We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Cunningham recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My daughter was born with an unexpected diagnosis of Down Syndrome in 2017. It quickly overwhelmed me with appointments and new responsibilities. I was struggling to keep up with my new role while also parenting and 3 year old boy and navigating the complex emotions that come along with a diagnosis. In an effort to bring some organization to my days I created tools to support me in my role. Sharing my experience online other mothers said they needed what I had created. So I began the journey of mass production of daily planners, journals and notepads for caregivers. Launching out first public sale in 2018. It has been a wonderful experience with highs and lows, but the real win has been the community that has developed around our brand.

Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Becoming a parent to a child with a disability open my eyes to a whole community of people who were deeply under served in many areas. When I went looking for tools to help me track and implement medical need and on going therapy I could find planners for all kinds of interests and needs, but nothing for parents like me. This was shocking to realize, since the caregiver population is so large. A fire stated to burn to bring awareness and create a brand that would meet this need.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Our business has been on a roller coaster ride in the last five years. As a mother of three I have to learn how to grow super slow and at times stop all together in seasons of illness or high demands in my family. It’s not ideal and I struggle at times to not close all together, but I know The Glory Days has a future. It might be messy and we will have to change many times along the way but not giving up is the main goal. At the core the voice of our brand means more than the products. If we have seasons where products are not moving and innovation is lacking I feel confidence in the need for our brand voice to be in the world. Sharing our story and the story of our community.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building our audience has been rooted in authentic story telling. Opening the door and letting people into my personal journey built trust and engaging dialogue. I didn’t not start sharing with the intent to start a business. I came to IG to process my new life through writing. My open conversations about grief, joy and more created deep relationships with women in the same seasons. As time has passed sharing becomes more complex as my story is now Rorys life story. Keeping her in mind and not oversharing her personal life experience is a balance. As the pain of a diagnosis won’t ever fully go away but it also isn’t something we can hand ourselves over to for a life time. opening the door to our community from that place has at times made it hard to cross over to a season where having a child with a disability is normal and not heavy. I will be learning for a lifetime of how to communicate effectively and respectfully the duality of this mothering experience. How to not live in the space of mental overwhelm that can come with the complexities of real and heavy responsibilities now and in the future. With that said, communication has gotten more complex with our audience and I am looking to move to a podcast delivery vs a one sided written word approach. Leaning in more vs pulling away seems to always lead to the breakthroughs we need.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theglorydaysco.com
• Instagram: @theglorydaysco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theglorydaysco/

Image Credits
Jessica Ely