Zibby is joined by Meredith Seacrest Leach to discuss THE MAKE-BELIEVERS, the delightful picture book she co-wrote with her brother, America’s favorite host and media personality, Ryan Seacrest. Meredith reveals that her daughter, Flora, inspired the story, which explores the surprising strengths of a child’s wild, wonderful imagination. She also touches on the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which provides creative outlets for hospitalized children, helping them escape and express themselves.

Transcript:

Zibby: Welcome, Meredith. Thank you so much for coming on Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books to discuss The Make Believers, which you co wrote with Ryan Seacrest, illustrated by Bonnie Lou.

Is that how you pronounce? Bonnie Lou? It's Louie. Louie. Bonnie Louie. Yes. Oh, French. Yes. Okay. Congratulations. Thank you. Tell me about How this book got started. Why did you all team up to do this book together? How did you pick the make believers? Let me hear the whole story. All the things. All the things.

Meredith: It really started, you know, I have a five year old daughter, but this, we started this process a couple years ago. So she was probably around three at the time. But we were just kind of playing with my daughter, Flora, and just, you know, she's amazing imagination and it got us reflecting about, you know, just the times of like what we played as kids and what we did.

And it is different today, you know, with iPads and all these things and other electronics and we didn't have all that right. So we were playing make believe, if you will, all the time and just talked about. You know what it kind of it opened doors for us in certain ways and a lot that we played, you know, Ryan is a kid, he would pretend to be Casey case him, you know, host shows and he would interview me and I'd be Cindy Lauper Madonna and we made music videos.

We did all this fun stuff creatively. And, and then it also was like, gosh, it's crazy. Like what you played make believe you actually became, right? And you never know, you know, things that you might pretend to do just as a child could inspire where you want, you know, where to go in your life, right? Many ways, like my daughter, you know, she loves to play that she's a veterinarian.

Who knows? Maybe that'll be where she goes. So it's really, I guess, going back to the, You know, why the make believers, but it's really about, you know, imagination and where your dreams can take you and lead you and to celebrate that. And I also, I think for parents, you know, when your kids want to play make believe, it's like get down with them and engage in it because it's just so special.

And you know, put the iPad down 

Zibby: and, and go play make believe. Such good advice. I remember my daughter, I have four kids, my oldest two are 17 and down to nine, and And my older daughter, she always used to play school, like all the time, and now she's like applying to college to be a teacher. I mean, it's amazing, right?

It's like, there is, there's a reason why people play certain ways and you should pay attention a little bit, right? 

Meredith: And it's so true. And you know, I think with my daughter too, it's like, she's an animal lover, but then she loves to perform. So she's like, can I be a singer and a veterinarian? I'm like, sure, you know, go for 

Zibby: it.

Meredith: You can do it all. 

Zibby: It's a, it's a Vegas act right there. I mean. Exactly. I loved the nod to chocolate chip pancakes in the book, which is a staple in our household, which I guess it should be more of a special treat, but it's unfortunately on the regular menu these days. But you know, the book speaks to so many just childhood, you know, bear hugs and chocolate chip pancakes and a giant stuffed unicorn.

It's hard to look at the pictures and read it without feeling that childhood. joy and magic and possibility and just how fun it all seemed, right? When now it doesn't always all seem so fun all the time, you know, 

Meredith: so the book can take you right back. It's so true. And I think, you know, you can go anywhere with your imagination.

You can meet anybody, you can be anybody, and there's something just so fun about that. 

Zibby: I feel like the make believers, is another name for readers in general. I mean, I feel like that's what we do. We put ourselves in other people's shoes all the time. That's what a good book does. And if you don't have the childhood, the childish imagination anymore, sometimes just plopping on the couch and literally becoming like in a novel, the veterinarian or something can, can do the trick or at least tap into that lost art.

I 

Meredith: agree. I agree. And, um, you know, my brother and I, Through some of the work we do with our foundation, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, we work so much with children in the hospital. And it's another place where imagination can help with healing. And when we build, it's basically a hybrid of a radio TV studio in the hospital, but kids get to come into the studio and create content and shows and be stars and pretend that they're, you know, someone else in a certain way.

And just all the creative things that we do within the hospital also inspired a bit of this as well. It's just amazing, you know, again, how imagination can again, help a child in the hospital go beyond those hospital walls, even for a little bit. 

Zibby: Yeah, I was fascinated by that. And that's so amazing that you do that.

Which hospitals are, are the centers in? 

Meredith: We are in 14 hospitals now across the country and two more that we're opening in. So it's quite a list, but it all started in our hometown of Atlanta and then it kind of snowballed into, you know, then we were opening in Philadelphia. And then it went to Dallas, and then it just kind of, it started to, to go across the country.

