Child Care Rockstar Radio

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Kris Murray Challenge - starts December 28th!

Hope Rises: Make Your Life, Love & Leadership Soar, by Dr. Randy Ross

Ep. 93 - Choosing Broadway Over Mom's Basement with Bari Baumgardner Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

I am thrilled to have Bari Baumgardner on the podcast to share her truly inspiring journey. Bari is the founder of SAGE Event Management; a boutique event production company best known for creating a purpose-driven payday for speakers, authors, and influencers with her "Sales IS Service" approach. If you're ready to take your own personal leap, this episode will really resonate with you. Get ready to take some notes on Bari's sales approach, enrollment theory, and her infectious belief in trusting in yourself.

Key Takeaways:

[4:45] Highlights of Bari's professional journey in event planning, including pivoting to a tech company during the pandemic, and how it parallels with Kris' journey.

[8:51] What Bari does for fun where she lives in Murrells Inlet, SC.

[12:19] Fun fact about Bari: She wants to be a drummer (even though she has no rhythm)!

[14:55] Bari's Broadway vs. Basement story; how she took a big leap at a critical time, said yes to herself, and moved to NYC. It ended up being the most important thing she's ever done.

[27:43] Tips Bari has on enrollment theory, more on her mantra "Sales IS Service," and digging into the hierarchy of objections.

[37:41] The importance of applying the "tell me more" approach when talking to families interested in your child care centers. Make it more about the connection than the "sale."

[41:25] The hierarchy of enrollment is as important as the hierarchy of objections.

[44:03] How the vibe and success of The Child Care Success Academy has changed since Kris laid out the Guiding Principles two years ago.

[45:45] What Bari has learned about successfully running a business with her spouse without it affecting her marriage; especially division of labor and asking for support, not permission.

[52:14] What Bari is watching and reading to stay inspired.

Quotes:

"Sometimes it's just about walking through an open door and seeing what happens next." — Bari
"It never would have happened if I hadn't said 'yes' and taken that journey and trusted that intuition." — Bari
"I chose commitment over convenience and I was rewarded for that." — Bari
"It's difficult, and I think dangerous, to give your power away; … to give your decision away to someone else." — Bari
"Selling something you don't believe in is damn near impossible." — Bari
"The trust business is founded on getting to the question behind the question." — Bari
"Just show that you care and ask those loving questions about that family, and you will earn the enrollment." — Kris
"Every day is an enrollment game." — Bari
"Little hinges swing big doors." — Kris
"As women whenever we ask permission for something, we're giving away our power." — Bari
"You can't give away your power to someone who's not qualified to make the decision. And you shouldn't give away your power to make your own decisions." — Bari

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

SAGE Event Management

The Crown on Netflix

Believe IT

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits

On Writing

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Big Leap

Ep. 92 - A Quest of Creative Culture Building with Rachel Supalla Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

This week I am joined by rockstar Rachel Supalla. Rachel is a multi-site owner of Discovery Kidzone in Montana as well as one of the newest coaches here at The Child Care Success Company. She has shared her expertise as a national speaker at Association for Early Learning Leaders, NAEYC, and more. We dive into Rachel's unique strengths, her creative quest to culture building (and budgeting!), a special curriculum she developed that's a blend of Montessori, Reggio, and mindfulness, as well as some savvy financial planning.

Key Takeaways:

[7:43] Rachel is now officially one of the coaches here at The Child Care Success Company. She discusses some of her goals and integrating her personal approaches to clients.

[9:54] Rachel has been in the industry for 24 years and has an extensive background, complete with multiple certifications and degrees.

[12:27] Discovery Kidzone also has branches in California that Rachel's partner, Alex, runs.

[14:55] Taking advantage of PPP and grants were part of the best practices that Rachel used to stay financially viable through the pandemic.

[19:00] Specific ways Rachel kept culture really high for staff, parents, and the community, during the pains of the pandemic.

[22:30] Rachel shares how she has developed her Zoom preschool model.

[27:00] Diving into the unique curriculum Rachel developed that blends Montessori, Reggio, and brain-based learning around mindfulness.

[30:59] More about the training that Rachel does for AELL, NAEYC, regionally, and possibly for The Child Care Success Company.

[33:40] Ways Rachel wants to expand in 2021 including new centers, summer camps, & books.

[34:45] Rachel just started doing EOS. So… What the Heck Is EOS?

[36:29] Rachel and Kris both dive deeper into the financial piece of the business.

[42:02] How does Rachel define a Child Care Rockstar?

[43:18] Some things Rachel is into right now including Tony Robbins, The Happiness Guide, Leadershift, and Free to Focus.

