By The River is brought to you in part by The University of South Carolina, Beaufort Learning in action, discovered.

Community Foundation of The Lowcountry, Strengthening community.

OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at USC Beaufort.

The Pat Conroy Literary Center.

Artistic Flower Shop.

A native South Carolinian speaker brand strategist, content specialist, PR navigator, published author, blogger and poet, Whitney McDuff is an influencer builder.

Inspired by her mother and son, Whitney McDuff's debut children's book, The Lollie Tree , follows a young boy as he conquers his fears.

I'm Hollie Jackson.

Join us as we bring you powerful stories from both new and established southern authors, as we sit "By The River."

[♪] It's another beautiful day here at our Lowcountry studio in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina.

Thanks for joining us.

You're watching season three of "By The River".

The show is a collaboration between South Carolina ETV and The University of South Carolina, Beaufort.

We are doing things just a tad differently this year as we're all kind of working our way through this pandemic.

My guest and I are a little farther apart than I would prefer, but the most important thing is we're still, the show still goes on because we wanted to bring this to you, as we know a lot of you are reading more, as you have more time at home.

All right, let's get to it.

You know, this is a very special, special one for me today because I'm bringing in a college friend, Whitney McDuff.

Ladies and gentlemen, you're actually witnessing a college reunion right now because I haven't seen you, and I was counting it up, almost twenty years which is crazy to think that we are old enough, yeah so twenty years was like the freshman years so there we go.

Anyway, we'll keep it like fifteen.

We feel younger than we are.

But craziness, but I'm so proud of you you're an author and so many other things, a wife, a mom and a great friend.

One of those friends that even after fifteen years it just picks right back up.

Thank you for having me.

Absolutely.

Let's get right into the book and tell me what is The Lollie Tree ?

So The Lollie Tree is a magical place where a little boy goes to overcome his fear.

So he is terrified of the dark, and one day his mom gives him a magic stone, and asks him to take it down to The Lollie Tree and there he meets all the animals that live within The Lollie Tree, and comes to discover that they in fact were the people, or the things that were making the noises at night that he was afraid of.

So he meets them, learns from them, and comes to understand that his fear wasn't really necessary.

He just needed to figure out what was going on.

So it's all about overcoming your fear and gaining confidence and and learning the things that you need to do to step forward and be happy and wonderful.

Where did the inspiration come from?

You know, it's such a writer's cliche.

People say it came to me like a strike of lightning and I have always hated that phrase, but it's so true.

That's exactly how it happened.

I had just given birth to my son, and was standing in my living room one day, and oh, of course this makes sense, and we call my mom Lollie.

She has been responsible for the confidence that I've had throughout my life.

She and my dad both, and it just made so much sense.

It was like, The Lollie Tree.

Of course, that's what it's called, and within a matter of days the story came together and it just all seemed to make sense.

Every character in the book is the nickname of my sibling or my niece and my nephew, so they just had a ball being able to tell people, "oh that's me.

I'm Tattle Rat," or "I'm the Lollie in the Lollie tree or um, Pearl the Squirrel" whoever it may be but, it's just been really a joy to get to watch them experience that and then also, you know, to get to read it with my kids.

It's been cool so.

Well you know, it seems like just all the sudden Whitney had a book.

Is that how it went or was there a long process from from that lightning strike in your head to actually having something in your hands.

Tell me... Talk us through the process.

So I was in the works with a publisher years before, regarding a novel, and that fell apart and really just, it was so disheartening and put a bad taste in my mouth for a while, and I just need to kind of get over that.

So in that sense it was a long journey because it was, I'd always wanted to publish a book and have that out in the world, and I just think reading is the most magical thing you can do.

You can live a thousand lives if you're a reader.

So, but in the shortness of it, yes, it did come together very quickly.

From the moment the idea came and sat down and got it, then it was just like a scramble of "Okay, now we have to find illustrators and publishers and all of this."

So it came together very quickly in that sense but no, it's been a long journey, I've always been a writer I've always loved reading and writing, and this is just how it came out into the world, and started that that process.

Tell me about the illustrator.

Did you get to pick it or?

Yes, she's wonderful.

Her name is Lindsay Fisher.

She's actually doing my next book as well.

She's just a joy to work with.

It would be a lot of phone calls and meetings about what I envisioned for something, and I just I love the creative process so much, so it was so neat to see, okay here's what I'm thinking about it, now go forth and be your creative self and let's see what comes back.

We actually did the cover first, which typically doesn't really happen.

But I got the cover back and just started sobbing because it was just so perfect and what I wanted and my mom loved it, and it was just such a magical thing to see and to see someone get to live out their own creativity and bring her on that journey has just been great and she is getting on board with the next one too.

