July 20, 2023

How to Scale Your ECE Business With Clarity and Vision with Rob Rubicco

49 minutes

In this episode, Kris sits down with Rob Rubicco, the entrepreneurial founder of Anna and Jack's Treehouse, a childcare business with a unique blend of corporate experience and a family feel. Rob shares the incredible journey of he and his wife Christina, starting with Anna's Treehouse in a basement and scaling it to multiple locations. With his background in management consulting for renowned companies like Disney and Coca-Cola, Rob brings a corporate approach to customer experience in the childcare industry. Rob talks about the selling points that set Anna and Jack's Treehouse apart, including their amazing programs, wonderful teachers, and even their homemade fresh pasta sauce. Rob emphasizes the importance of traditional values as a leader and the significance of setting clear expectations for teachers. He also shares his journey with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and how it has helped him scale his business with clarity and efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

[6:37] The daycare that started it all, called Anna's Treehouse, that started in a basement, then Jack's Treehouse, and how it evolved into a commercial space.

[11:01] Before getting into childcare, Rob was a management consultant, helping companies like Disney and Coca-Cola find ways to enhance their overall customer experience.

[13:53] Taking care of the children of first responders during the pandemic.

[17:19] We need less stigma around men in childcare and in leadership roles around childcare.

[18:11] Fun fact: Rob is actually a trained chef, and even studied at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and appeared on the Food Network.

[22:34] If their great programs and wonderful teachers don't do the trick of enrollment, the fresh pasta sauce may just be the next best-selling point.

[24:17] Some of the great selling points at Anna and Jack's Treehouse that set them apart and give them that family feel.

[29:33] Getting back to his traditional values as a leader.

[30:29] The importance of setting expectations and communicating them clearly to teachers.

[31:50] How Rob got into his EOS journey.

[34:56] The structure of what EOS brings allows you to scale much more quickly and more pain-free with more clarity.

[48:19] Using Trainual to systemize and build out their training platforms.

Quotes:

"Every time we've grown and expanded, other than the Norwalk location, it's been because of demand." — Rob [9:19]
"When I first joined Treehouse, I came from the boardroom to the classroom, really. And I had to adjust my way of thinking from every perspective you could possibly imagine." — Rob [15:45]
"Whether it's a parent or a teacher, I just want to get to know them and understand what their aspirations are, what they're into, and not for any other reason than just to be a human." — Rob [30:00]
"The best sign of a super successful entrepreneur is somebody who is a fast implementer, from what we teach." — Kris