Debbie Reber

Debbie Reber moved to NYC after college graduation and spent years working in video and TV production, first for nonprofits like CARE and UNICEF, and then shifting into children’s television where she worked on the show Blue’s Clues at Nick Jr. While Debbie loved the work she was doing, she was always burning the midnight oil on her passion projects, which included working on social issue documentaries and writing. “I was always jealous of friends I knew whose job actually WAS their passion, and dreamed of a day when I felt the same way”.

In 1999, Debbie took a job as the Director of Development for Cartoon Network and moved to Los Angeles. It was while working there that she wrote, sold, and published her first nonfiction book, Run for Your Life: A Book for Beginning Women Runners. Going through that project made Debbie realize that writing was what she wanted to be doing full-time, and her work at Cartoon Network wasn’t ultimately satisfying.

She left her corporate job in February 2003, drafted a mission statement for herself that she wanted to create media to inspire women and girls, and has been doing just that ever since. Today Debbie is an author, speaker, and teen expert. She has published more than six books for young women, created and edited a series of teen-authored memoirs, consult with organizations doing work on behalf of girls, and give workshops and keynote addresses at conferences aimed at teens. Debbie is currently also a certified life coach, with the intention of building in more one-on-one work with girls and young women to help them design the life of their dreams.

Debbie now loves her work and she considers herself a recovering teenager. “I am able to pour my heart and soul into creating content to help the next generation. For the past almost 15 years, my work and passion have been united – now when I burn the midnight oil, it’s usually because I don’t even realize how late it is as I’m so caught up in whatever project I’m involved in at the time. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!”