Meet Betsy Marsolan | Parent, Book Enthusiast, Entrepreneur

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

Hi Betsy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Over the years, my sister-in-law and I were always on the lookout for diverse and inclusive books. I have two children with disabilities, and they always love seeing stories with children like them. My older son is Deafblind, and whenever we start a new book he asks if there are any characters with cochlear implants or glasses – there is something magical about sharing a book with him that has similarities to him.

We discovered how difficult it was to find diverse and inclusive books, and they often were centered on learning about a difference rather than just having a great story with diverse characters. This is how Miles to Row was born… we wanted a place where parents could find board and picture books that celebrated race, ethnicity, religion, gender, identity, families, and disabilities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
If you’ve ever tried to search for diverse books, you’ll know that most of the results are what we call “teaching books”. Those certainly have their place, but it is difficult to find a lovely picture book that happens to feature diverse characters and stories. We spend countless hours looking at books online, at the library, and in our local bookstores to find these great stories. We also work with a lot of self-published authors and small publishing houses. I’m so proud of the books we’ve found for our store. You can visit our store at MilesToRow.com, and find stories that include many different diverse topics. We are confident that we will have a story that resonates with you and your family.

It wasn’t easy starting a company at the start of COVID. My co-founder and I were both trying to juggle having kids at home with distance learning. We would set aside bits of time before our children got up or after they went to bed, and find time here and there throughout the day. I still can’t believe we were able to get Miles to Row up and running during a global pandemic with all the children at home!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our family loves Santa Monica beach! Our kids are young, so they love visiting the pier and the water. Other favorites: California Science Center, Clayton Children’s Museum, and our two-All Abilities Playgrounds in Santa Monica. We also enjoy the sensory movie screenings that our local AMC theaters have a few times a month.

Santa Monica has fantastic outdoor restaurants! Our kids aren’t the most adventurous eaters, so we tend to save our outings for date night. We love Elephante, Nobu in Malibu, Buffalo Club, Local Food and Wine, and just getting exceptional food at our local farmers markets.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My co-founder and sister-in-law, Colleen, is an early childhood educator and I lean on her for a lot of that essential knowledge with how children learn and how books and language can truly impact children. She is also a mom to four young children, so they are a great test market for books we are considering for our store and club!

My husband is a serial entrepreneur, and he encouraged and coached us every step of the way as we started our business. One thing he said has stuck with me throughout this process – “I don’t know if you need to hear this, but it’s ok to fail. We rarely get things right on the first try and you’ll learn and iterate along the way.”

Website: www.MilesToRow.com

Instagram: @MilesToRow

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/milestorow/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilesToRow

Image Credits
Family photo by: Nadine Kelley Photography /Napa, CA