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

One of my clients is a school owner who hired a new director to lead a brand-new location.In the beginning, the director was doing a great job.But then she started to fall short… including on tasks that were not all that complicated.The owner was concerned the director was acting helpless, especially when it came to her regular duties.She said to me, “Chanie, I don’t know what to do. What do I tell her? How do I train her?”If she wanted to invest in this director, I suggested she take her out to breakfast. Spend some time getting to know her, human to human.So they went out to breakfast.It wasn’t a one-on-one meeting. It wasn’t a performance review. It was not an interrogation.It was a chance for them to build a relationship outside the context of work, over coffee and a relaxing meal.It went so well, they decided to keep it up every month for the next six months.As the owner got to know her director better, and the more she came to understand who she was as a person, the owner became more empathetic.And that empathy caused something surprising to happen:The more empathetic the owner became towards her director, the less afraid she was to hold her accountable.Knowing what’s going on with someone can actually make it easier to hold them accountable because you’re better able to express both expectations and empathy. Candor and kindness.Before they knew it, the director had extricated herself from her helplessness, and she was back to being a high-performing professional.In this week's podcast episode, I’m discussing ways you, as an ECE leader, can guide your staff out of those sneaky feelings of helplessness, while boosting morale and creating a healthier school.Join me for a conversation about:The six main reasons your teammates could fall into a state of helplessnessWhy certain factors lead to feelings of helplessnessHow you can take proactive steps to prevent your staff from feeling helplessWays to coach your staff out of a state of helplessness while keeping morale highLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ If you are feeling overwhelmed and helpless as a school leader, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. Inside, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build a school of excellence.Is there a helplessness epidemic at your school? It’s time to shift the culture. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

I remember when I got my first W2 job when I was 19.I was so proud and excited.I was working hard, showing up every day, and doing my best.But when I got that first paycheck, my heart sank.I thought, “There’s something wrong. This is not the amount that was in my contract.”I went to my boss and gently let her know about the mistake.Little did I know there was no mistake.She showed me the other side of the paycheck, with taxes, benefits, and withholdings.It was Greek to me. I had no idea how the working world operated.When I look back at that memory, I cringe.And I honestly hope you cringe at your past self, too.Because if you’re cringing by looking back, that means you’ve grown a whole lot in the intervening years.Just remember, some of your employees are new to the ECE field—or are new to working in general, just like I was at 19.You’ve hired a teacher for whom you have high expectations.And they want to meet those expectations. But before they can master classroom management and parent communication and curriculum planning…They need to know the basics.Where’s the bathroom? How do they clock in? Where are the supplies?In this week's podcast episode, I invite you to temper your expectations while maintaining your high standards.I want to encourage you to define and then tolerate “good enough” for long enough, so you can build a school of excellence.Join me for a conversation about:Why setting realistic expectations fosters an environment of growthHow to determine what “good enough” means for each employee Ideas for supporting teachers in achieving good enough without sacrificing high standardsWhy growing through the learning curve cultivates better employee performance in the long runLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ If perfectionism is your middle name, and you’re open to a loving reality check that ultimately benefits your teachers, your center, and you, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence. Are you adjusting how you onboard new staff at your school and you are craving support as you adjust your expectations? Allow me to help. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Big decisions are tough.I was speaking with one of my clients who was considering letting a director go.There was a clear mismatch of values between the director and the school.Everything the owner had tried to get the director on track had failed.And yet if she fired the director, the owner would have to expand her workload. She would get stuck doing all the director’s tasks, even though she was already tired. Plus, she would have to go through the exhausting process of hiring a replacement.It all sounded like too much.While she knew there was a discrepancy in values, she was considering continuing to put up with it.I invited her to journal about the situation.On the left side of her page, I asked her to write “What do my fear and my ego say?”On the right side of her page, I asked her to write, “What does my higher self say?”She spent some time expressing her thoughts on paper.It gave her the clarity she needed: it was vital that she let the director go.After journaling, she had so much more clarity, assurance, poise, and ease around the decision and the challenging conversation to follow.Journaling is one of the great strategies I use for managing the challenging—and often conflicting—emotions that come up when we have to make big decisions.In this week's podcast episode, I discuss additional methods of navigating complex emotions while we’re in the decision-making process.Join me for a conversation about:How mindfulness can impact your ability to make wise decisionsA calendaring strategy that encourages decision breakthroughsWhy speedy decision-making doesn’t correlate to intelligence or wisdomWays to assess when you need to make the decisionLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Decision-making is a key leadership skill that isn’t as intuitive as it sounds. For continuous coaching and support, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Are you facing a big decision right now? Are you looking for support as you make a significant shift? During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

During my second year of teaching, I was only 20 years old.Our school had teachers do home visits before the school year started, so the child could get to know their teacher before entering the classroom.I remember one home visit distinctly because the child’s mom came on so strong.“How old are you? Do you have a college degree? Are you in a relationship? Have you ever provided childcare before?”She interrogated me.I remember thinking, “This woman’s going to eat me alive!”The insecurity I felt is really common for new teachers. They don’t know how to be a leader yet, and they’re too green to conduct themselves with discretion and grace.On the other hand, veteran teachers have a lot more self-assurance because of their years of experience.In this week's podcast episode, I’m talking about the difference between new and veteran teachers when it comes to leadership and decision-making. Join me for a conversation about:The pros and cons of both types of teachers when it comes to curriculum planningTypes of classroom management guidance you can offer veteran and new teachersInherent advantages veteran teachers have when it comes to parent communicationGuidance you can provide new teachers when it comes to crises and professional boundariesLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Nurturing your staff is an ongoing endeavor, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. For continuous coaching and support, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.As you discern how to best guide and show appreciation for both veteran and new staff, you may be looking for personalized ideas and guidance. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

