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

Gratitude and appreciation need to be a habit - a constant in your life. And having a week in a year that is focused on key stakeholders that drive success in your school, is really special. It shows that you value them, and reinforces a culture you'd want to see in a school of excellence. While we may not remember every single detail of what happens in our lives, we will always remember specific moments of experiences. In this week’s episode, I share ideas on how you can make your teachers feel valued and appreciated this Teachers Appreciation Week. Tune in and get ideas on how you can be intentional with your appreciation this coming week! In a nutshell, I speak about: Why I love teacher appreciation week so much, and its similarities with mothers day Why your calendar is part of your identity The 3 things that teachers need now more than ever The 5 questions you should ask yourself before choosing any fun or creative ideas No matter the situation your school is in right now, there is still room to be creative. As you think about all the work you will be doing in order to make this week special for your teachers, what moments do you hope stays in their brains forever? Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Get your FREE workbook for the Teacher Appreciation Week HERE. Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving Owners Workshop HERE. This workshop is ideal for you if you are looking to: Know what the next stage of growth looks like for your school Learn how to build out a calendar that serves your lifestyle and stage of life that you're in Identify the top priorities that you need to focus on to move your school in the right direction Learn what is working for other high achieving school owners in their stage of growth in the season that they're in right now Stop doing diffuse energy in a bunch of different directions that aren’t moving your school forward Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving Owners Workshop HERE. If you are ready to take your school to the next level of growth and are looking for support, community and accountability to make that happen - then would love for you to apply for our directors inner circle or owners HQ program. Apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ 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 a beautiful quality of life.

Welcome to part 3 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop series. During each episode in this series, we’re going to be digging into specific areas that will uplevel and give you the confidence, decision-making skills, and practical strategies and mindsets for your center from the field of play. In today's episode, I'm joined by Sara Schreiner and Susan Sholar, members of our inner circle who are from Sunshine Academy in Montana. They share with us their specific habits and routines of how they built a culture of excellence. As a school owner or director, understanding that school culture is not a project but an effect of your daily behavior, actions, and routines is a salient leadership drill. The strategies that work today, don't necessarily work tomorrow, so you need to constantly work on your culture. The moment you turn away from this foundational skill, your school becomes toxic, there's gossip, there's backtalk, there's complacency, and there's resistance. In a nutshell, we talk about: The foundation of building a beautiful culture of excellence Why culture is an effect of the leader's daily routine, behavior, and actions Showing up as the leader - the habits you need to adapt to create this amazing culture The culture of innovation and risk-taking - how you feel, and what you need to hear to know that you have achieved it Culture revolving around values, difficult conversations, and boundary setting The biggest challenge school leaders have about their culture Today's challenge: the Gratitude challenge! …and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Download the workbook to get tons of resources and 10 freeways on how to build a culture of excellence here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzS7qxZksrvGkDlAI7ji58nPwakPEZlk/view?usp=sharing The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ is the #1 community & training program specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence. You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. 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.

Welcome to part 2 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop series. During each episode in this series, we’re going to be digging into specific areas that will uplevel and give you the confidence, decision-making skills, and practical strategies and mindsets for your center from the field of play. In today's episode, I'm joined by Jo David, a director who is a member of the Director’s Inner Circle and is a time blocking practitioner. Jo shares with us strategies of how to work on calendars that serve us. As leaders, understanding where our time goes is a sensitive leadership drill and when we believe that we must always be available, we underperform, we over-index, we get overwhelmed, and we feel stressed out. Stay tuned for a mind-boggling session as we discuss stimulating information on building a calendar that serves us and helps us to design priorities that we need to continue building our legacy with our school culture. In a nutshell, we talk about: The 3 myths of the school leaders' time - why they're myths and busting them Drafting out your theme days Unmuting rejection to unmute helping hands The skill of time blocking and theme days Delegating out things that aren't helping your center Investing time to train your staff to avoid survival mode …and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Download the Build to Last workbook here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mzS7qxZksrvGkDlAI7ji58nPwakPEZlk/view?usp=sharing The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ is the #1 community & training program specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence. You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. 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.

Welcome to part 1 of the 4-part series, the Build to Last workshop. Every single week, over the next four weeks, we're going to be digging into specific areas that will uplevel and give you the confidence, the decision-making skills, and practical strategies for your center. In this episode, I am joined by Sharon Hopson. She is the owner of the Bella Vita Montessori in Omaha, Nebraska. We share tips on understanding what you tell yourself, the thoughts that you believe in, and how these create your reality. As a school director, equipping yourself with the pragmatic leadership drills we walk through today will help you uplevel your mindset, and get better, smarter, faster, stronger, and wiser. With a positive mindset, you can acknowledge and tackle every challenge without it affecting your own mental and emotional well-being, your staff, or the school's culture. In a nutshell, we talk about Leveling up your mindset and approaching things with positivity How to manage your time more efficiently Creating, embracing, and practicing your boundaries and knowing when to violate them Releasing stress and inviting calm and rest Inviting someone into what you are thinking, given that you are not a machine and can't do everything by yourself …and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ is the #1 community & training program specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. 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 all need a sense of belonging. And when new teachers come in, they come with this innate human need to belong to a community. So how do you, as a school leader, facilitate this? In this episode, I share tips on how you can create a culture of belonging at your school. Remember, just because your new teachers are on the payroll, and they have a spot in the teacher's room, doesn't mean they belong. They are still trying to fit in. Connecting them with people who've walked this path before will create a culture that will look dramatically different. Because creating a culture of belonging is powerful. This all begins with mentoring your veteran staff. In a nutshell, I talk about: How to design an environment where both veteran and new teachers are part of leveling up and raising the bar of excellence within the organization. The 4 common struggles that new staff have. Strategies on how your veteran staff can model and create a community for new staff. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ are the #1 community & training programs specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

