This episode features Ashley Varouhas, a young powerhouse, dynamic child care leader, owner, and coach at the Child Care Success Academy. Ashley shares her journey from teacher to owner and administrator, and how she integrates her passion for early childhood education into her two successful centers. They discuss the importance of strong leadership, staff retention, and cultivating a unique school environment that meets the needs of both children and teachers. Ashley also shares some great strategies for business growth, managing multiple centers, and how fostering relationships is key to long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

[2:28] Congrats to former guest Beth Davis and her Kindness Initiative! If you want to learn more about Beth, check out her past episode here.

[12:46] Ashley’s early career in early childhood education started at KinderCare, sparking her passion for leadership and innovation in the industry.

[15:15] After several false starts, Ashley opened her first center in Minnesota in 2022 and is about to open her second location.

[17:29] The importance of serving her teachers and maintaining strong leadership to retain staff — only two teachers have left in two years.

[20:49] Ashley emphasizes that ensuring a supportive, well-staffed environment reduces stress and turnover, leading to high teacher satisfaction and 100% tour conversion.

[27:26] Gardening plays a big role in her program, offering children hands-on learning experiences. Next year, Ashley plans to expand the gardening curriculum.

[37:45] Ashley highlights the importance of being present at her centers, whether through daily visits or other ways, to maintain a sense of stability and connection with staff.

[40:45] Ashley is currently opening a second center focused on infant care, to address a growing need for more infant and toddler spots in her community.

[46:39] She maps out child transitions up to nine months in advance, ensuring smooth transitions and full capacity throughout the year.

[51:07] Ashley defines a Childcare Rockstar as someone who puts their all into it every day, and that can look different for everyone!

Quotes:

• “I still get into the classroom because that part of me that loves working with kids will never die.” — Ashley Varuhas [14:16]

• “I really feel in my life, like, when things are right and meant to be, it just all clicks, and it all flows really fast.” — Ashley [16:27]

• “I’m proud to say, in almost two years of being open now, we’ve only had two teachers turnover in almost two years.” — Ashley [17:26]

• “When people have it, you can’t train the it factor in somebody. I believe you can train skills, but she just has everything else.” — Ashley [20:18]

• “It’s about supporting the teachers, creating a great place for them, and that energy trickles down to the kids.” — Ashley [21:40]

• “I feel like my program is a menagerie of my experiences, and then my passion all kind of in one melting pot.” — Ashley [23:06]

• “We have to deepen our roots before we grow our branches.” — Ashley [36:36]

• “I think you can define a Childcare Rockstar as someone that puts their all into it every day.” — Ashley [50:51]

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

Nest Learning Academy

Ashley Varouhas

Kris welcomes Silvia Sarhadian, an Empire member of the Childcare Success Academy and owner of two franchise locations of The Learning Experience. Silvia shares her journey from a career in chemistry and banking to early childhood education, where she discovered her true passion. She highlights the importance of resilient leadership, communication, and fostering a collaborative environment in her centers. Silvia also talks about her personal growth, some great tips for empowering your staff, and her commitment to making a difference in the lives of children and families.

Key Takeaways:

[5:56] Silvia discusses her transition from a career in banking and chemistry to owning early childhood education centers and finding her passion.

[10:21] Silvia’s journey started in 2016 with the support of her husband, helping her gain the confidence to start her first center.

[13:19] The importance of having clear goals for business success and expansion. Silvia’s vision includes opening three to four more schools and reaching a business valuation of $10 million.

[14:12] Fun fact! Silvia is a ballroom dancer!

[15:11] Silvia’s schools and community involvement, including the Make-A-Wish partnership.

[17:29] She reflects on how her communication style and leadership have evolved over the years, emphasizing the need for clear communication with her team and the importance of involving teachers in decision-making.

[27:46] Silvia shares her strategies for developing a growth mindset and the role resilience plays in fostering confidence and effective leadership.

[30:00] She talks about her focus on professional development, offering workshops, retreats, and resources for teachers to improve classroom management and early intervention techniques.

[35:22] Silvia’s vision for the future includes integrating early intervention programs and differentiated instruction into her centers to meet the unique needs of every child.

[39:51] Silvia reflects on the importance of never leading from fear and prioritizing hiring staff aligned with the company’s vision.

