Real leadership takes time, clarity, and the willingness to slow down and lead with intention. In this episode, Jennifer reflects on a recent VIP Day at the Child Care Success Company's new corporate office in New Orleans, and the perspective owners can gain when they step out of the daily rush long enough to think differently about how they lead. That sets up her conversation with Toni Bedford, owner of Bedford Learning Programs, a network of six family child care homes, about what it takes to stop being the person everything keeps coming back to.
Toni shares how a strong team and multiple locations still left her carrying too much, especially during a major family season when she and her husband became foster parents to their three young grandchildren. Together, she and Jennifer unpack the difference between delegating tasks and truly developing leaders, and what it looks like to create more clarity, intention, and ownership across the organization.
Key Takeaways:
[1:20] Jennifer opens by sharing how a recent VIP Day reminded her why she loves helping child care owners slow down, think differently, and step into stronger leadership.
[2:35] Jennifer introduces Toni Bedford and explains the core challenge behind their VIP Day work: building a stronger leadership structure so the business can grow without everything flowing back through the owner.
[5:53] Toni shares the story behind Bedford Learning Programs, her six in-home child care locations, and the struggle of still being pulled into daily decisions even with a solid admin team in place.
[9:39] Toni opens up about a major family transition, becoming a foster parent to her three young grandchildren, and how that season forced her to face what had to change inside the business.
[12:44] Jennifer asks where Toni was feeling the most pressure, and Toni names the tension many owners know well: trying to support the team while quietly carrying parts of everyone's job.
[15:29] Toni explains why she said yes to the VIP Day and how she came in determined not to let the insights become just another set of notes that never got implemented.
[18:37] Toni describes her biggest realization from the day: no one could simply tell her what to do. She had to think clearly about what her business actually needed and build from there.
[21:40] Back at home, Toni uses her already scheduled admin retreat as a reset meeting, rolling out a new org chart, updated roles, and a more intentional leadership structure.
[22:50] Toni shares one of the most important shifts: weekly one-on-one training with each admin team member, focused not just on tasks, but on confidence, expectations, and leadership development.
[26:21] Toni and Jennifer talk about the truth many owners miss: there is no shortcut to building leaders. Real delegation takes time, mentoring, modeling, and consistency.
[30:25] Toni reflects on her team's response to the reset and how trust, support, and a phased rollout helped the changes feel energizing instead of overwhelming.
[32:12] Five weeks in, Toni shares what she is most proud of: the team has not slipped backward, the momentum is still there, and she is learning how to respond as a stronger leader, too.
[34:37] Toni talks about what has changed for her personally: she feels more confident, more energized, and more connected to the coaching and mentoring side of leadership that she genuinely loves.
[37:20] Asked what she would tell the version of herself before the VIP Day, Toni offered a powerful takeaway for other owners: it is okay to let things go and trust your team.
[40:08] Toni closes by reminding listeners that this work is hard, and that the best place to start is by getting honest about what you love and where you want your leadership to go next.
Quotes:
"It is seldom about working harder. It's all about thinking differently." — Jennifer [2:50]
"If you want to have this great team, you actually have to train them. You can't actually be like, 'Hey, here's your position. Now think of some things.'" — Toni [23:55]
"When you look at redesigning organizational structures or reworking job descriptions, you don't take away something that is great with one of your team members when they love doing something, and they're bringing results, and they're fantastic at it… you don't take that away." — Jennifer [29:12]
"It's okay to let things go and trust your team." — Toni [37:20]
"This job is hard. It could be hard, and really kind of just figuring out what you love, I think, and what you want to do in the future is just where you should really start, rather than always worrying about the day-to-day stuff." — Toni [40:08]
Sponsored By:
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)
Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Kris Murray
@iamkrismurray
Jennifer Conner
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
Bedford Learning Programs