Storytelling Empowers Children to Embrace Their Magic – An Interview with Pooja Desai
Pooja Desai is a keynote speaker, author, poet, writer, and entrepreneur who champions children’s advocacy. With 25 years in healthcare leadership, she believes in transformational growth through mindset, emotional wellness, and purpose-driven impact.
With a background spanning executive speaking, authorship, content, and program design, Pooja uniquely blends strategy with storytelling, translating complex leadership principles into actionable, human-centered solutions that help build resilience across multiple platforms.
Pooja Desai, Keynote Speaker, Author, Poet, Writer & Entrepreneur
What inspired you to combine your multicultural background with children's mental wellness storytelling, and how does it enhance the impact of your message?
My storytelling is rooted first in my family, where diversity and unity exist at their finest. I grew up surrounded by a beautiful blend of cultures, traditions, and perspectives, and through that, I learned something powerful early on, love, connection, and belonging transcend differences. That experience became the heartbeat of my work.
By weaving my multicultural background into children’s wellness storytelling, I create spaces where every child can feel seen, valued, and understood. My stories reflect the richness of blended identities and diverse families, allowing children to recognize themselves while also learning to honor and appreciate others.
This approach deepens the impact of my message. It transforms storytelling into connection. It reminds children that their uniqueness is not something to hide, but rather it is their magic.
At the same time, it gives them tools to navigate their emotions with kindness and confidence. Through this lens, wellness becomes inclusive, relatable, and empowering, helping children grow not only emotionally, but also in their ability to embrace diversity as a natural and beautiful part of who they are.
How do you approach helping children build resilience through your books, and what transformation have you seen in their mindset?
Building resilience through storytelling is not about teaching lessons, it is about creating experiences where children feel deeply seen, understood, and empowered.
We cannot control how we are raised, but we have a responsibility to raise ourselves to the adult we wish to be. This is my inspiration for helping children find calm in their chaos.
I approach this by gently weaving real-life emotions and challenges into my stories, paired with simple, practical tools of mindful breathing, positive self-talk, and imaginative problem-solving. Every story reflects the diversity of children's lived experiences, so each child can find a piece of themselves within the pages.
That sense of recognition builds belonging, and belonging builds strength. The transformation is both quiet and powerful.
Children begin to approach challenges with curiosity instead of fear. They start to recognize and name their emotions without judgment. Over time, their inner dialogue shifts into a soft but confident “I can.”
I have seen children express themselves more freely, show deeper empathy for others, and bounce back from setbacks with creativity and hope across multiple platforms such as Schools, hospitals, sports, etc.
The resilience they build during these times will help them navigate their life. My stories become a safe place where resilience is practiced so that in real life, it feels possible.
What do you believe is the key to fostering mindfulness in children at an early age, and how does your work make it accessible to them?
The key to fostering mindfulness in children is simple, yet powerful, make it gentle, make it playful, consistent, and lead by example. Children will copy what you do.
Mindfulness for children is not about perfect stillness, it is about curiosity. It is about helping them notice their feelings, their thoughts, and the world around them without judgment. It is teaching them that they can pause, breathe, and respond, instead of reacting.
My work makes mindfulness accessible by meeting children exactly where they are. I try to make sure children have access to these books through so many different platforms, including a free YouTube cartoon.
Through storytelling, children walk alongside Tia Bua as she navigates real emotions, worry, excitement, and frustration, and in doing so, they learn to recognize their own. Through interactive experiences, they are introduced to breathing exercises, reflection, and simple practices in ways that feel colorful, engaging, and safe, and through repetition, these tools become familiar, something they can return to again and again. I offer free activity sheets, so it is a constant reminder to focus on your mindset.
The reality is, some of these children have been through so much in their lives and at such a young age. Truth is, wherever I can help, I do. The transformation is truly magical.
Children begin to pause instead of panicking. They express themselves instead of exploding. They believe in their magic. They carry a sense of calm into their homes, their schools, and even the hardest spaces, building a foundation of emotional awareness and resilience that stays with them for life.