Quotes:

• “It’s not just all about money. It’s all about putting our experience into action, helping families, and helping our communities. That’s our mission.” [12:03]

• “Our mission is to make a positive impact on the lives of the families and communities we serve. That’s what we live every single day.” — Silvia Sarhadian [16:40]

• “It’s not like we have to, we get to do this, and we do it with love.” — Silvia Sarhadian [20:00]

• “You are the CEO of your own classroom. What are the needs and challenges of your classroom, and how can you make it a better place?” — Silvia Sarhadian [30:19]

• “Never lead from fear.” — Silvia Sarhadian [39:51]

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

Silvia on LinkedIn

The Learning Experience

Make A Wish Foundation

New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)

The Happiness Guide for Early Childhood Educators

Kris welcomes the dynamic mother-daughter duo of Patricia and Megan Williams. As members of the Child Care Success Academy's Empire track, Patricia and Megan share their inspiring journey of joyful entrepreneurship and the profound impact they are making — not just in the United States, but globally. Patricia and Megan talk about the challenges they overcame to grow their successful child care business, American Care Academy, including strategies for boosting enrollment, improving cash flow, and cultivating a positive, community-driven culture. They also shine a light on Patricia's doctoral work and the launch of her nonprofit, She Empowerment Global, which is empowering women entrepreneurs in Ghana.

Key Takeaways:

[4:39] Kris heads back to Cleveland, excited to visit family and friends, including a fellow yogi and Child Care Success Academy member!

[10:06] More about American Care Academy and Patricia’s journey into child care after being laid off from a corporate job.

[11:22] Megan’s involvement from a young age.

[15:12] Challenges the business faced with enrollment and cash flow, and how they implemented systems and processes to turn it around, including phone skills training, a new website, and CRM systems.

[19:35] Implementing the discipline and accountability that you’re expecting from your team, while also maintaining a culture of joy and fun.

[26:31] The high school component of their second location.

[30:01] Patricia’s pursuit of a PhD and the launch of her nonprofit, She Empowerment Global, to empower women entrepreneurs in Ghana.

[34:01] Strategies for balancing their work and personal relationship as a mother-daughter team, including setting boundaries and finding joy outside of the business.

[41:44] Bringing the historical component into their story.

[43:05] What’s next for Patricia and Megan?

[46:02] Precious Jewels Mentorship Program.

Quotes:

• “There is a transaction taking place, but it’s not a transactional relationship. The whole purpose is for us to empower children through our learning programs, and that starts with us all being on board and having our own light to give out.” — Megan [26:31]

• “We mean it does take a village. We are there to be that village, quite literally.” — Patricia [28:45]

• “A ChildCare Rockstar is someone dedicated to enhancing the quality of early childhood education with all of their might and joy.” — Megan [47:30]

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

American Care Academy

American Care Academy on FB

Kris welcomes Tasha Santistevan, the Executive Director at Child Time Inc. and a coach for the Child Care Success Academy. Tasha shares her journey from a high school summer job in childcare to her current leadership roles. She discusses her passion for empowering directors and leaders in the childcare industry, offering insights on conflict resolution, collaborative leadership, and the importance of work-life balance. Tasha provides a unique perspective both as an active executive director and coach on the challenges and rewards of leadership in early childhood education, emphasizing the value of continuous learning, servant leadership, and creating a positive workplace culture.

Key Takeaways:

[5:57] Tasha introduces herself and her background in early childhood education.

[10:29] The transition from being a manager to becoming a leader and director, and what she loves about the role.

[12:28] The distinction between manager and leader.

[13:58] Tasha’s personal life and balancing multiple roles.

[14:25] More about Tasha’s very busy family life!

[18:07] Strategies for staying organized and maintaining work-life balance.

[21:51] The importance of not taking on others’ problems as your own.

[23:37] Approaches to resolving conflicts between team members.

[25:59] Conflict can just be a better opportunity for us to be better and learn from one another.

[29:56] The evolution of leadership styles and the importance of empathy.

[30:42] Tapping into confident empathy.

[31:45] The need for servant leadership in the current workforce.

[32:20] Tasha’s definition of a childcare rockstar.

[34:13] The importance of bringing fun back into childcare after the pandemic.

[35:00] Tasha’s goals and aspirations for the future.

[38:11] Life is short — buy the Cadillac!

[42:01] The value of continuous learning and personal development in leadership.

Quotes:

• “Once you find that sweet spot of being a leader, that job becomes exponentially more rewarding and less challenging.” — Tasha [11:04]

• “Conflict is really if we stop looking at it as like this bad thing, that it’s an argument, but looking at it we just have different desires and drives and this.” — Tasha [24:37]

• “I believe we just don’t fully understand in the industry, the stress that directors feel and what they go through. So I love being a coach because I love to provide that safe space where they can come to us.” — Tasha [27:54]

• “That tribe aspect is everything in this business, and it's not something that is easy to find.” — Tasha [28:15]

• “I can be a great support to somebody, but I cannot let their problems be my problems.” — Tasha [29:45]

• “It’s perfect that we’re evolving within the leadership industry into this mode because this is what’s going to save this industry.” — Tasha [32:17]

• “As a rock star, you are somebody that empowers your team to reach their full potential.” — Tasha [32:53]

• “We have to have fun because fun is what’s going to get us through the hard times.” — Tasha [32:58]

• “This is childcare guys! If it’s not fun, what are we doing?” — Kris [35:08]

• “Just commit to learning how to be a good leader. Because if you do that, everything else falls into place.” — Tasha [39:10]

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

Child Time Inc.