I feel like the boy actually looks like your son.

Which was so weird because he was such a baby when this book was made, but yes, they look very similar which is so strange, but, bowl cut for the little boy in the book.

Now you've mentioned next book.

What's next?

So my mom passed away last year and through that event, a poem came that was read at her funeral that I wrote called: "Where The Lollies Go" and it's basically about what happens in the transformation of love, and that is actually becoming its own book that will come out this fall.

I'm very excited about that.

I pulled Lindsay the back into that project.

Mom was so taken by the first book and the beauty of the cover and so I really wanted pull in Lindsay.

So I'm really excited about that, just a way to honor my mom, and my love of reading and writing comes from her, so it seems like a very full circle thing that this could happen for her and to honor in that way, so I'm excited.

And you know, a lot of times people have these ideas in their head and they put it off and put it off and you just went for it, and what a nice gift to have your mom got to experience this book.

What do you say to that and just the fact that you went for it and she got to enjoy that?

I'm so grateful for that.

She got to see it come to fruition and see her own impact in my life come to fruition in a real way.

What I would tell people though, because I experience this all the time, people have these amazing ideas and because they don't know what to do next, they don't do anything, and it really breaks my heart because I feel like you're keeping this wonderful thing from the world when you don't take a step forward, and my encouragement to them is you're not gonna know.

Just take one step.

Pick up the phone and make one call to someone who you think may be able to get you on the right path.

Like, it's just one little thing at a time.

You're not gonna have it all laid out.

I sure didn't.

I started picking up the phone and, who do I need to talk to, and how do I get this together, and it just, it's the one step at a time, and then suddenly there's a book out, and I just really want to encourage everyone who has thought about this or had an idea in there head.

Start getting it on paper.

Start picking up the phone.

Call me, I'm happy to, reach out to me, and put that out into the world.

There's so many wonderful ideas and I would just hate for them to not see the light of day because someone was afraid and didn't know what to do next.

You know, this pandemic has done a number on all of us, and for a lot of writers it's changed the way they do things.

Either they stopped writing altogether because they're just, you know, weirded out by this whole thing, or it's given them more time to write.

But one thing that I've loved to watch about you, is the way you and your son are getting on and reading to the world.

I just love watching it.

Tell everyone else out there what you all have been doing and why.

So we get on film every night and we read stories to whoever's watching.

It has been such an amazing thing to document.

My son's three.

So his little imagination, just to hear him recite stories that we tell every night.

it's just been so great, and we bring props in and it's really encouraged other people to start doing that, which I love, because the magic of storytelling, it's everything.

It's just been so great to see how it's impacted other people, and to see how its impacted him.

Like, you just don't realize how much children are listening until they start telling the stories back to you, and you're like, "wow, you caught all that."

Yeah.

You're a brave soul because you do this live.

There's no like " let's do that again because you said this."

Yeah.

Because you never know what he's going to say.

And that's kind of what makes it hilarious because you just don't know, but I mean, that's life, isn't it?

Absolutely.

So it's unedited, come on in, watch our story time.

Well I really enjoyed it.

Lets back up to the book and in the back of the book it's listed about a charity, where you all are, you're given some proceeds to that.

Tell us a little bit about that and why you chose to do it.

Leo's Pride is an incredible organization run by two friends of mine, Adam and Meredith.

Like I was telling you earlier, when this book was coming together, the only reason that it could come together the way that it did was because I was fortunate enough and lucky enough to not have to have the heartache of a sick child, and just knowing that there are people in this world that have to spend every minute of their day worried about what comes next and their child, I just can't imagine the magnitude of stress that that comes with, and the more and more I thought about it and was working through this book, it was just like, it just didn't seem right that I would be the only one that benefited from this.

So I called Adam and Meredith.

They're helping children all over the world.

They raise money.

I'd strongly encourage you all to check them out.

It's, "Leo's Pride" is the name of the organization, but they are just doing these amazing things.

They're building playgrounds for children with special needs and providing vehicles for transportation, just things these families need to live an incredible life with their awesome children, and got on the phone and said, "listen, this is what I'm thinking, it just makes sense.

Would you guys get on board with us?"

And of course they did and they've been an amazing advocate for the book, and I really hope that as many eyes as possible can get on this organization, and they're just they're outstanding people, and they're doing incredible work, and I hope everybody in the world knows about what they're doing.

Well, that really shows your heart as does the book, so that's very nice.

Tell us a little bit about your writing process and some people, you know, might have a napkin over dinner and write something down real quick.

Some are at night.

Some are in morning.

