Schools of Excellence: The No. 1 ECE & Private School Leadership Podcast

Every school leader we talk to is feeling the same crushing pressure:

• Enrollment numbers are dropping
• Marketing costs are skyrocketing
• Parents are becoming more selective than ever

Schools of Excellence has studied hundreds of schools who broke through the enrollment ceiling. They are not spending more money on marketing, a fancy website, or desperate discounts and panic pivots. They have done a complete system overhaul of intentional growth. 

This episode, Chanie walks you through the strategic shifts that you can make today to revamp your enrollment ecosystem.

It all starts with three principles for success:

1. Mindset before mechanics.
2. Systems before tactics
3. Calendar before marketing

These changes can be made without spending a dollar on marketing and without putting in extra hours.

Tune in now!

If you're looking for how to actually manage your leads, do parent follow-up, create a parent referral system, and turn all of your staff into enrollment champions, check out our Enrollment Engine here!

YOUR PATH TO 25% GROWTH STARTS TODAY https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment-engine

Millennial and Gen Z parents are engaged in what feels like an academic arms race — treating their children's education like a life or death strategic operation — and for good reason.

On average, these parents will spend a quarter of a million dollars on their child’s education, not to mention the emotional energy and strategic planning they dedicate.

The enrollment pressure compounds as families look for the perfect school and center owners and directors seek to convince them theirs is the right choice. 

Let’s simplify this picture a bit. What if we said all Millennial and Gen Z parents fall into one of three categories?

Today’s episode explores Millennial and Gen Z parent archetypes:

1. Value Seekers
2. Community Seekers
3. Mission-aligned Families

Think about your parent roster, we can guarantee all your families fit into one of these archetypes. 

Inside our new Enrollment Engine Program, we teach you how to identify your dominant parent avatars; craft messaging that feels like connection, not a sales pitch; and build trust through radical authenticity and accountability.

Ready to transform your enrollment? RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment-advantage/

We see how hard you’re working as you continue to lose money to free pre-k programs. We see you losing sleep over next month’s enrollment. We see you struggling to maintain your rates while spots remain empty. 

Now, we want you to pause and answer this question: What are you doing to drive enrollment?

Unfortunately, most school leaders are prioritizing activities that are farthest from the cash. 

Instead of changing the answering machine, try personally calling inquiry families. Instead of rearranging the front desk, try conducting another tour. Instead of updating your website colors, try creating a meaningful connection.

These changes are just the beginning. This episode breaks down “The Enrollment Formula” that has worked for hundreds of schools. 

You’ll learn four valuable and actionable frameworks to actually increase enrollment:

1. Enrollment Protection Blocks
2. Systematic Follow-Up
3. Proactive Engagement Strategy
4. Team Alignment and Training

Want access to these frameworks and more? They’re part of our Enrollment Engine — a comprehensive transformation on how you approach school growth.

REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR ENROLLMENT APPROACH! Visit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment-engine

This episode looks a little different. Chanie was recently joined by school leaders, just like yourself, who are ready to join the top schools that are growing enrollment by 25% without cutting rates or compromising quality.

What you’ll learn in this workshop replay:

1. Profit Messaging™: How to clearly communicate your center's unique value
2. Profit Calendar™: Creating a systematic approach to enrollment activities
3. Profit Pipeline™: Managing and converting potential families effectively

You can turn potential into profit.

Ready to create such compelling value that families can’t help but become a part of your story? Check out our NEW Enrollment Engine now! https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment-engine/

We know there’s a lot of hesitancy around financial conversations, but let’s overcome that discomfort to acknowledge this truth: enrollment and finances are two sides of the same coin. When we’re content with “fine but could be better” enrollment numbers, we are leaving money on the table. 

Let's say you have two open spots in your Pre-K classroom. It doesn't sound like a lot, but if we do the math, those two spots add up to $2,500 in loss revenue every single month. That's $30,000 a year you could be making. 

We call this a profit blind spot. 