It’s the 1 year anniversary of the Schools of Excellence podcast! What a perfect time to reflect on how far this show has come, because this is a huge milestone at the Schools of Excellence. We just wrapped and returned from the Summit of Excellence which was held at the beginning of March. As I unpack and process everything that happened over the 2-day in-person event, I find myself reflecting and am so grateful for so many of the things that happened at the event. This inspired me further to make this episode where I can officially celebrate the achievement of the 1st anniversary of the podcast. In today's episode, I talk about: The initial drive as to why I started the Schools of Excellence podcast a year ago. Insights into how I create the show's content and choose the topics I talk about. The growth we've seen in the show over the last year. How and why we need to celebrate milestones. Some of our goals as we enter the second year of the Schools of Excellence podcast. ... and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ are the #1 community & training programs specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

You pride yourself on how freely your staff can come to talk to you, right? As a school leader, you always want to be seen as an approachable and available director or owner that makes your staff feel heard. The “open door policy” has trickled into our school culture, because we think that it makes our staff feel valued and appreciated since they know they can come to talk to us at any time, for anything. In corporate, the open door policy means that all employees can bring their concerns, desires, or problems to company leaders at any time. This was intended to show that the leaders and executives care about what their employees have to say. The intention here is GREAT. The end result isn’t You want to be available and approachable. You want your staff to feel heard and seen. You want your teachers to feel appreciated and valued. But know this: “The leader who is always available, isn’t truly listening.” This podcast episode is a reair of one of the first and most important topics where I speak about: The myth of the open door policy How the application of this myth is likely to negatively impact your school What you should be doing instead Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the School of Excellence Time Management Bundle for only $47 here: http://chanie.me/time Access the Scripts Workbook here: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/ Download the free door sign here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXZpXOMoNNnedkkUyfAZWSoLIfBkGtFt/view?usp=sharing 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 a 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 is a re-air of one of the most downloaded episodes in my special summer series that originally aired last year. I wanted to bring this back for those who are newer listeners. This summer series was all about the different ways that you can prepare yourselves for an upcoming school year. After nearly two decades in this field and speaking with hundreds of school owners and directors. There are very specific patterns of behavior I have noticed in successful school leaders. In this episode, I share the top 5 signs of a thriving school leader and how you can incorporate them as you continue to build your school of excellence and leave your legacy. In a nutshell, I speak about: Communication and how a thriving leader is one that builds time into their calendar to speak to their teams. The importance of celebrating wins and success even though it is very easy to get pulled into hardships and what is and isn't working. The biggest mindset shift that school leaders need to make by investing in their people. How strategy can be likened to planning a trip and how it plays a key role in successful school leadership. How radical self-awareness will change your entire life. … and so much more! To listen to the other episodes in the 2021 Summer Series listen to episodes #39 - #44. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Reflective Questions Workbook for only $9 here: http://chanie.me/reflectivequestions 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 a 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 is a re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes in the Schools of Excellence Podcast. As one of the first episodes I ever released, I wanted to bring this back for those who are newer listeners. I hope you enjoy and get value out of this episode. Like it or not, schools are home to a number of difficult conversations. Discussing topics such as... Pay and benefits Inappropriate behavior Underperformance These can be uncomfortable. But having successful one-on-one conversations is what separates great school leaders from ineffective ones. Difficult conversations may not be fun, but school leaders who navigate them successfully can build stronger relationships with their staff and provide needed guidance and correction on workplace performance or behavior - which fosters staff engagement. Today’s episode is on one of the four shields of difficult conversations: Blame. As a leader, it is your responsibility to take note of when your team is using these shields and take the necessary steps towards having those difficult conversations. It is only by doing this that your team will feel heard, supported, and held accountable. In this episode, I talk about... The concept of self-protection and how it shows up in our day-to-day life. The 3 strategies for removing blame from your school’s culture. The questions to ask yourself when your staff start blaming each other Identifying the 4 shields that school leaders and teachers bring up in conversations when difficult conversations come up When there is blame, there is no learning. You can create a friendly school environment for your staff to thrive where finger-pointing won’t become the name of the game. To listen to the other episodes in the Difficult Conversations series listen to episodes 15, 18 & 20. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: The Four Shields of Difficult Conversations - BLAME: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/blame?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=soe&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=blame School Leadership Toolkit: chanie.me/toolkit 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 a 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 this episode, I discuss how by implementing the Gratitude Matrix, you can achieve higher retention and a more collaborative culture for your school. After 30 days of implementing the Gratitude Matrix, one of the executive directors in our Membership Program, Kerstin, went from 17 callouts in September to 4 callouts in August. What did she do? She implemented the Gratitude Matrix in her school, and saw an almost immediate shift because her staff felt valued and appreciated. This is why I am so excited to share the Gratitude Matrix with you; a very powerful, yet very simple system, that I teach to all of the owners and directors that I work with. This is a re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes for the Schools of Excellence Podcast. As I mentioned in the last episode, during this time I am committed to creating valuable content for the upcoming Summit of Excellence that will be taking place on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. While I do that, I’d love to bring back some important conversations and also practice what we preach: focusing on our priorities, creating margin for things that come up, and creating space to do what matters most. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Schools in Transition: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/schools-in-transition/ Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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 a re-air of an episode I did a few months back and I wanted to do a throwback to it for a couple of reasons. Because I've been getting so many questions from leaders around how to stop the cycle of excuses Because creating a culture where people really level up and take personal responsibility for their actions is the premise of everything that we're doing at the Summit of Excellence. In this episode, I discuss breaking the cycle of excuses. Everyone makes excuses. We've all made excuses, and we will continue to make excuses. But what does it take to break this cycle of excuses and encourage personal responsibility in our schools of excellence? It's not about eliminating, it's about learning how to break the cycle. Allowing the cycle of excuses to continue is normalizing behavior and work ethic that is completely against our values, morals and ethics. If you (or your staff) spend most of your time giving justifications rather than leaning in and learning, it’s time to break the cycle of excuses for your center. Listen in, as I share tips on how to do this. In a nutshell, I speak about: How genuine reasons and excuses get mixed up - and how to differentiate the two. Tips for breaking the cycle of excuses and why it is important to do so. How to shift the culture of giving excuses in your school of excellence. … and so much more! To listen to the other episodes in the Break The Cycle series listen to episodes 56 & 57. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: The School Leadership Toolkit: https://chanie.me/toolkit Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Training and coaching your staff to navigate conflict takes work. It requires attention and it’s not an overnight event. As the leader, you need to constantly be able to pour into yourself, uplevel, and recognize the skill gaps in your team. Only then can you lead from a place of bravery and courageousness, so that you can guide your team to level up in the same way. In this episode, I talk about how you can help your team look at conflict from a different perspective. I also share a few great suggestions to help your teachers navigate different types of conflict scenarios. The tips shared here will help you get an idea of how you can build this core skill set in your team and make it a practice. In a nutshell, I talk about: How to understand your team’s default response to conflict. Your staff’s reflex for how they currently self regulate. How your teachers’ responses to conflict indicate their level of emotional maturity. How to uplevel your team and invite them to respond to conflict in a different way. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Scripts Workbook on how to navigate conflict with leaders, staff, and parents: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/ Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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 spend so much time talking about how to discipline children and how to work on child behaviors, yet there's very little training on how adults need to be self-disciplined. Just because you're a grown-up, it doesn't mean you enter adulthood knowing how to be self-disciplined and regulate your emotions. This episode is part one of a two-part series on how to coach your staff to navigate conflict. Because when they avoid the slightest disagreement, they’re compromising their true feelings, and they’re storing up frustration that can end up negatively affecting their health. If you are building sustainability within your organization, you can't avoid conflict, because it seeps into the culture. I want you to tune into this episode with an open mind, and understand that just dealing with conflict is a very reactive approach. And just like with anything that's important, we want to take a proactive measure in creating a culture where conflict is managed. In a nutshell, I speak about: Powerful insight and data into the impact of conflict on organizations. Understanding where the root of conflict comes from. Why so many staff struggle with navigating conflict. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Scripts Workbook on how to navigate conflict with leaders, staff, and parents: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/ Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-6 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments When we're constantly seeking fireworks, extraordinary wins, and giant momentum, we exhaust ourselves. We burn ourselves to the ground, and we can't be in business forever. We are putting too much effort into giant, extraordinary things and it will take a lot of discipline, self-awareness, and confidence to find joy in ordinary moments. In this episode, I speak to a longtime client who's become a dear friend over the last several years, Sharon Hopson. Sharon is the owner of La Bella Vita Montessori in Omaha, Nebraska. We talk about her transition to owning her legendary status as a leader and the need for instant gratification versus understanding how to play the long game in life. Sharon also shares some really personal stories of the power of delayed gratification, and how that's helped her play a larger long game in her company. In a nutshell, we talk about: Instant gratification versus delayed gratification from the lens of a school leader. Some of the transition points that made Sharon operate from a place of benevolence and generosity for her team. How Sharon redefined herself as a CEO of an early childhood center. The power of celebrating small wins. The importance of having a community of like-minded people to talk to. What it means to get support as a school owner. How Sharon fuels herself. Ordinary moments that bring Sharon joy and give her life meaning. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-6 The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-5 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Are you a childcare owner or director who is a parent raising kids? This conversation is for you. In this episode, I speak to Mandy Moore, the owner of Steadfast Academy - a daycare center in Pasadena, Texas. Mandy sheds light on choosing work-life integration, choosing both family and business. We dig into a lot of the messiness and behind the scenes around leadership as a parent. Mandy also highlights how she and her husband navigate financial conversations and decisions together. As a business owner and as a mother of three young children, this conversation is rich with reflective questions, deep dive into what it really takes to consistently be in pursuit of excellence. Tune in to learn more about: Mandy’s family experiences that drove her decision to start a childcare company. Some of the infant and toddler years, and what that looked like to Mandy as a business owner. How Mandy created a seamless transition from being the person who is responsible for every result to becoming the person that coaches for results. How money conversations with Mandy’s husband pan out. Some of the ordinary experiences for Mandy as a result of effective delegation. How to develop the practice of not being distracted when sharing quality time with family. Some of the grief associated with not seeing what's going on and not being part of every decision. What the next phase of this work-life integration looks like for Mandy. Some things you can think about and journal on as a school owner. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-5 The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-4 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Do you find yourself constantly operating in survival mode and making excuses for your busyness? In this episode, I speak to Aliya Roberts, the owner of Pratt Street Learning Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Aliya and I connect on a lot of different things, one of them being the concept of excuses. She shares some insight into the fact of her highest turnover that she had during a particular season and the shifts that she needed to move through. Aliya had to uncover the lies that she was telling herself about being busy, needing to work all the time, needing to show up, and not feeling like she was doing enough. The leadership mindset of letting go of showing up for the team really came through for her during that season. Through another episode of this Ordinary Moments series, I hope that you will walk away with true insights into what it takes to lead an extraordinary center. In a nutshell, we talk about: Pratt Street Learning Center’s history and the concept of its foundation. Some of the systems that Aliya had to put in place for her to free her plate. How Pratt Street Learning Center has adopted the mindset and practice of gratitude. The identity shift process that Aliya and her staff went through. How Aliya dealt with the mixed feeling of not being the hero of everyone's life anymore. Some of the ordinary moments that Aliya is enjoying as a mom and a business owner. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-4 The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team... Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-3 Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments If you struggle with letting go, giving up control, and trusting the process, then this episode is for you. Today's episode is the third of my six-part series, where I'm interviewing and having conversations with owners of childcare centers across the nation, on how they are building their schools of excellence. And they're sharing their real and raw stories with all of you. In this episode, I sit down with Kathy Cameron, who has been part of the Schools of Excellence community since July of 2020. She shares her journey of letting go, she talks about her struggle of wanting to control the outcomes, and the processes that she's gone through to take a step back. Kathy is honest and vulnerable about her real retention numbers, and how bad it got. Tune in to learn more about the highs and lows of running a school of excellence, including cultivating the culture of having difficult conversations. In a nutshell, we speak about: How Kathy’s definition of excellence has changed since she joined the Schools of Excellence community. Some of the systems that Kathy has put in place to sustain excellence. The gratitude matrix - a system and process that Kathy has really embraced in her institution. The messiness around what gratitude looks like in Kathy’s organization and how that's really shifted her retention. How Kathy gets over the challenge of embracing the routine of connecting with her staff. Habits and trigger points that have helped Kathy stay consistent. Kathy’s first experience with delegating and how it went. How Kathy embedded the culture and courage of having difficult conversations with her staff. How delegating has made Kathy’s life better and richer. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments-3 The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Owning a school of excellence is a constant practice and process. It isn't something that's one-and-done. Today’s episode is another episode in my six-part series of what it takes to build and sustain a school of excellence. I get to interview school leaders from across the nation to share the real, the raw, and the messy. Tune in to hear Jessica Kelley, a Childcare Center Owner, and I talk about the cost of doing it all. Jessica takes her time to share about her company organization chart and the process that she went through to create her team. We talked about some of the hard moments in her family life where she was forced to make some really difficult decisions and how you can learn from them. Through this series of Ordinary Moments, I hope that you will walk away with true insights into what it takes to lead an extraordinary center. In a nutshell, we talk about: What it means to carry the mental load of a director, but for someone else to carry out the execution. Some of the shifts that happened when Jessica realized certain tasks were taking too much of her time. Some of the ways in which Jessica’s Center was running her life. How to unlearn the disease to please and create healthy boundaries. The guilt and grief phase of not being the person who “does it all”. How Jessica successfully transitioned from being the “doer” to being the “designer’’. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit If you would like to have a conversation about if the Summit of Excellence is right for you, your team, and your center, please email me at [email protected]. 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 a 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.

Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Get all the details about the 2022 Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments Are you a school leader who wants to remove yourself from the day-to-day, and truly into the visionary CEO role? Do you want to hear the real, the raw, and the messy of what it takes to become such a school leader? Today’s episode is the first episode in my six-part series of what it takes to build and sustain a school of excellence. I get to interview school leaders from across the nation to share the real, the raw, and the messy. Tune in as I speak to Sara Schreiner, the owner of Sunshine Academy in Montana. Sara has a very unique upbringing from most entrepreneurs and owners that I've connected within this field - she was raised by a stay-at-home mom. Over the course of our relationship and working together, she has had a slow but powerful evolution into the leader that she is today. Sara talks about how her upbringing catapulted many of the decisions that she made in her own in her career, how she continues to navigate her leadership as she shifts from being a manager to being a leader, and the phases of grief that she needed to reflect on as she stepped out of the day to day operations. Through this series of Ordinary Moments, I hope that you will walk away with true insights into what it takes to lead an extraordinary center. In a nutshell, we speak about: Some of the big, audacious goals that Sara had for her company. Why Sara chose the path of becoming a school owner. How Sara defines the difference between manager and CEO. Lightbulb moments that started to come up for Sara when she realized that people wanted her to slow down and listen. What grief looks like as one transitions from the manager of the day-to-day to being the C.E.O. How the dreams of the company can be held hostage by your own abilities. Some of the beautiful ordinary moments that Sara gets to enjoy now, both as a mom and as a business owner. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Watch the video interview of this episode: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/ordinary-moments The Summit of Excellence is a two-day in-person experience on March 1-2, 2022 in Boca, Florida. Learn how to master interpersonal dynamics, foster kindness, and establish your school as a beacon of light in your community. If you want to… Drive more impact in your community. Be inspired by a network of peers. Deliver higher quality care. Or build a team of leaders. Imagine your team… Doing and thinking “outside the box,” and trying new methods. ​Pushing out of their comfort zones without anxiety. ​Feeling a sense of community and connection at work. ​Treating conflict and change as an opportunity for growth. … all so you can be equipped to tackle any challenging situation that comes your center’s way. Let’s be honest: To truly impact our kids and create a healthy, engaged, and successful next generation, we need to be better leaders. And that requires real collaboration—moments where we come together to share our wisdom in order to create healthy, productive learning communities. Sign up for the Summit of Excellence here: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit 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 a 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.

