Kris rolls out the pink carpet for Latrice Galloway, one of the most inspirational, dynamic, and business-savvy women in the early learning industry today. She talks about The Childcare Chic blog, The Childcare Clique community, and her upcoming Born to Teach conference at which Kris will be speaking. Latrice drops some golden wisdom on the two things every ECE professional must know. She also gives some great tips on avoiding common industry missteps, the value of using coaches, and having the right mindset and leadership.

Key Takeaways:

[3:17] Kris recaps her four-day Mastermind Retreat!

[9:44] Latrice joins and talks about working with her sister and The Childcare Chic.

[11:30] Latrice’s first employee was her mom, who is now retired as a super-grandma.

[16:28] Before Latrice started changing lives with children, she used to change lives with felons, using her degree in criminal justice.

[20:40] How Latrice set herself apart.

[22:37] How Latrice has grown as a leader.

[24:09] Latrice’s leadership style.

[27:18] Tips on having hard conversations with staff.

[29:19] Latrice’s two key pieces of advice for ECE.

[33:18] The mindset mistakes Latrice most often sees in the industry.

[35:18] Growth and trends in ECE and what’s next for Latrice.

[40:16] Latrice defines a Childcare Rockstar.

[41:14] Catch Kris at the Born to Teach conference!

Quotes:

● “My staff brag about me as their leader. That makes you feel like, Okay, I’m doing something.” — Latrice [25:35]

● “Fast forward to today, I’m a person that you can follow, but I’m going to get in there with you.” — Latrice [24:09]

● “Yes, you have to create those boundaries, but I can still treat them well. We can still laugh, but at the end of the day, they know that I am still their leader and they still have a job to do.” — Latrice [24:49]

● “Invest in your team. If you don’t have a team to help you enforce those policies, they go out the window.” — Latrice [29:30]

● “The trend is: go to the conference. Invest in yourself. Hire the coach. I think that’s great because people are investing their knowledge so they can go back and grow these programs and offer amazing services to their families and students.” — Latrice [39:47]

● “It costs too much to have a coach, but do you know how much you’re going to lose trying to do this on your own?” — Latrice [40:28]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal

The ChildCare Chic

The Childcare Clique

Born to Teach Conference

From 120% staff turnover annually to just 14% in seven months? It may sound like a dream scenario, but for Kris’s guests this week, it’s reality. Kris welcomes Crystal and Ricardo Romero from the New Mexico Early Learning Academy, currently serving three amazing locations. They share some game-changing tips on hiring the right people, onboarding, and staff retention. Crystal and Ricardo talk about working as a couple and how it helps their overall mission and keeps them both energized and focused, their approach to expansion, and the extra perks they offer to keep their staff satisfied personally and professionally. Get ready to be inspired!

Key Takeaways:

[8:49] Crystal and Ricardo talk about their school, New Mexico Early Learning Academy, currently with 3 locations.

[11:05] Their different journeys into early childhood education.

[14:23] Yes, Crystal and Ricardo spend almost every moment together, and they love it!

[15:12] They share about their blended family and how their work and personal lives are fully blended.

[16:24] How Crystal and Ricardo love spending their free time (together, of course) and being intentional about breaks.

[19:31] Fun fact: if you need some cool shoe inspiration, check out Crystal’s renovated home office! It’s now a sneaker closet.

[21:53] Crediting the Academy for success.

[25:40] Remembering the basics of fostering authentic and meaningful relationships.

[27:01] Crystal and Ricardo get into the specifics of hiring and making onboarding engaging and less intimidating.

[31:14] More about how they reduced turnover from 120% to 14% in seven months.

[32:47] Getting intentional about lowering the turnover rate.

[34:24] Realizing the give and take of making staff happy and still meeting their goals while working on the overall mission and vision.

[41:09] Overcoming any struggles as a husband and wife team.

[43:08] The other businesses that keep Crystal and Ricardo busy.

[47:27] Their approach to expansion.

