An intimate conversation with featured writer of the month

We asked our featured writer of the month, Carmen Ayala Brown, her inspirations behind her writing and creative career. Here is what we found out.

Apojo: What inspired you to get into the creative world of writing?

Carmen: It was a calling for sure. Deep down inside I just knew I wanted to write. There were signposts along the way throughout my life. So one day I began my journey by writing children's stories.

Apojo: When judging the Daytime Emmy Awards in the outstanding children’s animated television writing programming category, what types of qualities do you look for?

Carmen: Since children are quite impressionable, I like to see programming which is inspiring, lighthearted, and problem-solving at the end when posed with a challenge.

Apojo: Could you please tell us a little bit more about your entertainment technology driven brand Girly Stuff Inc?

Carmen: Girly Stuff, Inc. is an entertainment tech-enabled brand targeted to the unrepresented tween/teen multicultural girl niche and all girls worldwide with a branded merchandise line, and foremost, original content creation distributed on tech-enabled multiplatforms. This is where our young audience lives and breathes! The Girly Stuff, Inc. youth adult novel based on the forthcoming animated television characters depicted in the book is available on Amazon.

Apojo: How did you get into entertainment marketing as a product placement manager?

Carmen: I was mentored by a pioneer in the industry years ago. I worked under him for a season then I started my own boutique agency.

Apojo: When doing product placement, do companies come to you to endorse their product or do you go to them?

Carmen: I reached out to brands and/or companies which I felt would be ideal for product placement. Not all products are a good fit for this type of advertisement. My first client was the iconic Aeron Chair by Herman Miller.

Apojo: I see you’ve built a mobile free & green friendly hair dryer for today's woman. What inspired you to create this?

Carmen: Out of necessity! I was drying my hair one morning which was taking forever, and multitasking to the best of my ability. The situation at hand led to an invention of a personal hair appliance for women.

Apojo: How did you come up with the name for your dog Ricky?

Carmen: Ricky was my sweet Newfoundland trophy dog! He was an ex-champion who was on the dog show circuit for years. I adopted him after one of my beloved German Shepherds named Sammie passed away suddenly.

Apojo: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Carmen: Keep writing and never give up. Remember, you're the creator of your material. For that reason, if you decide you want a new set of eyes to review your work, be prepared for changes. But since you're the creator of your material, stay true to your originality as much as possible.

Carmen Ayala Brown is a writer, inventor, entrepreneur, and female founder of the Girly Stuff, Inc. startup. She has been part of the judging panel for the Daytime Emmy Awards in the outstanding children’s animated television writing programming category for the past five years. Carmen has created and written numerous film and television scripts for the children and family marketplace.

Interested in her repertoire of work as a producer? Sign-up here or get in touch at member@apojo.app.