We had the good fortune of connecting with Anita Kopacz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anita, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is such an important aspect in success. I used to be a perfectionist who did not want anyone to assist me. I poured myself into my work and would be up until 3am finishing up my edits and designs. Today, I appreciate and understand delegation. I also let go of perfectionism once I realized that it was a symptom of insecurities. My quality of work has elevated because I recognized my value and worth. I’m no longer working myself to death.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a writer…a storyteller. The journey has not been an easy one. My mind is very scientific and mathematical. As a child, everyone thought I would be an engineer or a doctor. Literature scared me. I was dyslexic and could not understand the basic rules of spelling or reading for most of my life. But I fell deeply in love with literature my final year at UC Berkeley. I abandoned my civil engineering major to concentrate on African American stories and film. “Words” ruled my life from that day on…so today I can say that I am a writer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am in love with Larchmont. If my bestie was visiting, we would take a walk to Larchmont Village and dine at any of the restaurants there. Peace Cafe might be my favorite. Then we would take a ride to Runyon Canyon, make sure we have our hiking shoes on, and trek up the mountain. At the top, we will snap a few selfies with the city of LA glowing in the background. After our hard work, we might stop into a Korean spa to get a massage and rubdown and then fill out bellies with Ethiopian food at Merkato or Cuban food at Versailles.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people that I could shoutout. From my parents and sisters to my mentors and community. On this particular journey of writing and publishing my book, Shallow Waters with Charlamagne tha God’s new Simon & Schuster Imprint, Black Privilege Publishing, I would like to SHOUTOUT one of my besties, Yadi Alba. She has been on this journey with me for over twenty years! When I was looking for a publisher, Yadi had a feeling that I should send my book to Charlemagne. Because of her intuition, Shallow Waters will be released to the world on August 3, 2021. Thank you Yadi!

Website: zerofsgiven.online

Instagram: @anitakopacz

Linkedin: Anita Kopacz

Twitter: @anitakopacz

Facebook: @anitakopacz

Image Credits
Kesha Lambert Kellie Walsh Keith Major Yvonna Kopacz

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