May 09, 2024

From Floater to Executive Director with Shannon Vasquez

38 minutes

Kris welcomes Shannon Vasquez, Executive Director of PB Schools. Shannon started as a floater in 2004 and has since grown the organization to 8 locations. In their chat, Shannon shares her journey from floater to leader and her goals for the upcoming year. She discusses how the Academy's training and coaching have helped her build confidence in her leadership abilities and implement strategic planning practices. She and Kris chat about growing collaborative teams and the importance of courageous leadership when facing challenges. Plus, Shannon shares some fun facts including one of her favorite ways to destress - watching true crime!

Key Takeaways:

[7:37] Shannon talks about PB Preschool and celebrates her 20th work anniversary.

[8:26] Shannon started as a floater.

[9:47] Shannon's favorite age to work with.

[10:08] What a typical week looks like for Shannon.

[12:27] Why starting from scratch can be a good thing.

[13:29] Challenges in hiring and retaining staff.

[13:33] Growth is happening, but there's still a long way to go in aligning company practices across two counties.

[13:57] Shannon's goals for 2024.

[14:55] An update on enrollment.

[15:50] The 8 schools combined hold a capacity of 878.

[16:37] Fun fact: Shannon is a crime fan!

[18:16] Shannon discusses the expansion.

[21:28] How the business changed and morphed over the last eight years.

[23:41] Feeling like a more confident leader and making friendships inside the Academy.

[26:20] The importance of listening.

[28:32] Winning Director of the Year.

[31:03] How Shannon defines a childcare rockstar.

Quotes:

"You can't dwell on trying to make a decision, you've got to just make a decision. There's no right or wrong. There's an outcome. And if you don't like the outcome, then you change direction. Don't dwell, just keep on going, keep on moving." — Shannon [20:31]
"Every year, we continue to grow and put more policies, more procedures into place, and hold people accountable to those policies and procedures. And we're just constantly succeeding." — Shannon [22:38]
"They want you to support them and teach them how to be self-sufficient, but also give them the confidence and know that you have the confidence in them." — Shannon [28:10]
"A child care rockstar is someone who puts into practice high-quality business strategies that are driven by their vision and mission. And that not only is about the children but it's about the people that are in the day-to-day grind." — Shannon [30:49]