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Staff post about: Julie Aigner-Clark Become an Author

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“There was nothing on the market that I felt was any good, so I decided to make something myself.” That was Aigner-Clark’s reasoning for starting her now wildly successful series of children’s educational videos, Baby Einstein. While it might be a simple logic, her formula for success was far from it. How did this stay at home mom become a household name with families across America?

Practical: “I’m making babies smile and giving parents fun ways to interact with their children,” says Aigner-Clark. “What could be better than that?” Aigner-Clark loves what she does because it was something that sprung from her own needs. She did not spend years seeking out fruitless business ideas. She noticed the opportunity right under her nose and jumped on it.

Resourceful: How many multimillion dollar companies are run with a staff of less than eight people? Aigner-Clark was proud to count hers as one of the few. From using her friend’s equipment to film her first video to not spending any money on ads, Aigner-Clark used all the tools at her disposal to keep costs low and take her company high.

Determination: Having not devoted any of her small budget to advertising, how was Aigner-Clark able to get people talking about and watching her videos? With unrelenting fortitude, Aigner-Clark hit the trade show floors and chased down buyers until they agreed to give her videos a trial run. She did not take ‘no’ for an answer, and knew that once people saw her videos, they would understand what she was talking about.

Branding: As a parent, would you rather buy a video for your child called ‘Baby Einstein’ or ‘Fun in the Sun with PoPo the Clown?” Aigner-Clark took advantage of the fact that all parents want their children to be smart, and positioned her company accordingly. She never promised her videos would make kids smarter, but the subtle suggestions were more than enough for most parents.

Balance: Aigner-Clark is the first to admit that being a mompreneur was hard. She often felt guilty if she did not spend enough time with either her family or her business. But, she coped by bringing in help where she could, such as with the house chores. And, it was because of her sense of balance that Aigner-Clark knew when it was time for her to get out, when the work was no longer fun and took time away from what was.

“My greatest moment in business was selling to Disney,” says Aigner-Clark. “I look at what they’ve done with Baby Einstein, and I’m so proud. I never could have expanded the brand the way they have.” Today, the business that Aigner-Clark started years ago in her home basement has exploded into a billion dollar baby empire. While she may no longer be at the helm of Baby Einstein, she continues to watch the company grow under Disney like a proud mother. And, she still keeps busy at work with her most recent ventures, The Safe Side and Memory Lane. Aigner-Clark might not be a videographer but her ideas keep proving to be money-making hits.

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