More than 10 years after launching Lil’ Libros, Patty Rodriguez is still showing up with the same intention she had on day one. What started as a personal idea, creating bilingual children’s books that actually reflected her community, has grown into something much bigger: a brand families recognize, trust, and pass down. However, for Patty, it’s never just about business, it’s about making sure Latino kids see themselves in the stories they read, in a real and meaningful way.
The path to building Lil’ Libros wasn’t obvious. She didn’t grow up thinking she’d be an entrepreneur, in fact, she says she didn’t even use the word until she became one. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, she came of age in a community full of hope, but with limited representation in the media. Still, she followed her instincts. That led her to radio, where she spent 17 years working alongside Ryan Seacrest, helping bring stories from her community to a national platform.
Patty Rodriguez sharing the mission behind Lil' Libros: creating stories that reflect Latino culture, language, and identity for the next generation.
“I wanted to create something that my community is very proud of, something that would make a difference, especially for children. Because when I was growing up, I didn’t see us reflected in the stories. And that matters. That shapes what you believe is possible for yourself.”
Patty Rodriguez
Then everything changed. After a house fire in which she lost everything forced her to start over, Patty began to think differently about risk, time, and purpose. Around the same time, she had an idea for bilingual children’s books, but when publishers didn’t see the vision, she decided to bet on herself. With her best friend, Ariana Stein, a small amount of savings, and a lot of courage, she got to work.
Patty Rodriguez, Lil’ Libros co-founder, whose vision for culturally rooted storytelling has helped reshape children’s publishing.
More than a decade later, Lil’ Libros has over 100 titles and partnerships with major retailers like Target, Barnes & Noble, museums all over the U.S. and more. Patty is still closely involved in the creative side, still thinking about the families reading these books, and still building with intention.
In this conversation, Patty opened up to ¡HOLA! about how it all started, what she’s learned along the way, and why she continues to trust her gut, even when it’s scary or she has moments when she wants to quit.
Lil’ Libros co-founders Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, Co-founders and childhood friends turned built Lil' Libros from the ground up with a shared mission and a few thousand dollars.
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You’ve had an incredible journey. Looking back, how did your upbringing or your culture shape you into the entrepreneur you are today?
I don’t think I ever thought of myself as an "entrepreneur". Looking back, I didn't even have the vocabulary for it. But I am a daughter of Mexican immigrants, raised in Los Angeles. I grew up in the mid-80s, which was a very hopeful time because our community had been granted amnesty. We felt we could achieve things without the weight of living in the shadows.
I was always drawn to storytelling, media, and understanding the human experience through those channels. However, when I turned on the TV or read a magazine, I didn't see people like us. So yes, there was this idea that you could dream, but only certain dreams felt attainable.
How did you get your start in media?
Fun story. When I was a 16-year-old senior in high school, I drove to a radio station with a friend to get tickets for a concert. Before leaving the studio, I just asked the DJ if there were any internship opportunities. One thing led to another, and I started answering phones.
That led to an internship, then a job on one of the largest shows in the country. It was one of the most incredible opportunities. Being a producer and bringing the stories of my community to the show, especially in Los Angeles, where so many listeners are Latino, felt like a responsibility. I did it with so much love and for many years.
A lot of people would call that the "dream job." What made you walk away to start Lil’ Libros?
Somewhere in the middle of that, I had a house fire. We lost everything. Looking back, it was the best thing that ever happened to me because it stripped away the things that were holding me back personally. It gave me the courage to take risks. It helped me understand that we’re all given a purpose in life and that we only have one life. It gave me the courage to take risks.
During that time, I had just had my son and was working on an idea for bilingual children’s books. I had sent the idea to publishers around the country, and those who got back to me said it didn’t make sense or that they couldn’t find a fit.
After the fire, I realized I had to find a way to do it myself. “I need to figure out a way to do this myself. This is my sign.”
“I would come home from work, put my son to sleep, and then get on the phone with my business partner. We would work until midnight or later, and I had to be up at 4 a.m. to go do the radio show. I had a notebook with everything we needed to do, and I would just check things off one by one. It was exhausting, but we just kept going.”
Before launching Lil' Libros, she spent nearly two decades in radio, working alongside Ryan Seacrest and helping bring Latino stories to one of the country’s biggest shows.
How did the idea become a real business?
Instead of dwelling on what was in front of me, I thought, “I have to find a way.” I wanted to create something for myself, my family, and my community, something we could be proud of and that would make a difference, especially for children.
