Colleen (CC) Picard grew up playing under Montana’s Big Blue Sky, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, where tagging behind five older siblings was no easy feat. Lessons in personal safety came up daily, alongside Band-Aids.
Junior high was when she discovered her love for writing poetry and always hoped to be published one day. Her early jobs included graphic arts, sign & design, advertising, and restaurant training/management positions, which eventually led her to a 26-year career behind a salon chair. While working full-time as a master stylist/colorist (eight years before retirement), she earned a BS in Communications and Technical Writing. Later, she obtained numerous coaching certifications covering all aspects of holistic wellness, enabling her to apply both her writing and coaching skills with her clients.
After retiring, she wanted to write about breaking difficult habits and building better routines, so she began learning the nuances of self-publishing through KDP by writing her first two books. “Quit Nicotine Forever, Dammit!” (a project started in her 30s), and a “Guided Exercise Tracker for Seniors and ‘Out-of-Shapers”, which designs customized home exercise routines.
Learning to add illustrations to her writing led her to create her new children’s book series, The Lake-Side Snowbirds Collection, which exemplifies the loving nature of grandparent-grandchild relationships while introducing readers to the wonderful world of snowbirds.
While promoting healthy lifestyles will always be essential, being silly is equally important. So by combining fun and goofiness with kindness, values, and health-focused topics, CC believes she’s landed in the best of both worlds.
