In this episode of Stories from Everywhere, Jill L. Ferguson sits down with Trish Azar, children’s book author, estate sale business owner, world traveler, and proud dog mom to the unforgettable Lola, for a conversation about creativity, courage, and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Trish never planned to write a book. In fact, she was convinced she couldn’t. But one small nudge to join a writing group set off a chain reaction that led to her upcoming children’s book series, The Adventures of Lola, inspired by her confident (and slightly diva-like) Pomeranian. What began as discomfort turned into joy, creativity, and an entirely new direction in life. 

But that’s just one chapter of Trish’s story.

From traveling the world for work to living in Turkey during COVID lockdowns, to building a business that helps families navigate loss through estate sales, Trish shares how every unexpected turn has shaped her perspective and her purpose.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How trying something “you’re bad at” can unlock hidden talents
• The surprising difficulty (and magic) of writing children’s books
• Building a brand and a following through joyful, creative social media
• What estate sales reveal about people, memory, and the stories we leave behind
• Life lessons from living abroad and connecting across cultures
• The unexpected power of a dog to inspire confidence, kindness, and storytelling
• Why movement, play, and presence (hello, pickleball!) can quiet the noise in your mind

At its heart, this episode is about reinvention, about discovering that you don’t need to have it all figured out to begin. Sometimes, the best things in life start with: “I’m not good at this… but I’ll try anyway.”