I first met Laura Tuzio Ross in 2012, when a dear friend introduced us. For years, I had been hearing about her. To finally meet her and her three beautiful daughters was a wonderful experience. Because Laura’s business? Is a family affair. On the day I attended a doll show where Laura was exhibiting her creations, her mother, kids and the boyfriend of the oldest one were all in attendance. And they were all helping.
One year later, I picked up the baby doll that Laura designed to look like my youngest child. To get a chance to hold my baby even when she is grown up is a priceless gift. And what made it even more special was learning that her daughter helped create the doll that I took home, by rooting the baby-fine hair.
Laura employs other moms in her Philadelphia workshop, and allows them to bring their children to work. Being able to grow a business while helping other parents is an incredible gift to the world. My hat is off to Laura for her amazing art and business skills.
People think that when you have a child, your world ends. And it does. But here is the thing. You get to go places you never would have gone without your child. I have spent endless hours in museums and kid spaces. And because of that, I now have business relationships with some of the largest companies in the world. Plus? I get to combine that with bits and pieces of my past, to create partnerships that are unusual and have significant reach.
When you attend kid events dressed for business, that is how people will treat you. You signal your intentions with what you wear. Every time you go somewhere, it is an opportunity to make a friend. And when you stay connected with those friends via social media? You build powerful relationships with people with different areas of expertise. Each of those friends is part of a knowledge pod that you may need once a year, once a decade, or never. But when you need information, it is super easy to activate a knowledge pod because the relationships are already in place. And this is a two-way street – when you share your knowledge with friends, it makes it much more likely you will get information when you need it.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
