Inspiration personified. Ty Allan Jackson’s relentless optimism and grit was molded into his soul growing up in the Bronx, during an electric era of scary excitement. “I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything in the world,” Ty says about his youth in the Bronx, when hip-hop was conceived, the Yankees were rock stars, and he followed his loving mother’s footsteps (and bookshelf) as a “ferocious reader.” It would be decades later when he found his true calling when he discovered that there was no published book to adequately support his son’s entrepreneurial spirit. This, following an auspicious opening of his lemonade stand at the corner of Dexter and Elm Street.
Just as the Bronx forged his core, he credits the Berkshires and Pittsfield for facilitating his success as an author, calling it a “magical” place. “What you do here makes a difference.”
We cover a lot of territory in this conversation, including: Ty’s professional career before becoming an author, working in sales, the early days of hip-hop culture in the Bronx, the world champion Bronx Bombers (Ty can still name the starting lineup of the ’77 squad), his early reading, beginning with Native Son by Richard Wright, getting rejected by every single publishing company and then self-publishing, the remarkable lack of financial literacy in U.S. public schools (and how is this possible?), Read or Else, Noelle Santos and The Lit. Bar, organic reach with Instagram Reels, effectively utilizing social media to convert volume to sales, creating the mindset needed to consistently create content, receiving a doctorate from Mass. College of Liberal Arts, taking the leap from a stable corporate job to an independent author, and much more.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ty Allan Jackson.