February 13, 2025

Ep. 194 — Creating Beauty From Tragedy with Michelle Masjedi

44 minutes

Michelle Masjedi is a dedicated early childhood educator and business owner in Los Angeles. As the founder of The Journey Begins and the soon-to-open The Journey Continues, she has spent over 30 years shaping the future of child care. In this episode, Michelle shares how she and her community have rallied together in the wake of the devastating California fires, working to provide emergency child care, support families in crisis, and address the gaps in disaster infrastructure for young children. Beyond that, she goes more into the systems and leadership strategies that have transformed her business, from implementing clear SOPs to maximizing technology for efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

[5:38] Michelle secured a $1M grant to open The Journey Continues, a new child care center expanding infant and preschool care in a child care desert.

[7:01] Michelle's child care journey is deeply rooted in family, with her husband playing a key role in property acquisitions and business operations, while her children are also involved.

[8:26] Michelle's early career in early childhood education led her from teaching to business ownership, where she has spent 32 years shaping child care programs.

[10:53] The California fires destroyed 289 child care centers and family daycare homes, leaving hundreds of families without care.

[15:55] Michelle and other local directors mobilized immediately, forming a response team to provide emergency child care, distribute resources, and advocate for displaced families.

[20:11] Michelle and her team created a GoFundMe scholarship program to help directly affected families cover the cost of child care.

[23:55] The experience reinforced the importance of strong leadership, defined roles, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in managing a crisis.

[25:08] Being named as a Child Care Rockstar finalist this past year, and a few best practices that have helped Michelle grow her business.

[27:15] A few of the many benefits Michelle has gained from joining the Academy.

[33:07] Michelle secured a $1M grant to open The Journey Continues, a new child care center expanding infant and preschool care.

[36:44] More about the vision for the new center, including serving children from 18 months to after school and the anticipated timeline for completion.

Quotes:

"In the Pasadena Altadena area, there are 289 child care centers and family daycare centers that were lost in the fires — 289 — which is hundreds of children that immediately lost both their homes and their childcare." — Michelle [11:41]
"I immediately wanted to, just like wrap my arms around and protect people from that. And how could we do that quickly?" — Michelle [13:30]
"Even in all of this devastating disaster, there's been so much beauty in the community coming together." — Michelle [21:59]
"No matter how difficult and challenging it is, find the good." — Michelle [23:45]
"Really, the Child Care Success Academy changed everything for me. I really had some excellent tools in my toolbox, but I was missing so much. And when I joined the academy, it's been five years now, I learned so many things." — Michelle [26:22]
"What if you could actually take on more and do more and grow to levels you never even imagined? And that was something I never allowed myself that opportunity or even thought, and that's what the academy really did for me." — Michelle [29:18]