ParentPreneurs

Jamie Ratner's idea for a family-friendly version of Groupon came up on a holiday drive to Pittsburgh, with the kids and gear packed into a cluttered minivan. She expected her husband, Brian, to push back, but he simply called it a great idea. For the rest of that trip, while his parents looked after their two young children, the couple drafted a business plan and launch timeline that became CertifiKID.

Neither of them was ready for the venture. Jamie was a born entrepreneur with no formal business background. Brian was a partner at a Washington, DC law firm, where he practiced litigation rather than corporate law. Their schedules were already full, the timing was poor, and they started anyway.

More than a decade later, Jamie and Brian recount how they grew CertifiKID into a multimillion-dollar company, closing thousands of deals with businesses large and small and serving over a million members. They describe a deal with Kevin O'Leary, known as "Mr. Wonderful," on ABC's Shark Tank that ranked among his biggest in ten seasons, and how the Covid pandemic pushed the company to the brink until a risky pivot through an acquisition. Each of them tells the story from a personal angle, offering a candid look at what it costs and what it gives to combine marriage and business at every stage.

The book also offers practical guidance on managing both roles, protecting work-life balance (especially in an era of remote and flexible work), and reaching personal and professional goals. It is written for parents who already run businesses as well as those still considering it, and it encourages readers to rethink how they approach work and whether they can start or grow something that brings them more satisfaction. The authors argue that parents can succeed as entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs can succeed as parents and spouses.