Quotes:

• “I would say we spend about 90%, maybe more, of our time together. And honestly, it works really, really well.” — Crystal [14:39]

• “I think for us, we thrive off each other and the energy that we have to be able to make decisions and bounce stuff off each other has been really one of the key indicators on why we’ve been so successful.” — Crystal [14:52]

• “We lay it out there of what our expectations are, and communicate that clearly with each other.” — Crystal [15:24]

• “I tell Ricardo every day, there’s absolutely no way we could have accomplished where we’re at today if we didn’t have each other. What we have as a couple makes us dynamic in our business and our personal life.” — Crystal [15:43]

• “Intentional goals make for incredible outcomes, so we made sure that every goal we set in place is trackable and attainable.” — Ricardo [32:37]

• “I think as owners, we get caught in that mindset of this is my program, this is my school, these are our rules. But not realizing that at the end of the day, we need these people, and there's a lot of give and take that has to happen.” — Crystal [34:24]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

New Mexico Early Learning Academy

Ben Newman

What are the two keys to retaining more families in your program? And do you think that those two keys also apply to retaining staff? This week, Scott Whitaker, aka the “Membership Boy Wonder,” is here to answer those questions. Scott is the membership consultant at the Child Care Success Academy, and he has some great tips on how to set yourself apart in your community, how to compete with the increasing competition in today’s world, and how to do it in a way that’s fun for teachers, kids, and parents.

Key Takeaways:

[3:48] Kris recaps her beautiful trip to the jungles of Ecuador.

[5:01] More about The Pachamama Alliance.

[10:19] Scott’s wife Kelly was a teacher, and they have been married for almost 29 years.

[17:43] What are some keys to improving family retention or customer retention?

[20:14] What are the results that the parents are looking for?

[25:36] Creating a unique value proposition for schools to stand out and become the “provider of choice” in their community.

[30:20] Retaining staff and clients through relationship-building and reward systems.

[34:11] That which gets rewarded gets repeated.

[36:26] You want your staff to believe in your value proposition.

[42:46] Identifying target clients and your avatar through a state of abundance.

[51:24] Allow the members of the Academy to help you and thrive in the community!

Quotes:

• “That’s really my goal, to make them the most impactful inside their niche so that they can help those businesses that are truly looking to grow and serve.” — Scott [9:38]

• “I can’t think of any better journey than taking an owner and helping them move from growing into a place of freedom into a place of an empire.” — Scott [16:34]

• “Retention is all about relationships and results.” — Scott [18:16]

• “As we look at this retention model, we have to look at it as a relationship and results with the child and relationship and results with the parents, and it’s got to be an equal focus there.” — Scott [19:00]

• “My first challenge to anybody and everybody considering identifying who their avatar is is to come from a place of abundance.” — Scott [42:47]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

Pachamama Alliance

OnlineJobs.Ph

The story this week starts with pizza, so you know it’s going to be a good one! Kris welcomes Rick and Nancy Kodama from Kid’s World Learning Center. Rick and Nancy are a husband-and-wife team based near Houston, Texas. They share some great tips on having a business together as a married couple for over three decades. They chat with Kris about their journey from owning Domino’s Pizza franchises to transitioning into early childhood education and give perspective on how having four sons affected their overall managing style and work-life balance. They also talk about how joining the Childcare Success Academy impacted Nancy’s leadership growth and confidence in running their school.

Key Takeaways:

[3:42] Kris set herself a goal of visiting all seven continents and speaks a bit about her Amazonian adventures.

[6:35] Rick and Nancy join from Texas.

[8:00] Kid’s World started in 2012 and now has a capacity of 262. They have nine classrooms.

[9:12] Rick and Nancy share more about their four sons and family background.

[15:03] How they went from a Domino’s Pizza franchise to Kid’s World, and lessons learned along the way.

[20:01] Remembering that you’re in a relationship business, and true connections matter.

[23:09] Fun fact! Talk about a large family — Rick has over 150 relatives in California.

[25:38] Leading without micromanaging.

[26:37] What The Child Care Success Academy has taught them about leadership.

[32:14] Communication, respect, and overcoming challenges as partners.

[44:18] The “other” Nancy at Domino’s that inspired our Nancy.

[46:18] What’s next for this husband-and-wife duo?

Quotes:

• “Our vision for our school is to serve more children in our community.” — Nancy [8:32]

• “With five locations, it was just not enough to sustain a supervisor. So it's either grow, or go.” — Nancy [16:06]

• “When people ask me how I spend 12 hours at the childcare, I say that’s nothing. Working 6‒6:30 pm is nothing.” — Nancy [19:32]

• “It’s not a transactional business. It’s a transformation business.” — Kris [20:36]

• “We’re not just watching your babies here, we’re teaching them. When I say we’re teaching curriculum, and all the things that I’m saying that we’re going to deliver, I make sure that my staff is going to do that. That’s what is important to me.” — Nancy [48:02]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

Kid’s World Learning Center

Kris welcomes Shannon Vasquez, Executive Director of PB Schools. Shannon started as a floater in 2004 and has since grown the organization to 8 locations. In their chat, Shannon shares her journey from floater to leader and her goals for the upcoming year. She discusses how the Academy's training and coaching have helped her build confidence in her leadership abilities and implement strategic planning practices. She and Kris chat about growing collaborative teams and the importance of courageous leadership when facing challenges. Plus, Shannon shares some fun facts including one of her favorite ways to destress - watching true crime!