So it's been, um, very rewarding to work together in the foundation side, but all, also now to launch this book together. And it's, we're first time authors, so it's a lot of 

Zibby: fun. So how is it, I'm working on these projects with your brother. I have a brother and we don't necessarily work together. I mean, I adore him, but I don't know.

I don't know how it would be if we tried to like take on a professional project at this stage in our lives. 

Meredith: You know, we've been working together now for almost what, 13 years? So I've. Yeah. been in a role that's kind of used to working with him and how he ticks. And luckily, you know, again, the areas that I work with him are helping others.

So that's a great place to work together. And then this, this book project was just something fun and creative, you know, so both areas are Kind of, uh, a fun space, if you will, versus, you know, I'm not necessarily working for him and trying to do X, Y, Z and sell this, do that. I'm like, I'm on the good side of all, but yeah, and we're six years apart.

So I think we don't, we're not siblings that are so close that we've, we never fought and we're boy and a girl. I think a lot of that factors in, and we just are fortunate. We get along well and work well together. 

Zibby: That's amazing. 

Meredith: And how did 

Zibby: you pick hospitals? Like, how did that idea come about? 

Meredith: You know, my brother with his radio show, Kiss FM in Los Angeles, they would take the radio show and go to Children's Hospital of Orange County a lot and broadcast live.

And I would even go with him sometimes when I was living in LA. And we just saw kind of the power of bringing this entertainment in the hospital and how it got, you know, children out of bed and he would bring in special guests with him. And it, it just created energy and excitement. And he even got a lot of feedback from parents saying, you know, you know, my kid's 14, 15 in the hospital and there's a lot of things for the little ones, but not as much for the older kids.

And so this really was so fun today for my child and it stuck with him. And then it kind of, he brought it back and I was like, all right, you know, I've supported a lot of other organizations, but I'd love to do something of my own. And what if, you know, we built the organization, I can't go broadcast live every day from a children's hospital, but what if we kind of built something like my radio studio, and then it evolved to television capabilities, because we feed all the programming up to patient's bedroom.

So if you can't come down, you're still included. But yeah, it evolved into what we now call Seacrest Studios. And at the time we decided to build the first one, the concept in Atlanta, where we're from. And that's when he was, I was working in production in LA. for a TV production company. And then he's like, Mary, you leave your job and just let's go for this and run it.

And I thought, well, again, if there's anything to work with you on, it's, uh, doing, you know, things to help families in need. So we then launched the first studio in Atlanta and then it snowballed and, and I've just been doing it ever since. 

Zibby: That's amazing. So when you sort of fantasize about what happens with this book, once it gets into the world, tell me a little bit about that.

I mean, 

Meredith: it's always, I think, a little nerve wracking when you put something creative into the world, right? I mean, we do a lot with even, with the foundation, we bring in celebrity guests and, and work with a lot of people in the talent space and kind of know how it is if you're putting out a movie or a new song, are people going to like it?

It's almost that similar feeling of, you know, you hope it resonates with people. You know, there, there are a lot of children's books out there, but hopefully this kind of notion of just celebrating imagination and, and, and play and, you know, whether you're a kid or an adult, it just kind of reminds you of having dreams and, and not letting go of those, those daydreams, if you will, that could turn into something real and true.

Zibby: So true. Oh, I love that. So what were some of your other daydreams as a kid? Like when you, when you would play it or when you would make the leave, was there any place you remember even liking to go or any of that? I 

Meredith: mean, we talked about, we did a lot of stuff in entertainment actually in our house. So funny enough, we ended up both going to LA and he went first and I went second and worked in television and production and all those things as well.

But you know, we both loved, you know, hosting things and being creative and we played a lot outside. I mean, that was just, was so fun about. kind of those days where you could run around the neighborhood and be on your bike and go to friends houses and all those good things. I mean, I think, you know, being from Atlanta, we didn't get to go everywhere in the world at that time.

So I think we always kind of had, you know, Oh, what would it be like to be in New York or LA or all these big cities, but later in life we got to go to, but yeah, I just think We were just creative kids, young and, and It's just I think what we want to continue to inspire kids to channel that creativity and you don't know where it can take you.

Zibby: Were there things that you think your parents did to raise you that we can use as tools as parents to raise kids who are? who are paying attention to others who would do something like start a foundation to help other people and do it as a family. I mean, that's really amazing and sweet and awesome.

And not everybody might think to immediately turn around and help in such a big way. Where do you think that came from? Or maybe I'm giving your parents too much credit. Maybe you're just like really nice people. No, no. I mean, 

Meredith: I think, you know, just growing up, it was always, you know, kind of ingrained in us to, to help others.

