Dayna Altman is a bold and authentic mental health entrepreneur, author, and public health professional based in Boston MA. Dayna has created several of her own organizations specializing in mental health advocacy. Her entrepreneurial adventures have helped her become a professional speaker, a documentary filmmaker, and an author of two books, using food to create a palatable and accessible way for all to approach mental health.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you ended up writing a book?
From as early as I can remember, I have always wanted to be an author. I can remember going to my local Barnes & Noble store in elementary school and imagining what it would be like to see a book that I wrote on the shelves. This dream definitely dwindled to the background for a while in middle school and high school; however, when I entered college and I really started to struggle with my mental health, I remember always wanting to keep my journal entries and notes to someday publish a book of my own about experience living with mental illness.
I am a huge proponent of storytelling, especially when it comes to mental health struggles. If you hear a statistic like 1 in 5 US adults struggle with mental illness, it doesn’t have the same effect as me telling you about how I am the 1 in 5: that for years I had relentless suicidal ideation and that my anxiety still feels too much to manage at times As a society when we think of mental illness, we get scared but putting a face to the experience helps us destigmatize something that is just so normal but seldom talked about. I am very proud of myself as I would have never imagined I’d have two books in the world before I turn twenty-nine.
My two books are: Bake it Till You Make it: Breaking Bread, Building Resilience (a mental health cookbook with recipes, stories, and resource pages) and Mix, Melt, Mend: Owning my Story & Finding my Freedom (my mental health memoir, written in the format of a recipe).
Both books have elements of mental health storytelling and elements of baking and cooking. I am not surprised that both books have authentic storytelling at the front and center, but food that was hard to predict!! However, when I started to pair food with mental health conversation and saw the barriers it could break down, I never looked back.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
While both Bake it Till You Make it and Mix, Melt, Mend are two different books, my main messages for both are the same. These messages are: to help readers feel less alone and to help them realize their inherent power in their story, no matter what it may look like. When I first began my mental health journey and entered into the world of therapy, medication, hospitalization and treatment, I felt so alone. I think I knew on a “high level” I was not the only person experiencing this, but I didn’t know anyone talking about their pain….so I wanted to be that and I am fighting to help people realize they are not alone in their experience. I also at times have felt my story wasn’t “good enough or bad enough” to share, that my experiences were somehow inferior, but I have realized that is not the case and I work to help other people see, there is no comparison of misery and everyone has their own story–that inherently matters.
What were the top mistakes you made writing/publishing your book?
I think my biggest mistake in publishing my first book was not considering self publishing sooner. I heard once that a self-published book is a “vanity book” and I always hated that. I worked tirelessly for months to pitch my idea to different publishing houses, agents etc. and was almost ready to give up when I recognized that I was totally discounting my own strength by not exploring self-publishing.
I am so grateful I discovered it, as it has allowed me to publish two books! Both books are not only on Amazon but they are also both in bookstores both local AND in select Walmarts and Barnes & Noble stores. I don’t believe self-publishing is for vanity at all, I think it is for people who have stories to tell who may not have access to big name publishing companies or resources to get their book noticed. If I ever do become discovered and a publishing house wants to reprint my book, AMAZING but until then I am proud of what I have done on my own.
When will you consider your book a success?
This is a really interesting question as it is something that I have really struggled with in the past. I have always created benchmarks for myself in the book process. For example, when my book is in the X store, I will be successful or when someone asks me to sign my book out of nowhere, I will know “I made it. However, when achieving each of these benchmarks of “success” I realized I still had my old doubts and insecurities so this is something I am working on, to recognize success comes in many forms and flavors.
Of course, this is from Mix, Melt, Mend: Owning my Story & Finding my Freedom. This is my mental health memoir written in a recipe format, combining ingredient metaphors and vulnerable storytelling.
USING AN ICE CREAM SCOOP OR SPOON, SCOOP TWO CAKE MIXTURE BALLS WORTH OF DOUGH AND ROLL IN A TIGHT BALL.
“When I found out I was going on medical leave, the first thing my dad and I did was have lunch at Friendly’s. I was relieved, but I also felt like the blank road ahead was overwhelming in itself. I felt guilty that I hadn’t made the decision totally on my own, and I felt even worse about wanting to do nothing at all.