[45:42] Fun fact about Rachel: She went to high school with John Maxwell's (Leadershift author) daughter. Now that she's a Child Care Success coach, she'll become John Maxwell certified!

Quotes:

"In a time when you're facing unprecedented sadness, anxiety, and fear — such as 2020 with the pandemic — how can you shift your team into a place of abundance, happiness, and gratitude?" — Kris

"I'll do whatever it takes, but I just don't want to have a big layoff." — Rachel
"The company culture was really the biggest thing because it was keeping the staff happy and feeling important." — Rachel
"I wanted to be on offense; for the entire pandemic that was my goal. I didn't want to play defense." — Rachel
"Know your numbers." — Kris
"Child care owners and leaders are special not only because they have incredible strength and drive, but also have giant hearts. And sometimes those giant hearts can get in the way!" — Rachel

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit

Rachel Supalla Instagram

Discovery Kidzone

John Maxwell

Tony Robbins

The Happiness Guide for Early Childhood Educators: Secrets to Living Your Best Life In and Out of the Classroom, by Brian Duprey and Kris Murray

Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace, by John C. Maxwell

Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less, by Michael Hyatt

Association for Early Learning Leaders

NAEYC

What the Heck Is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS, by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer

Ep. 90 - A Dream of 10 Schools and a Cabin in the Woods with Chantel & Zack Pettengill Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

This week Kris is joined by Chantel and Zack Pettengill; a husband-wife duo and owners of the Pettengill Academy in Maine. They placed second in our Child Care Rockstar 2020 contest and have managed to keep their center nearly full during the pandemic. They also talk about overcoming the pitfalls they've had from licensing, parents, social media, and more that almost shut their doors.

Key Takeaways:

[3:03] Kris shares some personal goals for 2021 and encourages you to set yours.

[10:15] Some of the things that set Pettengill Academy apart include being Certified Eco-Healthy (pre-COVID-19), fresh foods, an education background, and a natural-based playground.

[11:38] Chantel has been working in daycare for 20 years; starting with 10 kids in a basement to a 10,000 sq. foot facility with 144 capacity.

[16:26] Fun fact about Chantel: She has a black belt in karate! Fun fact about Zack: He met Chantel in karate class.

[19:04] Chantel talks about some initial problems she had with staff, parents, grandparents, licensing, turnover, and even child injuries reported, and what they learned from them.

[24:14] In 2018 they started to turn things around when they developed a relationship with a new licensor and they met with Coach Brian.

[25:13] Chantel and Zack share the way their systems and mindsets changed after meeting with the Child Care Success Academy and specific rewards they use for staff in their center.

[30:47] Zack uses meditation, planners, and books to improve mindset.

[34:48] So many of us have faced depression and difficult times during the pandemic; Kris talks with Chantel and Zack about the importance of community.

[36:54] The biggest tips Chantel has for Marketing Enrollment are always paying attention to it, always advertising, and consistently following up. Personality is a big one as well as personalization, extra effort, and paying attention to the details.

[44:28] A Child Care Rockstar to them means someone with perseverance, who can create a positive growth mindset in a tenacious and enthusiastic way.

Quotes:

"Let's look at our lives and figure out what we really, really want because this is not a dress rehearsal and I want you to not be stuck in your life."

"It can be super fun but also super challenging to work with family."

"Keep working on it, keep going, don't give up."

"Tenacity is what has carried us through; being able to not give up and not give in."

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit

Pettengill Academy

Straight Up: Honest, Unfiltered, As-Real-As-I-Can-Put-It Advice for Life's Biggest Challenges, by Trent Shelton

Raise the Bar: An Action-Based Method for Maximum Customer Reactions, by Jon Taffer

Ep. 89 - Never Giving Up: An Interview with Child Care Rockstar Winners 2020 with Heather Jensen and Diane Havens Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Kris is joined by the mother-daughter team and owners of Kids In Action, Heather Jensen and Diane Havens, located in Kingwood Texas. They share their stories of having a business survive two natural disasters, how they were able to still stay positive, and the importance of building strong relationships. Because of their strength and resilience, they were crowned this year's winners of the Child Care Rockstar 2020 contest.

Key Takeaways:

[9:40] Diane started the center in 1998 and it has come a long way. Now, Heather and Diane are able to use their facility seven days a week through birthday parties, classes, and private rentals.

[15:00] Fun fact reveal: Diane is a washboard player, and Heather is a huge Harry Potter fan (and even has a Potter tattoo on her wrist!).

[17:35] Kids In Action was hit by two natural disasters. The first was a flood that scarily left children stranded on the second floor.

