creative entrepreneur building something meaningful, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting and start writing the story only you can tell.

Connect with Jynesis Hawkins

Website: jynesishawkins.com 

 Instagram: @jynesismonique

TikTok: @jynesismonique

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Transcript

Destiny Jordan: 0:01

Welcome to Penned By Design, the podcast for writers, authors, and creative CEOs who want their words to do more. I'm your humble host, Destini Jordan, and on this show, we explore writing, publishing, storytelling, and creative entrepreneurship for those writing books, building brands, and creating impactful bodies of work. If you're ready to create with purpose and grow with intention, you're in the right place. Pen your own story designed by you. Let's get started all right, today's guest is the visionary behind the growing platform centered on literacy, confidence, identity, impact. She's an author and educator, advocate, and creative leader. Jynesis Hawkins. Kai: The Jungle King, a children's book rooted in self-worth, courage, and the importance in embracing who you are unapologetically. But her work extends far beyond the page. Through her advocacy, educational work, and the growing impact platform, she's creating conversations around personal growth, youth empowerment, and the kind of representation that helps young people feel seen before the world tells them how they should be seen. What stands out about Jynesis is her ability to blend storytelling with purpose. Her work speaks not only to children, but to parents, educators, and communities navigating how we build confidence, emotional awareness, and identity in the next generation. And today, we're talking about writing with intention, creating stories that leave an emotional imprint, and the realities of building a mission-driven platform. Also, what it takes to use your creativity as both expression and advocacy. So, welcome to the Penned By Design platform, Jynesis.

Jynesis Hawkins: 1:44

Wow, what an introduction. I am so happy to be here. I'm so happy to have this intentional space for us to really get down to, the nitty-gritty of literacy.

Destiny Jordan: 1:55

Jynesis, when meeting you for the first time at the mayor's event was awesome how you spoke on the stage, and your book in general. I was like, "Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. We have to have you on." But for those who don't know, who is Jynesis Hawkins?

Jynesis Hawkins: 2:09

So I wanna say first, I'm a mother of an autistic son. I am a educator, I'm a advocate for students with disabilities, for literacy, and really just for women becoming their full selves and being able to embrace everything that God has given you, and to continue leveling up. So that is what my platform mostly is about, how to keep going as a mother, as somebody who wears multiple hats, and how to glow up in that process.

Destiny Jordan: 2:42

Oh, that is amazing when you're talking about how to walk, how to, grow and glow what's your process been like now getting to this point right here?

Jynesis Hawkins: 2:50

It's honestly been such a rollercoaster. I want people to really know that changing and evolving is a messy process. It's not something that's easy. And for me, it wasn't, like, a switch It was gradual feelings of like, "This is not where I'm meant to be. This is not where I want to be," or, "I'm not expressing myself fully enough." And over time, you kinda lose yourself, and that's where I was like, "We have to rebuild ourselves. I have to rebuild myself. I have to get back to where I was." Pregnancy, becoming a mom can really take a toll, so how do you express yourself, especially as a parent of a special needs child? So that's where it brought me, and it brought me through literacy, through writing, through doing what I already do in my classroom to really amplify how I was feeling

Destiny Jordan: 3:41

Also, hats off. Love it. I'm a special ed teacher, so you're just speaking my language. Love it.

Jynesis Hawkins: 3:46

It's really such a big thing. I feel like, for me, there was nobody in my family with autism, or I haven't experienced it firsthand as a general ed teacher. So having a son like that, I really kinda asked God what is that purpose for me? Why am I given this? Because, God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. So I'm trying to figure out where I need to be strong at. Is it my patience? What do I need to learn? How do I need to grow to evolve to be, you know, a great mother and continue to not lose myself in the process?

Destiny Jordan: 4:22

And so when you're talking about your journey from motherhood, and you have a beautiful son with autism, while still being a teacher working your full-time job, what are some of the steps or processes you took that help you be able to do this?

Jynesis Hawkins: 4:35

I think having a village, having a strong partner, having people that are there to support me, my family, I think that was the biggest thing, because I can't do it alone. I do a lot of things to be able to support my child. So for me, it's like I need that village to kinda step in when my time is not available.

Destiny Jordan: 4:55

And one thing I was wondering, by the way you express yourself, usually people think of, hobbies or joining groups or things like that. But you decided with a book, of all things so Have you always been drawn to storytelling and advocacy, or did one lead to the other?

Jynesis Hawkins: 5:13

Yeah, so I tried the groups. I tried the Facebook groups. I tried talking to people, but it… No one knows your story like you do. And as a teacher, I already teach ELA. I already teach kids how to read. My son is non-verbal. So for me, I wanted to create a book that focused on repetition, because we know with kids with autism, like, they thrive off of that consistency. They thrive off of things that repeat themselves, sing-songy words. So I wanted to kinda create something that I could read with my son, and that he could pick up on that language. So it was rooted in how will this be able to be a tool in my household, as well as, like, how can I kind of share with the world that being different doesn't mean, you're any less? It's really just a way to think and express yourself in a creative new way, and I wanted everyone who may be experiencing the same things as me to know that they are seen. as a parent, you're valued. As a parent, you're important, and we recognize the hardships that come with it. And I want them to know that I see you, girl, and You're not alone.

Destiny Jordan: 6:23

Oh my gosh, that's wonderful, especially where you're saying, like, you basically built a tool for yourself, and you're like, "Hey, there's probably other people that can benefit from this same tool.

Jynesis Hawkins: 6:35

Exactly.

Destiny Jordan: 6:36

So with you writing the book, once you wrote the book, and it's out there, and it's getting field-tested by parents and students alike, when did you realize that your work was becoming more than just the book itself?

Jynesis Hawkins: 6:49

One, my book sold out in two weeks. I had 50 copies, sold out in two weeks, and that was just, a small start for me to be like, "Wow, so people are interested in my work. I should be doing this more. I should be, putting more of myself out there." I've always been driven to start a nonprofit, The Impact Network. Those are things that have always been in my life plan. So I feel like this was just a huge step for me to get my voice, my face, my platform out there, and using it through my students, using it through, the community that I serve, that has really put great strides in what I'm doing right now.

Destiny Jordan: 7:26

So that is really cool. So I really love when authors or anyone that does anything with, writing really makes it community-based, because we all want better for kids, and we want better for ourselves, but better only comes when you do the work to make it better. So I really applaud you for doing the work. And you talked about your Impact Network. What is that?

Jynesis Hawkins: 7:48

In the future, what we're currently building is a space for our teens to go to really express themselves with, for example, podcasting, music, arts, creative arts. Michelle Obama wrote this article saying that students who do participate in the arts perform better academically. For me as an educator, I wanna see how can I tap into what students already love. I'm already a part of a nonprofit called Reading with a Rapper, so even through that advocacy, the way that they blend, literacy in high school with these pop and these hip hop new songs and get these kids engaged, that also is kind of like a push, but I want kids for me to create their own, create their own things. I feel like back in the day, we had SWV, we had Monica, because there was a school or there was places for them to go to really develop their talent, and I see that that's a need in Houston.

Destiny Jordan: 8:50

Oh, wow. So explain that a little bit more. So how can people start to make those types of impact or make space for kids in that way?

Jynesis Hawkins: 8:59

I really think that we have to identify our kids' interests, not what we want them to do, not what we see for them, but what do they really like and what are they naturally gifted in, and really pour into that. And if it's music, okay, I wish like my parents, had got me singing lessons as a kid, So for our children, we really need to make sure that we're pouring into them in the ways that they need it, not the ways that we want it. That's facts

Destiny Jordan: 9:28

right there. And every child is different.

Jynesis Hawkins: 9:32

Every child is different, and they all have these interesting gifts. And as a parent, your job is to discover that and really build it.

Destiny Jordan: 9:40

So you often are talking about growth or improvement, so how do you define impacting your own life?

Jynesis Hawkins: 9:47

Impacting my own life is really about reassessing who I am, what I wanna be, and what I don't want. I feel like, as women specifically, we need to create an anti-life. What… I want you to write down everything you don't want, and if those are things that you are currently doing in your life right now, we need to scratch those off. We need to start building those better habits. And then you need to write a vision of your dream life. I want you to really sit down and think of if you woke up this morning and you had everything that you wanted, how would you wake up? How would you be intentional? Would you do a self-care routine? Would you go to the gym? Would you have a beautiful balanced breakfast? Would you go to a co-working space? Would you do content? All of these things, and if you're not doing that in your daily life, where can you insert some of those things from your dream life into what you're doing right now so you can build it to where you wanna be?

Destiny Jordan: 10:41

hold the phone, just dropping bars, the anti-life Yeah. I love it. Explain it to me a little bit more. How'd you do this process yourself?

Jynesis Hawkins: 10:50

I feel like I'm currently still in that process, and if you check out my website, I do have a new book coming called The Rebuild Diaries, and it's really me walking us through this process of really designing who we wanna be. We all have heard of manifestation. We've all heard of, "Oh, if I think it, I'll become it. If I say it, if I read my affirmations," but what is the real work? Because, like I said, for me, it's, wasn't a s- quick flip that was like, "Ugh, I'm at the bottom of the barrel and I need to change." No, I was thriving in my career. I was still showing up. I was still doing all of the things, but when I came home, I still didn't feel fulfilled. So it's not always about what it looks like on the outside, but what you're discovering within yourself on the inside. And that anti-life is really what are the things that you feel like you would hate to be in this rut, you would hate to be in this cyclical kind of cycle of life, and those are the things that you wanna immediately scratch off. If you know you're not a person that wants to be working in a 9:00 to

5:00 forever, and you're in a 9: 11:56

00 to 5:00, like, okay, so what can we do to start building those extra streams of income to start building your hobbies? Or if there's just so many things, you wake up and you know that the first thing that you have to do is, like, get somebody else ready. So I'm trying to build a place where I have that financial support to have, like, somebody in the house with me, to have a nanny, so I think you just really need to build your life to where it, you see fit for yourself.

Destiny Jordan: 12:24

Ooh, that's so good. I think as women, we truly forget a lot of times because we're taught that you go to school, you get good grades, you go to college, you get a good job, and then you retire,

Jynesis Hawkins: 12:36

Yep. That was it. You're somebody's wife. You're somebody's mother. Mm-hmm.

Destiny Jordan: 12:42

So you don't have any other options

Jynesis Hawkins: 12:44

No. And I feel like as somebody who did all the things, like I went to school, I went to college, I got my master's, I did all the things that I was supposed to do, but again, where is the fulfillment of me? And what that looks like is that breakdown of like, okay, you have all these check marks on paper, but in real life, how are you showing up and how are you feeling? And I think, again, being a mother, having all of these changes, you kinda lose yourself in that. And so my whole thing is not only celebrating my son, but also celebrating myself and the women around me I see all these TikTokers, all these influencers who are building their life, but they don't have kids. They don't have any other responsibilities but themselves. So it's like how can I create a lane for women like me who want the best, who wanna lose weight, who wanna do all these things, who wanna like become the best version of themselves financially, spiritually, mentally, but don't have that roadmap because they still have to take care of somebody else So that's really where I came to with my writing. Kai the Jungle King, was to celebrate my son. But The Rebuild Diaries is really a love letter to myself and the women out there who are going through things silently and still wearing a beautiful smile on the outside.