And whether it was even things that we did within our school or our church, it just was always kind of part of your, to be fortunate for what you have, but also awareness of, of others. And I think too, when we, I got more exposed to the children's hospital element through, you know, Ryan visiting that children's hospital in LA because I didn't necessarily go as much as a child.

I mean, that's something you don't really get your eyes open to that unless you have to go to a hospital, right? And so it's, it's, it's definitely grown so much, even more with, with, with, Doing this foundation and it truly is a family affair. My parents are involved and you know, we have our boundaries where it's like, even though we're all kind of involved in it, you know, we set time to meet about meetings.

If it's really work or if I call home at, you know, 7 o'clock to my mom and dad, I don't want, you know, they're my mom and dad. Right. So, and same with Ryan, I. You know, I'm a sister, I'm calling about fun things, he's FaceTiming with my daughter, or I'm like, hey, I need to get you for, you know, 20 minutes, here's an agenda, or whatever it is.

So we, we've learned that you kind of, when you work together, you have to have boundaries, or it can be, you know, where's the line? So. Exactly. And how was it working with the illustrator? Great. It's so fun. I think the creative process of once you get kind of the words down, then to see it come to life. And then.

you know, how Bonnie would put, you know, again, put it to a picture and you see it. And honestly, the words itself on their own, you know, it's, it's great, but it's not to the same magnitude when you, with the art, it just goes to another level. So it was a lot of fun and it was great to give, you know, some feedback or maybe tweak this or this felt a little crowded and she was great.

I couldn't, and it flowed really nicely. 

Zibby: Amazing. As a children's book author now, what advice do you have for other people who are out there saying like, I have a great idea for a children's book, or I've written a children's book and I don't know what to do, or any of that. What would you tell them about your experience and what advice would you give?

Meredith: I mean, you know, something I had dreamed of doing speaking of dreams, but I wrote little books and things when I was a kid or, and, um, I had one that was like called spaghetti spill out academy. And it was about this kid that was a prankster and all these things, but I feel like I was channeling it. And when I, I was fortunate, obviously, to have a brother in this, in the limelight in a way that we were able to team up and, and that helps, right?

Because, you know, it is, it's not the easiest road to put out a book, but I think really, you know, finding, getting your thoughts organized and then figuring out like, how are you going to publish it? Or can you connect to a publisher to help you? Which we've been working with Simon and Schuster, who've been amazing, and they help guide so much of it too, right?

Yeah. It's so nice to have them on this journey with us. I think if you self publish, you know, you can, I know several people who publish books and with just the world we're in today, you can put it up on Amazon and, you know, it can take on its own growth without a big publisher. So there's just so many avenues.

So it's like, if you've got the creative itch, just go for it, right? 

Zibby: What do you have to lose? Totally. I love that. Amazing. So is this going to be a series? Do you anticipate more books or is this a one and done or not sure? I don't know. 

Meredith: I think, you know, it's our, our first and then you see how it goes, you know, like everything and then see where the, the world takes us and, and if it continues on or if it's a one and done, I, I have no idea, but we're, we're open minded about it and just hope it, you know, all goes well with the launch and excited to put it out in the world.

Amazing. 

Zibby: Awesome. And then are there any children's book authors that you have loved your whole life or favorite children's books from growing up? 

Meredith: I mean, I, you know, it's fun going back and reading some of the books that I read, like Amelia Bedelia, you know, some of these fun ones are, you know, all the Dr.

Seuss and and some of these classics that I read as a kid and now I'm reading with my daughter and And even reading some books, it's like you kind of then think of like, what is the real message? Or does this book really make sense? Or what are we teaching here? And so I, I've been kind of reliving, you know, reading all these classic books with my daughter and just, again, loving it and excited and hope this book too is something that's in, you know, everyone's bookshelf and it inspires them and, and makes them think, you know.

Even with the make believers, the way it ends with a question, you know, are you ready to be a make believer? It's Mm-Hmm . It's more than, I hope what it starts parents to talk. You know? It's a way to say, you know, if you were somebody what you know or what, where would you wanna go? Who would you wanna meet?

It's a way to open conversation as well. Love that. 

Zibby: Well, well, amazing. The make believers so great. So inspiring and it's just such a good reminder that even on the hardest day. You can just let your mind take you anywhere you want to be. And sometimes that's the best thing, just to know. So thank you for inspiring kids and parents alike and all the good work that you do with the foundation and that you will continue to do.

I'm sure it's really inspiring, motivating, and wonderful. So thanks. 

Meredith: Well, thank you. Okay. I'm glad to be on your podcast and appreciate your interest in our book as well. 

Zibby: No problem. All right. Well, thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Bye bye. Bye. Thank you. Thanks for listening to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books.

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