[19:45] The women immediately sprung into action looking for an alternate location for their center and were fortunate to lease a local church.

[22:55] The only thing more critical than flood insurance to Kids In Action's survival was the relationships they had built over the years. After about four months of rebuilding, they were able to get the center back to full enrollment. A month after being open; a hurricane hit the center.

[27:06] Their relationships with the local schools and the Child Care Success Academy were a big element in feeling supported and getting back on track.

[28:30] They lost quite a few families after the second disaster and decided they had to flood-proof their building to reassure parents and staff. Giving up and closing the business was never an option for them.

[35:13] Their biggest goal was to keep paying the teachers and to maintain the culture they had built. They got a lot of ideas and support from the Child Care Success Academy Facebook group.

[38:02] Kris couldn't be happier that Heather and Diane won the Child Care Rockstar contest. They are shining examples of leadership, getting back on your feet, and connecting with your community.

[42:45] One thing they would have done differently? Taken a business course. Thankfully, they learned a lot from the Child Care Success Academy.

Quotes:

"Your relationships you develop along the way of the business are so critical."
"Sometimes enduring adversity together makes a team stronger."
"One of our core values is fun."
"That's it. We're going to be rockstars!"
"We never once thought that we wouldn't keep going."

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit

Kids In Action

Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in Work and Life, by Ron Clark

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals, by Rachel Hollis

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek

Child Care Millionaire: Secrets to Building a Profitable 7 or 8 Figure Child Care Business, by Brian Duprey

Patti Komara on YouTube

Ep 88 - Why You Should Use a Family Wealth Office to Get Rich with Jim Dew Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Child Care Rockstar returns this week for the first time since the Child Care Success Summit. Kris is joined by Jim Dew, CEO of Dew Wealth Management and creator of the Functional Wealth Management process. Jim has 23 years of experience building wealth management for entrepreneurs and has been featured in Inc., Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, and more. He is also a sought-after speaker and author of Beyond a Million. Jim shares a few of the valuable lessons he learned while working as a door-to-door salesman that still apply to running a business. Jim dives deeper into his Protect, Manage and Grow approach to managing wealth and Kris shares a deeply personal story about wealth protection in her own family.

Key Takeaways:

[:51] Kris reveals some highlights from the virtual Child Care Success Summit 2020 including meeting with one of her heroes; Simon Sinek.

[6:51] The daycare business is essential and continues to thrive despite the challenges presented during the pandemic.

[10:42] Jim and his wife, Mimi, help entrepreneurs like Kris that are generating more than $1M revenue to create virtual family offices.

[13:03] In between his time being a public-school math teacher and his current career, Jim was a door-to-door salesperson. From that experience, he learned the importance of knowing your numbers; a lesson that applies to all entrepreneurs.

[16:37] Jim's approach focuses on three key outcomes; a compelling focus, wealth discovery, and an impeccable infrastructure. The three main areas he coordinates advice for his clients are Protect, Manage, and Grow.

[18:08] Jim discusses common pitfalls he sees from his entrepreneurs and how his wealth management approach, including outsourcing to the right professionals, helps combat them.

[25:08] The concept of the Family Wealth Office comes from observing billionaire strategy, but Jim adapts this structure for his entrepreneur clients and dives more thoroughly into his approach of Protect, Manage, and Grow.

[28:43] Kris used Dew to help her to launch an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and talked about how it can be a game-changer for centers. Jim covers the key benefits of an ESOP and who it may be right for.

[33:17] In regard to the Grow aspect, the first thing Jim talks about is tax planning. Another piece is investing outside of and diversifying your business.

[36:23] Kris shares a deeply personal story about wealth management and protection in her own family that she encourages listeners to learn from, as well.

[38:41] Jim tells an anecdote about a compelling focus technique that he learned from his personal trainer as it relates to entrepreneurs.

Quotes:

"We are essential. We are the true heroes. You guys are the unsung heroes." — Kris
"We are surviving and thriving." — Kris
"You have to know your numbers to really be good at what you do; whether you're doing door-to-door sales or whether you're running a multimillion-dollar childcare center." — Jim
"Professional mountain climbers get to the top by taking small steps, not big steps. Think about that lesson." — Jim
"Often there are all kinds of things that entrepreneurs are not doing that they could do." — Jim

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit — Watch Summit Highlights!

