Military Entrepreneur Magazine; Fall 2015

DADDY'S DEPLOYED FAMILY

How one toddler helped inspire a company that now helps hundred of military children deal with one of the most stressful events of their lives: Seeing their parents leave for deployment

“It doesn’t have to be sad,” said Bridget Platt, thefounder and CEO of Daddy’s Deployed and wife ofa Marine Corps aviator. “And that’s what I wantedto do. Create this story where [kids] are the stareven if their family is separated at the time.”

Founded in 2012, Platt’s company creates custom-designedchildren’s books that explain wheremom or dad are going, what they’ll be doing andhow they’ll stay in touch through tools like Skype.The first book she ever created was for her owndaughter, with pictures of thefamily literally cut out andglued onto the pages.

She had been inspiredthree years earlier, whileworking with a two-yearoldgirl at the childdevelopment

centeron Naval Air StationWhidbey Island, Wash.

“She was perfectlybehaved, would eat everymeal, play outsideand she shared. She was potty-trained and wouldnap everyday,” Platt said. “And then her dad deployedand all of that changed. I remember thinkingthat somebody has to do something to helpthese kids, but I was just too far from it at thatpoint. We were newlyweds. We didn’t have anychildren so I couldn’t wrap my head around whatthat concept might be.”

Once she had her own children, and with the

“They see themselves in the story. They see their

dog in the story. So that they

help of her brother, a Harvard Business Schoolgraduate, she put together a business plan, copyrighteda logo and brought on a great illustrator tohelp with creating the book’s artwork.

Now parents can go on the Daddy’s Deployedwebsite (there’s a Mommy’s version as well), putin their custom information (such as name, rank,branch of service and family information) and ordertheir books. In about three weeks, Platt andher team send back a personalized book with the

know that it’s thishappy, brightlycolored vision ofwhat their lifecould be or isgoing to be.”

family drawn into their ownstory.

“The whole point of it isthat when the kids open pageone they see their family inthe story,” Platt said. “They seethemselves in the story. Theysee their dog in the story. Sothat they know that it’s thishappy, brightly colored visionof what their life could be or isgoing to be.”

The company is exploringits niche beyond custom books about deployment,launching a book about military moves and lookinginto selling eBooks and other interactive materials,such as audiobooks where the deployedparent can read the story to their loved ones.

“The most common thing that is said to meis, ‘Why didn’t I think of this?’” Platt said. “Thatshows me that there was a problem and we areanswering it. And that is the best thing.”

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