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This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate sits down with Annette Eberhart, a 19-year family childcare veteran from Florida, to talk about something we all need to hear: self-care and wellness for early childhood educators. We're not just talking bubble baths here! Annette digs deep into boundaries, mindset, discipline, and even shares a bit of her personal journey. 
If you're feeling burnt out or stuck, this conversation will genuinely make you stop and reflect. Grab your coffee and give it a listen!

Learn more about Annette: 

www.linkedin.com/in/annette-eberhart-25b91181

https://www.youtube.com/@annettee05

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate sits down with Tom Melhorn, president of North Star School Supply, for a really refreshing chat about something every childcare owner deals with: supplies and equipment. Tom shares how North Star takes a totally different approach than just handing you a catalog. They actually talk to you, assess your space and budget, and help you invest in quality, U.S.-made products that last. Think personalized service, 3D classroom designs, and someone who'll actually pick up the phone. No project is too small, and the goal is to be your supplier for life!

North Star Booking Link: https://calendar.app.google/BMv11DdzZEzMoopq9

Nimbl Assessment Link: https://calendar.app.google/6MSNVnLWo8zQGNLT6

Classroom audit blog post:
https://northstarschoolsupply.com/your-classroom-is-costing-you-enrollments-and-you-dont-even-know-it/

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode of Childcare Conversations, you'll meet Vineeta; her story is truly something special! What started as a mom's response to her daughter's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis turned into a preschool empire spanning 59 schools and 100 franchise agreements. Vineeta shares how she built a TV-free, academics-meets-performing-arts program from the ground up. She also gets real about women in leadership, financial barriers, and what it looks like to lift others as you climb. Her story about two Guatemalan twins growing from classroom aides to seven-location franchisees? Absolute chills. Don't miss this one!

Learn more about our guest at: 

https://www.buildingkidzschool.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vineeta-bhandari-54b285b6/

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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This episode of Childcare Conversations is one you'll want to share with every director you know. Kate and Carrie sat down with Jamie Selig from Perfect Day Live to talk about live video streaming for childcare centers, and here's the kicker: it's completely free for programs! Parents pay a small weekly subscription to watch their little ones in real time. Carrie, who testifies as an expert witness in childcare lawsuits, makes a compelling case for why cameras protect everyone. Honestly, this one's worth a listen!

Schedule a demo with Jamie today! 

https://calendly.com/jamie-perfectdaylive/perfect-day-live-demo

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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This episode of Childcare Conversations is such a good one! Kate and Carrie sit down with Crystal Johnston, founder of Hire Up Recruiting, to talk all things staffing in early childhood education. Crystal shares her wild journey from economics grad to middle school teacher to recruiting specialist, and gets real about why hiring quality staff post-COVID is SO much harder now that childcare programs are competing with Target and Chipotle for workers. She also drops a super practical tip: text your candidates! Nobody's answering unknown calls anymore. Listen to hear more!

Learn more about our guest below:

• https://hireuprecruiting.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal--johnston/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/hurecruiting

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Kate and Carrie chat with Beth Heyer, founder of Babysitting Connection — and honestly, it's such a fun conversation! Beth shares how she turned her own struggle to find reliable babysitters in Austin into a thriving membership-based agency that vets and matches sitters with families. For childcare directors, this is worth a listen; it could mean a flexible substitute staffing solution, an enrollment funnel, AND extra revenue. Beth also touches on empowering women to launch their own agencies. Her biggest takeaway? You simply can't please everyone. So stop trying!

Learn more about Beth here!

www.bethheyer.com

www.babysittingconnection.com

www.petsittingconnection.com

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode, Kate Woodward Young and Jason Lody have a really eye-opening conversation about leadership stability in early childhood education. Kate shares her impressive journey from family home provider to business coach, then dives into findings from a survey of 620 programs across 30 states. Spoiler alert - the results are concerning! Over half of programs feel they're one crisis away from closing, and accountability gaps are widespread. They also explore a cool new tool called Center IQ that helps directors make smarter financial decisions before problems arise. Really valuable stuff!

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode, Kate, Carrie, and guest expert Alisha Kriege dig into the world of outdoor play spaces, and it's such a good one! They tackle the big question: do you really need an expensive playscape? Spoiler: probably not! From repurposing tree stumps to creating "tiny towns" with donated playhouses, they share budget-friendly, creative ideas that work for real programs. Alisha brings her outdoor learning expertise, including how musical instruments support brain development. Whether you're starting from scratch or refreshing an existing space, this episode is packed with practical inspiration!

Learn more and connect with Alisha here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisha-kriege-51bb9a4b/

www.freenotesharmonypark.com

www.northstarschoolsupply.com

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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In this episode of Childcare Conversations, Carrie and Kate dive into a really fascinating topic: the role of keynote speakers at early childhood education conferences. They chat about how the term "keynote" has gotten a bit watered down lately, with some conferences featuring multiple keynotes that blur into workshops. 

They also uncover a surprising stat: despite the ECE workforce being 98% female, most keynote speakers have historically been men! Their big takeaway? A great keynote should inspire, connect emotionally, and truly reflect the audience it serves.

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!

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Get ready to smile! In this episode, Carrie and Kate sit down with the absolutely delightful Debbie Clement — musicologist, author, illustrator, and self-described "best kept secret" in early childhood education. With nearly 30 years of experience, Debbie shares why music isn't just fun; it's brain science! From behavior support to literacy and math connections, music is a powerful tool every director should know about. Fair warning: this conversation goes wonderfully off-script, and honestly? That's what makes it so good.

Learn more about our guest here! 

Website: RainbowsWithinReach.com 

Email: debbie@rainbowswithinreach 

Phone: (614)309-5270

Thanks for Listening 🎧

• Want to learn more? Check out our book; "From Overwhelmed to I Got This: Guaranteed Success Route to Directing Your Childcare Center" 📖
• Join our Facebook Group for Childcare professionals!
• Join our Podcast Newsletter!
• Want to be a guest on our podcast? Go to our website to learn more.
• Are you looking for director training in Texas? Check out our Texas Director Website for our training and additional resources!