Jamie Ratner is an entrepreneur, speaker and thought leader — founder and former CEO of CertifiKID and Macaroni KID, co-author of ParentPreneurs, and a Shark Tank success story.https://jamieratner.com/en-ushttps://jamieratner.com/it-has-arrived-this-parentpreneurs-book-launch-is-getting-real/https://jamieratner.com/it-has-arrived-this-parentpreneurs-book-launch-is-getting-real/My copy of our book ParentPreneurs arrived in the mail this weekend. We made the announcement a couple weeks ago and, as usual, most people have looked at Brian and me like we have 3 heads and asked how in the world we had time to do this. Once I…Mon, 18 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/unique-creative-out-of-the-box-sales-tactics/https://jamieratner.com/unique-creative-out-of-the-box-sales-tactics/There are some clients you are just DYING to work with but the usual tactics of phone and standard email are just not working and you are feeling frustrated. Here are some creative and out-of-the-box concepts to get your juices flowing on how to…Sun, 27 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/my-2021-favorite-moments-personal-professional/https://jamieratner.com/my-2021-favorite-moments-personal-professional/As we head into the New Year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on 2021. I recognize how challenging 2021 has been for so many of us. We entered the year feeling like things just had to get better from 2020. In many ways it did, but we…Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/top-10-reasons-i-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-macaroni-kid-community-and-maybe-you-will-too/https://jamieratner.com/top-10-reasons-i-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-macaroni-kid-community-and-maybe-you-will-too/During the first few weeks of CertifiKID’s acquisition of Macaroni Kid, I was completely overwhelmed by all the challenging issues I wrote about in this blog post, while being laser focused on where I felt improvements were needed. I made my…Wed, 07 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/pandemic-pivot-making-an-acquisition-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-crazy-like-a-fox-or-just-crazy/https://jamieratner.com/pandemic-pivot-making-an-acquisition-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-crazy-like-a-fox-or-just-crazy/This past month, I have learned that buying a business is a lot like buying an old house. You walk in and instantly fall in love. You see a few things that could use a touch up here and there, but can’t believe you found it and that it is going…Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/pandemic-puppy-therapy-8-ways-a-new-puppy-has-changed-my-family-my-business-and-my-life/https://jamieratner.com/pandemic-puppy-therapy-8-ways-a-new-puppy-has-changed-my-family-my-business-and-my-life/I am the last person you would ever think would get a dog. My parents still tell the story about how, as a child, I let the neighbor’s dog out while we were watching it and it ran away. I am not sure what it is, but dogs just never clicked with…Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/a-long-weekend-girls-trip-to-panama-city-panama-advice-tips-included/https://jamieratner.com/a-long-weekend-girls-trip-to-panama-city-panama-advice-tips-included/A Long Weekend Girl’s Trip to Panama City, Panama – Advice & Tips Included!Thu, 12 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/if-chipotle-just-added-broccoli-to-their-menu/https://jamieratner.com/if-chipotle-just-added-broccoli-to-their-menu/I have always been a super healthy eater. I love fresh food, and especially love my vegetables. My kids love going to Chipotle because we can walk there from our house, it’s super quick, and they love the simple and basic menu. It is also a great…Mon, 27 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/reflections-of-the-past-decade/https://jamieratner.com/reflections-of-the-past-decade/As CertifiKID heads into our tenth year, I’ve been reflecting on the significance of all that has happened over the past decade, both personally and professionally. I started 2010 as a new, confused and tired mom who felt very blessed with so…Mon, 30 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/5-ways-to-stay-focused-at-work/https://jamieratner.com/5-ways-to-stay-focused-at-work/As I sit here writing this blog post, I fight the urge to check my email, Facebook, Instagram, text messages, and then go check the cupboards to see what snacks I can munch on. It can be very challenging. However, if I can stay focused for just…Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/should-i-be-a-stay-at-home-mom-or-work-a-decision-threaded-by-mom-guilt/https://jamieratner.com/should-i-be-a-stay-at-home-mom-or-work-a-decision-threaded-by-mom-guilt/There is a topic I have been thinking about lately and felt the need to explore it as time has gone by since I made this decision 12 years ago. It occurred to me as I was running one morning listening to Lauren Conrad’s new podcast. She had a…Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/a-ceo-moms-daily-routine/https://jamieratner.com/a-ceo-moms-daily-routine/Whenever I meet people, they always seem curious how I function with running a company and being a mom. I think I just keep the trains moving by constantly working and keeping life simple. Here is a true look into a weekday in my life….. 