Destiny Jordan: 14:05

So as you're still building, since you're building a lot of different things- Mm-hmm and you're also building something that's also purpose-driven, so there's a purpose to these, Rebuild Dia- Diaries. It also can be emotionally demanding. So what kinda keeps you grounded when doing this type of work?

Jynesis Hawkins: 14:20

they always say that you should dedicate your work to something, to someone. And so if you can't do it for yourself, do it for them. So I think everything is really rooted in love for my family and for my child and for the people in my circle. So every day it's like, okay, if it was just for me, I would've been quit. But because I'm doing this for such a… sometimes you don't have that motivation. Sometimes you don't have that discipline. Sometimes you don't have that drive. It's easy to be tired. It's easy to be exhausted. But when you have to do it for somebody else, it's like, "Dang, I don't wanna do this today, but I got to. I gotta show up for them because they're counting on me, and I want them to have the life that I dreamed of, so it's like I'm gonna keep working, and I will exhaust myself until they have that, until they have everything I think they deserve." I think with Black women specifically, we think that luxury is so far off and so far-fetched that we have to, work our hands to the bone to get it. I think that we need to start implementing luxury back into our lives, the little things. Can you get your laundry done? Go drop it off this week. Put some extra money to the side to have little things taken off your plate. Maybe you can order, like, do a meal prep service. You can have a maid come. It's $19 on Homeglow. Like, there's little things that you can do to really take that stress. I think we're taught to carry so much, and my kinda platform is what can we do for you to really live this life that is not so demanding and overwhelming and overpowering, so that you can still be yourself and show up for the people that need you

Destiny Jordan: 16:05

Mm-hmm. Especially I like how you talked about that you can, like, put some money aside and pay for small things. You know, like if you grew up, with aunts and grandmothers, like you can clean your own house. Why you got someone else cleaning your house?

Jynesis Hawkins: 16:16

But again, that's how I feel like we're raised. We're raised to be so strong and so independent. And for me, I really value, time to myself. I really value, a easy life, a slow, a intentional life. So what are the things that I can bring into my life that will take those things off of my plate so I don't feel so stressed and overwhelmed? I feel like it's easy, for me, to live in this hypervigil- vigilant state of like I have to do everything, and we have to learn that, we're, able to give somebody, space to take things off of our plate.

Destiny Jordan: 16:57

That's true. That was really giving people permission, to know,

Jynesis Hawkins: 17:00

Yes

Destiny Jordan: 17:01

hey, if you have the money, do it then. You know? Or you can save up to it.

Jynesis Hawkins: 17:05

Even if you don't, there's little things that you can start right now. Maybe you can wake up a little bit earlier and, do your skincare, wake up 30 minutes early before the baby and, really have a slow morning. Or plan your morning out the night before so that you're ready in the morning. It's little luxuries, I think, and luxury doesn't always have to have a price tag on it. It's the little moments where you feel free, where you don't feel like the world is on top of you, where your shoulders can be, laid to rest, and your head is high because you feel like, "Wow, everything that I'm working for is finally coming into fruition."

Destiny Jordan: 17:42

Awesome right there. Especially for like women journal- especially Black women too, is that it's okay to have a life that's different than what you live.

Jynesis Hawkins: 17:51

Yeah. It's okay. Give your per- self permission to want better, to have better, to do better than what you've seen or the environment that… I feel like, when we grow up in a scarcity environment where, oh, we're penny-pinching, we're doing X, Y, and Z, we don't even know how to really take care of ourselves in a way that other people do to really ensure that they don't feel overwhelmed, they don't feel stressed, they don't feel so tired. And I think we have to get out of that scarcity mindset and really think in abundance. Everything is gonna come back to you. If you're pouring into yourself, you're able to pour into others, and that's how God blesses you.

Destiny Jordan: 18:34

Amen. Also, ask quick- the questions of how we got started, is

Jynesis Hawkins: 18:40

this book right

Destiny Jordan: 18:41

here.

Jynesis Hawkins: 18:42

so my debut book, Kai the Jungle King, is, my son's name is Malachi. this was all about, really him, me wanting him to see himself the way that I see him, so as a king. his name is Malachi King, so I kind of played off the words. so you know, he's the king. And I was thinking about like animals are so, They can go into any space. They're not so black and white I feel like it can really transcend across different nationalities, ethnicities. We can all, relate to the king of the jungle, which is a lion. So I kind of had this inspiration where there's all these amazing animals that all have these different strengths, all have these different, gifts. But why is the lion chosen? You know, what's his reason? What does he have that none of these other… That he's the lion. The lazy lion. That's what they call them, right? That he just sits in the sun. He just sleeps all day. He doesn't really do much until it's time. Why is he the king? And I wanted my son to understand that even, like, why is he the king? Why is he Malachi King? Because even though with everything going on, you have something inside of you that nobody else has, just like all these other animals. So it's just, it, it's a really a love letter to my son.

Destiny Jordan: 20:22

Oh, that is beautiful. And one of the things, y'all, I was re- reading your book, and it's fascinating. these graphics are popping. Thank you … people watching the video, I'm like, these graphics. I was like, oh my gosh, self-published? I was like, look, this is quality, guys.