How does your mission of diversity, inclusion, and fairness shape the way you create stories and wellness tools for children?
Everything begins with one simple truth, every child deserves to feel seen, safe, and celebrated exactly as they are. That belief guides every story I write and every wellness tool I create.
Children do not just listen to stories, they search for themselves within them. So, I intentionally build worlds filled with different faces, cultures, emotions, and experiences. I want every child, no matter their background or circumstance, to feel that quiet recognition, “That is me. I belong here.”
In my stories, differences are never something to fix, they are something to honor. I meet children where they are, whether they feel brave, scared, joyful, or overwhelmed, and I do so with kindness and without judgment. I remind them that their emotions are valid, their voices matter, and their journeys are important.
Fairness, to me, means access. It means ensuring every child has simple, gentle tools to find calm within their chaos, no matter where they are or what they are facing. I lead with love because when a child feels genuinely loved and accepted, they begin to believe in their own light. That is where healing begins and where their magic grows.
What results have you witnessed in children who engage with your books and wellness resources, particularly in terms of emotional growth and self-awareness?
The most meaningful results are not measured in numbers, they are felt in the quiet, powerful shifts within a child.
I have seen children begin to name their feelings instead of hiding from them. Where there was once overwhelm, there is now awareness, “I feel sad.” “I feel nervous.” “I need a moment.”
I have seen them turn I cannot into I can. I have seen them say they believe in their magic even if that was the last thing they were saying to themselves. That language becomes their strength.
I have watched children learn to pause instead of reacting. I have seen my own son take a deep breath as a Stryker during a soccer game, shutting off the noise and scoring goals.
Through simple breathing tools and gentle storytelling, they begin to understand that they are not their emotions, and they can move through them.
There is a beautiful growth in self-trust. Children start to believe, “I am okay just as I am.” They begin to listen to their inner voice, instead of searching for constant validation outside of themselves, and most powerfully, they begin to feel less alone.
Whether they are navigating fear, change, illness, or uncertainty, they realize that their feelings are valid and that there is a safe, gentle way through them.
From Tia Bua’s heart, the intention has always been simple, to help children find calm in their chaos, to give them tools they can carry for a lifetime that will help them believe in and follow their own magic.
Who is Tia Bua, and what is she trying to solve with her books and storytelling?
Tia Bua is not just a character I created, I am Tia Bua. Tia means aunt in Spanish, and Bua means aunt in Hindi.
My family is mixed, blended, colored, and loved! My niece, who is also my illustrator, Aalyana, was the very first person to ever call me “Tia Bua.” Within my family, I am known as the glue that holds us together. And while I take great pride in being an engaged and present mother, I am equally intentional about being an active, loving presence in my nieces and nephews’ lives. That role of guiding, nurturing, and showing up with care is the heart of who Tia Bua is.
The idea for these books was born in 2020 during a simple, meaningful conversation with my niece. What started as a shared moment turned into a shared mission. We decided to join forces with her creativity through illustration and my voice through storytelling, and since then, we have been releasing a new book every 11/11, a date that holds deep personal significance for us.
Each Tia Bua book is created with intention. Every story addresses a real-life challenge that children face. I draw from over 25 years of experience in healthcare, along with my lived experiences, to gently guide children through topics that are often difficult but deeply important, such as diversity, unity, grief, identity, being part of a blended or multicultural family, and embracing who they are, including their natural hair and unique beauty.
What Tia Bua is trying to solve is simple, yet profound, helping children feel seen, safe, and supported in a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming. These books create space for emotional understanding, self-awareness, and resilience.
At the core of every story is a grounding tool that children can carry with them anywhere, “Breathe in the magic, Release the magic.”
This simple breathing practice teaches children how to stay calm in their chaos, to pause, and to reconnect with themselves, no matter what they are facing.
Tia Bua is not just a character in a book. She reflects love, kindness, guidance, and presence. She is the voice that reminds every child, you belong, you are enough, and you have the power within you to navigate your world by just believing in your magic.
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