Written by Guest Blogger: Tess Kossow, an author, advocate, podcast host and coach.
Seems like a seamlessly easy way to get inspired, right? Afterall, one can only turn on the television so many times to hear how we should be thinking, what we should be doing, and of course, what we shouldn’t be talking about.
But maybe that’s why I decided to write the I’m Very Ferris series and start the Titling Tess podcast. Because it’s what needs to be discussed and often gets overlooked.
I used to work for a broadcasting company and saw the behind-the-scenes of what made airtime and what did not. And breaking newsworthy topics…well, if it bleeds it leads, is the old saying, right? But I also remember when a heartwarming story got a spot and how people felt to share their moment of positivity. To share their story of strength and courage for the world to hear. Even if it was one person who tuned in that night…that person might share the story with another person and the snowball effect could possibly help change the world for the better. With 60 – 120 seconds of someone’s life put out there for others to see and hear.
And that’s what inspired me to create something the world didn’t have yet that I thought was in high demand.
If it was happening to me, it had to have happened to someone else. So, I wrote the I’m Very Ferris picture books. A children’s series that told IVF, in vitro fertilization, through the eyes of a child. Something that had never been done before and yet, why not? Families are not made with a “one-size-fits-all” description anymore. And my son deserved to know how he came to be from the very beginning…not once he is an adult.
IVF is not a conversation for adults only, as children should understand how hard their parents worked to have them. It’s a beautiful meaning of life.
In 2019, I’m Very Ferris, a child’s story about in vitro fertilization was published and in 2020, I’m Vey Ferris Takes a Bubble Bath, a child’s story about in vitro fertilization was issued. It has been an incredible feeling to put pen-to-paper and create a product the world needs. From editing to the colorful illustrations, to the spine, front and back covers, every detail was looked at and passed through my inspection. I adore this book series, and it will forever be my contribution to helping families tell their stories of how families are made every day, in many ways.
But 2020 also led to an unfamiliar turn in my unwritten story of life, and I survived sudden cardiac arrest which then led me to being diagnosed with heart disease. No warning. No preexisting conditions. No family history. Not at all the person you would expect this to happen to. But there I was now not only 1 in 8 (couples with infertility), 1 in 4 (couples that experience miscarriage) but a 1 in 10… (survivors of sudden cardiac arrest).
I decided to take my voice to another level this time and created a podcast called Titling Tess. A way to help me heal in my new normal while showcasing other’s telling their stories. Everything from paths to parenthood, to starting a business, to planning a wedding in a pandemic, to beating brain cancer. These are all stories that show courage, survival, support through the highs, and lows, and most of all, empower someone else to keep going.
And in 2023, I am so proud to say that I am in my third season of the show. It gets better with time and the guests continue to inspire me. It doesn’t have to bleed to lead here…it must be real, raw, and resilient and that’s why the show is called Titling Tess. Because there are so many titles out there the world needs to hear about. Why not come on my show to share yours?
Books and podcasts. It’s how I help to make the world a better place than I found it.
Guest Blogger,
Tess Kossow
Tess Kossow is an author, advocate, podcast host and coach. She created the I’m Very Ferris (IVF) children’s picture book series focusing on IVF through a child’s perspective.
In 2020, she unexpectedly survived sudden cardiac arrest and was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. With this new life, she decided to heal through helping others by competing and fundraising to win Indianapolis’ Inaugural Woman of Impact with the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women. She also started a podcast called Titling Tess, a place for people to tell their stories of courage, strength, and resilience.
Taking her business to a new level, in 2022 with certification from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, she is now a Fertility Health Coach with a specialized focus on heart health.
P.S. Catch Tess’ interview in this week’s episode of The Hormone P.U.Z.Z.L.E Podcast – Heart Heath and Fertility. You can also find the episode on this podcast page as well as Spotify, and Stitcher. Don’t forget to subscribe, follow, and write us a review on Apple Podcast (if you LOVE it).