I was recently texting with a one-on-one client.She had a decision to make about professional development, and she asked me what she should do.It would have been easier for me to say, “Do XYZ.”But I didn’t.Instead, I wrote back, “You hired me to coach, mentor, and uplevel you. I want you to trust your decision-making ability. What do you believe should happen?”She clearly thought I was overcomplicating things (and I don’t blame her!). She wrote back, “Chanie, I just want answers.”She had decision fatigue. She was spinning too many plates to have the bandwidth to think critically about one more thing.But I’m a mentor, not an answer dispenser.No one knows her school better than her.No one has more institutional knowledge of her center than her.No one knows her staff better than her.No one knows the answer better than her.I told her, “I’m here to teach you to dig deep. The hardest things in life are where you’ll meet yourself. Find a quiet place and listen to your inner wisdom.”It clicked.A little bit later, she let me know she’d made a decision. She said, “Thanks for not letting me get away with what’s easy, instead of trying to figure out the why.”Cheers to that!Because here’s the thing: Now that she can sit with the discomfort of silence to make decisions, she can train her team to do the same.Imagine how much surface-level, unnecessary professional development you could do without if everyone on your team developed self-trust.Your new teachers could pinpoint specific areas of foundational learning to explore, while your veteran teachers could focus on advanced training opportunities and become mentors to the rest of your team.In this week's podcast episode, we’re discussing how to support both veteran and new staff in your school when it comes to professional development.Join me for a conversation about:Whether specific professional development opportunities are meeting the core needs of your schoolWays to empower your staff to evaluate their professional development gapsStrategies for becoming a strategic and compassionate mentor to your staffSecrets for unlocking your self-confidence when it comes to professional development decisionsLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Get access to the Classroom Management Blueprint here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-classroom-management-blueprint/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Recently, I was reading an article in the Journal of Human Resources that highlighted a difference in the teaching practices between veteran teachers and new teachers. Veteran teachers demonstrate confidence and expertise in the classroom. They’re experienced, and they love to be recognized for what they’ve brought to your school.New teachers are more likely to experiment and innovate, especially when it comes to integrating technology into the class. They’re searching for mentorship and validation.Both are so valuable for any school. One is silver and the other gold.This week, I’m kicking off a new three-part series in the podcast about the differences between veteran and new staff in ECE schools. Our focus in the first episode is how the two groups manage parent and child engagement.Join me for a conversation about:Key indicators regarding whether someone is a veteran or a new staff memberHow you, as a leader, can support both veteran and new staff at your school as they interact with parents and childrenPros and cons to both groups’ approaches and what they can learn from each otherWhy one-size-fits-all approaches aren’t going to work for your staffHow you can break down your biases and create a supportive environment for all staffLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Want to boost your leadership skills so you can be a better mentor for the veteran and new staff under your care? I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build and grow a thriving school of excellence. If you’re seeking ways to better support all the staff at your center, regardless of how long they’ve worked with you, I’d love to help you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In 2019, Kathy owned three ECE centers near Richmond, Virginia. She felt a lot of empathy for the dedicated women who worked in her school. They always were the kind of people who would always give, give, give without receiving in return. They were burning the midnight oil and without inner peace. That meant burnout was on the horizon.Kathy knew she couldn’t guide them as a leader just yet, because she was exactly the same.She was running herself ragged wearing all the hats in her school.When she reached her breaking point, she realized that work can always come and go, but family and her own health can’t. She needed to prioritize her well-being.This caused a culture shift at her school. “If I’m going to make time for my family and myself, I need to give my staff time for their family and themselves too,” she said.Today, she owns five centers. Despite the expansion, she’s gained more balance, self-care, and boundaries than ever, allowing her, her colleagues, and her school to thrive.In this week's podcast episode, I speak with Kathy about her leadership journey over the last three decades, and how she has completely transformed herself and her school.Join us for a conversation about:What Kathy wishes she’d known thirty years ago when she entered the fieldHow she improved time management and productivity with systems and technologyWhy compassion and community are integral to Kathy’s leadership growthHow she’s thinking about the future as she and her husband build their legacyHow she got the most out of her coaching experience with Schools of Excellence Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ If Kathy’s story resonates with you and you suspect you’d go farther with a like-minded community and laser-focused personal mentoring, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.If you and your leadership team are wearing all the hats, and you know you need to shuffle your company culture, allow me to help. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center that values self-care. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Recently, I was speaking with an owner who was opening a second location.Despite this being an exciting time for her school, she was drowning in shame.“Chanie, I keep starting and stopping, starting and stopping,” she told me.I asked her what she meant.She told me she felt ashamed that she couldn’t be consistent with her decisions. “I keep creating policies, implementing them, then getting pushback, and changing the policy again. I feel like I’m always backing out of my commitments.”First of all, there’s wisdom in flexibility, and sometimes updating a policy is the right step.But in this owner’s case, she needed to build her self-trust so she could banish the shame.And she was taking the perfect next step by exposing her difficult emotions in a conversation with me.Shame thrives in the dark, but it withers in the light.When you share your shame with a trusted mentor or community, it doesn’t seem so insurmountable anymore. This is what it means to win in the dark when it comes to shame.Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:Why shame and anger are common emotions for school leadersWhat promotes the growth of shame and anger, and conversely, what loosens their gripWhat your anger is telling you and to what extent you should listenHow to win in the dark by finding constructive ways to proceed around your angerReal-life examples of how school leaders have overcome shame and anger, and managed to cultivate community and collaborationLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Don’t let shame thrive in the dark. Shine a light on it by joining a genuinely supportive community. You’ll loosen shame’s grip on your heart as you learning it’s safe to be vulnerable with like-minded school leaders who truly get it. Please apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs, where you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence. If you want the guidance of a caring, experienced mentor as you navigate challenging emotions, I welcome you to work with Schools of Excellence through a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and discussions with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Comparisonitis is so common for school leaders.I used to compare myself to others constantly.It’s only natural in the face of successful-looking influencers and mountains of social media content.But two and a half years ago, I got super honest with myself. What was actually important to me? Was it accolades and endless business growth?No. What truly mattered was these two things: my faith and my family.So I committed to maintaining my business programs, revenue, and profit margins for 24 months, giving me the chance to focus on my deeply-held values.This is when I began recording The Schools of Excellence Podcast.Every week, I’d go into my windowless office, record a high-quality episode, and put it out into the world.No one thanked me for the content. There was no overnight explosion of growth. But I stuck with it because it would allow me to attract the right-fit clients while being home with my family.My podcast is an example of winning in the dark. I’m working in private, with no accolades waiting for me, so that I can eventually achieve my desired outcome.In a world where everyone wants instant gratification, I encourage you to win in the dark.Not only will winning in the dark help you create a true school of excellence… it will help you dispel comparisonitis.That’s because comparison requires looking outward, but you build confidence and self-trust when you keep the promises you make to yourself in private.Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:Where comparison comes fromHow to know if you’re experiencing comparisonitis, with symptoms like second-guessing yourselfLong-term, damaging consequences of falling into the comparison trapHow school leaders can adopt a self-assured approach to their work insteadIncentives to winning in the dark, when you can’t rely on public accoladesLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Spoiler alert: One of the key strategies for building self-trust and worthiness is to join a supportive community. By sharing your wins with like-minded school leaders who truly get it, you’ll find the quiet recognition you crave. I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

My client, Jaycee, was doing something truly amazing. She’d worked hard and put in extra hours to build a culture of teacher collaboration.As a result, there was unity within the staff, and children’s learning and engagement soared.She was really pleased with the outcome.…But no one else seemed to notice.She brought the question to the Schools of Excellence community for owners and directors. She kept reassuring us, “I am happy! This is exactly what I wanted.” And then she’d add, “I just wish other people knew.”However, the experience of sharing her unseen efforts and the endurance it required to lead with impact (but without acknowledgment), was enough.She discovered she didn’t need accolades from teachers or parents because she had a safe community and because the end result was intrinsically rewarding.I want to go deeper into the topic of winning in the dark—the phenomenon of discreetly or invisibly achieving success and overcoming challenges.This week, I’m unveiling the first episode of a three-part series on the Schools of Excellence Podcast about winning in the dark.In this week's podcast episode, I’m beginning the discussion with an exploration of the concepts of enoughness and worthiness.It’s common to hinge your self-worth on what praise and acknowledgment you receive. If you achieve your goal, but no one notices, are you still satisfied? Do you try to fill the void by going on to the next project before you take a few weeks or months to appreciate what you’ve accomplished?If this sounds like you, you may have an opportunity to build up your sense of enoughness and worthiness.Join me in the podcast this week for a conversation about:How to discern whether you are struggling with enoughnessCommon external pressures that can impact how worthy you feelWhy winning in the dark is especially challenging in the age of social mediaThe gap between intellectually and emotionally knowing you’re enoughStrategies for how to become unshakeable in your self-trustLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Spoiler alert: One of the key strategies for building self-trust and worthiness is to join a supportive community. By sharing your wins with like-minded school leaders who truly get it, you’ll find the quiet recognition you crave. I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Having an engaged and insightful mentor is a great way to guide you through the quiet obstacles that eventually lead to winning in the darkness. Work through your current biggest challenge with a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys public speaking.Walking onto a stage excites me, and I gain a lot of energy from interacting with a crowd.But I know I’m an outlier.Most people panic when they’re asked to give a thought-provoking response in front of the whole staff with no advanced warning.You can avoid this reaction in your staff meetings while creating a more thoughtful gathering. My suggestion is to prepare a handful of teachers ahead to be called on—and let them know the question early.This is one of the tips I provide in my latest podcast episode about leading a productive, curated final staff meeting of the school year.Join me for a conversation about how to:Discern what needs to be discussed in a meeting versus in an emailEmpower your team to learn from their frustrations and embrace innovationNavigate challenges without relying on auto-pilot and “the way we’ve always done it”Collaborate to bring future aspirations into reality as the next year gets underwayCo-create tangible reminders of positive memories from the school yearLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ As you reflect on the 2023-2024 school year, you may wish you’d had more like-minded community or personalized support. If so, I encourage you to start the next year on the right foot by applying now for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive ongoing tools, coaching, and an engaged community that will help you work toward building a school of excellence.Every school is unique, which is why I also offer an option for short-term super-individualized support for you and your school. During your Leadership Day Intensive, you'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/Purchase Reflective Questions for Teachers here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/reflective-questions-for-teachers/ More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In January, the internet was full of cute memes about going back to the gym, eating salads, and recommitting to your health.At the end of the calendar year, school leaders often take a look at fiscal performance and next year’s goals.But right now, as the school year comes to a close, we tend to focus on the next thing. Our brains are already in summer mode. We are entering a new season for our lives and our schools.But what if, before jumping head-first into what’s next, we took a moment to breathe?What if we paused for self-reflection?The quality of your life is determined, in large part, by the quality of the questions you ask yourself.This week on the podcast, I want to invite you to self-reflect with some thought-provoking questions you won’t hear anywhere else.Join me for a conversation about:Significance: What gives your work significance? Is that changing as you grow as a leader? Is there anything you need to let go of?Impact: What is the effect of your leadership, decisions, and actions on your school and its stakeholders?Relationships: How well do you understand the needs of your team members and the families at your school? How well do you meet those needs?Vision: At your current breakneck pace, will your 70th birthday be the first time you have a chance to think about the legacy you’re creating through your work?Personal Growth: How are you being intentional about growing as a leader? After all, the world keeps changing, and so do we.Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Ready to define your own metrics of success within a supportive environment of like-minded school leaders? Apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, and an engaged community that will help you build a school of excellence.With individualized coaching, you can learn even more ways to evaluate success. For personalized support for you and your school, let’s work together in a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In 2020, everyone’s world turned upside-down Sioux Falls school owner Cayla Rush knew there was too much on her plate as the pandemic began, but she didn’t see an alternative. She felt it was her responsibility to make countless decisions that could impact the health and well-being of her staff, herself, and the families she served.“My self-trust was shaken,” she told me. “Before 2020, I felt like I could trust myself to make decisions. But then that went out the window.”That’s when we met. Instead of allowing herself to remain stuck, Cayla joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ. I’ve had the privilege of watching her grow into a transformed leader over the years.Today, she is confident, resilient, and discerning.She’s hired a great leadership team, pursues big dreams, and has learned how to coach her colleagues.She even got a beautiful tattoo of the word “Breathe” to remind her of a big takeaway from the Schools of Excellence community. When she takes a deep breath and sits in the silence and discomfort, she hears her inner voice.In this week's podcast episode, I sit down for a conversation with Cayla about her leadership journey.Join us to learn more about:Quick wins Cayla achieved when she first joined the communityHow she turned her impostor syndrome into a deep sense of belongingThe impact of personalized coaching on her school’s growth and her personal growth as a leaderSteps she has taken to reject hustle culture in favor of resilience and wisdomLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  If you want to overcome self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and hustle culture within a supportive environment, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, and a like-minded community of school leaders to help build a school of excellence.If Cayla’s story sounds like your autobiography, I invite you to work with me through a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, highly personalized, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Have you seen Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and 40 Under 40 lists?They feature the brightest, shiniest, hardest-working entrepreneurs. These individuals embody hustle, grind, and achievement.It would be exciting to get on one of those lists, right?Let’s step back for a moment.When you’re 40 years old, or even 50, 60, 70, or 80, your school will still be there. You have your whole life to be an owner or director. As I like to say, “I’m playing the decades game.”So who says you have to hit a certain level of success before a particular age?Running your school may not be a finite opportunity, but being present for your current season of life is.If you’re raising young kids, caring for an aging parent, planning a wedding, or anything else that’s important to you, you will only be in this season of life for so long.Once the door on your current season of life closes, it will never open again. Treasure the season of life you’re in.Meanwhile, the school will still be there. It’s a constant in your life.Now, don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying you shouldn’t have big ambitions. In fact, this is an extremely common misconception among school leaders. They think that schools with a slower pace will achieve less. So they eat lunch at their desks, burn the midnight oil, and run themselves to exhaustion in order to meet their goals.What they don’t realize is that rest, calm, and peace give you the breathing room you need to take stock, make intentional decisions, and take more meaningful actions.Simply put, you can accomplish more, at a more sustainable pace, when you do less.Last week on the Schools of Excellence Podcast, I talked about what causes a culture of urgency in schools.In this week’s episode, I’m discussing how you can create calm and banish the urgency once and for all.Join me for a conversation about:Why calmness is the key to meaningful progressVital characteristics leaders need to adopt a culture of calmTechniques you can implement in your school to cultivate well-beingMindset shifts you can begin to embody today that will make a differenceHow a culture of calm opens you up to incredible opportunitiesLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Creating the calm in your school won’t happen overnight. If you could use support, book a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive during your transformation. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If you’re looking for ongoing, personalized support as you shift your school’s culture, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Leaders have lots of amazing ideas. And sometimes, those ideas can turn into multiple priorities. This is absolutely normal. But when there’s a new idea, a new priority, every month, week, or day, it’s exhausting and confusing for the whole school.As the focus shifts constantly from one urgent matter to the next, everything becomes a priority. In a culture like this, the team learns that when everything is a priority, nothing is actually a priority.They may delay starting a project or put in low effort in the beginning, because they know the leader is apt to chang their mind.Not only can this result in low morale and frustration on the part of both leadership and the team, it poaches employees’ buy-in, ownership, and innovation.Short-term focus and inconsistent prioritization are two symptoms of a culture of urgency in a school.Operating within a culture of urgency is such a difficult and stifling experience, so I’m dedicating the next two Schools of Excellence Podcast episodes to the topic.This week, I’m discussing how you can recognize the patterns of a culture of urgency within your own school.Join me for a conversation about:Three key symptoms to help you diagnose a culture of urgencyTen ways a culture of urgency negatively impacts a school and its leaders, staff, and familiesOne critical skill for leaders to learn that can help create a sense of deliberateness and calmA valuable tool for understanding the core tension within your centerLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  P.S. When you’re facing dozens of competing priorities, an outside perspective can help you focus on the next best steps to move you closer to your goals. Let’s work together in a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive during this busy time. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If your school is experiencing high turnover, burnout, and stress, you may have a culture of urgency. The Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program provides proven, ongoing support as you get to the root of the problem. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Summer is coming, faster than we could have anticipated. Have you figured out what you and your family are doing for the break?“What are your summer plans?” It sounds like a simple question—one you’ll probably get asked a bunch over the coming weeks—but the reality is anything but easy.If you’re feeling panic or irritation at having to make yet another decision about summer break (or even what's for dinner), that’s because there is a whole world of invisible labor that goes into every single choice. My friend, you are experiencing some very real decision fatigue.In this week's podcast episode, I’m discussing the mountains of invisible labor that go into decision-making, so you can better protect your energy for the decisions that really matter.Join me for a conversation about:Five steps of decision-making you may not realize you’re already experiencingThree types of invisible, draining labor that go into making choicesWhy decision fatigue, emotional factors, and information overload compound the difficulty of choicesConcrete ways you can reduce your mental load and make decisions more judiciouslyLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ A common frustration I see in school leaders is overwhelm when they are making multiple large decisions at once. For instance, they might be onboarding a lot of new parents while also changing software or switching curriculum. If this sounds like you, let’s talk during a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your center thrive during this busy time. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed by decisions and wish you could have regular heart-to-hearts with like-minded school leaders about the challenges inherent in your work, apply for the Schools of Excellence Director’s Inner Circle or Owner’s HQ membership program. Inside, you’ll receive tools, coaching, resources, and access to a thriving community that will help you work towards building a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When my business was new, I was in the practice of waking up at 5:00am to work on some big, exciting projects. I would reply to emails and write content while my house was asleep, so I could get some focused work time in.But when I had my fourth child, Yossi, I suddenly could no longer set an alarm for 5:00am and expect to be productive—because I was also waking up at 12:00am, at 2:00am, at 4:00am, and at 6:00am to care for my baby.I often talk about respecting the season of life you’re in, and pre-Yossi and post-Yossi’s birth were two different seasons of my life. It was important for me to adjust my expectations and priorities accordingly, without getting stuck in guilt, shame, or regret.In this episode of The Schools of Excellence podcast, I am doing something a little different. Instead of sharing my stories and thoughts, I’m giving you space for reflection and questions about your own life. I ask questions like:If you are in a season of grief and loss, who is in your support system?If you are a school leader who is also raising young kids, how are you defining and evaluating the quality of time versus the quantity of time you spend with each of your children?For leaders navigating a health challenge, do your career goals align with your health challenges, and does it make sense to realign them?When leaders are caretaking loved ones, such as aging parents, are there time-wasting activities that could be minimized to make time for essential responsibilities?Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

“We were only closed for two weeks when the pandemic started, but I swear it felt like we were closed for four months.”This is what Paige Kepner, Glen Allen, VA center owner, told me during a recent conversation.I find this is such a common experience for school leaders when they're in the midst of a crisis. The sheer amount of pressure, communication, decision-making, and information-gathering that happened in March, 2020 (and beyond), was overwhelming for school leaders. Not to mention the amount of energy they had to give to protecting their own families.Paige had a five-year-old, a seven-month-old, and an empty center. She lost 60-70% of their enrollment in just a few days.It was so stressful, she was literally having nightmares about drowning.That’s when we met. She joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ in 2020 for coaching support, and we started with bite-sized actions to help rebuild her center and her confidence.One of the lessons that really stuck with her was the analogy of the lobster, which gets uncomfortable as it grows into its shell. The bigger it becomes, the more miserable it is, until finally the old shell molts and it emerges with a fresh, new shell.In the same way, we have to sit with discomfort as we are stretched by the unique challenges that come with school leadership. But if we can persevere, we can come out on the other end transformed.In this week's podcast episode, hear directly from Paige about her experience of going from drowning to soaring. Join us for a conversation about:- Why Paige chose to invest in her team during a surprising time- Her system for storing valuable information for future challenges- How she has shifted her mindset around school culture and become a stronger leader- The value of like-minded community for PaigeLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

A director I was coaching a few weeks ago told me about a repeat problem that kept coming up in her center. She was constantly being interrupted by teachers coming to her office asking for help with little things. She was glad to support them, but it was getting to a point where she couldn’t focus on her own tasks.Her own behavior—going out of her office to give them what they asked for, every single time—was enabling their behavior and dependency, instead of empowering them to be resourceful.We want to be encouraging leaders with all the answers, but there’s a paradox here. We have to balance this urge to provide on-demand support with the necessity of giving our teams the environment to develop autonomy, independence, and individual growth.This week, join me for a conversation about:Why support is related to people pleasing and anxietyHow the paradox of support shows up in education, such as the push-and-pull between dependency and empowermentThree practical ways you can balance support with autonomyJournaling questions to investigate how you can navigate the paradox of support​Want a written summary of this episode?Grab it here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/paradoxLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  When certain aspects of our center spiral out of our control, we can either attempt to wrestle control back, or we can cultivate long-term stability and resilience. As you sit with the discomfort of the paradox of control, I would be honored to support you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and coaching with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through the paradoxes of leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If you’re looking for the ongoing guidance, camaraderie, and support of a community of like-minded leaders as you grow as a leader, apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Recently, I was speaking with a school owner who was selling a location. She had truly done her due diligence in her preparations for this moment, crossing every T and dotting every I. The only thing left to do was to inform her team.Feeling anxiety about the conversation, she came to me for coaching and guidance. Many coaches might give general advice about drinking water, going on a walk, or meditating. But she wasn’t coming to me for help shaking off her nerves. She was looking for something deeper.So I asked her, “Do you believe that, because you checked every box, you can control the narrative, and your team should handle the news gracefully?”Yes, that was exactly what she was feeling.Then I told her she must accept the discomfort of the fact that she could not, in reality, control her team’s response to the news.This is the paradox of control. We want control, but what we actually need is trust.Join me on the podcast for a conversation about:How the paradox of control manifests inside ECE centers, including your ownDrawing a distinction between control and influence, and why it matters for leadersHow to cultivate resilience and humanity by confronting the paradox of controlQuestions for deep reflection to help you become a stronger, wiser leader​Want a written summary of this episode?Grab it here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/paradoxLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  When certain aspects of our center spiral out of our control, we can either attempt to wrestle control back, or we can cultivate long-term stability and resilience. As you sit with the discomfort of the paradox of control, I would be honored to support you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and coaching with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through the paradoxes of leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If you’re looking for the ongoing guidance, camaraderie, and support of a community of like-minded leaders as you grow as a leader, apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Recently, I was on a coaching call with two ECE center owners.The first owner had just purchased her second location. This was a huge milestone for her, and she expected to feel accomplished. And yet, she was struggling to step into a double identity as both an owner and the director of the second site, until it could get fully staffed.The second owner had just sold her second location. She reflected back on when she had first purchased it, and at the time, she wondered if she was enough. Now that she sold it, she wondered the same thing.Success is a paradox. There’s tension between achieving your aims and recognizing the path is not straightforward. Every time a school leader achieves certain goals—higher enrollment, new locations, greater profitability, more brand equity—these milestones come with their own challenges.Join me for the third episode in my podcast series about the paradoxes of school leadership, where we explore:How success leads to impostor syndrome and new hurdlesWhy leaders paradoxically protect themselves from successTangible ways success creates unique challenges for centersHow to redefine your definition of success as you progress in your leadershipActionable steps you can take to prepare for the pros and cons of successWant a written summary of this episode?Grab it here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/paradoxLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  When certain aspects of our center spiral out of our control, we can either attempt to wrestle control back, or we can cultivate long-term stability and resilience. As you sit with the discomfort of the paradox of control, I would be honored to support you. During a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive, you’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training and coaching with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through the paradoxes of leadership. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/P.P.S. If you’re looking for the ongoing guidance, camaraderie, and support of a community of like-minded leaders as you grow as a leader, apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you build a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When’s the last time you went to a huge buffet? While it seems like a treat to eat anything you want, you can’t eat it all—and that means you have to choose. The number of decisions you have to make in the buffet line is totally overwhelming.In the same way, too many choices can feel paralyzing when it comes to our centers—for leadership, teachers, parents, and children.Will the kids play with blocks or go outside? Which parent-teacher communication system will we use? Which professional development option should we pick? Which curriculum will we choose? Which payroll system is best?Stop. Breathe.The truth is, there is no right answer. There is no perfect choice. This is the paradox of choice that confronts us as school leaders.This week, I invite you to explore the paradox of choice on the podcast, as we discuss:How to frame choices in terms of your valuesWhich frameworks can guide your decision-making processesThe inevitable grief and regret that can follow making a choiceLow-stakes ways to build resilience for high-stakes decisions​Want a written summary of this episode?Grab it here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/paradoxLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  I can give you frameworks galore, but that can’t beat the individualized, laser-focused coaching support I offer during a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive. During the Intensive, you’ll receive a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team make choices, while building a healthier, stronger center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/For owners and directors who are looking for ongoing support in navigating the many choices that come along with school leadership, I invite you to apply to the Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll receive access to tools, resources, coaching, and community to support your efforts to build a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In 2022, Catherine Doberstein had just started listening to my podcast. In an episode, I mentioned the live, in-person Summit of Excellence that was coming up, and she decided to attend.She told me, “I had been looking for a community of young business owners to be surrounded by, but I didn’t realize there was a whole group of early childcare leaders who wanted a higher level of education for children. I knew this is where I needed to be.”Joining the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ membership program created some significant changes in Catherine’s school, the Little Scholars Academy of Kannapolis, NC. In this conversation, Catherine and I discuss:How she shifted from doing everything in her school (owner, director, and teacher) to becoming a confident leaderCatherine’s journey from grinding for five days a week at her school, to only working two days per week, giving her more time with her familyStrategies Catherine put in place to create accountability within her teamHow she identified and communicated company values, which now inform all of her business decisionsHow she navigates challenges differently now than she did two years ago​Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/ Some challenges are easier to overcome with an outside perspective and focused, collaborative time. When you work with Schools of Excellence during a Leadership Day Intensive, you’ll receive a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through growing pains, and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/If you, like Catherine, are seeking a community of like-minded childcare leaders, apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and—best of all—community that will help you build a school of excellence. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

 Back in 2017, I had the immense pleasure of interviewing author and speaker Simon Sinek about how to be an effective leader. It's a topic that many people talk about but few can agree on.During the interview, I asked Simon to define what it means to be a leader. Rather than give me a simple statement, he chose to tell a story that I'll never forget.During his stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas, Simon met a charming and enthusiastic barista named Noah. Noah's energy was so infectious that Simon felt compelled to ask him whether he liked his job.Noah's response was, "No—I love my job."He went on to explain that at the Four Seasons, his supervisors didn't make an appearance just to tell him what to do or to try to catch him making mistakes—like his other job at another well-known Las Vegas hotel (and reminiscent of many people's experience at work).Instead, his managers checked in with him frequently to ask how he was doing and what they could do to make his job easier. This not only made Noah enjoy his work more, but it also gave him the support he needed to do his job better.Powerful stuff, right?Simon's point in telling this story was to demonstrate what true leadership looks like, which is to take care of people.Because when you look out for the needs of your team, you don't need to micromanage, discipline, or fix problems. Your compassion and guidance alone give them the tools they need to be successful.In this week's podcast episode, I'm re-sharing my interview with Simon Sinek because it's a powerful conversation about leadership that I want to make sure you all hear.Join us for a conversation about:How to create an environment like Noah's at the Four SeasonsWhat it means to be a leaderWhich questions to ask yourself to uncover your whyHow you can be a student of leadershipAnd so much more!​Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/P.S. This episode dives into the true essence of leadership and touches on so many core concepts that we talk about with our members. If you like what you hear and want more opportunities to receive guidance and support that can transform your leadership, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.P.P.S. Inspired by what you've heard in this episode and want to help take your team's leadership to the next level? Inquire about a Leadership Day Intensive for your center. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins to help you and your team work through existing obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadershipMore about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Communication is about more than just your words.Years ago, when I was still working as a teacher, I was preparing for parent–teacher conferences with my mentor, Dana Levy. She was guiding me through a role-play exercise to help me feel more confident in my communication with parents.When I got to the part of the interaction where I was supposed to express some concerns about the child, Dana stopped me and asked me to step in front of the mirror before starting again.As I spoke in front of the mirror, I immediately noticed what Dana had observed: As soon as I reached the difficult part of the conversation, my entire body tensed up.It was like I became an open book, unintentionally revealing my negative emotions through my facial expressions and body language—something that would be sure to make the parents anxious.And chances are, this happens to some teachers at your center too.Preparing for parent–teacher conferences is about more than tips or templates—although these resources can be helpful.It requires practice and a holistic understanding of the parents' perspective so you can communicate both effectively and empathetically.In this week's podcast episode, I'm sharing a recording of a training session I conducted for leaders within our Director's Inner Circle membership program about how to prepare for parent–teacher conferences.Join me for a conversation about:How to conduct yourself during a parent-teacher conferenceWhat the parent perspective looks likeLanguage to avoid when talking about a childHow to structure the conference from beginning to endLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/This episode is a recording from a previous training session with our members. If you like what you hear and want more opportunities to receive guidance and support that can transform your leadership, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Managing parent-teacher relationships is a common challenge for leaders. If this is something your team struggles with, I encourage you to inquire about a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins to help you and your team work through existing obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadershipMore about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When my husband Mayer and I moved to Florida, we had a pool for the first time ever. But as New Yorkers, we had no idea how to take care of it. So when we were told we didn't have to do much to maintain it, we took those words at face value.Over time, different parts of the pool started to break down, and we had no choice but to call a maintenance company to evaluate the situation.When they finally came to take a look, we were shocked at what they told us: We had to drain and reline the entire pool. A costly mistake.The thing is, it didn't have to be that way. Had we kept up with the proper maintenance all along, we wouldn't have had to pay for such a costly repair.We only had ourselves to blame.Sound familiar?Maintenance neglect is a common and costly problem for early childcare centers—something you really cannot afford in today's economic climate.It's crucial you find ways to address money leaks and close investment gaps so your center can thrive regardless of the state of the economy.This week's podcast episode is the final of a four-part series that breaks down the 2024 forecast for early childhood education. To close out our discussion, I'm talking about how you can navigate finances as you move into 2024 and beyond.Join me for a conversation about:Why owners are finding themselves in a financial crisisThe two major areas you need to address to increase your profit marginsHow to avoid scarcity-based decision-makingHow to make charitable giving a core part of your financial strategy​​Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  If you enjoy this episode and are looking for a space to continue exploring the next era of school leadership, consider applying for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Or, help your leadership team prepare for today's modern challenges with a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When I was a new parent, I thought I could give my kids more by simply loving them more.Spoiler alert: I was mistaken.Don't get me wrong—my heart was in the right place. Like so many before me, I wanted to give my kids a life even better than the one I had experienced.But with time and maturity, I came to realize you can't give what you don't have.You can't pour into your kids if you don't first pour into yourself.The same can be said for your teachers at school.Since the pandemic, children have experienced significant delays in cognitive and behavioral development, and our collective solution has been to seek strategies and resources to address these growing concerns.But let me ask you this: How can teachers create the sort of safe and supportive environment that children need to grow and thrive if they can't create that for themselves?You can't give what you don't have, remember?Before we can look for solutions, we need to shift the focus to helping teachers regulate their own emotions so that they're better equipped to give children what they need.This week's podcast episode is the third in a four-part series that breaks down the 2024 forecast for early childhood education. It centers on how to cultivate healthy teacher–child relationships so your students and school can thrive.Join me for a conversation about:Why child relationships are such an important topic in 2024What experts have to say about child development in today's worldThe skills teachers need to cultivate healthy relationships with their studentsPractical strategies for how to make self-regulation a focal point this year​​Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   If you enjoy this episode and are looking for a space to continue exploring the next era of school leadership, consider applying for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Or, help your leadership team prepare for today's modern challenges with a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Has someone ever told you to calm down?It's one of the most aggravating statements ever.Recently, I was having a conversation with my husband, Mayer, and things were getting a little heated. Before things got out of hand, I wanted to regulate myself so I could operate from a more level mindset. Instead of giving me the space to work through my emotions, Mayer decided it would be helpful in that moment to say "Calm down. It's not a big deal."When in the history of the world has it ever been helpful to tell someone to calm down?So I responded snarkily, "Okay, get taller. Just grow 5 more inches. It's not a big deal."Predictably, Mayer was confused. Of course, he couldn't do what I was asking.But here's the thing—neither could I!In the same way that Mayer couldn't grow 5 inches in a matter of seconds, I couldn't regulate myself at that very moment. Emotional regulation is a process that takes time.Why am I telling you this?Because the next time you see your staff on the receiving end of an upset parent's rampage, I want you to think twice before you tell them not to take it personally.The parenting landscape has changed drastically over the last several years, and your teachers deserve more than being told to calm down when dealing with the modern challenges of parent partnerships.They need you to step up and create an environment where they feel supported and empowered to foster meaningful relationships with parents in this new climate.This week's podcast episode is the second in a four-part series that breaks down the 2024 forecast for early childhood education. It centers on the shifting landscape of parent partnerships and what to consider as we move into the new year.Join me for a conversation about:How parent partnerships have evolved, especially since the pandemicThe impact of modern relationships on mental healthHow the shifting landscape is impacting teachers and turnoverThe key areas you should focus on as a leader in 2024Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  If you enjoy this episode and are looking for a space to continue exploring the next era of school leadership, consider applying for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Or, help your leadership team prepare for today's modern challenges with a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Are you living by your values?While you think that question over, let me tell you a story.In our family, generosity is a core value, and one of the ways in which we embody that value is by hosting members of the community in our home.So when the High Holiday was approaching this past year, our initial intention was to host two or three out of the four meals that take place over the holiday, just as we normally would.But when I realized that the Schools of Excellence Legacy Mastermind happened to fall on the same weekend as the start of the High Holiday, I had to take a step back and re-evaluate.Sure, I could stick to the original plan and spend the weekend hosting meals—that would be in alignment with my values, right?But values don't exist in a vacuum.If I were to neglect my commitments as a business owner in order to uphold my family's value of generosity, I wouldn't really be living by my values, would I?So instead, Mayer and I chose to host just one meal so I could balance my role as both a business owner and member of our community. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right one.When it comes to true leadership—especially in this day and age—solutions aren't black and white. Instead, leadership requires that you make hard choices and reserve enough energy to embody all of your values.Now we come back to you. Are you living by your values? Are you prepared to be a leader in today's world?In this week's podcast episode, I'll help you answer this question by exploring what it takes to be a leader in 2024 and beyond. It's the first in a four-part series that breaks down the 2024 forecast for early childhood education. Join me for a conversation about:The four critical areas shaping the next era of early childhood educationWhy traditional leadership strategies are no longer workingWhat it means to be a leader in today's worldHow we should approach modern leadershipLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  If you enjoy this episode and are looking for a space to continue exploring the next era of school leadership, consider applying for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.Or, help your leadership team prepare for today's modern challenges with a Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership/More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

School leadership can be a lonely journey. When you're at the top of the org chart, it's your responsibility to support your team—meaning there's no one to catch you when it's you who has fallen down.That's the harsh reality that Mandy Moore came face-to-face with when she became the owner of her center, Steadfast Academy in Texas, a few years ago.Transitioning from director to owner was a difficult change. She had gone from having at least some semblance of support to suddenly having none at all.When COVID-19 hit just a few months later, Mandy's already unstable life was turned completely upside down, with no one to turn to in her time of need.It was at that point that Mandy came to a critical realization: If she was going to have any chance of surviving—let alone thriving—as an owner, she would need to find a support system.Fortunately, she found exactly what she was looking for in the Schools of Excellence Owner's HQ membership program, and it changed the trajectory of her leadership journey.In this week's podcast episode, I'm sitting down with owner Mandy Moore to talk about her experience in Owner's HQ and how finding community among other leaders helped her settle into her new role.Join us for a conversation about:The state of Mandy's center before joining Owner's HQHer experience as an owner after COVID-19 hitWhat she learned being part of a community of other owners How her leadership transformation has impacted her personal life​Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  Your leadership team can also struggle to find support and community, which can greatly impact their ability to lead from the center's values. You can help them work through this and other challenges with a Schools of Excellence Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team work through obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center.If Mandy’s story resonates with you and you, too, crave the guidance and support of a community of like-minded leaders, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Last year, after speaking at a conference, I was contacted by, Sophie Kerr, the owner of Little Foxes Nursery School in Wiltshire, England, an early childcare center that believes in the power of strong role models in children's learning and development.She had heard me speak about B.R.I.D.G.E., the 6 key meta skills you need as a childcare center leader, and it immediately resonated with her.Although she had a strong team of directors, they were struggling in some crucial areas, like managing their calendars and having difficult conversations with staff, that were impacting the overall culture of the school.So, when she reached out to inquire more about leadership training for her team—Catherine, Amy, and Jen—I invited them to apply for our Director's Inner Circle membership program.I knew it was the perfect place for them to not only develop their leadership meta-skills, but get support from other directors who were experiencing the same struggles and working toward the same goals.But what I didn't expect was just how incredible it would be to watch each of their journeys unfold, side by side.The extent to which the program transformed their leadership in such distinctive and personal ways was powerful to see.That's why in this week's podcast episode, I'm sitting down with the Little Foxes team to hear their stories about how being in the Director's Inner Circle membership program has uniquely transformed their leadership and school cultures.Join us for a conversation about:Their leadership styles before joining the programTheir experience implementing the gratitude matrix, one-on-ones, and moreThe impact of their leadership on parents and familiesHow they've grown thanks to the program's resources, coaching, and communityLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  If you want to experience a leadership transformation like that of the Little Foxes team, I encourage you to apply for our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.P.P.S. Or, if you're looking for a more team-centered experience to elevate your circle of leaders, you could be a good fit for our Leadership Day Intensive. You'll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins, to help you and your team transform your center's leadership and build a stronger, healthier culture. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/leadership More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When you write out a to-do list—whether for your team, your family, or yourself—does it give an accurate representation of everything that goes into completing each task?Take laundry, for example. When I put "do the laundry" on my to-do list, I would be kidding myself if I thought it was a one-step process.There's sorting, washing, drying, ironing, folding, putting the clothes away… and even that isn't an exhaustive list depending on the circumstances. Rather than an easy box to check, something like laundry can easily take an entire morning—or day.It's a perfect example of invisible labor—all the tasks that need to get done that nobody sees……at least, nobody but you.As a school leader, invisible labor is your middle name. Your brain is wired to consider the details, and you can't help but get bogged down in all the particulars of whatever task is at hand.So, when your team reports to you, thinking the best thing to do is to relay ALL the information possible, you get overwhelmed by things you don't need to worry about.You feel responsible for things you don't need to be responsible for.And the result is that you waste precious time and energy on things that won't help your center move forward.To ensure you're operating at optimal levels and focusing on the things that matter most, it's critical for you to educate your team on how to report to you.In this week's podcast episode, I'm talking about how to train your team to report effectively so you can keep your mind—and your schedule—clear for tasks that bring you closer to your goals.Join me for a conversation about:Why it's important to educate your team on proper reportingFinancial debt vs. time debtHow to discern what's truly important to knowAction steps to educate your teamLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When my husband Mayer and I still lived in NYC, he held a position at a college that was highly demanding (to put it lightly).As part of his role, he was required to work 7 days a week, with very limited PTO. And when he did have time off, he fell ill—just like clockwork.That wasn't a coincidence.When we work ourselves to the bone without allowing ourselves proper time to rest and recover, we become more vulnerable to illness. Think of your well-being like a battery—if you don't plug it in to charge, eventually it's going to run out of power.As a school leader, I'm sure you know this better than anyone. After all, professionals in the field of education are especially prone to burnout.But what you may not realize is that recharging your battery is about more than taking a yearly vacation.Because if you only give yourself time away once or twice a year, that break ends up being spent in a desperate attempt to recover from burnout… …rather than experiencing genuine moments of aliveness and connection with the people you love.To move beyond survival mode and make the most of your time off for fun and travel, you need to plan for regular rest and recovery throughout the year.That way, you won't be running on a near-empty tank while trying to enjoy all life has to offer. In this week's podcast episode, I'm discussing how to plan strategically for rest and travel as a school leader.Join me for a conversation about:Why it's crucial to strategically plan for rest and travelThe different kinds of rest you need to feel fully rechargedHow I manage my own recovery and travel throughout the yearHow you can plan for rest and travel in 2024Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

No matter the industry, leaders are often afraid to be honest about why they're firing someone. They think that by sugar-coating the truth or dancing around the issue, they're protecting the person's feelings.But the reality is that being dishonest doesn't help anyone but you. Rather than protect them, you actually protect yourself from uncomfortable feelings. In reality, the best thing you can do for everyone involved is to communicate with transparency and kindness—no matter the context.Back in 2011, when I was working as a camp director in NYC, I had to fire a teacher after a very unfortunate incident.It was a sensitive time for the Jewish community in that area because a child had been tragically abducted while walking home from day camp. Understandably, everyone in the city was on especially high alert.So, when a teacher at my camp left a child alone in the bathroom and walked to a park two blocks away, I had no choice but to terminate her immediately.I found the child in the bathroom while doing my rounds, walked them to the park where the teacher was, and fired her on the spot.Now, in this particular situation, there wasn't much of a conversation, because I needed to act swiftly. But that didn't mean that I was unkind—or that I avoided addressing the reason she was being fired.I simply told her that her error in judgment was unacceptable—and let her go. As a leader, you're going to have to fire team members. In fact, never letting go of employees is a sign that you're not cultivating a values-led culture. Because there will always be individuals on your team who simply aren't the right fit.But at the end of the day, the reason you're letting them go doesn't matter. In every case, you owe it to them, to your team, and to yourself to navigate the conversation with poise and respect.In this week's podcast episode, the final installment of a three-part series on firing, I provide tips on how to navigate termination communication in a way that preserves your center's reputation and maintains the trust of remaining team members.Join me for a conversation about:What a termination conversation is really aboutWhy handling a termination conversation well is so importantHow to prepare for and conduct the conversation How to navigate the aftermath of firing a team memberLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Many years ago (when my kids were a lot smaller), my husband Mayer and I took a trip to Niagara Falls. As usual, I had organized everything in advance, including reserving adjoining rooms for our family.Because our kids were so young at the time, it was really important that we had that adjoining room. So, I made sure to call the hotel—both the day before and the day of the trip—to confirm that the rooms were available for us as planned.But lo and behold, on the night we arrived at the hotel, the staff member on duty told us that there were no adjoining rooms left because we had arrived too late at night.Mayer and I were livid. I had called to reserve in advance specifically because I knew we would be arriving late and wanted to make sure we got the rooms we needed. Yet here we were, standing at the check-in desk, luggage in hand, being told that it was our fault we didn't get adjoining rooms.Why? Because the hotel staff refused to take responsibility for their mistake.Does any of this sound familiar?Throughout your career, I'm sure you've seen plenty of instances where team members didn't take accountability, shifted the blame, or reacted poorly to feedback.And sure, even the best of us have some missteps along the way.But when a team member's failure to take personal responsibility becomes a pattern of behavior,  it's a signal that it's probably time to say goodbye.In this week's podcast episode, the second in my three-part series on firing, I dig deeper into personal responsibility and the other key reasons for deciding to let go of a team member.Join me for a conversation about:The core evidence that should determine whether you fire someoneWhy documentation is essential throughout the decision-making processHow to evaluate performance, coachability, mindset, and moreHow personality fit should factor into your decisionLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

No one enjoys having to fire an employee. In most cases it's uncomfortable and unpleasant to have to let someone go, especially if they didn't do anything "wrong."But hanging on to a team member who's not the right fit for your center's vision and values can have some serious consequences… maybe more than you realize.In the case of Janine, a Schools of Excellence Owner's HQ member, her reluctance to fire a toxic team member impacted her health and wellbeing. Janine was an owner who had what I like to call a "toxic genius" on her team. This team member was smart, reliable, great with kids and parents—everything you could want in an employee—but she also had a habit of stirring up gossip and putting others down.Janine was torn about what to do. On the one hand, she knew the team member was negatively impacting her center.But on the other, she had just opened up a fourth location and barely had the capacity to deal with her usual responsibilities—let alone go through the process of firing someone.But instead of delegating the responsibility to her team member, a director, Janine insisted that she had to be the one to do it.So, month after month passed by, and Janine continued to sit with the same dilemma. It wasn't just her mind, though, that suffered from her inaction. She developed high blood pressure and couldn't sleep more than 3 hours a night.After an entire year of worsening health problems, I finally asked Janine: "When is enough, enough? When will you realize what you're losing by not letting this person go?"If reading this reminds you of someone on your team, I want to ask you the same question: When is enough, enough? How long will you wait in the name of avoiding discomfort before you take action for the sake of yourself and your team?So, what happened with Janine when she finally faced the truth?She took accountability, let go of the toxic genius, and for the first time in a long time, she slept straight through the night.In this week's podcast episode, the first in a three-part series on firing, I explore the true cost of hanging on to team members when it's time to let go.Join me for a conversation about:The top 3 reasons we fire employees (HINT: It's not just about performance)The impact of keeping someone who needs to leaveWhy we have to prioritize ourselves and our team's wellbeingAction steps to take if you're struggling with letting someone goLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Every year, flu season seems to come as a surprise.We know it’s coming. And yet, it always seems to catch us unaware, putting us into all kinds of highly stressful situations. Like having to find a sub for your subs' sub.Seriously. I was dropping off one of my kids at school one day, and I didn't recognize one of the teachers. When I asked her who she was, she said "Oh, I'm subbing for Rachel."Who's Rachel?Well, as it turns out, Rachel was subbing for Britney… who was subbing for Sheera, who was subbing for Maria—the original teacher.When I say I've seen it all, I mean I've seen it all. While this particular comically chaotic situation may have never happened to you, I know that as a center leader, flu season has left you scrambling to cope with crises like staff shortages, schedule interruptions, and many other impacts that hit the school. And it happens every. Single. Year.So how do you prevent flu season from throwing an annual wrench into all your plans?A strong, center-oriented insurance policy may give you the tools you need. Simliar to a flood insurance policy you go out and buy, this is something you hope to never use, but that’s there to protect you if needed.This kind of proactive insurance policy allows you to prepare for understaffing without overburdening your staff. It gives you an efficient, flexible way of managing absences while also improving your staff’s overall wellbeing.This week's podcast episode is one I’ve wanted to record for years. In it, we’re discussing proactive approaches to the dreaded flu season.Join me for a conversation about:How to appropriately prepare for flu seasonWhat an insurance policy for flu season looks likeThe impact this season has on schoolsHow to communicate preparations and alleviate concernsLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

It’s easy to feel pulled down by the difficult happenings at your center.This was the case for Ashriel Huber, second-generation legacy owner of A Child’s Touch in Colorado.Her desire to make the previous owner proud, coupled with the stress of taking over a large center with many moving parts, led to dysregulation, impostor syndrome, and a sense that she could never give enough to move the needle.When I met Ashriel at a conference, she felt stuck. She confided that she’d lost key members of administration, and lacked the processes and procedures that would calm the chaos.More troubling, she felt as if she’d given her life to the center, staying late night after night to try and get ahead. She needed to gain the trust of her employees, and working hard seemed the best way to accomplish that.After listening to her story, I grabbed a napkin and walked her through the Pyramid of Excellence. In her own words, that conference marked a turning point in how she thought about her role as owner. She joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ membership program and began working to shift her limiting beliefs.With the support of other owners, she’s learning to build emotional resilience, allowing her to stay the course when challenges arise. Instead of living at the center, she’s dedicated several mornings to staying home and attending coaching calls.Most importantly, she found connections with other leaders, which allowed her to form a community of peers. Instead of feeling isolated and alone, she could share her ideas, gain feedback, and take concrete steps forward.Members of Ashriel’s staff have noticed a shift. They’ve commented on her growing confidence, and the atmosphere at the center is beginning to transition. Now she has the tools to separate caring for the individual from being a leader who expects people to do their jobs.If you’ve ever felt like you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, or if the stressors of your center sometimes feel too daunting, I encourage you to listen to Ashriel’s story. You'll hear more about her journey and how the membership helped her gain confidence in her role as a leader.Join me for a conversation about:The struggles Ashriel faced before joining the membershipWhat she learned by being surrounded by other like-minded ownersHow her center looks now that she's a more confident leaderWhat's next for her and her center Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Does the word “stress” make your chest tighten?If so, you’re not the only one We tend to think of stress as a negative thing. But the truth is, it’s an integral part of being human. In fact, on last week’s podcast episode I introduced the concept of eustress—a type of positive stress that helps to motivate us.This week, I want to talk about the tools we use to manage stress in the moment. Because stress is an unavoidable part of our lives, it’s up to us to keep ourselves regulated and ready to approach each situation.Mornings are a perfect example. Getting four kids out the door is no small task, and it’s hard on the body. On top of that, my five-year-old is often up before I am.Distress tolerance has taught me that, despite the chaotic demands of a morning full of decisions and preparations, I need a moment of silence. So I’ve set up a private space for myself in my bedroom where I can spend five minutes alone, with the door closed, before tackling the day.The temptation to immediately jump into the day is strong, but I know from experience that my children and I are all better served when I take that five minutes.Personal morning space is one of the self-soothing strategies I have in my distress tolerance toolkit.In this week's podcast episode, I’m going to guide you through the development of a distress tolerance toolkit for yourself and your staff.Join me for a conversation about:What a staff distress tolerance toolkit includesHow to accept distress when it happensSteps to create an effective toolkit that empowers your teamStrategies for personalizing your toolkitsLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

You’re no stranger to challenges.Whether it’s helping fifteen children into their winter coats, navigating a difficult relationship with one of your teachers, or balancing a busy schedule, you have a lot on your plate.It’s stressful. It may even be distressing.Enter distress tolerance. Building your own, personal level of distress tolerance is one of the most powerful ways you can manage the inevitable challenges of life as a school leader.Let me give you an example. Recently, my husband and son went on a road trip together, leaving me to solo parent our other three children. As luck would have it, during their trip I had an immovable dentist appointment on the same day my other children returned from camp early.Typically, I avoid bringing my kids on errands at all costs. But this time, it was unavoidable. Based on the dentist’s available time slots, I had two options: Pick the earlier time slot and bring them directly to the dentist’s office, or choose a later time and take them home first.Years of developing distress tolerance led me to pick the later time. Why? Because it allowed me the space to fill my cup and those of my children before we did something none of us wanted to do. I was able to bring my kids home, have a snack, and give them some personal mommy time before we headed to the dentist’s office.Why am I telling you this story? Because this decision-making process was distress tolerance in action. As mundane as a schedule conflict might seem, it’s one of the most prevalent stressors that threatens to throw us off balance. And when we’re off balance, our entire team can feel it.In this week’s podcast episode, I’m going to dig into distress tolerance and resilience in the childcare industry. Join me for a conversation about:What distress tolerance isHow it helps us navigate difficult situationsThe correlation between stress and performanceStrategies for building your distress tolerance as a leaderLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

In our society, conversations about grief are largely dominated by death and the experience of losing someone we love.But death is far from the only time we deal with loss.Anytime we go through periods of transition in our lives, we experience grief triggered by the loss of how things used to be. For leaders in early childhood education, these transitions happen on an almost daily basis.Closing locations, letting go of teachers, saying goodbye to families, and even delegating responsibilities are losses that can create a sense of longing for the way things were.And if you don't take active steps to move through that grief, you can end up stuck in old patterns that prevent you from growing as an individual and as a leader.That's why in this week's podcast episode, I'm opening up a conversation about how to navigate loss and use it as a springboard for legacy. Join me for a conversation about:Widening our definition of griefCommon forms of grief that leaders experienceWhat can happen if you don't take the time to process your griefSteps for how to move through grief in a productive wayLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  While processing grief is a personal journey, it's significantly easier when you're surrounded by others who are on a similar journey. Our Director's Inner Circle and Owner's HQ membership programs are the perfect place to build a community of like-minded leaders who can support you through every season of your life. Plus, as a member, you'll also gain access to tools, resources, and coaching that can help you along the way. More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Roles and responsibilities are crucial to building a school of excellence. You can't weather the storm—let alone captain your ship—if your crew isn't clear on what they should be doing and when.That's where developing a school org chart comes in handy. With a visual representation of the structure of your center on hand, you can clear up a lot of questions about what role each individual plays and who they should report to.But that's not all your org chart should do.Because the leaders, administrators, and teachers of your center aren't solely defined by where they fit into the hierarchy.They're human beings with their own needs and abilities, and those elements need to be factored in when designing the structure of your school.Don't get me wrong—hierarchy is important. But at its core, building an effective org chart is about understanding what fuels collaboration, efficiency, communication, and results.In this week's podcast episode, I'm exploring how to create your school org chart so that it facilitates the roles, responsibilities, and relationships within your center. Join me for a conversation about:What a school org chart isThe 6 things leaders get wrong when designing their org chartsHow to chart roles within your schoolQuestions to ask yourself when creating your org chart Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   Org charts are just one of the many foundational concepts we dive into within our Director's Inner Circle and Owner's HQ membership programs. As part of the membership, you'll gain access to a variety of tools and resources to help you build a school of excellence. Plus, you'll receive coaching and the support of a community that will take your leadership to new heights.More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

