Parenting Toddlers During the Holidays is Just Like Branding Businesses

Stay with me…

Would you rather present to a board room full of mansplaining middle-aged white dudes or put a snowsuit and gloves on a sugar-cookie-infused tot who’s missed her nap?

More days than not, I’m tackling both. Sometimes simultaneously. So I’ll be the first to tell you, there are a number of similarities between building and branding a business and raising tiny tyrants beautiful babies through overstimulating seasons—especially when it comes to developing an effective, lasting brand. 

The Advent Calendar that Never Ends
The Power of Patience and Consistency

There are two things I would ask Santa for on any given day: unlimited energy and unlimited patience (usually not in that order). Toddlers work at their own pace. You can't rush them into understanding complex concepts or reaching ambitious milestones (can you tell we’re currently potty training our two year old?). Helping them understand the concept of time and how unbelievably long the month of December feels is a whole other challenge. 

The same goes for brands—you need patience. You can't expect immediate success without showing up consistently on 1,000 little things day in and out. And even then, everyone grows at a different pace depending on your industry, your product, your audience, your team, your investment dollars. When scaling any kind of brand, patience and consistency are essential components for creating long-term relationships with customers. That means staying true to your values and delivering consistently on your promise day in and out. Toddlers, like customers, will call you out instantly if you’re not being true.

“I love repetition!!” - Stewie Griffin and My Four Year Old
Start Small and Focus On Quality

The number of times a day I say “how do you ask?” or “what do you say?” to our two year old (and, let’s face it, our four year old too) is a little depressing. But it’s because repetition works. Repeating phrases over and over until they finally begin to stick is crucial for a little brain who’s overwhelmed with new experiences every day.  

The same holds true when your brand is trying to reach an audience with a clear message of what they stand for. People are inundated with tens of thousands of ads a day. They need simplicity and consistency. So for your business, that means instead of focusing on quantity at first (e.g., releasing a ton of campaigns or a zillion social posts at one), focus on quality instead. That starts with developing a single, consistent, relevant story that helps you stand out in the market. This will help establish trust between you and your customers while also building an appeal that relates to but transcends time-sensitive trends in the market.

The Christmas List that Changes 10x Before Christmas Eve
Have a plan. Expect the plan to be thrown out the window.

My husband and I joke (and cry over) a single truth about both our kids: if we want them to do something, we have to suggest the opposite. They are fiercely independent humans and want to figure everything out for themselves, make every decision themselves and, seemingly, thrive on creating chaos for their parents. (You can see the bags under my eyes from there, can’t you?) We’re a few days out from the shipping deadline before the holiday and our 2 year old daughter said the only thing she wants for Christmas is a “dog bone.” So…we pivot!

Branding requires consistency, as we discussed a moment ago. But it also demands flexibility. We need to be open-minded enough to adjust tactics if something isn't working as expected. Adapt quickly. Sometimes brand managers feel like they need to be Brand Police and stay rigidly focused on brand guidelines. Guidelines are there for a reason, to guide. Flexibility is crucial. Markets shift, opportunities arise that you didn’t expect when creating the guidelines, and you need to take advantage. 

Like it is with toddlers, our job is to listen to our audience, decipher what they need and deliver. 

Visions of Sugar Plums In Our Heads
You’ll sleep again

Is this one true?? Please?? I hope?? 

I’m told that both in building a business and in raising young kids, the sleepless nights end at some point. It’s not easy, putting this much time into something you love so very much. It’s hard separating your personal identity from your parent identity in the same way it’s tough to pull your CEO, leader, or founder founder identity from your own brand’s. But it’s crucial in both cases. 

A bit of distance and perspective does wonders for everyone’s growth.