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When giving baby gifts to people you care about, it’s worth remembering a simple principle borrowed from medicine:
Do no harm.
It’s the same oath doctors take before delivering those babies.
We failed to do that in spectacular fashion when we shipped less than high-quality onesies to our client friends who were new parents. Our tagline was emblazoned on the front: You Are Owed Nothing. Deliver Value First.
Telling newborns they’re owed nothing is funny.
But the rashes these onesies caused?
Not funny.
The onesie idea came from a good place. We wanted to be thoughtful, memorable, and remain top of mind.
Because if people forget you, you can’t help them.
And the truth is, most people aren’t thinking about you—they’re thinking about themselves. Not because you don’t matter, but because life is overwhelming.
Everyone is fighting their own battle.
Both personally and professionally.
Just in our own home, we went from stressing about childcare to navigating elder care in a matter of months. My brain’s been flooded with new tasks, new medical terms, and new worries—and I’m not even doing the real work; I’m just adjacent to it.
And somewhere in that flood, names and faces I care about have been pushed aside.
That’s the thing about forgetfulness—you don’t realize who you’ve forgotten until it’s too late.
Now, if this feels like I’m virtue signaling with some humblebrag wrapped in a onesie, I get it. That’s fair. But it’s not really about me. It’s about how you can become more useful and more memorable.
Without, you know, causing infant rashes.
ONE
Delegate and automate giving.
Should I be researching the world of high-performance cotton and “next gen muslin technology” and the impact on newborn skin? Uh, no. Interviewing babywear vendors? Approving designs? Managing onesie inventory in my garage?
No.
To all the questions.
TWO
Always have your antennae up.
After the rash realization, our team determined the onesie idea was good; its execution on my part comically poor. So, our team committed to putting some feelers out for someone who could help.
Not two days later I spoke to Scott Warren at Talbert Building Supply in the Carolinas. He mentioned he just finished lunch with his wife and daughter, who run a company together.
“What kind of company, Scott?”
“Organic and hypoallergenic baby boutique.”
“Huh. They sell onesies that don’t cause rashes?”
THREE
Trade money for time—and peace of mind.
Today, Lynn and Bailey at Cottage Baby Boutique handle all baby gifting for us. They love baby clothes. They’re experts. And they’re exactly what you want in a supply partner: responsive, reliable, and easy to work with. They have helped us exceed our internal OTIFRF (on-time, in full, rash-free) goal of 98.7 percent.
Now when someone on our team hears about a newborn, they contact Lynn and Bailey directly. No approval needed. I just get an update at the Monday meeting.
Want to see thoughtful gifting done right?
Follow Dakota County Lumber on Instagram and watch how they remain top of mind in a fun, useful way. (They also give Dakota-branded onesies, presumably rash-free.)
Set aside 10 minutes this week to think about people in your network who do something unique. It’s the makers, artists, and side hustlers in your orbit that can become your go-to resource for memorable gifts.
Maybe your friend’s kid is flipping sneakers on eBay. Maybe someone you know is deep into baseball card trading. Maybe a client’s son bought a loom off Amazon and is now weaving rugs with messages like aura, low-key, and 6-7.
Now think: Could you use what they do to stay top of mind with someone else in your world?
Gifting like this isn’t promotional. If you’re counting on it to drive sales in the next two weeks, you’ll be disappointed. This is a long-term play.
The best gifts don’t come from a store—they come from paying attention. And that’s what people really want: to be seen and heard.
Done well, this kind of giving builds trust, deepens relationships, and sets you apart in a transactional world full of salespeople only thinking about themselves.
P.S. Here is that link again to subscribe to our new podcast!
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Bradley Hartmann & Co.
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Contact Bradley Hartmann:
bradley@bradleyhartmannandco.com
The Craft of LBM Sales 