Meet the Marketing Executive who Turned His Passion for Writing Into a Lucrative Side Hustle

Passions or creative pursuits that people once gave up on while prioritizing lucrative career options, have emerged as side hustles for extra income, that can also evolve into full-scale businesses. Marketing executive Kevin Rooney has been writing a children’s book as his side gig, and this move exemplifies the power of inspiration and creativity. Rooney who serves as a vice president of marketing for Phelan Brands has published the book called "Mr. Tootsee McGootsee." A resident of Fort Myers, Rooney’s journey reflects his passion for storytelling and connecting with young readers and it has a very interesting back story to it, as shared by the Business Observer.

A childhood encounter that sparked inspiration

In an interview with the Business Observer, Rooney recalls a significant childhood memory that ignited his passion for writing children’s stories. In his childhood, he got the opportunity to meet acclaimed children's book author Robert Munsch when he was in elementary school. He and the famed author belonged to the same town in Canada and the encounter left a lasting impression on Rooney. To this day, he cherishes the signed book he received from Munsch as it inspired him to pursue his side hustle.

Taking the leap of faith

While Rooney’s writing journey began way back during his high school days, he pursued a career in marketing later in his life to support his family. He also pursued a degree in journalism in college which kept the fire of writing alive. Years later, during his successful career in marketing and sales, his daughters, Erin and Shealah were born. Raising his kids reignited Rooney’s love for storytelling as he read stories to his girls nightly. He then discovered new avenues for creativity and came up with the idea of his book series “Mr. Tootsee McGootsee.”

Birth of "Mr. Tootsee McGootsee"

The idea of "Mr. Tootsee McGootsee" came to Rooney during one of their family dinners. A playful banter while eating sparked the creation of a whimsical character. The name "Tootsee McGootsee" was coined by one of Rooney’s daughters as a playful euphemism, which inspired Rooney to translate his family anecdotes into a delightful children's book.

Turning a dream into a side hustle

Rooney chose the path of self-publishing, to retain greater control over his creative process. However, this came at a hefty investment and a little hardship. Rooney says the most difficult part was to bring his characters to life visually. For this, he collaborated with illustrator Joe Huffman. Huffman's illustrations perfectly captured the essence of the story and they were approved by Rooney’s elder daughter. With this, Rooney debuted "Mr. Tootsee McGootsee" on Amazon and Rooney's website, with plans for expanded distribution in the works.

His future projects include a collaborative book with his older daughter. As per the Business Observer report, the two are working on a chapter of the book that features “a fourth-grade sleuth with a mystery to solve.” He further has another book titled, “There’s a Johnny in My Story” that is also coming out soon.