I Quit My Job to Start a Children's Book Brand… Then Life Happened

Young & Brilliant - Smart Money Kids Volume 2

In 2022, I left my job at Accenture with one goal: to create a children’s book that could teach the kinds of real-world skills most schools skip—financial literacy, decision-making, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. The kinds of skills most of us wish we learned earlier.

That idea didn’t come out of nowhere.

I grew up in a community where brilliance was everywhere—but access wasn’t. I saw early how uneven the playing field could be, especially for kids who were capable of so much more than the system expected of them. That experience shaped me. And it became the force behind what would become Young & Brilliant.

"We believe all kids deserve the tools to thrive. And this mission was born from a deep understanding of what happens when they don’t get them."

Since the pandemic, those gaps have only grown wider.

COVID didn’t just disrupt routines—it disrupted learning.Many K–5 students are still playing catch-up—not just in academics, but in critical thinking and life readiness.Traditional curriculum doesn’t always have the flexibility or the focus to fill those gaps.

That’s where we come in.

What started with one Google Doc and Canva, quickly became a mission.

But building a mission is messy.

Eventually, I burned out. I was underfunded, overwhelmed, and unsure if I could keep going.That’s when I shared my story on Crackle’s Going From Broke—and sat across from mentors like Dan Rosensweig (former CEO of Chegg), who gave me the hard advice I didn’t want to hear:

“You need to go back to corporate.”

It felt like I had failed.

But in a separate conversation, Ashton Kutcher said something I’ll never forget:

“You never have to give up on the dream. God gives three answers—yes, not right now, or I have something better.”

Ashton Kutcher, Dan Rosensweig, and Desiree Emmanuel on Going From Broke

That reframed everything.I stopped seeing my pause as a setback and started seeing it as strategy.

So yes, I went back to corporate. And quietly, before and after hours, I kept building, collecting research and expanding partnerships. With the support of mentors and community believers, we refined the mission, improved the books, and listened closely to what educators and families said they needed most.

We went quiet for a year—but we didn’t stop.

We spent the last year in what we call our stealth mode season—collecting feedback, studying what worked, and rebuilding with intention.

"We weren’t just making more books. We were refining our framework for skill-building."

That quiet season paid off.

In November 2024, Young & Brilliant won a business pitch competition sponsored by Career$hift and Brandywnie Cares, which gave us the momentum to grow. We expanded our library, reached more classrooms, and brought our mission into more homes, after-school programs, and communities across the country.

Today, Young & Brilliant is a growing educational publishing company with 10+ titles focused on equipping K–5 students with the real-world skills they need thrive - not just survive.

Through storybooks, activity books, and digital resources, we help teachers and families build confident, curious problem-solvers—not just test-takers.

Click Here to Explore Young & Brilliant's Digital Library

Our titles are supported by organizations like local YMCAs, and used in homeschool curriculums, after-school programs, and elementary classrooms nationwide.

Because at the heart of this work is a simple belief: Genius isn’t limited by zip code. But opportunity often is. And we’re here to partner in closing that gap—one story, one skill, one student at a time.

This isn’t just a reflection. It’s a relaunch.

We’re back. We’re better. And we’re not done yet.

PS - A warm thank you to the community that has beleived in this mission from the beginning.

With love and purpose,

-Desireé Emmanuel