Want to be a great school leader? Stop being nice. Being nice works well with strangers, but leaders who care about the long-term growth of their teams are not nice. They are kind. Niceness is the short game. And when you're a leader, you're always playing the long-term vision game. Today's episode is a conversation that I had with Lori Buxton, who's the Managing Director at Association for Early Learning Leaders. Lori and I have monthly conversations on leadership on our social channels. And I felt that this conversation was really important and needed to be brought onto the podcast as well. Besides being a great conversation with a lot of strategies, it is one that will incite great conversations among your leadership team members. In this episode we talk about: The difference between being nice and being kind. Why there’s so much more niceness and people-pleasing among leaders. Why you should choose temporary discomfort over long-term resentment. How to hold your staff accountable and still be kind. Steps for leaders that are looking to start shifting from being the nice leader to the claimed leader. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Summit of Excellence: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit 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 a 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.

One of the things that we teach a lot at the Schools of Excellence is the quality of decision-making. When potential clients or attendees connect with me, I always talk about giving them all of the data and the information so that they can make an informed decision. A lot of times we feel kind of insecure about our decision-making, or we're unsure. And a lot of that comes from just a lack of data. This is why in today’s podcast episode, I take a very unique inside look into what the Summit of Excellence is about. People are checking out the page, reviewing the investment, looking over the details of the event, and we’ve been getting a lot of different questions. So I wanted to share in this episode an inside look at what happens at this event. In a nutshell, I talk about: What we will cover and teach at the Summit of Excellence and how it is different from other conferences you may have been to, Who the Summit of Excellence is for and how we’re curating a specific event with limited tickets available, The guest speakers for this experience, The results you can expect from the event, How you can upgrade to the VIP experience that is limited to 30 registrants, And more! I really look forward to greeting you in-person, welcoming you, and embracing you with a big giant hug! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Summit of Excellence before December 31st to get an Early Bird Discount: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/summit 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 a 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 holiday season can evoke feelings of sipping warm drinks by the fire, reuniting with loved ones, and opening gifts. But for school leaders who already juggle a lot of responsibilities throughout the year, the holiday season can also bring an added layer of anxiety and even stress. In the quest to “do ALL the things,” they may find their holidays not so merry and bright after all. In this episode, I share tips on how to set boundaries during the holiday season, so that you can be where your feet are without feeling guilty. If you are interested in entering the holiday season and being fully present and intentional about wherever you are, this episode is for you! In a nutshell, I talk about: Removing the guilt that many of us experience during the holiday season. Tangible strategies for being present in the moment. Creating boundaries that are associated with protecting that specific thing that you want for the holiday. What connection and disconnection from our learning centers should mean. Assessing the habits you want to engage in for the next few days so that you can get the most out of the holiday season. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up 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 a 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.

Everyone makes excuses. We've all made excuses, and we will continue to make excuses. But what does it take to break this cycle of excuses and encourage personal responsibility in our schools of excellence? It's not about eliminating, it's about learning how to break the cycle. Allowing the cycle of excuses to continue is normalizing behavior and work ethic that is completely against our values, morals and ethics. If you (or your staff) spend most of your time giving justifications rather than leaning in and learning, it’s time to break the cycle of excuses for your center. Listen in, as I share tips on how to do this. In a nutshell, I speak about: How genuine reasons and excuses get mixed up - and how to differentiate the two. Tips for breaking the cycle of excuses and why it is important to do so. How to shift the culture of giving excuses in your school of excellence. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Interested in coming to our in person Summit of Excellence on March 1 & 2 in Florida for School Owners and Directors? Email [email protected] for more information. Early Bird tickets are on sale now for a limited time. Sign up for the Delegate to Elevate Workshop on December 7th: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/delegatetoelevate Sign up 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 a 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.

As a leader, you likely live, sleep and breathe your school. You want to remain comfortable making the same decisions you have always made. You probably believe you can do a better job yourself because you don’t want to risk losing control of the situation or outcome. While you may think you are staying on top of the game, you actually are fueling the cycle of dependency among your staff! In this episode, I share with you how you can use effective delegation to break the dependency cycle. In order to avoid burnout and declining productivity, it’s important to delegate certain tasks to trusted employees. Doing so can allow you to focus more on your top priorities and less on those tiny day-to-day tasks that you don’t truly need to be doing yourself. In a nutshell, I speak about: The concept of dependency. The top three reasons why you are stuck in the cycle of dependency. Some of the thoughts that swirl through your head when you think of delegating. How to train your team to take responsibility for their own projects instead of coming to you hand holding every step of the way. How to know whether your school encourages responsibility and independent thinking, or unintentionally fostering dependency. Understanding the priority matrix. Tips on how to start implementing the changes that will help you break the cycle of dependency. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Delegate to Elevate Workshop: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/delegatetoelevate Sign up 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 a 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.

Burnout not only hurts our productivity, it also affects our mental and physical well being. In fact, there is evidence that links burnout to weakened immune systems and even cardiovascular disease. It’s interesting how people are afraid to ask for help, yet in my mind, it is a sign of strength, not weakness. In this podcast episode, I share strategies that will help you break the cycle of stress and burnout among your staff. This is the first of a 3 part series - Break the Cycle in Your Center - that is being sponsored by our upcoming workshop, Delegate to Elevate. The next two parts cover the delegating and managing up cycle and the accountability vs excuses cycle. By the end of this 3-part series, you should have gained perspective, awareness, clarity and strategy on what you're actually dealing with. In a nutshell, I speak about: The symptoms of burnout and how they manifest themselves inside our organizations. The biggest buffers against burnout, exhaustion and stress. Celebrating daily progress and helping staff find joy in ordinary moments. Understanding how to close the stress cycle. … and so much more! It is my hope that this episode will help you identify the symptoms of burnout faster, so you can be more cognizant of when it’s happening to you or your team and make the necessary changes. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Schools in Transition resource: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/schools-in-transition/ Sign up 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 a 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 it mean to have a team that is accountable, hardworking, and responsible? Employees no longer feel compelled to serve companies that do not serve them. This makes understanding employee retention key to attracting and retaining those top performers. It’s time for school leaders to start to create an environment that fosters and builds a team of excellence. Today's podcast episode is a very unique conversation. I talk about the two mindset shifts to help you increase retention in your center, starting with understanding the problem that you're trying to solve. Because when we understand what is the problem that we're trying to solve, it is a lot easier for us to be able to find the right solution. In a nutshell, I speak about: The global evolution of hiring in the early childhood education space. The core skills leaders need to create sustainability, profit and legacy. The two strategies to start understanding how to flip the narrative around the hiring crisis. I hope that the content, strategy and perspective shared in the episode will be very valuable to you in your continued pursuit of excellence for your center. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Reflective Questions Resource: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/reflective-questions-for-teachers/ Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 it mean to have a good work ethic? In today’s episode, I share a special conversation from my Owners Only membership program with Scott Wayman. Scott is the Founder and CEO of Kangarootime, and in this week’s episode, we talk about redefining work ethic and both of our personal definitions of it. We dive into cultural norms, how to shift the narrative and the conversation around work ethic, and ways to lean into conflict and really understand what building and sustaining schools of excellence entails. I hope you enjoy this enlightening interview. We also discuss: Redefining work ethic and what it means to be a good employee. Components of not working yourself to death. Culture, work-life integration, and understanding the quality of life that our employees have. Holding your staff accountable and how to be intentional about it. Creating a culture of transparency and normalizing what it means to have difficult conversations. … and so much more! Connect with Scott Wayman Kangarootime website: https://kangarootime.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kangarootime/ Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic Patty Mccord Book: https://pattymccord.com/book/ 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 a 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.

As a school leader, you play a pivotal role in affecting the climate, attitude and reputation of your school. You are the cornerstone of how your school and community functions and grows. With successful school leadership, schools become effective incubators of learning, places where students are not only educated but challenged, nurtured and encouraged. Today, I’m excited to share with you my interview with Daniel Bauer. Daniel is an unorthodox Ruckus Maker who has mentored thousands of school leaders through his Better Leaders Better Schools blog, books, podcasts, and powerful coaching experiences. Daniel is on a mission to help school leaders fight isolation and frustration via leadership communities in order to gain clarity and find solutions to their greatest challenges. He talks about his school leadership journey and we discuss his new book called Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader. In a nutshell, we speak about: What got Daniel into the sector of education in school leadership. What it means to be a new author and putting something really beautiful and transformational for leaders out into the world. What limitless leadership impact means. Some of the problems with the traditional professional development that exists out there for leaders. What stops leaders from this ever evolving cycle of getting better. The importance of slowing down to invest in ourselves. How masterminds are so different from traditional professional development or conferences. Daniel’s personal definition of excellence. And so much more! Connect with Daniel Bauer: Website: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/ Book website with bonuses: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermindbook/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alienearbud/ Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Today's episode is part of a special live streaming that we do once a month on our Facebook page. In today's conversation, we talk about a very thought-provoking question that Lori Buxton of AELL, had in mind. And her question was, "Do you feel more satisfied when your program or your business succeeds because of you, or without you?" By the end of the episode, you will get a better understanding of stories that we create for ourselves, the context around the type of story that we want, the leader that we want to be and the hero that we are in our lives. Many of the answers that we talked about today are excellent predictors of the culture that you're building and the leadership health of your company. Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

As a school leader, you have a lot on your plate. You have a ton of responsibilities and your to-do list likely never ends. However, pausing and thinking about the training and up-leveling of your current staff is going to have a tremendous ripple effect on alleviating a lot of mental space and emotional labor that comes with starting a new school year. In this episode, I talk in detail about the three components of up-leveling your staff. Training, mentoring, and coaching never end. These 3-mile markers in up-leveling staff quickly will help you get the center up and running, and keep it open for a long time to come. And depending on where you are in the pendulum, you are going to choose what makes sense to focus on with your staff right now. Tune in to learn more about: Small shifts that will elevate your brain space to ensure that you could be well on your way to an amazing school year. Parent communication and standards for your young staff (under the age of 26). What the developmentally appropriate practices in classrooms are. How to guide your staff through policy and safety concerns in classrooms. The 30, 60, 90 – day mile markers that your staff need to know and understand. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Many school leaders feel time-pressured, tethered to their smartphones so they can stay on top of work and home responsibilities. It can be tough to step off the daily merry-go-round, put your phones, laptops, and to-do lists aside, and find decent chunks of quiet time to reflect on your life. In fact, we may not even be sure how. Today’s episode is number 50 for the Schools of Excellence Podcast! With this milestone, it’s also an invitation to pause. An invitation to tune into your body and mind and what you need. Consider this a sign that it's high time you intentionally took a break from your daily hustle and just rested. Pause your mind from the productive work mode and get into play mode. If you have no idea of how to do this, tune in! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