Jynesis Hawkins: 20:36

It's- Yes… Destiny Jordan: beautiful. I wanna, quickly shout out Interfaith Publishing at the collective. It's a Black-owned firm. they literally helped me from top to bottom. I did all the pictures, all the words, but for them to get this book printed in a week for the mirror event, like, it was … thank you to Interfaith Publishing.

Destiny Jordan: 20:59

Wow, that is amazing. So my thing I gotta double take as well is yes, you're the author, but also to be the illustrator, I was like, whoa. how did you do both?

Jynesis Hawkins: 21:08

If I would show you the first design, the first copy that we made maybe a year ago, it was so cartoonish, I feel like I had the words, but it just didn't scream off the shelf. So it was really a lot of editing and trying again and doing more, and, trying to make it as realistic as possible but still pop out with the bright colors that I know my son would gravitate towards or that would make you pull a book off a shelf. So it's really just a back in the lab process. You're always fine-tuning. You're always trying to make things better. and it's not a easy, fast process. Like, this book was a year in the making. So for y'all to see, like, the last, month of it, you guys didn't see, like, the groundwork or the build of all of the, "Okay, this doesn't look right. Okay, this doesn't feel right. Okay, this doesn't sound right. How can I make this even better?" It's such a editing process, and I know the authors out there, they know about it. It's like, You don't wanna edit too much, and then, you're not even where you started. So it's just, it's a lot of fine-tuning.

Destiny Jordan: 22:15

How did you go about drawing your pictures? Do you draw them in a sketchbook first and then you put them into the computer?

Jynesis Hawkins: 22:21

Well, no, I'm not an artist. I definitely used a lot of my AI models prompting to really create a lot of the basis of the images, and really having a visual that I already had and having that uploaded to really make these things come to life. Like, I wanted to take real animals, real things that we saw, real things that we went to the zoo and picked out these different animals, and then really, like, putting them into the computer. But there's so many things you can do. I'm a big advocate for using things to help make your life easier.

Destiny Jordan: 22:59

Now that is really cool, and I really love how you said just like, "Look, I used AI to help me out." 'Cause I was thinking in my head, I was like, for doing a children's book with a lot of pictures, things like that, that can start getting up into the thousands- depending on how large a book is and all that. And so I was like, huh, when you were the illustrator, I was like, this is so nice. I was like, how'd you do it?

Jynesis Hawkins: 23:19

it yourself. Yes, do it yourself. I feel like definitely use the things, you know, obviously be careful, but, use the things that can help you, and make sure, you do have a publisher that's gonna get you your IBSN number, and all of those things to make your book really yours.

Destiny Jordan: 23:36

That is amazing. So I love when I see authors that are pro-AI and using it, ethically and also respectfully. 'Cause I'm like-

Jynesis Hawkins: 23:43

Correct… Destiny Jordan: hats off to you. Thank you so much.

Destiny Jordan: 23:48

So when you were writing this book, was there, a moment when you're in the writing process where you were surprised how the book went?

Jynesis Hawkins: 23:56

So the ending was not the ending originally. I feel like it was more so like, because again, my son is non-verbal, so it was really me pouring life into him, but I wanted to kind of change it to a alternate ending where, first of all, I think it's a myth, kids that don't speak, they know what you're saying. They absolutely can hear, and that's why they say don't speak bad about a kid, that's non-verbal or that can't speak because they know and they internalize everything that you say. So I wanted to give him a voice of the things that I thought or I would think he's saying once I'm pouring myself into him, or my life, or my, you know, just pouring self-worth and self-love into him.

Destiny Jordan: 24:41

Oh, that is awesome. So parents have bought your book, maybe you're selling to schools- Yes … or however you are distributing your book, what is the conversation you hope that families or classes have after reading your book?

Jynesis Hawkins: 24:55

Oh my goodness, that's such a great question because that is something that even when, my class was the first people to read the story. I, let them see it first. They gave me some pointers, gave me some tips. I asked them how they felt about it, what they wanted to see. But what the basis of the conversation we had was surrounding why. Why and how did he transform throughout the book? What made him doubt himself, and what can make you doubt yourself? And how can you rebuild yourself? Again, even as a child, how can you rebuild your confidence, your self-worth, and how can you internalize the differences but don't take it personal and still amplify who you are? I think it's, this book is kinda really telling you, you don't have to dim your light just because these other animals have these gifts. The cheetah may be the fastest, The monkey may be the smartest. That's true, and that's okay, right? It's okay for them to have different strengths and be great at their strengths. But you need to know what do you have, what do you possess that makes you no one else can be you. That's why you're the king. You have everything you need to be amazing and to be great, but you don't need to compare yourself or try to be like anybody else,

Destiny Jordan: 26:17

I really love how that started with those who read this book and the work you do afterwards, this first book, with Kai, the Jungle King, is that you can, as you were saying, you can rebuild yourself.

Jynesis Hawkins: 26:27

Yep.

Destiny Jordan: 26:28

Over and over again. And even, I feel like we're, as we grow up, we're constantly rebuilding yourself. You're different from when you were in middle school than when you were in high school. College was a whole whirlwind of stuff

Jynesis Hawkins: 26:39

100%, very different. So if you know me before then, no, I'm just kidding. But, you know, people are allowed to change, people are allowed to transform, and people are allowed to grow. I think, we have to get out of that mindset of, "I know who they were." Okay, you know who we were, but you don't know who I am today. God can definitely change hearts, change and work miracles, but I think that- Give your permission to know that you have a past, and how can you use that as a testimony? There's nobody that's perfect. There's nobody that did everything right. And use those things to maybe help the next generation not make those same mistakes as you. So I think it's just a, a lived testimony. There's things that I could never speak about if I never went through them.

