Riya SOLD 30,000+ BOOKS By Writing For Two AUDIENCES: SMART For Parents, SILLY For Kids!

Riya Jain who turned her childhood health struggles into a movement reveals how to transform personal pain into purpose and build a business that changes lives

Riya Jain is the founder and CEO of The Land of Can, a children's media company she launched in seventh grade to create empowering books and resources about health topics like food allergies, anxiety, and ADHD. Her company has sold over 30,000 books, partnered with 500+ schools, and earned her $30,000 from Duke University’s Startup Showcase. While studying at Duke, Riya continues to expand The Land of Can, developing new educational materials to help children overcome limitations and embrace their potential.

In this episode, Riya reveals:
◽️ How a middle school lunch table moment exposed the flaws in kids' educational books
◽️ Why food allergies and anxiety are surprisingly similar – and what doctors miss
◽️ How COVID accidentally made her a media sensation (and why the Today Show’s rejection backfired)
◽️ Why the Today Show passed on her viral idea (and how it backfired on them)
◽️ The brutal feedback from her toughest critics: 8-year-olds

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⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Intro  
00:44 What is The Land of Can?  
01:14 Riya’s story  
02:50 Why she wanted to help others  
04:27 How the first book became a real project  
06:37 Publishing during COVID & early traction  
07:52 Explaining complex topics to kids  
09:32 How worry vs anxiety is taught  
10:41 Children’s books vs academic writing  
12:17 Why even adults learn from these books  
13:28 What makes a children’s book exciting  
15:25 Why kids give the best feedback  
16:32 The power of the first impression  
17:45 How to create a great hook  
18:47 Marketing to both kids and parents  
20:10 How The Land of Can fits her career  
22:44 Why she sees this as a full-time future  
23:24 What she needs to scale the business  
25:07 Is being young an advantage?  
27:04 Why seasoned entrepreneurs want to help  
28:58 What it’s like being a young CEO  
30:26 Her leadership style
31:11 How to Motivating a team
32:42 How she defines leadership  
34:30 What she'd tell her younger self  
36:53 How she stays grounded through highs & lows  
39:17 What she's had to unlearn  
43:33 Message to the world  
47:25 How she stays confident with her allergy  
50:01 How to be yourself without offending others  
56:35 What makes a good story  
58:48 What’s next for Riya  
1:00:46 What she wants her legacy to be  
1:02:03 Takeaway
1:03:20 Final thoughts 

📌 Resources
Riya Jain
◽️ Land of Can: https://thelandofcan.com/
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riyajain-/
◽️ Website: https://www.riyajain.org/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): x.com/harveybsmith_

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.