DeSisso Publishing, founded by sisters Tristan Towns and Lacey Howard, is a Memphis, Tennessee-based business born from a passion for storytelling and a desire to empower children.

“We started off just wanting to write a children’s book, not fully knowing what we were getting into,” Tristan said. “But after completing our first book —and now a second— and seeing some success, we realized that this is more than just about writing; it’s a business.”

Both Tristan and Lacey have backgrounds in education, which inspired them to create books that encourage self-acceptance and celebrate diversity.
Both Tristan and Lacey have backgrounds in education, which inspired them to create books that encourage self-acceptance and celebrate diversity.

However, as their business grew, they quickly realized they needed more than just creative talent to turn their passion into a sustainable venture. That’s when they reached out to the Entrepreneurship Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) for help. CU Management Consultant James Custer worked with DeSisso Publishing.

Before working with CU, Tristan and Lacey found themselves struggling with the business side of things. Despite having released two successful books, “I Am Me” and “My Wonderful Curls,” they lacked a proper bookkeeping system, had no business checking account, and didn’t have a clear understanding of their financials.

This made it difficult for them to gauge the profitability of their business or plan for future growth. As Lacey put it, “We weren’t treating it like a business the way we should have. Working with James has held us accountable.”

James played a pivotal role in helping the sisters transform their creative project into a structured business. He guided them in setting up a bookkeeping system through Wave, which helped them separate business and personal expenses and gain a clearer picture of their finances. They also opened a business checking account, which was crucial for financial management.

“Thanks to James’s guidance, we now genuinely feel like business owners and are starting to grasp how things work,”

— Tristan Towns, Co-Owner DeSisso Publishing

One of the key areas CU helped with was marketing. Sales had slowed after the initial release of their books, so CU worked with Tristan and Lacey to develop a marketing plan aimed at increasing product awareness and sales. They identified the importance of in-person sales at vending events, which have higher profit margins compared to online sales.

Additionally, James introduced them to Book Beam, a tool that improved their Amazon listings and boosted their online sales. Since implementing these changes, their book sales have increased from just a few per month to between one to five per day.

CU also encouraged the sisters to engage with schools and libraries, using their books for readings and discussions — a strategy that has proven successful for other self-published authors.
CU also encouraged the sisters to engage with schools and libraries, using their books for readings and discussions — a strategy that has proven successful for other self-published authors.

The partnership with CU has also given Tristan and Lacey the confidence to pursue new opportunities. They’ve accepted an invitation to participate in Curly-Con, a major convention in Los Angeles dedicated to the curly hair community — a perfect fit for their book “My Wonderful Curls.” This event will put them in front of their target audience, opening doors for further growth.

“We’ve accomplished tasks that we should have done three years ago,” Lacey said.

“Working with James has been great because we can share our goals and plans with him, and he provides valuable insights from an outside perspective."

“It’s been refreshing to see our business through his eyes. It gives us a whole new perspective on things we’ve been looking at for years.”

“Having James and Communities Unlimited by our side has made a huge difference,” Tristan said. “We’ve learned a lot, accomplished a lot, and I can see us growing.”