I called Ariana, my best friend from school. She also had a baby and was having similar conversations with herself. I told her, “I’m working on this idea. I have this pitch. I have this plan. I think the only way this can be done is if I do it myself, and I would love for you to be part of it with me.”
She said yes, and we got to work! We wrote the first three books ourselves. We created them. We found an incredible illustrator who, to this day, is part of our team. It was the three of us. Within three months, we had the books available.
Within three or four months, they sold out. Within six months, Target wanted the books in their stores. Then Barnes & Noble called.
That’s great and so fast! How did you get your books onto the shelves of these big retailers?
With Target, we were fueled by manifestation. I knew in my heart that once they saw the books, they would say yes. There was no way they were going to say no.
We created a care package and sent it to their headquarters. I had learned that from working in radio. People would send us care packages with music or products, and sometimes you’d open one and think, “This is cool. Let’s have this person on the show.”
So we Googled the key players, found the address, and sent it. In my head, I pictured the whole process. An intern would open it, love it, and pass it along to the right person.
And sure enough, they reached out. Within six months of creating the company, we were in talks with Target. Before our one-year anniversary, they had placed their first order.
I had envisioned exactly how it would happen. I think I’ve always navigated my life that way. I see it happening before it happens.
At the time, were there bilingual books in stores like Barnes & Noble?
The books available at the time were either translations of classics, like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, or imports from Spain. Those were great, but they didn't reflect the Mexican-American or Latino experience in the U.S.
That’s where publishers were getting it wrong. They thought, “We’ll translate these books and bring in books from Spain.” Then they would say, “This market isn’t flourishing.” Of course, it wasn’t because they weren’t creating with purpose. They weren’t investing in talent, in community, or in our voices. They weren’t talking to us.
That’s why, when I pitched them, they would say it didn’t work. But what they were doing was what wasn’t working. We created books about icons like Frida Kahlo and El Chavo because those are our stories, and it worked.
What started as late-night phone calls between two new moms became a bestselling bilingual children’s book company.
“Unless you have someone you can tap into for cash, you’re going to have to get a loan or use credit cards. It’s just part of the journey. The key is to understand exactly where every dollar is going and use it as a tool to move forward, not something that controls you.”
Patty Rodriguez
You mentioned you and your partner invested your own money. Was that a scary leap? How did you get the business off the ground financially?
Terrifying. I used the insurance check from the house fire, money meant to replace our things, and I decided to take a chance on the business instead. When I received that check, I thought, “I have options. I can buy furniture again, or I can take a risk.”
We each put in a few thousand dollars. Coming from an immigrant family, you don't have a trust fund. You have "money wounds"; you're conditioned to be afraid of money. I had to learn to see money as a companion that wants to see us win.
What was the hardest part of those early years?
Believing in myself. Everything else was a logistical hurdle, but the only thing stopping me was me.
At the time, I was still working with Ryan Seacrest. I’d come home, put my three-year-old to sleep, and my business partner would put her baby to sleep. Then we’d get on the phone and work until midnight or 1 a.m. I had to be up at 4 a.m. to go do the radio show. I had a notebook with a list of everything we had to do. I would just check things off one by one.
Do you have a defining or funny memory from the early days?
The first time we ordered our books, we had to pick up the shipment at the dock. We didn’t know what to expect. It was three pallets, and we had a small van. We thought we’d just throw the pallets in the van.
We got there, and it was all men, truck drivers picking up cargo. It was just me and my business partner, Ariana. Everyone was looking at us like, “What are they doing here?”
They told us the pallets wouldn't fit in our van. We didn’t know what to do.
We ended up talking to this wonderful older man and asked if we could borrow his truck. He said yes. He helped load the pallets and drove them to our storage unit. We followed him in our van, freaking out, thinking, “What if he just drives off with our books?”
He delivered them, but the truck couldn’t fit into the storage unit driveway, so he had to unload the pallets outside. Then it was just me and Ariana carrying every box into the storage unit one by one.
Now I look back and laugh. We always say, “No nos morimos de hambre.” (We are not going to starve) We figure it out.
Joining a larger conversation on literacy and access, she shares the stage with Lauren Sánchez Bezos at an event centered books and community impact.
What’s your advice on using credit cards when starting a business?
We use them; we still tap into those resources. I would say use them, but you have to be all in. Use them responsibly, and that means understanding exactly where every dollar is going.
Small business loans really helped us in the beginning, and they still do. And we had to build trust within ourselves. We would think, “Oh my God, I’m getting a $50,000 loan. What could happen? - How are we going to pay it off in X amount of time?” That gave us structure and discipline.
