I hope that the mothers among you enjoyed Mother’s Day. I was traveling most of May and neglected to publish my post closer to that day.

While the Greeks and Romans had festivals honoring their mother goddesses (Rhea and Cybele), by contrast, Mother’s Day celebrations in the United States began prior to the Civil War. Ann Reeves Jarvis created “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” in West Virginia to educate women how to properly care for children.

Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist and suffragette, wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870 after the Civil War. Her goal was to unite mothers to promote world peace, a goal that remains relevant today. After her mother’s death in 1905, Anna Jarvis envisioned Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices that mothers made for their children.

With John Wanamaker’s financial support, Jarvis organized the first official Mother’s Day at a West Virginia church in May 1908. That same day, thousands attended a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s Philadelphia-based department stores thus beginning a retail promotional tie-in.

Even if your mother is no longer part of your life (regardless of reason) or you’re not a mother I hope that you still celebrated the day with other women in your chosen family. These are the people with whom you proactively decide to spend your time. I consider my closest friends to be my “chosen” family because we love them like family and cherish how they support us as a positive force in our lives. They accept me as I am. There’s no pre-existing familial baggage or lingering hurts that have simmered for years. 

Getting out and being with people who support you is empowering and energizing. Don’t get me wrong—I respect my parents and appreciate how they helped me to become the person I am today. That said, it wasn’t a well-paved route. Life never is, right?

Beyond taking the time to reach out to your mother and the women in your life who are like mothers, you could have also (and still can) apply Mother’s Day to your business and audience regardless of who they are. Determine if your audience shares special interests beyond your offering. Find a passion point around which you can create community. My mother believes that every woman should have a passion and she doesn't mean a boyfriend, husband or partner.

Tap into the power of lesser known holidays and local events. While your ultimate goal may be business-oriented, the objective is to give your audience and community a reason to get together. Assess how you can use your retail or business location to build community around a shared interest. For example, my local yarn store hosts authors, a men’s knitting night, and a book club in their location. The owner does this to support patrons and local residents.

As a by-product of following these marketing recommendations, you’ll build a stronger community and ultimately develop relationships that lead to sales.

With graduation season starting, I’d like to know what your best piece of advice is for a grad seeking to enter the marketing field. Just leave a comment below to let me know.