Jamie Ratner - Parentpreneurs: A Decade of Deals from a Messy Minivan

Jamie Ratner is the CEO and cofounder of CertifiKID, a recognized best deal website for parents. Over the past decade and with CertifiKIDs recent acquisition of Macaroni KID, Jamie has grown CertifiKID from a regional deal website to one of the largest parent-focused digital media and advertising companies in the country, reaching millions of families nationwide and backed by an investment from Shark Tanks Kevin OLeary (aka Mr. Wonderful). Jamie was named one of the regions Brightest Young Business Leaders by the Washington Business Journal and one of Greater Washingtons top women business leaders by Washington SmartCEO. So, Jamie knows a thing or two about what parents want. A soccer mom and entrepreneur (aka Mompreneur), shes one of the countrys leading experts in the daily deal, parent, and digital media space.

Brian Ratner is the cofounder and president of CertifiKID. He is also a founding partner of Hausfeld, a global litigation law firm headquartered in Washington, DC, where he serves as Global Co-Chair of the firm and specializes in global antitrust and commercial litigation on behalf of businesses of all sizes and across industries. Brian has been featured on the Washington, DC, Super Lawyers list since 2014; The Legal 500 2020 Hall of Fame and Leading Lawyers lists since 2014; the Whos Who Legal Global Leader, Thought Leader, and Recommended Lawyer for Competition/Plaintiff lists since 2018; and the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list for the past three years.

Jamie and Brian Ratner live in Potomac, Maryland, with their two children. And more personally,

Jamie is cheap. Brian is a big tipper.

Jamie cooks. Brian cleans.

Jamie makes messes. Brian mops them up.

Jamie writes. Brian edits.

Jamie creates and conceives. Brian implements and executes.

Jamie is a doer. Brian is a talker.

Jamie is the first to arrive. Brian is the last to leave.

Jamie doesnt care what people think, but she sometimes should. Brian does care, but he sometimes shouldnt.

Jamie is like lightningfast and efficient. Brian is like a stormslow-moving and methodical.

Jamie is a glass half empty kind of gal. Brian is a glass half full kind of guy.

Together, they make the perfect combination to throw a party, run a business, manage a community of hundreds of moms (and some dads) across the country in big cities and small towns, or even make a good impression on Shark Tank.

Together, they are ParentPreneurs.

To learn more about CertifiKID and Macaroni KID, visit www.certifikid.com and www.macaronikid.com.

It takes a village of people in your corner to succeed as a ParentPreneur. We have been fortunate to have this kind of support both personally and in business from many people over the years. There are too many to mention by name, but we feel several are worth noting and thanking.

First, our amazing children Noah and Lila, to whom we dedicate this book. They have been active participants in our business since day one and have never made us feel guilty for it. To be a ParentPreneur, you must have kids who will let you be one. We are grateful that ours have.

Our parents, Gary, Sandy, and Carol, and our late dad, Jimmy. For all the love, support, and encouragement so that we could dream big and realize those dreams. And for their willingness to drop anything or do anything (in Garys case, working tirelessly for free for eleven years) to help us get to where we were trying to go.

Our siblings, Mindy, Erik, and Lisa. For being great sounding boards and contributors at every stage on our journey.

Our ParentPreneurs team, who encouraged us to write this book, believed that people would be interested in what we have to say, and then helped us to make it all happen: Rachel, Liza, and the Liza Dawson Associates team; Suzanne, Elaine, and the Rowman & Littlefield team; Rea; and our in-house editor extraordinaire, Kim.

Our CertifiKID team, the best and most supportive team anyone could ever ask for: Gary, Leslie, Amie, Bien, Kim, Randi, Olga, Beth, Barbara, Rachel H., Amy F., Kelly, Cynthia, David, An, Lara, Jennifer, Stephanie, Joan, Kristina, Miranda, Rachel R., and others who have worked for us and made invaluable contributions to our business and story.

Our Macaroni KID team and publisher community, which took a leap of faith on us and inspire us every day: Kayt, Charlotte, Kat, Lindsay, Noelle, Zulema, Kara, Julie, Anu, Laura, and countless others who have worked for us, supported us, and made important contributions since our acquisition. And Joyce and Eric, for calling us back and handing us the baton.

Kevin OLeary (aka Mr. Wonderful), who saw something in us in the Tank that day and decided we were people he wanted to be in business with, as opposed to kicking us out. And for his generous foreword!

The OLeary team, which has supported and guided us so well since 2019: Alex, Nancy, Matthew, and Dom; and the OLeary Shark Tank companies which are a great resource and support system.

Shark Tank, for admitting us to the Harvard of entrepreneur reality shows, and our producers Jeremy and Alan for believing in us.

Our stellar team of external advisors and consultants who always treated us like more than a mom-and-pop shop, even when we were one: Doug, Michelle, Kelly, John, Brian G., Franklin, and the Nelson Mullins team; Brent, Michael, Deidre, and the Hausfeld team; Bill, Kristin, Zack, and the Baker Tilly team; Liz and the Huntington team; Avanee and the Citibank team; Dorene and the Beecher Carlson team; Mike and the RBC team; Jeanne and the RPA team; Jackie and the NFP team; Frank; Andrew; Brian S.; Lisa; Dottie; and Stephanie.

Tom Heath. If you read the book, youll know why.

All the businesses that took a chance on us, partnered with us, and helped us get to where we are today.

All our loyal subscribers and followers who have stuck with us and whom we do our best to serve every day.

And our family and friends network who have rooted us on and helped spread the word every step of the way.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Throughout the book, we offer our unique and shared perspectives with a She Said, He Said, and We Say approach.

We have also tried to recreate events, locales, conversations, and experiences from our memories over a long period of time. We cannot confirm their accuracy or the accuracy of the point in time in which they took place. To protect privacy, in some instances we may have changed the names of individuals and places, and we may have changed dates or some identifying characteristics and details such as occupations, titles, and physical properties.

Every Christmas, our tradition was to go to Brians parents house southeast of Pittsburgh. It was December 2009, and we had our two-year-old son Noah and nine-month-old daughter Lila in the back of our packed minivan so, you know, it was super fun.

With nothing to distract him, I decided to tell Brian about my latest business idea. We had just signed up our son for music classes. Noah was an active kid and the music teacher wanted us to sit in a circle the whole time, but he always ran around tugging on the curtains. It was dreadful for me to keep going back week after week, but Id already spent a fortune, so there was no way we were quitting. (I dont waste anything I pay for.)

I explained how ideal it would have been if the business had had a three-class trial pass. Without a full-session commitment, more families would try the class, and it would be smart for the business to get these parents in their doors at zero advertising cost.

I asked Brian the million-dollar question: what if there was a deal site that focused specifically on what