This episode is from a Strategic Advisory from our Membership programs. I know that the impending chaos of a new year is incredibly unsettling. You’re preparing for new kids, new teachers, new protocols, and new expectations, and you know everyone will look at you like deer in the headlights.It's inevitable… and believe it or not, that's a good thing.Confused? Stay with me.When you operate under the assumption that the start-of-the-school year mayhem is avoidable, any disorder that occurs becomes a reflection of your competency as a leader.The chaos becomes your fault, and it produces feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and even shame.But when you recognize that chaos is simply an inherent characteristic of transition—not a result of your leadership—you give yourself the opportunity to take a deep breath, adjust your mindset, and create a plan for how to deal with the inevitable disarray of a novel environment.In other words, the mark of a strong leader isn't the absence of mayhem. It's the presence of a calm and collected state-of-mind that helps you weather the storm.Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

When you sit down to draw with a 4-year-old, you know you're not going to get the Mona Lisa. Kids don't have the capacity for things like perspective, texture, or—let's be honest—simply coloring within the lines.So, if that's the case, then why do you expect perfection out of your most inexperienced teachers and newly hired staff?In a world that glorifies immediate results, we've gotten used to demanding the very best out of everyone, all the time.But life doesn't work that way.People need time to adjust to expectations, learn new skills, and reach a certain standard, and that journey will look different depending on the person. Effective leaders recognize that everyone has a learning curve, and they provide the support their teams need to experience growth on a timeline that makes sense. That's what leads to excellence.On this week's podcast episode, I'm addressing a topic that may be a difficult pill for leaders to swallow, but one of the most important lessons they can learn: The value of tolerating “good enough” for long enough to achieve excellence.Join me for a conversation about:What it means to tolerate "good enough"The difference between expectations and standardsThe impact of setting realistic expectationsQuestions to ask yourself to identify what's good enoughLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   . You can work on more of the skills that make effective leaders by joining our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you'll gain ongoing access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that can help you build and sustain a school of excellence. Or, if you're looking for easy-to-implement resources you can use to facilitate the growth of your team, check out our Time Management & Accountability bundle. It contains a series of tools and templates that will help you create more accountability among your staff and free up time to focus on the growth and development of your center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/time More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

What does ambition look like to you?Does it mean owning the best school in your city? Expanding your center? Retiring early?Maybe it's none of those things… and that's okay.Contrary to what we're made to believe, there's more than one charted path to success. Your destination can be whatever you want it to be—and the journey to get there can look however you want it to.What's more, how you define ambition may change over time.While you can achieve extraordinary greatness in multiple domains of your life, you won't be able to do it all at once. It's going to work in seasons, and it's up to you to decide what's worth pursuing at any given time.How do you make that decision? That's what I'm discussing on this week's podcast episode. Together, we'll explore what ambition is to you and how you can achieve greatness in all areas of your life.Join me for a conversation about:The definition of ambition and what it looks like to different peopleWhy we get stuck on one view of successHow different seasons influence your priorities and possibilitiesHow to decide which goals to pursueLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  . Ambition is a major topic of conversation within our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs, as it takes passion and drive to do the inner and outer work necessary to build a school of excellence. You can join the conversation, as well as gain ongoing access to tools, resources, coaching, and community, by applying today. Focusing on big-picture goals is also a lot easier when you have the time to do it! With our Time Management & Accountability bundle, you'll get a series of tools and templates to help you become more productive and hold your team accountable. With the extra time, you can spend more time working on the growth and development of your center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/time More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

What if I told you that you didn't have to be at your center 40+ hours a week?Would you believe me?The reality for a lot of owners is that the line between home and school is so blurred it's almost nonexistent. They spend so much of their time wrapped up in the day-to-day operation of their centers that they end up spending more time there than they do at home with their families.This was the case for Ashley Corthell, owner of Daybreak Academy in Utah. When I first connected with her, she was spending 45+ hours per week at her school. During the few hours she was at home, she was too stressed to truly be present.In Ashley's words, school was sucking the life out of her.But all of that changed when she joined the Schools of Excellence Owner's HQ membership program. Inside the membership, Ashley built skills and gained access to resources and coaching that helped her adjust her mindset, better manage her time, and transform her school's culture.With the support of other owners, she learned to use her hours at school more productively and set healthier boundaries, which made her more intentional about how and where she was spending her time. As a result, not only did the line between school and home become better defined, but Ashley was able to reduce the number of hours she spent at her center to just 10 hours per week!And Ashley isn't the exception either. She's one of hundreds of owners and directors who have transformed their schools—and lives—thanks to the opportunities available in the membership.So, when I asked you whether you thought it was possible to spend less than 40 hours per week at your center, it wasn't hyperbole. It was a question based on the very real experiences of leaders just like you.If you're ready to start spending less time running your center and more time focused on its growth and development, I encourage you to check out this week's podcast episode. You'll hear more about Ashley's story and how the membership impacted her life and leadership.Join us for a conversation about:The struggles Ashley faced before joining the membershipWhat she learned by being surrounded by other like-minded ownersHow her center looks now that she's a more confident leaderWhat's next for her and her schoolLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  If Ashley's story resonated with you, don't wait and apply for the membership today. Within the Director's Inner Circle and Owner's HQ membership programs, you'll gain access to the same tools, resources, coaching, and community that made such a huge impact on Ashley's leadership.If you don't think you're quite ready for the membership, we have a variety of other resources that can help you become a more effective leader, such as our Time Management & Accountability bundle. It contains a series of tools and templates that will help you make better use of your time so you can spend fewer hours at school and focus on the growth and development of your center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/time More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

I know that the impending chaos of a new year is incredibly unsettling. You’re preparing for new kids, new teachers, new protocols, and new expectations, and you know everyone will look at you like deer in the headlights.It's inevitable… and believe it or not, that's a good thing.Confused? Stay with me.When you operate under the assumption that the start-of-the-school year mayhem is avoidable, any disorder that occurs becomes a reflection of your competency as a leader.The chaos becomes your fault, and it produces feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and even shame.But when you recognize that chaos is simply an inherent characteristic of transition—not a result of your leadership—you give yourself the opportunity to take a deep breath, adjust your mindset, and create a plan for how to deal with the inevitable disarray of a novel environment.In other words, the mark of a strong leader isn't the absence of mayhem. It's the presence of a calm and collected state-of-mind that helps you weather the storm.In this week's podcast episode, I'm helping you set yourself up for success by talking you through how to prepare for the chaos at the start of the school year.Join me for a conversation about:Where the start-of-the-year chaos comes fromHow it shows up in your life and leadershipsWhat can be gained by embracing the mayhemStrategies to help you plan for what's to comeLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  An important part of navigating the chaos is having people you can rely on for support. In our Director's Inner Circle and Owner's HQ membership programs, you'll have the opportunity to connect with other like-minded leaders who can validate your experience and offer solutions as you work through the transition. As a member, you'll also gain access to tools, resources, and coaching that can help you build and sustain a school of excellence. Or, if you're looking for easy-to-implement resources that can help you remain focused, check out our Time Management & Accountability bundle. It contains a series of tools and templates that will help you make better use of your time so you can focus on the growth and development of your center. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/timeMore about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

The first staff meeting of the year—we've all been there.You go into the meeting filled with the ripe excitement of possibility, ready to share your ideas, goals, and expectations. You have all the energy of a student showing off sparkly new notebooks on the first day of school.Then the meeting happens and… you end up word vomiting over your entire staff.Sound familiar?Without a doubt, the deluge of information comes from the very best of intentions. You're optimistic about the school year and want to set your staff up for success by telling them everything they need to know.But in trying to enmesh every detail into a single meeting without structure—without purpose—you end up spewing information in all directions instead of uniting everyone under a common goal.In this week's podcast episode, I'm walking you through how to prepare for your first staff meeting so you can start this school year off on the right foot.Join me for a conversation about:The importance of creating structure for your staff meetingThe three segments of a successful meetingWhat to discuss (and not to discuss!)Questions to ask your staff to promote teamwork and school valuesLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic  While there's definitely a formula to running a successful staff meeting, it's also a skill that takes time to build. I can help you develop that skill within our Owner's HQ and Director's Inner Circle membership programs, which provides leaders like you with ongoing access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that can help you build and sustain a school of excellence. Or, if you're looking for easy-to-implement resources that you can start using today, check out our Time Management & Accountability bundle. It contains a series of tools and templates that will help you make better use of your time—whether at staff meetings or at the desk in your office. https://schoolsofexcellence.com/time More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.