Some are at the keyboard.

Some are on a legal pad.

What is your style?

Definitely more of the napkin on the table.

That doesn't surprise me a bit about you.

Yes, there are Post-Its everywhere and notes in my phone.

I do keep a notebook in my purse because you just never know where things are going to come from, and I am so famous for not writing something down, and then not remembering it a week later, and knowing that I should've written that down.

So I started doing it.

I carry it with me.

I've got a note pad within my phone that if something comes.

But it's really a process of moving things into a funnel.

I just, I get everything that I could possibly think about and want, get it all in front of me and then just start working it out that way.

I do believe in the discipline of writing.

I think if you only write when you're feeling inspired, you'll probably never get anything done, and I have learned through amazing teachers and reading about how incredible authors work, you have to incorporate a sense of discipline.

So even if you don't feel like writing, go ahead sit down anyway.

You don't know what's going to happen.

You may come up with something amazing, but it's just keeping it fun and trying to have everything in front of you and understanding that you're not going to get it right the first time.

Like, you have to be okay with knowing some things are going to hit the the editing floor and not be emotionally tied to that.

It's about what is going to create the best story for your reader, and you may be able to take that content and use it somewhere else, and that's what's happening with a lot of a lot of stuff that I've written.

So I just want to courage everybody, just sit down, do it, and pull all the good stuff that you have and let it out into the world.

We talked about the disheartening aspect of the novel process.

Are you hanging that up entirely or is it still kind of...?

Um, there's some legal things about it that I would have to navigate to figure out how to step forward with that.

I think for now that story is not something that I'm passionate about pursuing.

After Where the Lollies Go , that's the name of the next book, I've got a whole other series called, The Gable Bert Tales , that is coming into fruition, and I feel like when I became a mother, my work transformed a little bit because I was so busy reading and telling stories to my kids.

That seems to be like where I'm living right now creatively and where I want to live.

So I think for now, the novel is put on the shelf but, who knows.

You never know what could be coming down the pipeline.

Let's learn a little bit about you professionally because this is kind of a side thing.

What is the real every day Whitney McDuff look like?

So every day Whitney.

I'm the founder of Proteus Speaker Consulting.

Which is transformed into Whitney McDuff Consulting.

I launch and build public speaker brands.

So that looks like mainly one of two people.

One is either the head of a company, somewhere in the C suite who wants to build their platform and monetize their expertise, and then the other is someone with a really inspiring story who wants elevate thier platform and help change lives.

I absolutely love this work.

When I started doing it, it was one of those light bulb life moments, like I wish I'd known that I could do this my entire life because I'm just driven from within to do it, and the company's been building slowly over the last four years.

We had a very interesting pivot when COVID hit.

I built an online course for people who want to learn to launch and build their public speaker brands, and the other thing I do is PR.

So I wanted to teach people how to do their own PR.

You don't have to pay a firm twenty thousand dollars a month to do that.

You just have to know how.

So we built that during COVID.

It went really well and it's exciting because it's a way that I can impact more people, but we're just having fun and figuring it out, every day is an adventure of "okay, I didn't know that," it's just a series of those.

But it's so fun.

You know, when you when you find the work that you're supposed to be doing, it's just a whole different ball game, and I mean, you know that.

You're so driven from within to do this work and help share stories, and it's the same for me.

It's just it's just great.

Well, I'm always interested in people like, you know, pastors.

They encourage others.

Well who's pastoring them?

Who's motivating the motivational speaker?

So you are such a motivator.

What voice is motivating you?

Lord, definitely my friends and family, and honestly, the people that I work with.

Like that energy is so reciprocal.

I love being a cheerleader for other people.

It makes me very happy to see people experience success but, when that happens for them, like that gets me fired up too.

So its just very much like, okay.

I am an avid reader I love listening to the great motivators, and you know my parents were huge for me.

My dad's still a huge motivator for me, and my brothers.

All my family's very much, you know, "you can absolutely do this, do not listen to 'no', make a pivot, you know, you can achieve anything you want to achieve," and that's been really valuable as you put yourself out into the world creatively.

It's scary, very scary, and I think we all experience that when we put things out into the world or start companies, and it's very important to always have these people that are like, "you're good, keep going a little bit more."

So give us a glimpse of your bookshelf.

What do you like to read?

Oh,man, everything.

My bookshelf right now is full of children's books.

I love everything from Stephen King to Hemingway to E. E. Cummings to...

I love motivational books, and you know, the Rachel Hollises of the world.

That's fine, and I love to escape into, Narnia.

I'm just, I'm all over the board and that's what I love so much about reading and writing, is you truly can experience every kind of life.

