Metro Detroit Shop Talk
May 22, 2024
Online event
Metro Detroit Shop Talk
Creating an Author Brand with Rhonda Accardo
Rhonda Accardo and her daughter Jessica Wateratradt wrote and illustrated the children’s book The Acorn and the Oak. They will share how creating a brand helped them reach customers they may not have had the chance to. “We don't just sell a product. We created a brand that helped us draw people In. Your brand is how customers, authors, and the community perceive you. It helps to sell products and creates an experience by stirring emotions.”
Mother and daughter, Rhonda Accardo and Jessica Waterstradt, come together for the first time as author and illustrator to create this timeless story of an old oak tree. Jessica received an illustration degree from Grand Valley University, and Rhonda works as a nurse. With beautiful watercolor illustrations, Jessica brings her mother's words to life with intricate detail. "As children, we were both gifted with a vivid imagination, coupled with a love of the outdoors. If we were young at the same time, I am certain we would have been the best of friends and shared the most amazing adventures. Lucky for us, we can meet in a world we create with pen, paper, a little paint, and our imaginations." Jessica and Rhonda live in southeast Michigan with their families. On their days off, they can be found in woods or along dirt roads, wading in streams, and finding the wonder in the trees along the way.