Sophie Says

Making life’s most important lessons fun to learn

For eight years, I worked at Unilever in roles such as Sustainability, Innovation and Diversity and Inclusion, ending up as the Global Lead for Gender Diversity. However, when I became a mother, something changed. I suddenly saw the world through my baby’s eyes and I wanted him to know that his mum could do just as much as his dad. There was one issue - in most of the stories I was reading to my son, there weren’t many strong female protagonists. I decided that, if I couldn’t find enough of the stories I wanted to read to my child, I’d better write one myself! So, Sophie Says I Can I Will was created and was the first book in the Sophie Says children’s book series. This is a powerful and uplifting story of empowerment. The aim: to allow boys and girls to achieve their dreams regardless of gender, race, religion or class.

My younger sister, a phenomenal artist, said she would do the illustrations and it would be our joint project. For years, she had suffered with her mental health. At the beginning of 2020, I tragically lost my younger sister when she ended her battle with mental illness. Sophie Says It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, the second book in the Sophie Says series, was written as my way of healing, with the book poignantly dedicated to my sister. I so desperately want the next generation to understand the importance of looking after their mental health and speaking about their feelings. I also want to build a legacy for my sister through Sophie Says.

Sophie Says is now more than just a brand with books - while we now have more books, we also have school courses, workshops and many other products to help children with self esteem, resilience and positive wellbeing.

I commissioned research which found that 80% of parents are worried about their children’s mental health but only a third of parents have any resources or books in the home to educate on the topic, as parents are worried about saying the wrong thing and making the situation worse.

Everything we have created at Sophie Says acts as a toolkit for parents/carers and teachers to help tackle some of the trickier conversations and ultimately make life’s most important lessons fun to learn, ensuring we are building a resilient and happy next generation.

ESTHER MARSHALL Founder and Author Instagram: @sophiesaysofficial www.sophiesaysofficial.com