Smiles, Laughs, and Old-Fashioned Customer Service

Part of my weekly routine is a survey of all the weird, crazy, zany and off-the-wall "holidays" celebrated each month. A couple of my Diva sisters, Bev Mahone and Heidi Richards Mooney, enlightened me on how these were goldmines for marketing opportunities. So I always check just to see if there is something coming up I can build a marketing campaign around. Well, did you know that this month is National Laugh-Friendly Month? Me either. But it sounded like something I could use and so I decided to do a little research on it.

It's not very often that I come across a company that I just have to share. But in my research on the origins of National Laugh-Friendly Month, I found one. ee publishing and productions, llc, also known as "the laugh-friendly company" and the creators of National Laugh-Friendly Month. ee created National Laugh-Friendly Month to encourage more smiles, laughs, and old-fashioned customer service. Curiosity piqued, I had to know more about the company that created their own holiday. I was not disappointed in what I discovered.

ee publishing was founded by two sisters, Elizabeth Sills and Elena Patrice. They create children's books and toys with high play and imagination value because they believe that the world would be a happier place if kids got to be kids just a little bit longer and if grownups greeted each day with more of the wonder we love in our children. As they clearly state on their website, they are out to change the world.

Incorporating their values into their business, the sisters have created a company and product line that comes alive with their passion. You can almost feel their energy as you browse their website. The colors are vibrant, the words are energetic, and the products - well, the products are adorable!

The products bring to life the magical world of a sweet little girl called Nana Star created by their grandmother years ago. Entrepreneurs at heart, in order to introduce children to Nana Star, they became picture book authors, publishers, and members of that illustrious band of trend-setting businesswomen: mompreneurs. Since founding ee, that's "double e," by the way, they've expanded the world of Nana Star to include an award-winning picture book series, line of character plushies, and companion web site. They're also launching another line of retro-style toys, the CutiePatootie WannaBe Babies, designed to spark the big dreams of little people.

The site also encourages others to live "laugh-friendly" and recognizes other companies that do. The Nana Star foundation benefits children who need a reason to smile. And their ''blaph" (blog + laugh = blaph) is full of inspiring, amusing, and uplifting stories and pictures.

This is just an example of what you can build when you follow your passions and your vision. You can learn a great deal about building a brand and marketing a concept from these two women. Check out the site for yourself and you'll walk away with inspired with new ideas. I know I was. So stop by and browse around (http://laughfriendly.com/). Meanwhile, I'm off to order a CutiePatootie for my own princess. Or maybe a Nana Star doll. Oh what the heck! Maybe I'll just buy both!