Beyond a Million: The Entrepreneur's Playbook for Expanding Wealth, Freedom and Time

Dew Wealth Management

Make Rich Real Quiz

Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek's TED Talk

Business Lunch Podcast

Genius Network Podcast

EO Fire Podcast

The Road Less Stupid

Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It

The Automatic Millionaire

Ep. 87 - The Powerful Benefits of Using a Coach with Brian Duprey Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

This week, Kris is joined by Brian Duprey, Certified Child Care Coach and the Director of Business Development at The Child Care Success Company. He is a 20-year veteran who came to his first Child Care Success Summit in 2015 and became a coach in 2017. Last year, Brian wrote his first book, Child Care Millionaire, for early childhood business owners wanting to grow their business into a (multi) million-dollar company, and he also co-authored The Happiness Guide for Early Childhood Education with Kris. Kris and Brian discuss surviving COVID-19 as a child care center owner, money managing, marketing, expanding business, tour tips, escaping to Jamaica, and more.

Key Takeaways:

[6:55] Brian talks about how his five locations, Little Angels, are operating during COVID-19. From closures to lowered capacity, to utilizing funding programs; he is now operating at a higher occupancy than pre-pandemic.

[9:44] Brian shares his best tips for how his businesses survived the pandemic, including transparency with his employees, outreach to his competitors, donuts, and pizza.

[12:45] Why anyone interested in expanding their business needs to (virtually) attend Brian's breakout workshop "Innovation Expansion Opportunities" at The Child Care Reimagined Success Summit and why he recommends people should strive to be salmon. Yes, salmon.

[14:33] Brian opened nine schools and has never borrowed from a bank; he owns four of his five buildings and he opened his first center with only $5,000.

[16:20] Having multiple schools gives you more flexibility and helps you leverage staffing, productivity, profits, and more. Five schools are much easier to run than one. The hardest school to open is #2 because people are so emotionally invested in their first school and don't want to relinquish control.

[19:00] Buy in cash and quickly pay off debt so you, too, can spend half the year in Jamaica!

[20:42] Thanks to the strategies learned from the Child Care Success Summit, Brian has done more with his business in the last five years than in the 15 years prior to the summit.

[23:23] Brian talks about how a strategy session/coaching call works. Schedule your free call here!

[28:12] The three major "pain points" Brian finds when coaching clients are enrollment, staffing, and the daily overwhelm. He dives deeper into how he approaches overcoming these and why there are tips he only teaches on these phone calls.

[30:18] Treat tours like a sales call and other tour tips.

[35:26] Brian is most proud of the book he co-authored with Kris; The Happiness Guide for Early Childhood Educators. He values his educators and their happiness and wants to change the mindset to a place where they want to make a difference. Owners need to read this, too!

Quotes:

"When you focus on helping other people, and not just yourself, you get helped in the process." — Brian
"Five schools are much easier to run than one." — Brian
"A tour is a sales call." — Brian
"The most important person in a team is the person watching the children." — Brian

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit — offering $1 ticket

Brian Duprey

Little Angels

Schedule a Coaching Call

Child Care Millionaire (Brian's book on Amazon)

The Happiness Guide for Early Childhood Educators (Kris and Brian's book on Amazon)

Ep. 86 - Becoming a Stronger, More Resilient Leader with Nefertiti Poyner Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Kris couldn't think of a better time to bring in the wonderful Dr. Nefertiti Poyner, to talk about resilience and the right protective factors that will serve us through the storms of life. In this episode, Dr. Poyner shares her unique insights for staying resilient in times of crisis and stress, how we can let go of toxic people and patterns in our lives, and advice for directors and leaders to get through the pandemic with a little more grace and sanity.

Key Takeaways:

[12:20] Dr. Poyner always wanted to be a teacher and had great role models in her family and throughout her own upbringing. She loved teaching but could have used the knowledge she knows now about socio-emotional health and why some children struggle with balance.

[14:30] The Devereux Center for Resilient Children provides assessments and reports for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. They also lead workshops and programs for helping adults learn how to fill their own cup, so they show up in the world with more empathy and compassion for others.

[27:16] There is strength in asking for help.

[29:13] Fun Fact: Dr. Poyner loves the Golden Girls and definitely would be a Sophia.

[30:21] Having empathy for your team doesn't mean you always have to agree with them. It means you are walking in their shoes because you would want them to do the same.

[32:56] Teachers still have to prove all the time that they work hard and that their job and industry should be taken just as seriously as any other profession.

[36:44] Protective factors don't make challenging times go away, but they do buffer our experience. Examples of protective factors include:

The Umbrella — one or two close friends that protect us through the rainy days of life.
A Sense of Internal Belief About Ourselves — when we like the person we see in the mirror, we are more resilient.
Protective Self-Control — we can learn to be vulnerable about our emotional ups and downs, and see that others won't judge us or think of us as weak.