Key Takeaways:

[7:37] Shannon talks about PB Preschool and celebrates her 20th work anniversary.

[8:26] Shannon started as a floater.

[9:47] Shannon’s favorite age to work with.

[10:08] What a typical week looks like for Shannon.

[12:27] Why starting from scratch can be a good thing.

[13:29] Challenges in hiring and retaining staff.

[13:33] Growth is happening, but there's still a long way to go in aligning company practices across two counties.

[13:57] Shannon’s goals for 2024.

[14:55] An update on enrollment.

[15:50] The 8 schools combined hold a capacity of 878.

[16:37] Fun fact: Shannon is a crime fan!

[18:16] Shannon discusses the expansion.

[21:28] How the business changed and morphed over the last eight years.

[23:41] Feeling like a more confident leader and making friendships inside the Academy.

[26:20] The importance of listening.

[28:32] Winning Director of the Year.

[31:03] How Shannon defines a childcare rockstar.

Quotes:

• “You can’t dwell on trying to make a decision, you’ve got to just make a decision. There’s no right or wrong. There’s an outcome. And if you don’t like the outcome, then you change direction. Don’t dwell, just keep on going, keep on moving.” — Shannon [20:31]

• “Every year, we continue to grow and put more policies, more procedures into place, and hold people accountable to those policies and procedures. And we’re just constantly succeeding.“ — Shannon [22:38]

• “They want you to support them and teach them how to be self-sufficient, but also give them the confidence and know that you have the confidence in them.” — Shannon [28:10]

• “A child care rockstar is someone who puts into practice high-quality business strategies that are driven by their vision and mission. And that not only is about the children but it’s about the people that are in the day-to-day grind.” — Shannon [30:49]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

PB Schools

LinkedIn Shannon Vasquez

“Ep. 61 — Stackable Core Values, Branding, and Managing People Well with Karla McCurry”

Kris welcomes Raj Jana, co-founder and CEO of the mental health app Liber8. Raj shares his entrepreneurial journey and how he created Liber8 to help people manage stress and mental health. He and Kris discuss their passion for entrepreneurship and using their gifts to help others. They talk about the importance of improving our world and mindfully creating a world worth living in through compassion and small acts of kindness. Raj highlights Liber8 programs, including emotional lab reports and group coaching cohorts, which help users better understand their triggers and find tailored tools for personal growth.

Use Code CHILDCARE10 to get 10% off Liber8

Key Takeaways:

[6:18] Raj talks about Liber8 and his journey in entrepreneurship.

[8:30] How Raj finally got off the hamster wheel of healing to shift into real and inspired action.

[9:33] The start of Liber8.

[15:08] What Raj loves most about entrepreneurship.

[18:47] The impact that The 4-Hour Work Week had on Raj and Kris.

[21:16] Breakups can be emotional, but can also be a great time to rediscover yourself and peel back new, exciting layers.

[22:36] How Liber8 can help with burnout.

[28:05] What can someone expect when doing a session with Liber8?

[28:56] How we can “be the ripple.”

[36:05] The people who had an impact on Raj along his entrepreneurial journey.

Quotes:

• “What I love most about being an entrepreneur today is that I get to use my gifts, talents, and my brilliance to help people.” [15:57]

• “I don’t know of a more growth-fueled journey than the journey of entrepreneurship.” [16:40]

• “I do feel like entrepreneurship is my art.” [17:07]

• “If we can help the little humans be better learners and more emotionally resilient, then we can help the world because as the little humans get big, it’s just going to ripple out.” — Kris [29:30]

• “I think just about the most impactful thing we can do is to wake up to the fullness of ourselves, learn to love ourselves, and be that light from the inside out. And then just be that ripple in the world.” [31:10]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

Raj Jana

Liber8

Maverick Next

It’s all about the best and brightest in software automation for schools this week, as Kris welcomes Daniel Andrews and Sasha Reiss, co-founders of Playground, an innovative childcare management software company. They first share Playground’s unique story of being friends since high school and creating a solution for their own families’ childcare centers. Daniel and Sasha highlight Playground’s differentiating features, such as drop-in care management and integrated payroll modules, and they share insights into hiring practices and their vision for AI in childcare. At the end of the episode, Daniel and Sasha share lessons they’ve learned on scaling their own company and fun yet powerful ways to maintain a happy company culture.

