RISING ICON #103: Sabrina Rucker
photo credit: soona
What name do you prefer to be called?
Sabrina
What are your pronouns?
she/her
Where did you grow up?
I grew up south of the Twin Cities, in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
What city are you currently based in?
Apple Valley!
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
The same way others do, I’d think. An awkward wave typically followed by a handshake.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I’d love it if more people knew I was a huge ancient history buff! I could talk about Ancient Mesopotamia for hours.
Who do you help?
I help writers with an idea or first draft but no clue how to navigate the publishing industry or where to find a writing community.
What are you building now?
I’m building a simpler path to publication - by way of a writing site that rewards revision and community.
What were you building ten years ago today?
Ten years ago I was a junior in high school… so around this time I was building stress about homework.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
In 10 years, I’m hoping StoryForge will have gone very well and sold or been taken over by another. Mayhaps I’ll be making ancient history lessons somewhere on the internet. That would be pretty fun.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
A typical literary agency gets over 18,000 book submissions per year but accepts 5 or less to publish. Those odds are insane. Not getting published doesn’t mean your work was inherently bad.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
The stories we read affect the way we see the world and the perspectives we’re familiar with. And the demographics of authors in bookstores don’t accurately reflect the world we live in.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
My dad is my mentor for sure. The best advice I ever got from him was to get up and move when everything feels like it’s falling apart. An awful problem you can’t solve? Take a walk. Don’t know how to handle a situation diplomatically? Go for a run and deal with it afterwards. It’s tricky to remember in the moment, but it usually helps.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
I was exceptionally proud that StoryForge was included in the Lunar Cohort 6. The application process was rigorous.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
I mean… Forbes 30 Under 30 would be pretty cool. *side-eye at Forbes*
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Philomena Cunk. I’d be such a good interviewee - I get flustered very easily. Excellent for comedy, I’d think.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Cramming for a Speaking Event like a Pro
What award would mean the most to win?
Forbes 30 Under 30. Aside from the personal feeling of achievement, it would be a terrific way to draw attention to the systemic issues in publishing and help StoryForge succeed in creating an alternative.
What makes zero sense to you?
Tough Mudder 5Ks. My whole body recoils when I see the ads.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
Opportunity. It’s over-used in my opinion. “Opportunity to chat”, “Let’s take this opportunity to engage”, “We haven’t had the opportunity to meet”, “Let’s take this setback as an opportunity to re-evaluate”, “We need to seize on this opportunity”. There’s too many opportunities. Surely we can branch out into other words.
What game are you changing?
The publishing game. The industry makes its money on the finished product right now, which dramatically affects the whole pipeline of idea to finished product. StoryForge is monetizing the journey of writing, which gives authors way more creative freedom and prevents their work from being squeezed into a marketable box by publishers.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
Our 30K In 30 Days Writing Challenge! If you’re looking for an excuse to finally put pen to paper this November, I encourage you to check out StoryForge. We’re committed to promoting human creativity, and our platform protects writers from AI scraping.
Where can we follow you online?
@thescaredceo on Instagram! I post silly little animations.
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Realizing that every single person on your team is better at something than you are. It’s your job to lift them up so they can shine.
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We’re grateful to each RISING ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Sabrina, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. For nearly a decade, we’ve helped leaders build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in key opinion leadership and go-to-market strategy for emerging brands. To follow along with the RISING ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly email newsletter. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to elevating your leadership profile, FIT(lite). RISING ICONS is made possible by grant funding from Knight Foundation.
“The stories we read affect the way we see the world and the perspectives we’re familiar with. And the demographics of authors in bookstores don’t accurately reflect the world we live in.”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting innovation leaders. We’re convinced, the future is bold.