Quotes:

"If you do have to do virtual learning, keep it interesting." — Nefertiti
"Nobody can make you feel any way. You allow that to happen." — Nefertiti
"It takes a healthy village to raise a healthy child." — Nefertiti
"Give yourself permission to waste a little bit of time." — Nefertiti

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit — offering $1 ticket

Devereux Center for Resilient Children

Nataly Kogan

Gretchen Rubin

Ep. 85 - The One About What Shark Tank Is Really Like (and much more) with Dave Vasen Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

This week Kris is joined with Dave Vasen, founder and CEO of brightwheel, one of the leading parent management software platforms that features best-in-class parent communication. Dave shares his journey into developing and launching brightwheel and gives us an exclusive behind the scenes story of appearing on Shark Tank and striking a deal with Mark Cuban. Kris and Dave also talk about transparency in leadership, how providers can feel more confident in sharing their unique gifts, and how to obsessively focus on customers and clients.

Key Takeaways:

[9:28] Dave's parents were immigrants from South America, and their emphasis on getting an education and building their career fueled a lot of his own focus and passion.

[13:19] Dave launched the initial version, called KidCasa, while he was a new parent with an infant at home. They got to know the users at a deep level, rebranded, and changed it to brightwheel for a launch on June 15.

[14:18] There are more than 25K users of brightwheel now, with most of the business coming from word of mouth.

[15:49] Fun fact: Dave would spend Fridays with 4th and 5th graders in challenging neighborhoods where he saw firsthand what an impact and change could happen when great education meets great software.

[20:22] Setting big goals means big opportunities.

[23:13] The big surprise for Dave on his Shark Tank appearance was how real and serious it was. It aired for 12 minutes, but it was condensed from a very intense and interesting 90 minutes. And yes, it was so secret that Dave couldn't even tell his mother-in-law.

[27:23] Dave/brightwheel got a deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca, and is thoroughly impressed with how attentive and engaged the sharks and their business teams are.

[29:13] Brightwheel has measured that they have freed up one hour per person per day, which makes for more time to innovate and think about the big picture. They are also adapting to the new model for the pandemic by offering touchless options and identifying opportunities where technology can help.

[35:30] Two of the best features that brightwheel users appreciate are how easy it is to use, and the ways it helps them get digitally creative.

[39:24] People want you to be transparent, especially when it comes to the people they are trusting with their children.

[41:33] Instead of hiring based upon if someone has already done something, Dave finds identifying values and work ethic is just as important.

[44:09] Dave would describe a rockstar as someone that has empathy, pride, and is curious about how they could be of service.

Quotes:

"The goals that you set in so many ways determine where you get to."
"Success means we are making each of our providers better in measurable ways."
"We were born out of hundreds of hours in the classroom."

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit — offering $1 ticket

brightwheel

Ep. 84 - The Everything School: Grow Your Leaders, Grow Your Empire with Tameenah Adams Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Tameenah Adams is a Child Care Business Coach for The Child Care Success Company and has over 18 years of experience in personnel management. She joins Kris for a conversation about gaining confidence through preparation and action and how she has continued to expand her empire and development centers throughout the pandemic. Tameenah also talks about the ways that Jeff Bezos inspired her business model to be the Everything School, the power of connection, and how to create a team where everyone feels bought-in and part of the future vision.

Key Takeaways:

[15:33] Tameenah has three different Child Care Brands, along with a temporary staffing company. She was inspired by how Jeff Bezos started Amazon with just books, then expanded to being the go-to place for everything.

[20:28] Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Tameenah stayed transparent about her own energy and kept it real with her team and parents. She frequently checked in and made sure she unplugged at stressful times to come back with restored energy.

[28:42] There were three cases at Tameenah's school, but they only had to close one time. This is in large part due to the fact that they stayed up on health regulations and really got their prevention and response plans in order.

[31:01] A pandemic is no reason for Tameenah to slow down — she is closing deals, working on letters of intent, and looking at securing a commercial space for a catering company to serve child care centers.

[34:52] There are many ways to stay connected and involved during this time: keep up with the development in your area, ramp up on marketing, get involved with your community, and volunteer.

[44:11] When you let your team know you are all growing together and the leader welcomes getting "called out" from employees, they feel bought-in and empowered.

Quotes:

"Being real as an owner empowered my team." — Tameenah
"I had to relinquish power, control, and fear." — Tameenah
"The only way to be successful is to fight these fears, relinquish control to my team, and let them know when they make a mistake we will work through it together." — Tameenah

Mentioned in This Episode:

Child Care Success Summit — offering $1 ticket