Meet Jennifer Caloyeras | author, writing instructor, podcaster

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

Hi Jennifer, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My whole life is based around books. I write them. I teach others how to write them. I read them. I make art out of them. I run an online book club as well as a book recommendation podcast called Books Are My People.

What should our readers know about your business?
Books Are My People is a podcast for book lovers with book news, recommendations and ruminations on living a literary life in Los Angeles. I interview book enthusiasts of all stripes who come on the show and recommend their favorite reads. As a passionate reader, I asked myself the simple question: how can I turn my love of books into a job that I love? And the podcast was born. I continue to ask myself the same question, but with a twist: how can I expand my brand? This is how I ended up running my online book community: Books Are My People. The next iteration will be teaching novel writing classes online.

I think that having a central brand question helps keep you focused on your goals. It’s important to experiment. I’ve tried things on my podcast that haven’t worked out, and then I’ve had to pivot. I keep what works. Flexibility is key. Figuring out a balance between what you want to do with your time and what your audience wants is important because those two goals need to align.

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.
Well, first I’d have to assume my friend is a book lover. So, I’d start by taking them to The Last Bookstore downtown to peruse their collection of new books. Then we’d go upstairs and rifle through their used book collection. I’m always hitting up library sales or garage sales looking for fun books that I can repurpose into journals or collage fodder.

Then, we’d go to the Central Library branch downtown. Maybe we’d bring a copy of Susan Orlean’s The Library Book with us – a nonfiction book that talks about the history of the library.

I’d take them to lunch at Grand Central Market for sure! We’d bring a travel watercolor set and people watch and paint.

We’d spend the next day hiking in Griffith Park, strolling down Vermont Ave. and visiting Skylight Books.

We’d have to hit up LACMA as well as some Ethiopian food on La Brea. The best!

The Farmer’s Market on La Brea not only has amazing food to chose from, but it’s also a fantastic place to people watch and sketch. And the sticker store makes me feel like a little kid again.

Then we’d head west to my favorite museum in Los Angeles, the Hammer. It’s small, but mighty. And admission is free! We’d grab coffee and a treat at Alice Waters’ restaurant, Lulu, before finding a shady spot in the courtyard to read.

Next up, a stop at my favorite independent bookstore, Diesel. We’d browse the shelves and talk to the knowledgable staff about their favorite books. We’d definitely grab lunch at Hamasaku on Santa Monica Boulevard. Then, we’d shop at the cute boutiques along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.

We’d peruse the galleries at Bergamot Station, stroll through the Mathias Botanical garden at UCLA and then head over to Sawtelle Avenue and grab a bite at Tsujita or Hide Sushi. to the Santa Monica beach and take a little stroll along the bike path and conclude the perfect day with sunset at one of the hotels on the beach like Shutters or Hotel Casa del Mar.

And maybe whip our paints out one last time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To all of the readers out there who are curious about the world around them.

Website: https://jennifercaloyeras.substack.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercaloyeras/

Other: podcast: https://www.jennifercaloyeras.com/podcast

Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/booksaremypeople?ref=shop_sugg_market