If you rely solely on referrals to fuel your school, you’re making one of the most common mistakes a school leader can make. This puts the fate of your school entirely into the hands of your school’s families. They determine when (or if) you get your next family. Today, I’m excited to share with you my interview with Mike Michalowicz. Instead of living in the constant cycle of feast or famine, Mike Michalowicz shares a way to keep the “marketing machine” running 24/7 to help you attract the best possible families. This simple 3-step method is all about being different instead of just being “better”. Mike is a New York Times bestselling author with over 2 million readers and leads two multi-million-dollar ventures. He is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and business makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike is a popular main stage keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics; and is the author of Get Different, Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Last week his newest book, Get Different, was released. Listen now to my interview with Mike to hear his strategies on how to stand out from the crowd, and start bringing in more families by being different. In this special guest episode, we speak about: Specific ways of how child care leaders can get different and differentiate their marketing. Why Mike decided to write Get Different, his most recent book. How Mike’s approach to marketing strategies is a gateway to eradicating entrepreneurial poverty. What makes you stand out from your competition. How to come up with creative marketing ideas that will have families referring more people to you. .. and so much more! Connect with Mike Michalowicz: Get his new book, Get Different: https://gogetdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/?hl=en Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Sometimes we think we can plan our way out of chaos, or if we plan enough then we can avoid chaos entirely. But this isn’t always the case. Because you can never plan enough! That’s the perfectionist mindset. What you actually need is the mental toughness and resilience to rise back up again after chaos. In today’s episode, I take you through a few common things regarding chaos that I see in schools, and some powerful ways to combat it. If you’d like to know why having a community that understands that chaos and ambiguity are part of leadership, tune in! In a nutshell, I speak about: The mindset around navigating through a season of chaos. The biggest indicator of getting staff into chaos Normalizing what is developmentally appropriate for your staff. Why you should stop trying to make things easier in every given moment. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Teacher Training Vault: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ Access the Confidence and Resiliency Training: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/confidence-resiliency-training/ Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