Destiny Jordan: 27:25

Very true. You got a lot of people talking about things they have no idea what they're talking about

Jynesis Hawkins: 27:33

Yes.

Destiny Jordan: 27:34

but I really like the idea of the being intentional, because to grow, you have to acknowledge you want to change. And if you don't acknowledge that, then you're gonna remain the same.

Jynesis Hawkins: 27:45

You can know you wanna change for a long time, but it's that taking that first step to really saying, "I'm going to." not that I know this is bad for me, not that I know this is wrong, but you know what? I'm going to stop and I'm going to change, and even if it's a gradual change, I'm still going to do it. And I think that's what rebuilding yourself is all about, showing yourself and making promises to yourself that you can keep. A lot of us have broken so many promises that we don't even know how to trust ourselves anymore. We keep saying, "Okay, I'm gonna go do this on Monday. I'm gonna meal prep. I'm gonna cook on Sunday," and we don't do it. You're breaking that promise to yourself. So how can you even elevate and grow if you can't even trust yourself to do the things that you said you were gonna do? So it's a lot of looking at yourself and understanding that sometimes you may be part of the problem. You may be part of the reason why you're not excelling, you're not moving forward, because you're getting in your own way.

Destiny Jordan: 28:45

And what are some of the ways you would say to someone like, "Hey, I see you told me you were going to, work out three times this week, and you didn't come those times this week. Like, what's going on?"

Jynesis Hawkins: 28:55

No, literally, and I feel like I've been there. I would never speak about something that I haven't went through. So being that type of person and still in the rebuild process currently, I think that's why I can speak about it, because I'm going through it right now, but it's really start small. You have to gain trust with yourself again. So maybe you can't commit three times, 'cause schedules change, things are going crazy. Commit to just drinking water for seven days. Make yourself a small promise. Start with water. if I can do that, then I'm gonna maybe walk at least once next week, or once or twice. Then the next week, now I'm drinking water. I'm not even putting soda. I'm already losing weight because those empty calories. I'm going on a walk. The walk feels great. The sun is out. It's summertime. Okay, maybe I'm gonna walk a little bit more. Now, maybe I'm gonna find, like, a little gym or a local gym that I can start incorporating when I have a… And as a person that, has a child, I advocate for places like AMP Fitness, $34, and it comes with a daycare. there's no excuse anymore, and it's not that expensive. If you can spend $35 on a meal, on a family-sized meal, which I was doing- For my family, like I can still, I can spend $35 for a month to go to the gym and have my son have fun for two hours while I work out for two hours. So it's just small promises and then you build on top of that. It's called habit stacking. Start with a small habit and then stack it. for example, like if you want to listen to more podcasts, you wanna pour into yourself, with financial literacy, listen to a financial podcast, like The Dave Ramsey Show while you're working out, while you're, on the treadmill. So you're killing those two habits at the same time. You're getting what you need mentally and you're serving your body physically.

Destiny Jordan: 30:52

I love that. Like we really, sometimes I feel like we make things over complicated 'cause somehow that's how we get wired as we grow up to make everything, complicated, everything is more than it needs to be.

Jynesis Hawkins: 31:02

I think that's, where you get stuck. I think it's the getting started part. And I know for me it was like, okay, I say I'm gonna do X, Y, and Z, but then it's like you over commit, it's too much, this food goes bad, these things happen. And it's like, okay, I need to start small because I'm trying to do too many big things at once. Start small. I'm a advocate for, a gradual release. That's what they teach us in school. Do what I do, we do, you do. It's like gradually release yourself into the life that you want to live.

Destiny Jordan: 31:37

And one of the things I really love about the work you're doing, is that since your story is so awesome, like everyone ought to… Those who are watching, those who are listening, you should really grab this book. It is really a fantastic stories and like a lovely story to read. It's so fun.

Jynesis Hawkins: 31:52

It's so cute.

Destiny Jordan: 31:54

But how did you, with children's books, 'cause I believe you teach elementary?

Jynesis Hawkins: 31:58

Mm-hmm.

Destiny Jordan: 31:59

So with children's books, and you wrote a children's… With most children's books you may read to your class and with your own, how do you write a story like that without it being overly like instructional, sounding like a education book?

Jynesis Hawkins: 32:12

Jess, I really think you need to figure out before you even start writing, what do you want people to gain? What do you want people to get from this story, at the end, by the end? Start with the end in mind. Even as a teacher, we plan based on what the test is gonna be about. So I want you to plan based on what problem are you trying to amplify or like trying to solve, or what community effort you wanna amplify. What is something that you want people to take away by the end of the story? And then plan backwards. So if, for example, if I want you to, change your life, I'm going to think about what are all the steps, what are the ways that you need to go so that you can get to the end. And I also want to work the steps myself. But for a children's book specifically, if I wanna write about kindness, if I wanna write about people being kind, I'm gonna think about, okay, I don't want this to be a step by step, "You should be nice, you should say hello." I'm going to blend that in naturally with the characters. So when I'm reading the story I'm gonna like, "Isn't that a kind thing to do? Did you see that he p- like opened up the door for them? Did you see that…" it's not like I'm saying it specifically, but you can see it through the words, you can see it through the actions and the pictures of the characters. There's little nuances that you can add in to really- Get to the theme of the story

Destiny Jordan: 33:51

Love that. So it's kinda like you wanna show more than what you're telling them, 'cause if you keep telling me, then I'm like, I'm not gonna catch it."

Jynesis Hawkins: 33:56

Exactly. And you know, kids, most of them are visual learners. So use the pictures to really amplify what the words are saying.