Register for our ECE tech webinar with Playground here: https://www.childcaresuccess.com/how-to-navigate-the-evolving-tech-landscape-for-enhanced-operational-efficiency-in-your-ece-business-may-2-2024-webinar/

Key Takeaways:

[3:15] Kris announces the two-day virtual challenge, The Road to Freedom.

[6:31] Playground’s founding story.

[8:38] How does Playground’s mission and technology stand out in a crowded space?

[11:37] Perspective on ECE’s past of being a slower adopter of technology, and how that’s changing.

[12:53] The “grandma test.”

[15:38] The lessons Sasha and Daniel have learned about scaling and growing a business.

[17:09] Some of the tools and technology Playground uses.

[20:09] The grounding and stabilizing force of working with family.

[22:44] Personal and professional inspiration.

[25:29] What they look for in new hires.

[26:36] Playground’s short but effective interview process.

[31:29] What’s next for the Playground team?

[33:13] Using AI to improve family interactions, especially with communication, engagement, and lesson plans.

Quotes:

• “I think our differentiated approach is the new technology that we’re bringing. A lot of that comes down to really solving the problems that we are building software for.” — Daniel [8:39]

• “If we want to be able to compete and if we want to be able to operate at the same level, we need to adopt the same tools that they’re using.” — Sasha [14:10]

• “A lot of the big problems that we faced have become significantly smaller by putting phenomenal people in front of those problems. If you find someone great, you can just trust that they’ll get the job done and that you don’t need to be managing the day-to-day.” — Daniel [16:54]

• “Working with family and then also building for family really grounds you on what the work you’re doing, who’s impacting, and why it’s actually getting done.” — Daniel [20:09]

• “It’s ultimately the three of us against the problem. It’s not us against each other. So realizing and recognizing what it is that we’re working for, and why we’re doing it ultimately helps us get into the right direction.” — Sasha [21:25]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

Playground

Linear

Webinar: Emerging Technologies Revolutionizing the Childcare Industry

Kris welcomes the very inspirational Kishani Woldberhan of Kids Early Learning Centers, now operating four locations in Texas with plans for expansion into Ethiopia. Kishani talks about bringing Montessori-inspired education to underserved communities, and her vision for building two new schools in Ethiopia with a combined capacity of over 3,000 students. She offers valuable advice on setting clear goals, implementing strong systems and accountability, and using technology like Slack and QR codes to effectively lead a growing business. She and Kris also talk about embracing the difficult things and realizing the sky's the limit when it comes to realizing your vision.

Key Takeaways:

[7:12] Kishani joins the show from Arlington, Texas, and talks more about Kids Early Learning Centers.

[7:39] Kishani talks about the four locations currently running and the plan to expand to Ethiopia.

[10:11] Fun Facts: Kishani came to the United States on a VISA as a Montessori teacher from Sri Lanka. She is now a mother of five and a grandma!

[13:30] Buying a center during the pandemic but opening it in 2021.

[14:50] What sets KIDS Early Learning Centers apart in the market.

[17:54] Working with Grow Your Center.

[20:16] How they made their vision become a reality and why they are bringing the brand to Ethiopia.

[22:35] The school will be from toddlers to high school.

[26:33] Advice for others wanting to open up a school internationally.

[29:02] The sky's the limit when you put in the hard work and act with purpose and strategy.

[31:07] Keep the end in mind and work backward when working towards your goals.

[32:03] Giving your staff the tools they need to succeed.

[35:14] How Kishani communicates with her leadership team.

[41:50] How being a member of the Academy has helped Kishani and the importance of finding mentors.

[43:06] Keep your eyes peeled for Kishani’s program for a childcare management system, which will come out in June.

[43:25] Fun Fact: Kishani is a party planner and decorator at heart.

Quotes:

• “We have dedicated teachers who love children and love to teach them.” — Kishani [14:50]

• “This is a partnership. It’s not just you dropping off your child, we babysit with your child.” — Kishani [15:30]

• “The sky's the limit as long as you know what you want and you go for it.” — Kishani [22:18]

• “Keep the end in mind and work backward.” — Kishani [31:07]

• “Nothing is going to come easy. It’s going to be difficult. If it was easy, everyone would do it.” — Kishani [31:44]

• “I worked so hard on getting systems and processes in place.” — Kishani [32:59]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.

podcast@childcaresuccess.com

Kids Early Learning Centers