My therapist, Kathy, put me on the waiting list at the Hill Center at McLean Hospital, a program for women with depression, anxiety and trauma, and some with BPD. I continued to see Kathy week- ly, but her mother died in the midst of our sessions. I was heart- broken for her and also unsure how to survive without therapy. Meanwhile my parents found the best psychiatrist they could in the state of Massachusetts to support this new diagnosis of traits: Dr. T.
Dr. T charged $300 for thirty minutes, and I very quickly realized how incredibly lucky and privileged I was, that my parents were not only willing but also had the means to let me see Dr. T bi- weekly. He started me on a new medicine “cocktail” and reas- sured me I would start to feel better.
There was a tightness in my chest over the coming months. My mom begged me to get a job, but I only lasted one shift in the one that I found. Most days, I couldn’t get out of bed, and I didn’t brush my teeth. I hardly showered, and I lived my life on my living room couch in a pink onesie. One of my parents had to stay home with me at all times, and I felt like the biggest burden to my family. My dad came home early from work most days, and we played Bananagrams on the dining room table. I was distraught over not being in school, but my dad reassured me that he didn’t care if I mopped the floor at McDonald’s, he just wanted me to be here.”
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your first book?
One thing that I wish I knew before publishing my first book is that it is a PROCESS and it takes time..so, enjoy it. I remember when creating both of my books I had set dates of when I wanted things finished and neither time was I accurate in predicting in the slightest. When things were taking longer than expected it was hard for me not to be frustrated, especially when it came to things I couldn’t control (like the pace of the post office) but it was a unique opportunity for me to get excited about what I was sharing with the world. Once the book is out in the world, it is no longer just for you, so I wish I knew to enjoy the process longer. It is really special when the book is in progress, so just enjoy that.
I am sure it is no surprise that in 2021, most marketing happens online but that has been the best way for me to share my story. I have a separate Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok account for Bake it Till You Make it LLC (which is my overarching advocacy organization).
I also found creating a” sell or pitch sheet” and walking into bookstores really served me well too. It can definitely be hard to put yourself out there and walk-in “cold” to stores, however, when you believe in your product as much as I did (and still do), it came naturally to explain why I believe my book deserves a spot on the shelf.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
I am not sure if this is really a change in my career as I am very grateful for my path because it has led me here, but I do wish I took some business or marketing courses in college or graduate school. I had no idea that I would be at a place to take my entrepreneurship so seriously but here I am! I mostly learn now from other mentors, Google, and YouTube but I would have loved to take some in person classes and meet other people who share the same passion for entrepreneurship.
The only other thing I would consider doing differently in my career but do not think will happen in this lifetime, is becoming a rabbi. I love the idea of being a leader, especially in a religious community but my Hebrew career stopped after my bat mitzvah so I don’t think that will happen and that’s ok 🙂
If you only had $1000 dollars to promote a new book, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would call up Jason! Jason is my graphic designer, visual content creator and Bake it Till You Make it partner. Jason has wow-d me at every turn in creating both books, so I would call him up, pay him for his design services and hit the ground running with a new idea. I think with any money left over I would spend it on targeted marketing. This can be expensive but very much worth it!
What is your favorite quote?
As simple as it sounds, my favorite quote/phone background says
“Someone needs your story”.
This is not only my favorite quote, it is the affirmation by which I live my life.
Who should we interview next and why?
Glennon Doyle!!…if you haven’t already! I like to think of myself as a “mini-Glennon.” Her writing is touching, deep and real, everything I try to emulate in my own work. She is an amazing role model for me and so many! My other thought is interviewing., Kaley Cuoco, I don’t think she is an author (yet anyway) but I truly admire her as an artist as well. Plus, I would like her to play me when my books eventually become an HBO mini-series, a girl can dream right?!
How can we get in touch with you?
On social media, everything is: Bake it Till You Make it LLC (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok). My email is: bakeitcookbook@gmail.com and I also have my own personal social media pages (Facebook, Instagram): Dayna Altman. My DMs are always open whether you want to share your story with me, request a presentation, workshop, or learn how to receive a signed copy of either of my books.
Remember, your story matters.
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