Destiny Jordan: 34:05

So what's it writing for children, since there's like a million children's books every year, and also that people say that writing for children is a difficult thing. But when you write for children, what responsibility comes with writing for children who are still kind of developing their sense of self?

Jynesis Hawkins: 34:21

That's a huge responsibility. I think that as teachers, as parents, we are our kids' first stop, in their train to self-worth, in their train to confidence. So it's important to get so many affirmational books in front of them at a young age before they're set in their ways, before they get to middle school, before, their peers are really digging at them. It's important for us, especially in elementary, to really pour into our children before it's too late. Because you don't wanna get them where they're having all of these comparisons to others. The joy of thief is comparison. So you really wanna pour into them at a early age. Find books that really amplify confidence, that really amplify, whatever ethnicity they are. There's some for every single race and gender and ethnicity out there. So start by building their library intentionally.

Destiny Jordan: 35:18

I really like how you say emphasis on like having, there's books for every ethnicity. So what does meaningful representation look like to you when you see it in children's literature?

Jynesis Hawkins: 35:28

It looks like relatability. we just read Simon B. Rhymin' by Dwayne Reeds. we just read that in class because it's like I want them to be able to relate to a fifth grade pers- like, out of Chicago that's walking around, and there's trash on the streets. There's people sleeping on the side of the road. In Houston today, I see the same thing. You see the same thing when you walk outside. there's basketball courts that are unused. The city does not take care of them. So I wanted them to be able to put themselves in that book, but then also see how did Simon use his voice to change, and I want my kids to do that as well. How can you use your voice to change and impact something in your community, whether that is through a poem, whether that through a book, whether that's through music, whether that is like right now on a podcast. Those are all of the things I want our children to think about. How can they get their message across in a positive and a creative way?

Destiny Jordan: 36:34

Now that is wonderful, especially for children. And I really love how you're teaching your classroom to like be more aware. 'Cause I feel like as you go through school sometimes you become myopic instead of gaining a broad awareness-

Jynesis Hawkins: 36:47

Yep

Destiny Jordan: 36:47

what's around you.

Jynesis Hawkins: 36:49

Yes. It's that big topic of like ethno- being ethnocentric, being only seeing what you see in your community and not know what's going around in the world. I think in books, that's the first time our children see themselves sometimes in a positive light. So I think literature is so important, and it's so important to reinforce that, not only in the classroom but at home. As a parent, I try to advocate for having books in the house, and as an educator, because you make our life easier. Start in the home.

Destiny Jordan: 37:23

Now that is right there, because that's where everything starts there. 'Cause we're just a mini home, but you go home somewhere else 24/7.

Jynesis Hawkins: 37:32

But I think again, okay, you want… I'm trying to put myself in their shoes because it's like, "Okay, you want me to do this, but I work two or three jobs. I have to do X, Y, and Z. I don't have the time." Okay, well how can you alleviate the things on your plate to make some time? That's why I'm an advocate of those mini luxuries, the things that you're doing that's not really serving you to kind of eliminate some of those things. So if you have to do laundry on Sunday, like all day long, why can't you drop that off to a place for $40 or a 150 wash and fold and use that time to spend engaging with your child?

Destiny Jordan: 38:13

And now you're building this wonderful brand. you're building your impact network. You're building something that's going to probably outgrow you- at some point. it's gonna be so impactful. But as you're building right now, how do you protect your creativity while you're building this brand and this platform?

Jynesis Hawkins: 38:31

I do speak generally because I do wanna, protect my babies. all of these things are things that I'm really trying to craft, and I would never present if I don't feel like it was all the way together. And it's different, it's not a perfectionist, but I do want to have something that's really gonna serve the community that I'm speaking to, whether that's children, whether that's teens, whether that's adults. I really want it to transcend because everything I'm doing is for the betterment of the whole. As you grow, I want the things and the platforms that I put can reach you as a kid, can reach you as a teen, can reach you as an adult. So even though my first debut was with children, my next is for women. I have a teen series on the way. Like, I really love writing. I really love, expressing myself creatively and really just finding new ways to amplify the issues that I see in my community.

Destiny Jordan: 39:35

But what are some ways or systems or habits that help you stay consistent creatively?

Jynesis Hawkins: 39:40

I feel like at this point in my life I'm pretty busy. I still have a full-time job. I'm still going to these different events. I still work with Reading with a Rapper. Like, I do a lot. So what I would say is enjoy some time to do nothing. That's the only way to keep your creativity flowing. if one day you wanna just bed roll or you wanna just sit on the couch and do nothing, do that. recharge, reset, go get a massage. Do things that are going to help you not burn out so quickly. Lean on the people around you. Lean on your partner. Lean on your family. And really take those days that you have to yourself to be by yourself

Destiny Jordan: 40:27

Look, that's facts right there. 'Cause most of the time that's against most advice. They say, "Look, you gotta hustle, you gotta grind, you gotta keep on going, keep on going. You sleep when you're dead." But you're saying take some time to rest."

Jynesis Hawkins: 40:37

Take some time to rest and recharge, 'cause if not, you're gonna find yourself burning out very quickly, and that's not rebuilding yourself. That's detrimenting yourself. That is putting yourself back in the same cycle that you were already in. So give yourself permission to be like, "I'm tired." And it's okay to be tired, it's okay to be overwhelmed, it's okay to feel all the feelings, because then you can pinpoint it and figure out how can we use this emotion to kind of change what we're doing in our life to make it easier for ourselves. But You have to know what is that trigger for you. You have to know what is draining you in order for you to replenish it

Destiny Jordan: 41:21

That's true right there. And one of the things you mentioned earlier about the publishing company that helped you, what part of publishing in this entrepreneurship type life came with the steepest learning curve?

