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

Hi Anna, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My business blossomed out of noticing a need. I’m a clinical psychologist and a mom of little ones, and I wanted more bilingual and emotional resources for my then 2-year old. I noticed that there weren’t many children’s books that combined those two factors. One day I suddenly realized – hey, I could just create this myself! I got so excited about what I could create for my daughter that I convinced my husband to start this business with me. That was a year ago, and since then we’ve encountered a lot of challenges common to small businesses, but we always go back to our original mission – to build emotionally healthy families through our books.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business blossomed out of noticing a need. I’m a clinical psychologist and a mom of little ones, and I wanted more bilingual and emotional resources for my then 2-year old. I noticed that there weren’t many children’s books that combined those two factors. One day I suddenly realized – hey, I could just create this myself! I got so excited about what I could create for my daughter that I convinced my husband to start this business with me. That was a year ago, and since then we’ve encountered a lot of challenges common to small businesses. I’m actually quite risk-averse, so likely the last person who you would imagine would start a small business. Many years ago, I took the Harry Potter sorting hat quiz and was sorted into Gryffindor. Gryffindors are known for their bravery. I realized that even though I am averse to taking risks for the sake of excitement or personal gain, I am willing to be brave when I truly believe in something (hello Neville standing up to his friends!). If I think about all the hard parts of owning a small business, I get overwhelmed and paralyzed by indecision. But when think about the mission of this business – to provide resources for building emotionally healthy families – that helps me to be brave and continue tackling the challenges that go along with owning a small business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When I go into LA, I am most likely visiting Han bat sul lung tang in K-town for their incredible noodle soup, or grabbing macarons at Bottega Louie. I also love going to Eataly for their mushroom pizza and browsing the interesting groceries for purchase there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is to the amazing team of creators behind me. First and foremost, my husband Victor is my partner in both life and in our business, and I couldn’t do this work without him. I also work closely with an illustrator Nolen Lee and designer Norman Ai who are extremely talented and hardworking.

Website: https://www.mindfulpeach.co

Instagram: @mindfulpeach.co

Facebook: @mindfulpeach.co

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.