Meet Mimi Brian Vance | Author, Educator, Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mimi Brian Vance and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mimi, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
During pre-release promotional events for my baby sign language books, I met a number of people who wanted to learn baby sign language right away. I was asked to teach in a number of venues, and my business developed organically from there.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The first couple of years of a baby’s life are a time of incredible growth and development. This time can be very challenging for parents who are supporting their baby’s every need. If only we could understand baby’s cries and coos and babbles. With Baby Sign Language, we can! I teach Baby Sign Language to hearing babies and their families in my Words by the Handful classes. I have mom-baby classes in person and online, and I train early childhood education teachers and schools how to incorporate baby signs into their organizations.

My business grew from the publication of my books, The Words by the Handful series. I am very proud of this set of four children’s board books that teach basic signs through the reading-aloud of fun stories. (Reading aloud to children is so important for early, and life-long development.)

After my books were published, I started getting requests to teach, and my business grew from the curriculum I designed. It has been fun and challenging at the same time.

One of the biggest challenges to my work is that, despite decades of use, Baby Sign Language is still not mainstream, and I often spend my “30-second elevator pitch” just informing people about this great practice. No time for promoting my brand beyond that, but it’s a great start. I’m a huge proponent of Baby Sign Language, and I take my role as ambassador-for-the-cause very much to heart.

What sets me apart in this business is that my books and my classes are child-centered – they are designed for the child to be involved in the learning at the same time as the adults. This boosts interest and engagement. Parents are already fully occupied with the raising of babies. Having to learn another language, and then figure out how to teach it to their baby – and the other adults in their nest – is a tall order. My books let you start signing in a 4-minute read of one of four adorable children’s books.

My classes don’t require any previous signing knowledge, and they are designed to make signing easy to learn and to repeat. Repetition is the key to any language learning. Repetition is the key to teaching, and especially so with our youngest children.

The challenges I face in my business are keeping up with the latest technology, and finding new clients. Technology and tech/social media trends change very quickly, so you have to be on your toes. Clients? Babies age out of my classes by the time they are about 2 years old! I count on my parent-clients to help spread the word to their friends who are new parents or parents-to-be. There is quite a lot of marketing directed at this demographic, and it’s a challenge to navigate for pregnant parents, not to mention brand-new, sleep-deprived parents. Baby Signing? It’s one of the most helpful things any parent can do to help promote language development and soothe the frustrations of the pre-verbal months of baby life. When you know, you know! Ask someone who has used baby sign language with their kids. They’ll tell you!

My 15+ years of writing, teaching, and promoting Baby Sign Language has reinforced for me that moms and dads are the most amazing and motivated people. We all want what is best for our children, and we can find the energy to make things happen, even on very, very little sleep. Babies? There is nothing more magical than watching little humans grow and learn. Some of my students are now graduating from high school!

I came to this work as an international professional with my own little babies. My years as a United States Diplomat (Foreign Service Officer), and my background in language learning (I speak several) helped me create just the right process to make Baby Sign Language learning easy and fun. Is this the best job in the world? Why yes, it is!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
APRIL IN HOUSTON

SUNDAY
1. Space Center Houston tour
2. Kemah Boardwalk for visiting The Aquarium and amusement park rides
3. Dinner at Sundance Grill on Clear Lake

MONDAY
1. Morning coffee and foodie shopping at Central Market
2. River Oaks azalea tour
3. Attend a match or two at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club
4. Dinner at La Griglia on West Gray; if you’re lucky, you might run into tennis stars (Bjorn Borg) who played at River Oaks in years past.

TUESDAY
Lunch at Niko Niko’s on Montrose.
Astros baseball day game at the Minute Maid Park
Dinner at Ninfa’s on Navigation for authentic TexMex cuisine. This is the original Ninfa’s. Original margaritas. Original TexMex.

WEDNESDAY
Chinatown foodie/spa/shopping tour:
Morning espresso at 85 deg. C Bakery Cafe
Reflexology/massage at Oasis Massage
Viet-Cajun fusion restaurant tour in Chinatown during peak crawfish season
Shop at the Hong Kong Market.
Finish the night at Spotlight Karaoke on Westheimer.

THURSDAY
Houston Museum District tour:
1. Morning coffee and breakfast at Brasil
2. The Menil Collection
3. Museum of Fine Arts
4. Rice University campus tour
5. Dinner at Sixty Vines wine bar in Rice Village

FRIDAY
Tour de Houston kart racing:
1. Kart racing at Andretti Indoor Karting in west Houston/Katy
2. Pit stop at Roostar on Gessner for Houston’s finest Banh Mi sandwiches and Vietnamese coffee
3. Kart racing at K1 Speed Houston in northwest Houston
4. Take a private lesson at Speedsportz Racing Park, host to national and regional kart races; meet former US karting champion Alan Rudolph and his son Aden, who races nationally.
5. Pit stop at Goode Company Taqueria on Kirby.

SATURDAY
Brunch at Brasil
Houston Art Car Parade – downtown Houston
Dining in downtown/midtown

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I am grateful to my parents who gave me my mother (and father) tongue, and an appreciation for words and expressiveness. My sister is my cheerleader-for-life, and together we have learned to speak up and make our contributions to the world. The dozens of teachers who instilled in me their interest in life-long education and growth are always with me in my mind and my heart. And without the love and support of my husband and our children, my road would have been much more difficult. I am incredibly grateful to the many people who have taught, helped and encouraged me in so many ways.

Website: www.wordsbythehandful.com

Instagram: @words_by_the_handful

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WordsbytheHandful/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwMmIuU-Y4XLD9JuQreqG7g

Image Credits
Photos including Mimi: Credit: Water Oaks Studio Photo of Words by the Handful Books: Mimi Brian Vance