Jynesis Hawkins: 41:33

Oh my God, sizing of a book. that took maybe four to five tries just getting the sizing right. Like figuring out what they can put on their paper, figuring out how big we want it, how small we want it. as an entrepreneur or a self-published, author, you're putting up the money up front. So it's like the bigger the book, the more expensive it gets. So it's like you don't want a little mini book and then it doesn't really pop off the shelf, but then you don't want something so big and so grand that you think is beautiful but it's costing you so much. So I think it's just finding that happy medium, finding the things that are going to not tip you over the scale financially. Because again, in that Rebuild series, You don't want to be stressing because of the financials, 'cause that can make you gain weight, that can make you, have acne. There's so many things that stress can cause, and financial stress is one of the biggest factors.

Destiny Jordan: 42:35

That's true. Nothing worse about stress, stress is stress about money. So what, for you, what does sustainable success look like for you personally?

Jynesis Hawkins: 42:45

For me, it looks like my businesses and my ideas transcending me, still being around helping people even when I'm not here. Being able to impact children, or having those children who I've taught years ago still, reach out to me, still, follow me on social media, still keep up with me because of the love that I already poured into them. So I feel like sustainable success looks like me still having an impact and influence down the line in 5, 10 years from now. I want to just grow my platform. Like, I feel like I am just in the beginning of my career. I'm 27, but it's like I feel like I do have a lot to give in the next 10 years

Destiny Jordan: 43:35

Awesome. And do at any point do you think maybe just hypothesize that as your brand and big starts to build, do you think you'll have to step down from teaching or do you think you'll be able to continue to teach?

Jynesis Hawkins: 43:48

Oh, yeah, shout out to the teachers out there, but it's not for everybody. I'm good at teaching. I wanna say that. I am very great at my job. I'm great with connecting with students. I'm great at building relationships with parents. I am really good at my job, but sometimes you know the burnout is real. also, you wanna have that autonomy. Like, I don't feel like I can use my day and my hours the way I need to as a teacher. So teaching is a great stepping stone for the things I wanna do in my career. It's been a great model of how to build what our students, and what our parents need alike. So I have that inside knowledge that I'm going to use to help build the things and the brands that I'm building. But yes, teaching's not 100%, not in my 10-year plan.

Destiny Jordan: 44:39

All right. I really love how you have confidence about that, 'cause a lot of times people, well, most people start their nine-to-five, you're told, like, you're there for the rest of your life basically. Correct. Unless you have, like, a better second job,

Jynesis Hawkins: 44:51

And I work at a school where the demographic is fairly old, and I don't wanna die at my school. And I don't mean that in a physical sense, but I really mean, like, I don't want this to be the last thing that I do. It has to be more to this. It has to be more. Like, I know that there's more for my life than just being a teacher. Being a teacher was great, and it got me my start, but I have so much more or so many more people to impact beyond the four walls of my classroom.

Destiny Jordan: 45:23

Love that. I really love just have the confidence to say that 'cause a lot of teachers, the teachers I've met in my student teaching and just in my different schools that I've been in, I'm like, "You could do a lot of good stuff with what you know." And they're like, "Ugh, but I, I can't really do it. I have, I have no other skills."

Jynesis Hawkins: 45:39

They're scared. But as a teacher, they need to understand that the intellectual property that they have, no one else can give. Like, you have something that no one else… You've been inside that classroom. You directly know what your parents need. You directly know what your students need. You directly know what teachers need, what admin need. All of these things you could be capitalizing off of. If you think your admin is trash, why are you not writing a ebook? Why are you not doing things or advocating for things to change or be better? You should be down at your school board office. Like, those are things that you can do to actively change the life that you're living outside of your classroom

Destiny Jordan: 46:23

So really it's like it is acknowledging fear, but also doing something about it.

Jynesis Hawkins: 46:28

You have to change. You have to do something. I think that's what we're put on this world to do is make things better.

Destiny Jordan: 46:35

That is true. And also it's kinda hard 'cause teaching becomes a community. After a while you see the same people day in, day out. So it's kinda hard, I guess for some teachers to feel like they lose that if they do decide

Jynesis Hawkins: 46:48

That's the trap. That is how they get you. The kids are great. You love seeing them. You love the community you built. You love the summers off. You love the consistency in pay. Those things to walk away from is scary, and I get it, but that is how they trap you. If you know that your purpose is bigger than the classroom, do not be stifled by fear. That's what I want you to walk away with. Do not limit yourself because you're scared of starting over, Is your paycheck worth your peace? Because I understand that as a teacher that consistent pay, I know what I'm gonna make every two weeks. I know that, and I know the summer's off, and I know your breaks. But is that worth your mental health? Is that worth your peace? Is that worth the overwhelming feeling that you feel or taking work home at night? would you take a pay cut and chase your dreams, or do you wanna be stuck and never feel fulfilled?

Destiny Jordan: 47:51

Woo. Is your paycheck worth your peace? Woo.

Jynesis Hawkins: 47:56

that's deep. It's a lot to think about, and I think my brand is about food for thought.

Destiny Jordan: 48:01

Yeah, I'ma be nibbling on that for a while. Love it

Jynesis Hawkins: 48:06

Take a little bite.

Destiny Jordan: 48:08

I just love it. But also with your brand that you're building- 'cause you're really big on having community and having people work together, what does community building mean to you? What does that look like for you?