The reality is, unless you have someone you can tap into for cash, you’re probably going to need to use credit cards or take out a loan. It’s just part of the journey. The key is to be intentional about it, map out how you’re going to pay it off, pay it off as quickly as you can, and get into the habit of using it as a tool to help you move forward, not something that controls you.
But you have to believe in the dream. The dream and the purpose have to be bigger than the fear. Otherwise, the fear will always win.
How did your partnership with Jessica Alba come about? Did you ever imagine something like that happening?
It’s funny because, yes, I had already imagined it before it even happened. I’m not even kidding. Before she ever reached out, I had already imagined our character illustrations on Honest diapers.
My son was an Honest baby, and I would picture it; I could see the collaboration so clearly. That’s kind of how I’ve always navigated my life. I visualize things before they happen.
And then she reached out. She was having her third baby, her little boy, and she came across our books and fell in love with what we were creating. From there, the conversations started, and it just naturally evolved into a partnership.
She has been an amazing mentor. She’s one of the greatest cheerleaders in our community. We worked together for 2 years on a Día de Muertos collaboration with The Honest Company, creating limited-edition diapers that celebrated our culture. It was beautiful.
How do you balance the creative side with the business side?
All I wanted to do was create books. I didn’t want to do the business side. But building a business is also creating.
It’s a mindset shift. You can’t start a business and say, “I’m not good with numbers.” You have to learn how to understand them.
If you want a hobby, you don’t have to do that. But if you want to grow a business, create jobs, and lead a team, you don’t have the privilege of ignoring that side of the business.
I’m still very involved in the creative process. We have a wonderful team, including editors, an art director, authors, and illustrators, and I’m involved in the creation of every book. Storytelling brings me life. I can’t walk away from that.
The majority of our team is women, and it’s wonderful to see this company give them a place to build a career in something purposeful and meaningful.
Lil’ Libros co-founders Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, building a bilingual children’s book brand rooted in culture, community, and storytelling.
Was there ever a moment when you thought, this is too hard and I want to quit?
All the time. I thought about it this morning. Every day you want to quit. Any businessperson who says that’s not the case is lying.
Running your business is the hardest, most beautiful thing you can do. Because it’s not just about the business, it’s a reflection of who you are. You learn so much about yourself when you build something. It’s a soul-searching experience.
What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
Honestly, had I known everything, I would not have done it. You have to go into it a little naive. If you knew what it would take, you wouldn’t do it. Our brains are there to protect us, and sometimes they lie to us.
One thing I would tell every entrepreneur is: find a good lawyer early on. Someone you can go to for legal advice. That person will be important from the beginning. Everything else, you can learn as you go. But legal is not something you want to pretend your way through.
Find someone who understands your industry. Don’t get a traffic lawyer if you’re opening a bakery. Ask questions. Have they worked with a business similar to yours? Make sure you have the right guidance.
Also, get a great CPA and learn to understand your numbers. You don’t have to become an expert, but you do have to be on top of that.
Where can people find Lil' libros today?
Our books are wherever books are sold, bookstores across the country, museums, gift shops, Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York carries some of our board books throughout the year. The Broad in LA has carried our books, as well as the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, the Mexican American Museum in San Francisco, museums in Chicago, and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
We’ve also partnered with the Smithsonian for Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate our stories and voices.
Lil' Libros has not only inspired a generation of little readers but has also changed the publishing industry. Publishers have started investing in our authors, our illustrators, and our voices.
That’s what I’m most proud of. Our community of authors and illustrators can now see publishing as a career and a goal.
At the heart of it all: connecting with young readers and creating stories where they can see themselves.
Watch the story of Lil’ Libros in the founder's words
What’s the next dream?
I can't say much now but I think for us, the next step is animation. And that’s what we’re working on right now.
That's so exciting. And to wrap up our conversation, what would you say to someone considering becoming an entrepreneur?
Imagine what your life will be like once you reach your goals, and hold that in your heart.
Every time you’re faced with doubt, or that little voice in your head that says, “You’re comfortable here,” go back to that vision of what life can be for you.
There will always be doubt. Every person we admire, we admire because they decided to go after their dreams despite their own fears.
Hold on to the idea of who you can be, who you will become. That person is already inside you. You just have to take the leap.
“Every day you want to quit. Any business person who says that’s not the case is lying. But it’s the hardest, most beautiful thing you can do. Because it’s not just about the business, your business is a reflection of who you are. You learn so much about yourself.”
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
© @Patty Rodriguez