7am….. I…Mon, 01 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/4-years-of-my-kids-school-talent-show-comedy-routines/https://jamieratner.com/4-years-of-my-kids-school-talent-show-comedy-routines/When my kids came home 4 years ago saying they wanted to be in the school talent show, I racked my brain for ideas for them. Most of the kids at our elementary school tend to play instruments or do a song or dance. My kids were not interested in…Mon, 03 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/my-recommended-audiobooks-for-summer/https://jamieratner.com/my-recommended-audiobooks-for-summer/I have always been a runner but once I started listening to audiobooks, it truly changed my life and made me look so much more forward to my daily run. I have always been an avid reader and love all sorts of books. Running gives me the ability to…Tue, 28 May 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/mr-wonderfuls-shark-tank-summit/https://jamieratner.com/mr-wonderfuls-shark-tank-summit/There have been many moments in the past few weeks where I have pinched myself to make sure this is all real, and my experience at Mr. Wonderful’s Second Annual *Shark Tank* Summit was certainly one of them! Every year, Kevin O’Leary brings…Mon, 06 May 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/taking-a-vacation-can-be-tough-for-a-ceo-but-so-important/https://jamieratner.com/taking-a-vacation-can-be-tough-for-a-ceo-but-so-important/I just returned from Spring Break. This year, we took the kids to an all-inclusive Club Med resort in Cancun with another family and had a fantastic time. As much as everyone loves going on a vacation, as a business owner, I am always initially…Tue, 23 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/next-stop-the-view/https://jamieratner.com/next-stop-the-view/Could it get any more crazy and exciting? Four days after our ‘Shark Tank’ episode airing, we headed to NYC to be on a special episode of ‘The View’ with our new partner Kevin O’Leary and the rest of the Sharks. Unfortunately, Mark Cuban couldn’t…Thu, 11 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/morning-after-getting-a-deal-on-shark-tank/https://jamieratner.com/morning-after-getting-a-deal-on-shark-tank/What a WONDERFUL night! It is the morning after our airing and I am so overwhelmed I don’t even know what to do. Between the airing, the party and the business side of it all, I feel like last night had to be a dream. I can’t even begin to thank…Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/shark-tank-fever-two-weeks-until-our-april-7-airing-a-behind-the-scenes-look/https://jamieratner.com/shark-tank-fever-two-weeks-until-our-april-7-airing-a-behind-the-scenes-look/BRIAN RATNER AND JAMIE RATNER (CERTIFIKID) © 2018 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. It has been one week since I found out we would be on Shark Tank. I have never experienced anything like this week. My phone is buzzing…Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/this-is-really-happening-we-are-going-to-be-on-shark-tank/https://jamieratner.com/this-is-really-happening-we-are-going-to-be-on-shark-tank/For the past 10 months, I have been carrying around an enormous secret (no, I am not pregnant!). My husband, Brian, and I auditioned for Shark Tank last May and went out to LA to tape in September. We were not allowed to tell anyone about any…Mon, 18 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/10-hottest-trends-in-the-kid-family-space-in-2019/https://jamieratner.com/10-hottest-trends-in-the-kid-family-space-in-2019/As the CEO of a company in the kid and family space, it’s my job to keep my finger on the pulse of current trends. I obsessively monitor our sales to see what’s hot and what’s not so we stay on trend with what our customers want. My two kids are…Sat, 09 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/10-tips-for-getting-it-all-done-words-of-wisdom-from-this-ceo-mom/https://jamieratner.com/10-tips-for-getting-it-all-done-words-of-wisdom-from-this-ceo-mom/People always ask me how I do it all. How have I run my company and been an active mom over these past 9+ years? I am sure I will look back – once I have time to take a breath – and wonder the same thing. I am terrible when it comes to allowing […]Fri, 22 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/working-with-your-spouse-good-or-bad/https://jamieratner.com/working-with-your-spouse-good-or-bad/My husband Brian is an attorney by day, night and weekend, and also the President of CertifiKID in the other couple of minutes he can spare. Okay, I can see his eyes rolling about this as he spends a huge amount of time on the business, though…Fri, 22 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/my-future-job-6th-grade-assignment-30-years-later/https://jamieratner.com/my-future-job-6th-grade-assignment-30-years-later/I was cleaning out some old stuff in my basement recently when I stumbled upon this report I did in elementary school. The assignment was called “My Future Job.” Here it is above! Besides the fact that I am blown away by how nice my handwriting…Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMThttps://jamieratner.com/where-did-the-time-go/https://jamieratner.com/where-did-the-time-go/In my 20s, before I started CertifiKID, I had a blog called “Little Miss Fun Finds.” Here is the logo that I spent hours and hours working on. The blog was geared to local DC area parents, and particularly moms, who were looking for a good deal…Thu, 21 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT