What would you do if you lost your childhood home, your own home, and nearly everything you built?

In this episode of Let’s Talk Childcare, we sit down with Turosca “Teacher Tutu” Allen, a childcare owner whose story is a powerful reminder of what resilience really looks like.

Raised inside a childcare program her mother operated in Altadena for more than 50 years, Turosca has spent her life serving children and families. But after the 2025 Altadena wildfires destroyed both her childhood home and her own home, she faced a decision many people hope they never have to make.

Just three weeks later, she reopened.

In this conversation, Turosca shares what it was like growing up in a multigenerational childcare business, navigating loss, showing up for families while grieving, and finding the strength to rebuild when everything familiar was gone.

If you’re a childcare owner, entrepreneur, educator, or someone rebuilding after a difficult season, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

🎧 Subscribe to Let’s Talk Childcare for weekly conversations about leadership, staffing, enrollment, operations, entrepreneurship, and the real stories behind building a thriving childcare business.

Sponsored by Playground, the all in one childcare management platform helping childcare owners simplify enrollment, billing, parent communication, and daily operations.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @letstalkchildcarepod

In Episode 9 of Let’s Talk Childcare, hosts Latrice Galloway-Crawford and Jamarrion tackle one of the biggest questions childcare owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders wrestle with:

Can you really have it all?

Between building a successful business, leading a team, showing up for your family, maintaining relationships, protecting your peace, and somehow finding time for yourself, many women feel like they’re constantly being forced to choose.

But what if the conversation isn’t about having it all?

What if it’s about defining what “all” means for YOU?

In this honest and transparent conversation, Latrice and Jamarrion unpack:

✨ The myth of work-life balance

✨ The sacrifices nobody talks about in entrepreneurship

✨ Motherhood, marriage, business, and leadership pressures

✨ Learning to release unrealistic expectations

✨ Setting boundaries without guilt

✨ The difference between success and fulfillment

✨ Why comparison steals joy and confidence

✨ Building a life that aligns with your personal definition of success

✨ What it truly means to thrive in every season

This episode is real, relatable, and packed with the kind of conversation every woman leader needs to hear.

Whether you’re running a childcare center, building a business, raising a family, or simply trying to figure out your next chapter, this discussion will challenge you to rethink what balance, success, and having it all actually looks like.

One thing this episode makes clear:

You don’t have to choose between being successful and being whole.

You just have to define success on your own terms.

🎧 Subscribe to Let’s Talk Childcare for weekly conversations about leadership, staffing, enrollment, operations, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build a thriving childcare business.

Sponsored by Playground — the all-in-one childcare management platform helping center owners simplify enrollment, billing, parent communication, and operations.

Learn more here:

https://www.tryplayground.com

Follow us on Instagram:

@letstalkchildcarepod

Welcome back to Season 2 of Let’s Talk Childcare 🎙️ In Episode 2, we’re having a conversation that doesn’t get talked about enough in the childcare industry… What is it REALLY like running a childcare center in the inner city? Hosts Latrice Galloway-Crawford and Jamarrion sit down with childcare center owners Jay from Memphis, Tennessee and Pana from Savannah, Georgia for an honest, powerful, and eye-opening discussion about leadership, community impact, survival, systems, and the realities of serving underserved neighborhoods. This episode dives deep into: ✨ The truth about owning childcare centers in the inner city ✨ Why these communities deserve high quality childcare too ✨ The challenges of safety, crime, and protecting your business ✨ Navigating difficult parent situations with compassion and boundaries ✨ Staffing struggles and creative ways to motivate employees ✨ Subsidy parents vs. cash-paying parents and the misconceptions around both ✨ Maintaining professionalism while still being authentically YOU ✨ Building systems that allow your center to grow and scale ✨ The mindset shift from survival mode to CEO leadership This conversation is raw, honest, inspiring, and necessary. If you’re a childcare owner, director, educator, or entrepreneur trying to build something meaningful in your community, this episode will challenge your perspective and remind you why this work matters so much. One thing this episode makes clear: Inner-city childcare centers are not “less than.” They are misunderstood, underrepresented, and deeply needed. 🎧 Subscribe to Let’s Talk Childcare for weekly conversations about leadership, systems, growth, staffing, enrollment, and what it really takes to build a thriving childcare business. Sponsored by Playground — the all-in-one childcare management platform helping center owners simplify enrollment, billing, parent communication, and operations. Learn more here: https://www.tryplayground.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @letstalkchildcarepod