It's just so amazing and I think for my children it's so important because to me, I think reading is such a a wonderful way to teach empathy, and walk through other people's experiences and learn how to navigate life through other people's eyes, and to me that's very important to raise children who know how to do that, and I know for me reading was a huge part of that, so hopefully I'll instill that love in them.

Tell me what that experience is like whenever you've watched how your son in particular, because he's the oldest, has started to to know what's happening next in the story, and get excited at certain events.

What is that like for you to experience that?

It makes me so happy, like I could sit on the floor and listen to him tell me stories.

We tell a lot of fairy tales in the house.

You know, I've always been big into into fairy tales.

But what is starting to happen now is that we're making up our own, which has been really cool.

Like, I think there was a recognition of how much he was listening when we were talking about the traditional fairy tales, but now to get to see his creativity, because I let him fill in the story now.

"And somebody's coming to the door.

Who is it?"

Then he goes off, and it's like, "you're just so cool.

I love that you're putting this together."

Let me write it down so I can make a book out of it.

Let's let you write this.

We'll steal his ideas.

What does he think about being a star in the book?

At first he didn't understand.

I think now it's kind of coming together.

He'll open up the book and there's a little pug in the book, which we have a pug named Bee and I'll talk about "there's Holbrok and Bee" I think it's starting to come together that it's him so I need to pull it together and write one more for my daughter.

As a second child, please let me say, I'm the one who never found a baby book anywhere, photo albums, so please.

Yeah, we'll get on that.

So he has a little something.

All right, we just got about a minute left, but I always want to ask this question.

We have students in the room as you can see, wearing their masks, and we're so excited they're here.

What kind of little advice would you give to someone who's about to walk out into what we call the real world?

You know, they've been living in it for a little while.

Anyway, but you know, launching out to their professional career and everything and maybe a sense of what in the world am I suppose to do right now?

Well one, that feeling never goes away.

So just get ready for that.

I would say ask questions.

Surround yourself with who you like to be.

Like people are so willing to help, I feel like, and what we often don't do is ask questions.

If you have a professor or someone in the business world that you want to be like, "Hey can I shadow you?"

Just learn.

Be an avid learner.

Like, carry that your whole life, and you will you'll get far.

Whitney this has been such a treat.

Who would've thought?

Those two girls running on the horseshoe at USC are back here in this forum.

It's just so good to be back.

Life is so cool isn't it?

Alright, Whitney, thank you and thank you everyone.

You're watching season three of "By The River."

Its been a real treat to have you along too.

Thanks for tuning in.

We're gonna leave you now with a bit of our Poet's Corner.

I'm Holly Jackson and you're watching, "By The River" [♪] Demons Dangling: A sestina for the swallows.

I know when the flood tide will swallow heron feeding grounds.

Taking over marsh grass, mud banks, swelling as a demon, easing into place, and stopping to wait for the signal that will call for retreat.

These are the rhythms of my far away heart, bone rhythms of my home, here away from a life I had feared would swallow me up, I have bartered for retreat for a place where I wouldn't hear over and over.

The unsung music that waits, that sounded in the past like a demon.

Now I have learned the only demon lies veiled along the path that leads away from the lone truth, as it patiently waits inside me for the courage to swallow pride, pride that has kept me wandering over mountains, smoky, rocky, making retreat seem like a place to go to, not retreat from.

Yet still I shun my brother, demon shark, my sister, dolphin, swimming over the river bottom, through my blood.

Away to that secret place where rough winged swallows skate across the sky in winsome waiting for me, who spent long afternoons waiting to spot them dart in at dusk for retreat, from the day on slender wings beaks, swallows.

I am only off to fight the demons I have forged, I could never stay away forever, look for me when it's over, but for now you see it is not over, and it stings to know you are there in wait, stings to listen as ebb tide laps away at the dock, where flickered trout make retreat from the emptying creek and steel demons, dangling hooks that intrigue them to swallow, I will wait for the night to be over, for demons to grow weak and retreat, but just now dear swallows, I cannot find the way... Once there was a little boy born in a town down by the sea.

Each day he'd take his dog a toy to play beneath the Lollie tree.

The Lollie tree's magnificence would sparkle in the shining sun.

He'd swing from branches and climb her trunk until the day was all but done.

But when the sun sank down at night, and the sterling moon came out to play, the little boy was filled with fright and wished the sun to bring the day.

[♪] "By The River" is brought to you in part by The University of South Carolina, Beaufort Learning in action, discovered.

Community Foundation of The Lowcountry, Strengthening community.

OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at USC Beaufort.

The Pat Conroy Literary Center.

Artistic Flower Shop.