In this episode, you’ll learn about the four profit blind spots that could be costing you thousands of dollars each month in revenue:

1. The comfort zone trap
2. Invisible money leaks
3. The role of educators in showcasing value
4. The pitfalls of reactive scheduling

You CAN turn these blind spots into opportunities.

Master the three-tier Profit Pipeline™ that converts leads faster. Join us for the Daily Profit Plan Workshop, Wednesday, Feb. 5th at 2 PM EST. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment/

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

There is an educational extinction event happening right now. You're not just losing students. You are witnessing the systemic dismantling of traditional education.

In the last three years alone, 37 % of private schools have seen enrollment drop by over 20%. And the numbers continue to worsen. But you don’t have to continue fighting just to survive. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to become irreplaceable by:

1. converting inquiries into enrolled families
2. maximizing every opportunity in your profit and growth journey
3. transforming how parents perceive your value

Remember: You can find your way out of enrollment desperation and back to a reliable, predictable enrollment system that delivers consistent results regardless of the season.

Learn how to command your school's value without cutting rates. Join our Daily Profit Plan Workshop, Feb 5th at 2 PM EST. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment/

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/

When we struggle with enrollment, we say things like:

• “Free pre-K is killing us.”
• “We lost our grant funding.”
• “Our city keeps changing the rules.”
• “The minimum wage keeps increasing. It's destroying our margins.”
•  “Parents only care about price right now.”

Schools of Excellence hears you, but we’re going to flip this narrative…

These are not your real problems. These are symptoms.

In today’s episode, you will learn the three fundamental barriers actually preventing schools from enrolling families right now:

1. Reactive versus intentional enrollment
2. Ineffective messaging
3. The lack of an enrollment ecosystem

The good news: You can overcome these barriers and build an enrollment approach so powerful that all the excuses you give become footnotes in your success story.

If you’re ready to find your way back to enrolling with ease, a natural family referral flow, and a waiting list of families, Schools of Excellence is hosting an interactive workshop — The Daily Profit Plan: Your Hidden Enrollment Engine — Wednesday, February 5th at 2 PM EST. Register now to walk away with your growth plan. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment

Whether you live in a bustling city or a quiet suburban area, the educational landscape is shifting. Schools can no longer depend on default systems or traditional approaches. 

Can you feel it? We’re in the midst of a Great School Enrollment Awakening.

The old enrollment approach feels hollow and artificial. Parents are no longer looking for an institution; they’re seeking a community — one that honors their values and values them as members.

As we react to this shift as leaders, we fall into one of three categories:

1. The Sophistication Seekers
2. The Inactive Implementers
3. The Intuitive Transformers

If you know that your team's enrollment efforts aren't showing results like they used to and are ready to change that, join me for a free, interactive workshop — The Daily Profit Plan: Your Hidden Enrollment Engine — Wednesday, February 5th 22 at 2 PM EST. Register here! https://schoolsofexcellence.com/enrollment

Chanie was recently joined by women multi-site owners for a CEO Power Hour to uncover the money leaks in their operations. You cannot listen to this without saving some money. We promise!

In this episode you will learn:

1. Space Optimization Gaps
2. Payment System Leaks
3. Schedule Efficiency Gaps
4. Food Control Leaks
5. Supply Management Gaps
6. Administrative & Technical Systems

Discover the breakthrough approach used by the elite 1% of women multi-site owners.

To create your 2025 growth plan, hop on a profit finding session with the Schools of Excellence team. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/money-leaks/

High-achieving leaders understand how to align their goals and actions to drive meaningful progress in their centers.

In this episode, Chanie shares why the schools that will win in 2025 challenge conventional wisdom and embrace discomfort.

Chanie’s five powerful truths that will propel your leadership:

1. More is the enemy of high performance
2. Embrace the discomfort of pressure
3. It is not your effort, it is your environment that matters most
4. Take an unapologetic approach to marketing and messaging
5. The 30 to 60 day rule of goal setting

To explore how to join the Schools of Excellence community with leaders just like you, start here with our free consult call. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/consult

Mentioned in the episode: Watch the New School Playbook Workshop. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/families