Jynesis Hawkins: 48:19

It means going into the city, like doing initiatives that directly impact those where you live at. So for example, with me teaching at Reading with a Rapper, I'm teaching at the first afterschool program that is located inside of a municipal building. Like, I'm teaching inside of City Hall. I'm not out there, like, I could be anywhere, but we chose City Hall to do this summer program to know that we are actively in our communities, actively working with the people who can change laws, and to change, the things that are going on and the issues that we need, and bring that straight to you guys. I just wanna shout out Reading with a Rapper. Look at Star Academy. I'll be the lead teacher at City Hall this summer in Missouri City. So look out for that.

Destiny Jordan: 49:12

Oh, congratulations. Wow.

Jynesis Hawkins: 49:15

Yes. I think It's so many things that we hold ourself back from just because of that fear, and really making sure that we're leaping into those new opportunities and going out on a limb. Even just applying to things that you may not be 100% qualified for. You don't know who God is gonna put on the other side of that hiring table that's gonna see something in you. So don't ever stop trying. Don't ever stop applying. Don't ever stop working towards your dreams.

Destiny Jordan: 49:46

I feel like a lot of people, maybe everyone's just kinda waking up to going after your dream or going after what you wanna do.

Jynesis Hawkins: 49:53

Yes. And I think it's because when we're a little bit younger in our early 20s we feel like we have so much time, and we're having fun and we're enjoying life and we're having these experiences, but we're not really building our career. So then when you get my age, when you're 26 and up, 27, 28, 29, it's like, dang, I'm almost 30 and what have I really built? And I think that's where I'm at right now. What have I built? And let me go ahead and rebuild my life. Like, I wanna change that perspective, like just into what can I use my platform for? 'Cause I know a lot of people, I have a lot of friends but it's like what can I do to have purpose and not just be a pretty girl, not just be a party girl, How can I change my life to impact those around

Destiny Jordan: 50:45

me? Now that's amazing, especially moving into purpose. From party to purpose.

Jynesis Hawkins: 50:49

From party to purpose.

Destiny Jordan: 50:51

That could be one of your books. That'd be so cool.

Jynesis Hawkins: 50:54

Exactly. I was like, come on now, it's the PV in me, you know? but we do produce productive people, so.

Destiny Jordan: 51:02

That's awesome. But I have one question for you. In your opinion, what role do stories play in shaping confidence and emotional intelligence?

Jynesis Hawkins: 51:12

children's books are the first time that kids see themselves in a positive light. their names, their culture, the way they look, that's the first place where they can build their confidence because they see themselves. Around them in their environment, they may not see the people that look like them. So introducing that in a book, a positive role model, a positive female, a positive male, through a book, it can really help sustain where they're going. And it really can give them that glimpse of there is more to my life than what is around me.

Destiny Jordan: 51:47

That is true. Especially when, as you're working on other projects, will that still carry on confidence and building some form of emotional intelligence?

Jynesis Hawkins: 51:57

Exactly. And I think that we have to be very intentional. Not only do we need to get the books, we need to reinforce the content. We need to reinforce that you are loved, you are beautiful, no matter what. Now, you can always improve yourself, but we need to have a basis of you are amazing already, and whatever you choose to do is because you choose it for you and no one else.

Destiny Jordan: 52:23

And so it's really a, people say that when you have, things are going well in your life, you wanna claim it. But then things going bad in your life, you wanna blame other people. But it sounds like what you're saying, we own all of it.

Jynesis Hawkins: 52:37

sometimes you're part of the problem, and we need to recognize that. Sometimes you are self-sabotaging. Sometimes you are getting in your own way. Sometimes, your fear is stifling you. So look at yourself. You need to do a life audit. Look at all the places that you are- Your financial, your spiritual, your mental, your physical, and really audit your life. And use AI tools to even help you and generate some of those things so that you can make a sustainable path to where you really wanna go.

Destiny Jordan: 53:08

Also, we're coming close to the end. It's been so much fun, but now- we're gonna enter our fire round. Okay. So these are our top few questions. First thing comes to your mind.

Jynesis Hawkins: 53:17

Go.

Destiny Jordan: 53:17

Our first question. For writers or creatives listening who feel afraid to begin, what is one point of advice you would give them?

Jynesis Hawkins: 53:25

Just do it. Get out of your head and just start, please. The world is waiting to hear what you have to say.

Destiny Jordan: 53:32

All right. What book or resource would you recommend for authors today?

Jynesis Hawkins: 53:39

I think really look at the people that you want to be like. So for example, the people in your field, that is who you need to be studying. You can't study, Zora Neale Hurston like if that's not your lane. You need to find who speaks to you and try to build, yourself off of that type of vibe.

Destiny Jordan: 53:59

Awesome. All right. where can listeners connect with you and support your work?

Jynesis Hawkins: 54:04

If you wanna find anything, learn anything about my nonprofit, go to Jynesishawkins.com. You can also connect with me on Instagram @Jynesishawkins or on TikTok with Miss Hawkins Class.

Destiny Jordan: 54:17

Fabulous. Thank you so much, Jynesis, for joining us today, and this has been Penned by Design. Catch you guys next time.

Jynesis Hawkins: 54:25

If today's episode helped you think bigger about your writing, your brand, or the work you're building,

Destiny Jordan: 54:31

be sure to subscribe, share it with another writer, author, or creative CEO, and leave a review. And if you're ready to pen your own story designed by you, join me on the Penned by Design newsletter over on Substack for more resources, insight, and encouragement. You'll find all the links in the show notes. Until next time, keep building, keep creating, and most importantly, keep writing, writers. The world needs your story. I'll see you in the next show