Jon Gordon

Maxwell Leadership

Hal Elrod

Seth Godin

Kris welcomes the awesome Ashley Blackmon, owner and founder of A Perfect Start Learning Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Ashley shares her remarkable journey from humble beginnings to running a thriving, nationally accredited childcare center with plans for expansion. She discusses how she’s built a program focused on empowerment, growth, and helping families rise. Ashley opens up about overcoming significant challenges including a major health scare, and how she’s transformed herself from a childcare provider to a true CEO through mindset shifts and finding her tribe. Her story is one of resilience, passion for serving children and families, and the power of continual personal and professional growth.

Key Takeaways:

[4:55] Make sure you are following Kris on IG!

[5:57] Ashley joins from Huntsville, Alabama and gives an overview of A Perfect Start Learning Center and its current stats and accreditation.

[9:27] Ashley’s approach to empowering parents through a Parent Academy program.

[12:16] Don’t forget to celebrate your wins before moving on to the next goal!

[12:44] How Ashley has built strong relationships and retention with families and staff.

[13:17] Parent prep at their Academy.

[17:52] The culture at the Academy and how Ashley has grown as a leader.

[19:02] Losing her corporate job and being encouraged by her aunt to open a childcare center.

[29:03] More about Ashley’s home and personal life.

[30:26] Ashley has fostered 14 children, including twins.

[33:48] Upcoming second location and expansion plans.

[40:27] Realizing that you can’t please everyone and letting go of negative team members.

[48:03] The health crisis that led to a major mindset shift for Ashley.

[51:44] How joining the Childcare Success Academy transformed Ashley’s perspective and business.

Quotes:

• “I think just overall, naturally, I have an urge to really be my best self. So I try to hire others who don’t mind putting their best foot forward to always achieve all the crazy things that I come up with in my head.” — Ashley [8:50]

• “I think one of the biggest things is empowerment and growth… We not only empower the children with our high-quality educational care, but we do the same thing with the parents.” — Ashley [12:44]

• “It’s an us thing. It’s like, we’re raising this kid together.” — Ashley [14:40]

• “I’m going to be providing high-quality education, right, I need you to know what this education can get you. I don’t want to be a bit basic in every sense of the word.” — Ashley [29:00]

• “I want for the women and children that have access to me that look like me, I want them to be able to look at me and see other things as possible.” — Ashley [29:14]

• “No matter how much you pour positivity, growth, and support, you’re not going to satisfy everybody.” — Ashley [40:27]

• “Now I’m a CEO. That’s the mindset. And I think the tools that you’ve given me to be able to see my program as a business have been critical to my development.” — Ashley [52:44]

• “I’m creating generational wealth for my families, and hopefully for their children. I am a bridge to all kinds of different people.” — Ashley [53:56]

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

A Perfect Start Learning Center

It’s an extremely valuable and informative episode, as Kris welcomes Militza Mezquita, Senior Advisor with Save the Children. Save the Children is the primary organization in the United States, helping childcare centers with emergency preparedness, resources, and funding for over 100 years. Militza shares a wealth of knowledge about funding and what you can do to come back stronger after an emergency event, even if you are a for-profit business. She talks about the importance of embedding emergency preparedness into business plans, the Gulf Coast Resilience Network, and the process of accessing funding after a disaster. Militza also emphasizes the critical need for mental health support for both teachers and children following emergencies.

Key Takeaways:

[7:44] Militza talks about Save the Children’s background, mission, and history.

[9:11] Explanation of Save the Children’s support methods including remote assistance and fundraising.

[13:56] What is the Gulf Coast Resilience Network?

[20:40] The importance of prioritizing teachers’ mental health after disasters.

[21:02] How Save the Children gets their funding.

[23:35] Advocating and staying in touch with legislators.

[24:19] The importance of prioritizing the mental health of teachers and providers.

[28:45] Tips for relocating childcare facilities after a disaster, including the FEMA-SBA application strategy.

[32:15] All of Save the Children’s training and materials are free for childcare providers.

Quotes:

• “We teach our childcare folks that emergency preparedness is embedded in your business plan, it’s got to be in there.” — Militza [11:01]

• “If parents can’t have stable and high-quality childcare, they’re not going to work and our economy will collapse. And then when you finally paint that picture, you can see the light bulb go off.” — Kris [23:21]

• “We’ve done the mental health work, we’ve done the hard part and we’re really proud of that. And we’ve seen a lot of good come out of those training sessions and getting teachers and families ready to go back into centers.” — Militza [27:22]

• “We really saw a lot of good results in building our teachers’ resiliency and our children’s resiliency. We know that when our teachers are ready and calm, then our children will be ready and calm. And then together, they can facilitate advantageous learning and quality learning.” — Militza [27:15]

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

Save the Children

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