SEASON 2 IS HERE and we are starting off with a conversation that is going to make a LOT of childcare owners sit back and rethink everything. 👀 In this episode of Let’s Talk Childcare, we’re talking about one of the biggest struggles center owners deal with behind closed doors. Staff issues. High turnover. Constant call outs. Feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and like the entire center falls apart the second you step away. But here’s the real question… Is it actually your staff? Or is leadership playing a bigger role than you think? This conversation gets REAL about the leadership habits, communication issues, and workplace culture problems that quietly affect your team, your business, and your growth. We’re talking accountability, retention, burnout, team dynamics, and why some childcare centers keep losing employees no matter how much they hire. If you’ve ever said: “Why does everything fall on me?” “Why can’t I keep good staff?” “Why is my team disconnected?” “Why do I feel like I’m drowning trying to run my center?” This episode is for you. Season 2 is coming in HOT and this might be one of the most honest conversations we’ve had yet. 🔥 This episode is proudly sponsored by Playground, the all in one childcare management platform helping center owners simplify enrollment, billing, parent communication, and daily operations so you can spend less time stressed and more time leading effectively. Learn more here: https://www.tryplayground.com/ 🎧 Watch now, subscribe, and join the conversation. Follow us on Instagram: @letstalkchildcarepod New episodes every week for childcare owners who are serious about growing, leading, and building centers that actually thrive. Let’s Talk Childcare.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Childcare, we sit down with Michelle Link, owner of Kids World Learning Center and President of the Georgia Child Care Association, for a real conversation about what it actually takes to sustain and grow in this industry. With over 20 years of experience, Michelle shares the truth about the early struggles no one talks about, the loneliness that comes with ownership, and why finding your community is non-negotiable. She opens up about navigating rejection, building relationships, and positioning herself at the tables where real decisions are made. We also get into the business side of childcare. From understanding your numbers to building financial reserves, Michelle breaks down the biggest mistakes she sees owners making and how to move differently if you want longevity. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, advocacy, and maintaining a standard of excellence in every season of your business. If you’re a childcare owner trying to figure it out, grow your center, or simply feel seen in the journey, this conversation is for you. This episode is proudly sponsored by Playground, an all in one childcare management platform designed to help center owners operate more efficiently. From billing and enrollment to parent communication and reporting, Playground gives you the systems you need so you’re not running your center off stress and memory. Learn more here: https://www.tryplayground.com/ Follow us on Instagram @letstalkchildcarepod Subscribe for weekly episodes where we keep it real about what it actually takes to run and grow a childcare business. Let’s Talk Childcare.

If you’ve ever said “I want to open a childcare center”… listen carefully. Because nobody talks about the mistakes you’re about to make. In Episode 5 of Let’s Talk Childcare, Latrice and Jamarrion are keeping it real about the things they did as new owners that they would never do today. And not the cute mistakes… we’re talking about the ones that cost money, created chaos, and had them questioning everything. Undercharging just to stay full Letting parents run the center Hiring people they should have never trusted Trying to be nice instead of being in control Yeah… they’ve been through it. This episode is for anybody who thinks running a childcare center is just loving kids. Because the truth is… this is a business. And if you don’t learn that fast, the business will humble you real quick. They break down the early decisions that almost set them back, the lessons they had to learn the hard way, and what they would do differently if they had to start over today. No sugarcoating. No pretending. Just real experiences from people who built it, messed up, fixed it, and kept going. If you’re a childcare owner, thinking about opening a center, or already in it feeling like “what did I get myself into”… this episode is for you. This episode is proudly sponsored by Playground, an all in one childcare management platform designed to help center owners operate more efficiently. From billing and enrollment to parent communication and reporting, Playground gives you the systems you need so you’re not running your center off stress and memory. Learn more here: https://www.tryplayground.com/ Follow us on Instagram @letstalkchildcarepod Subscribe for weekly episodes where we keep it real about what it actually takes to run and grow a childcare business. Let’s Talk Childcare.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Childcare, Latrice and Jamarrion sit down with Darren, Darren YourMillionaireBestieYMB and this one is real. We are talking about what it looks like to be a man in childcare in an industry where people already have opinions before you even say a word. Darren opens up about navigating the judgment, the assumptions, and the pressure that comes with showing up in a space most people do not expect to see men in and why he stopped caring about what people think a long time ago. Because while people were talking he was building. From running a home based center to becoming a millionaire in childcare, Darren breaks down the mindset, discipline, and decisions it actually took to scale without waiting for approval or validation. We get into The reality of being a male owner in childcare Ignoring opinions and focusing on execution What it really takes to go from small to scalable The difference between running a center and building a business This episode is honest, unfiltered, and necessary especially if you have ever felt judged, overlooked, or underestimated in this industry. If you are in childcare or thinking about getting in this is the perspective you need to hear. This episode is proudly sponsored by Playground, an all in one childcare management platform designed to help center owners operate more efficiently. From billing and enrollment to parent communication and reporting, Playground gives you the systems you need to stay organized and focused on growth. To learn more visit https://www.tryplayground.com/ Follow us on Instagram @letstalkchildcarepod Subscribe for weekly episodes where we keep it real about what it actually takes to run and grow a childcare business. Let’s Talk Childcare.

