Mama Knows Best: An Exclusive Interview with Teen Mom’s Kailyn Lowry

At just 16 years old, Kailyn Lowry’s life changed drastically when she became pregnant and was featured on the MTV reality television show, “16 & Pregnant.” Now, nearly 10 years later, she’s not only a mother to Isaac but also two more boys — Lincoln and Lux — has published three best-selling books, and to top it off, recently launched her own line of CBD-infused hair products. The road to Kailyn’s success hasn’t always been easy, and over the years audiences have watched her experience both highs and lows. Take a look inside the life of one of television’s most recognizable moms and find out how she’s been able to juggle both business and motherhood.

Your life in the public spotlight began in 2010 when you were cast on “16 & Pregnant,” but before becoming a mom, what were your goals for a future career?

I wanted to go to school, I wanted to pursue dentistry of some capacity. However, I didn’t have the means to go to college back then and I didn’t know if that would be possible.

How has being a mom and a reality television star impacted your career as an author and entrepreneur?

I have to give a lot of thanks to the show for opening those doors to me. It’s provided me with connections and networking opportunities that made my other endeavors possible. But it’s hard to juggle the TV show and keep it separate from my other business work and being a mom. It’s a little chaotic most of the time.

You published your first book, “Pride Over Pity” in 2014. What went into writing your first book and how did you find time to write while balancing your career as a mom/ TV star?

I’ve wanted to write a book since I first started the show and I would write whenever I was emotional. At one point I wondered what I was even doing because I was unsure if I could actually publish anything. I would go back and forth, and it took me a long time to say to myself that I was actually going to do this and find a way to publish it. It took about three years. I didn’t know how to self-publish and I got turned down by maybe five or six publishing houses. Then, as the show was taking off, someone came along and picked up my book. And then I was on The New York Times Best Sellers list and I was shocked. Now I have this little plaque in my office and it makes me so happy.

Then in 2015, you put out “Love is Bubblegum,” your first children’s book. What made you decide to write a children’s book and what inspired the story you wrote for it?

I asked my kids what love meant to them and it was this whole concept in our house for a little bit. What is it, what does it look like, and what does it feel like? And I wanted to create a children’s book for my kids telling the story of what love is, and they loved it. Everyone that I asked, my nieces and nephews, friends’ kids all gave a different answer and I thought it was perfect.

In 2016, you put out “Hustle & Heart,” which is essentially a survival guide for life. What struggle in your life has been the hardest to overcome and what have your challenges taught you about becoming a better mom?

I think loving myself has been the hardest struggle. I go through periods where I’m so happy with where I’m at and with myself but then I go through periods where I’m not. I think that’s been the biggest struggle and that goes into being a mom. You have to love yourself to be the best that you can be in all aspects of life and that includes motherhood. I feel that moms especially, not just myself, are really hard on themselves and so much is expected of them.

Finally, there’s your latest book, “A Letter of Love,” which you’ve mentioned was an apology to your three sons. What were you apologizing for and why did you choose to turn your apology into a published book?

It first started as an apology to my youngest son because I was so in love with his dad and then it didn’t work out. Then I realized that there was a lot to be said to my other kids because I couldn’t make it work with their dads too. And I thought that if someone else could relate to my struggle, then maybe I could help them in some way. I obviously wanted my kids to be able to read it and see what I was feeling. And hopefully, they’ll get something out of it.

Beyond being a published author, you’re a part of even more projects including a podcast and a YouTube channel. What made you decide to create content in this way and why is it important for you to shape your own narrative as your family grows up?

“Teen Mom” is great and it’s given me a great platform, but there’s so much more that I do on a regular basis than talk about my kids’ dads. I thought, let me do “Kail and the Chaos” to show single motherhood and my business ventures. Five minutes is not a lot of time to show my story on “Teen Mom” so I wanted to expand and do YouTube. And the podcast is cool because I can be myself and have so much to say in an hour. There’s so much pressure on me to have this picture-perfect family where you get married and have kids, but I did it all backward. So I want to show people that it’s okay to not be traditional or do things the way everyone expects you to do them.

And if this wasn’t enough on your plate as it is, you also launched a line of CBD-infused hair care. What made you decide to create a hair care line and why CBD?

Well, I love my hair and I get a ton of compliments on it. So I wanted to get into the hair industry and I thought that CBD oil would be perfect to set me apart from other products. There are a lot of benefits to CBD oil and I figured that this was it. CBD oil is really good for your scalp and it makes your hair nice, shiny, and healthy.

Do you have any other projects on the horizon and what can fans expect to see from you in early 2019?

I really want to focus on Pothead Hair Care. Next, to my kids, that’s my number-one focus because it’s something that I’m passionate about and I love doing it. I’m also hoping to build a house this year, but we’ll see what happens.