MY TURN
Becoming a ParentPreneur
30 Washington FAMILY JANUARY 2023
went for it, Googling what I did not know
and creating Facebook and Instagram pages
as social media platforms to build a com-
munity. We implemented a “Community”
feature on our Facebook page so that peo-
ple could easily find their local CertifiKID
Facebook group. This let us share specific
deals located in their area, which allowed
us to foster the relationships we’ve built
with the parents and the local businesses
there. Between CertifiKID and Macaroni
KID, there are more than 1,000 Facebook
pages throughout the U.S. With persistence,
we were profitable after just one month of
selling deals.

With the help of Brian and a fantastic
team of, primarily, moms, we’ve expanded
our business nationally, ran thou-
sands of deals and sold millions
of vouchers. We went on “Shark
Tank” in 2019 and secured a deal
with Kevin O’Leary (aka “Mr.

Wonderful”), our first external
investment and one of his big-
gest investments in 10 seasons on
the show. It was an unforgettable
moment I did not believe was pos-
sible for someone like me.

Twelve years and millions of
dollars later, my husband and I
have written and published a book
called “ParentPreneurs: A Decade
of Deals From a Messy Minivan.”
It tells our rollercoaster story
from each of our unique perspec-
tives of starting and growing our
business and mixing business,
marriage and parenting at every
stage. It includes tips to help par-
ents, who — like us — might want
to take the leap to start a busi-
ness together.

Below are a few tips we’ve
learned along the way that we hope
will inspire others who are follow-
ing their own “aha” moments:
• Don’t let bad personal timing
get in the way of a great idea.

• Think of the glass as half full
when you start, and then half
empty when you succeed.

• Hire people who are passion-
ate about your business.

• When you plateau (and you will), look in
the mirror, make no excuses, work harder
and have no fear of mixing things up.

• In business and in life, don’t let neg-
ative events just happen TO you; you
must own them so you can find your way
THROUGH them. 2
Jamie Ratner is the CEO and founder of
CertifiKID and was named one of Greater
Washington’s top women business leaders by
Washington SmartCEO. A soccer mom and
entrepreneur (aka “ParentPreneur”), she’s a
leading expert in the daily deal, parent and
digital media space. She lives in Potomac,
Maryland with her husband, son and daughter.

PROVIDED PHOTOS
I am a wife, mother of two,
entrepreneur and founder
and CEO of CertifiKID. If I
could go back in time and tell the
younger me that someday I would
be a CEO, I probably wouldn’t
believe it. Being an entrepreneur
is probably one of the most diffi-
cult professions to have. Because
it’s not just a job. It’s a way of life
and a personality that takes years
of learning and experience to
develop into something that could
satisfy your soul and (hopefully)
turn a profit.

My story of becoming a
“ParentPreneur” begins with my
early love for deals. I remember
as a young kid in Rockville using
the Entertainment Coupon Book
religiously to help decide what
activities my family and I would
do that day and where we would
go for meals. My sister and I were
obsessed with a book called Free
Stuff for Kids where we would
write to places to get a free pen-
cil or sticker.

When the Groupon phenome-
non appeared, I was an early and
avid follower, but with two kids
under age 2, I wasn’t looking for
deals to spas and restaurants.

This led to my “aha” moment as
I thought how great it would be if
there was a deal website geared to what par-
ents wanted and needed. Those moments of
realization, or epiphany, come once in a blue
moon. My advice: Don’t brush them off; they
could turn into something incredible.

This moment led me to create CertifiKID
and acquire Macaroni KID just 10 years
later. Now, the two companies combined
are one of the largest parent-focused digi-
tal media and advertising companies in the
United States, reaching millions of families
nationwide. When my husband Brian and I started
CertifiKID in 2010, I had no business back-
ground but held a deep desire to start and
create something of my own. So, I just
broke down each piece of the puzzle and
BY JAMIE RATNER