If you’ve ever thought about opening a childcare center, let us be honest with you… this industry will take you through some things.

In Part 2 of Childcare Took Us Through There, Latrice and Jamarrion share more real stories from their experiences running childcare centers. The kind of moments that test your leadership, your patience, and your ability to stay calm when everything around you feels chaotic.

From situations involving parents and staff to moments where the safety of the children had to come first, these are the experiences that shape you as a childcare owner. The stories are real, the lessons are serious, and the responsibility behind this work is something you don’t truly understand until you’re in it.

In this episode, we talk about the unexpected challenges that come with running a center, the difficult decisions childcare owners must make, and the level of leadership it takes to protect your business, your staff, and the children in your care.

If you are a childcare owner, director, educator, or someone considering opening a center, this conversation offers an honest perspective on the realities of the industry.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Playground, an all-in-one childcare management platform designed to help center owners operate more efficiently. Playground supports key areas of childcare operations including billing, enrollment, parent communication, and reporting, giving providers the systems they need to stay organized and focused on delivering quality care.

To learn more about Playground, visit: https://www.tryplayground.com/

Follow Us on Instagram @letstalkchildcarepod

Subscribe for weekly episodes where we have real conversations about leadership, operations, and what it truly takes to run and grow a childcare business.

Let’s Talk Childcare.

Welcome back to Let’s Talk Childcare. In this unfiltered, full-circle conversation, childcare pioneer Kris Murray sits down with Latrice (The Childcare Chic) and her former mentee Coach Jay to share the truth behind building one of the largest childcare coaching programs in the industry — and the personal journey that led her to step away. Kris opens up about the fears holding owners back, the hidden weight of leadership and legacy, and the real state of childcare today. And shoutout to our season sponsor, Playground — the all-in-one childcare management software helping center owners stay organized with billing, enrollment, parent communication, and reporting. Learn more at https://www.tryplayground.com/ and subscribe for weekly real talk and real strategies for childcare leaders. Let’s talk childcare.

Welcome to the very first episode of Let’s Talk Childcare… and we are not easing into this gently.

In this episode, Jamarrion shares the unbelievable story of getting her childcare center shut down while she was on vacation in Jamaica. Yes. Out of the country. Living her best life… until she wasn’t. And Latrice opens up about the time she was hit with a lawsuit and had to navigate the pressure, fear, and leadership weight that comes with being responsible for everything. This isn’t gossip.

This is real-life childcare ownership. We’re talking: Licensing nightmares Legal pressure and lawsuits What happens when systems aren’t tight Leadership under crisis How to protect your childcare business The mindset it takes to survive setbacks If you’re a childcare center owner, director, educator, or aspiring childcare CEO, this episode is mandatory listening. Because nobody talks about the scary stuff… until now. We break down what went wrong, what we learned, and the systems we put in place afterward so it never happens again. Running a childcare business is not for the weak. It requires structure, compliance, leadership, and serious resilience.

If you’re building an empire during nap time and answering parent emails at midnight… you’re in the right place. Subscribe for weekly episodes where we spill the tea and give you real strategies that actually work. Let’s talk childcare.