I know you have hundreds of things you wish you could do with your life, but you just can’t find the time, right? You want to read a book, learn to cook, watch a drama series, exercise, practice yoga, walk your dog, build a school of excellence, and still be able to spend quality time with your family. But you just don’t have enough time for all these. It is not that you don’t have enough time, instead, it is because you don’t really know how to manage yourself and your time. After all, every one of us was given the same amount of time each day. In today’s episode, I share tips on how to get out of the time poverty mindset and into the time abundance mindset. Truth is, time is a mindset. And you can only break free from being in time poverty to time abundance by understanding what time poverty actually means. Tune in to today’s episode to learn more about: What time poverty actually is and what it’s not. Why you should stop saying, “I don’t have time” and replace that with, “This is not a priority for me right now” The side effect of wanting less. Tracking your time for a gut check of where your time is going. How doing more for other people contributes to a time abundance mindset. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Ever wish you had access to a toolkit that combines Parent-Teacher Conferences, a guide for Having Difficult Conversations, Teacher Appreciation Ideas and a To-Do List Management guide? Access the School Leadership Tool Kit: http://chanie.me/toolkit Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Welcome back to the new school year! After the roller coaster ride of the past school year, school leaders will be bracing themselves for all kinds of challenges this year. However, what still seems to be missing is the ability to reflect: to stand back and consider issues deeply – and to look honestly at themselves as leaders. It isn’t surprising that school leaders find this difficult, given the unparalleled changes businesses have faced in recent years. In today’s episode, I take a moment to remind you why you need to schedule 15-minute meetings with yourself in this new school year. A meeting with yourself can be very casual. The main point of the meeting is to set aside enough time to really reevaluate the goals you’ve set for yourself (and your team) and decide which to keep pursuing and which to move, reevaluate, or terminate altogether. In a nutshell, I talk about: How to focus on the big picture during your personal meetings. Critical questions to consistently ask yourself for a better life. Why you shouldn’t talk about your dreams with people whose job is to protect you. How to rewire your brain to become the leader that you've always wanted to be. … and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Ever wish you knew EXACTLY what to say to a Teacher, Parent or Admin Team in a Hard Moment? Access the scripts workbook http://chanie.me/scripts Sign up 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Grace is a word that's rarely spoken about in the realm of leadership. Because as leaders of schools of excellence, we often want it all. We want things done quickly. And we want to get it right every single time. But what isn't typically spoken about is the level of grace and responsibility required in our lives in order to balance leadership with understanding and action with outcomes. Which is truly necessary for transforming into the leader we need to become. But how do we lead through this tension of grace and responsibility? In today’s episode, I speak about how to balance leadership, responsibility and grace. I also share some of the feedback I got from our Facebook group Schools of Excellence Lounge, of when people most want grace from their teams. By the end of this episode, you’ll realize that there’s no better way to define a school of excellence than one where your staff learn to give grace to each other. In a nutshell, I talk about: Leading from a place of generosity versus obligation. Respecting that people look at things from different perspectives. Giving your team grace but still holding them accountable. Being compassionate to yourself (and your team) when you make mistakes. Leading with empathy without being taken advantage of. …. and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Ever wish you knew EXACTLY what to say to a Teacher, Parent or Admin Team in a Hard Moment? Access the scripts workbook HERE Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ HERE 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something different? Did you know that your life begins where your comfort zone ends? While it is easy to develop a routine and stick to it, switching things up and putting yourself out there will open more opportunities for you and your school. In today’s episode, I talk about the 5 signs you are too comfortable and need to take some risks. Taking risks isn’t exactly fun (at least not for most people), but it’s a necessary part of life. In fact, risk is pretty much built into every aspect of life. SO how can you get more comfortable with taking risks? Tune in to learn more! In a nutshell I talk about: Why failure needs to be in your vocabulary in order to grow as a leader. How lack of questions is an indicator of you not pushing yourself enough. Why you should pay attention to your thought process when you encounter an obstacle. How to lead with questions rather than answers Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Ever wish you knew EXACTLY what to say to a Teacher, Parent or Admin Team in a Hard Moment? Access the scripts workbook HERE Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ HERE 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Summer is winding down, and every teacher has plans in the works as they look forward to the new school year. Whether you run a private school or a child care facility, it’s time to make some plans to get your school ready! In today’s episode, I talk about a very interesting concept - winning. We all want to win. Winning gives us a high because of the adrenaline rush that comes with something that we've worked really hard to achieve. And at the same time, winning is a word that you get to decide what meaning you want to attach to it. It can be used to define how confident we are to show up, the risks that we are willing to take and the courageousness with which we enter difficult conversations. If you are looking to set up your staff for success by defining what winning looks like, this episode is for you! In a nutshell, I talk about: How winning defines how we show up to the world. How teachers define success in their minds and what you need to do about it. The success experience – what it is and what it is not. And how to help your staff redefine success in their role in the context of different challenges that come up. Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Elevate to Delegate Workshop at HERE 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Starting off the new school year on the right note will set up your school for excellence. As a school leader, the last thing you’d want is overloading your staff with content, hence the reason why you need to break it down into segments. And the segments are divided based on how the brain processes information. In today’s episode, I share a segment of training that took place inside our Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ flagship program. I created this training to teach our members how they can lead and prepare for their first staff meeting. And as our amazing podcast listeners, we are sharing this section as a special gift to you! Tune in to learn more about: How to lead your first staff meeting. What to talk about during your first staff meeting. How to divide the time blocks during your meeting. Some of the exercises to do and the questions to ask your teams. Staff meeting headline ideas and tips for choosing them. How to tell if you and your team are getting results and growing your mindset Why you should be specific about the kind of results you are after as the school leader. Ideas for helping your staff lean on each other. And how to wrap up your staff meeting. Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Are you a school owner focused on growing and scaling your center? And trying to build a stellar team to help you accomplish your growth goals? Join me on Tuesday, August 24th for a LIVE 90-minute workshop. Delegate To Elevate: Roles & Responsibilities of a High-Performing Team. To learn more at chanie.me/delegatetoelevate Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Elevate to Delegate Workshop at chanie.me/delegatetoelevate Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ 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 that impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.

Great school leaders use a variety of tools to maximize their impact as leaders. One of them is leadership philosophies that are helpful in establishing their leadership framework. Leadership philosophies are developed over time, with experience, and are not role or company-specific. They are both deeply personal and always professional, conveying not only priorities, expectations, and communication style but also values and morals. In today’s episode, I speak about how to create a personal leadership philosophy, and why it is important. I know you probably already have your leadership philosophy - the way that you choose to lead and manage your people - and so I want you to take a moment and pause. Take a moment to reflect, slow down and really understand what your leadership approach is. Your leadership philosophy defines your reputation and your character in your organization and beyond. In this episode, I speak about: How to approach personal and company leadership. The micromanager vs the hands-off leadership approach and why they are interdependent. The three parts of my personal leadership philosophy and how they manifest in my day to day. The challenges of living up to your leadership philosophy. … and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Are you a school owner focused on growing and ki scaling your center? And trying to build a stellar team to help you accomplish your growth goals? Join me on Tuesday, August 24th for a LIVE 90-minute workshop. Delegate To Elevate: Roles & Responsibilities of a High-Performing Team. To learn more CLICK HERE or go to chanie.me/delegatetoelevate Resources and links: Access the unique Confidence and Resilience Training using this link: chanie.me/confidencetoolkit Here are some other ways The Schools of Excellence can help you and your staff. Access the Intentional Play Builder: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-intentional-play-builder/ Access ​the School Leadership Toolkit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/the-school-leadership-toolkit/ Access ​the Early Childhood Teacher Bundle: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Today’s episode is the second episode in our special summer series! This summer series is all about the different ways that you can prepare yourselves for the upcoming school year. After nearly two decades in this field and speaking with hundreds of school owners and directors. There are very specific patterns of behavior I have noticed in successful school leaders. In this episode, I share the top 5 signs of a thriving school leader and how you can incorporate them as you continue to build your school of excellence and leave your legacy. In a nutshell, I speak about: Communication - a thriving leader is one that builds time into their calendar to speak to their teams. The importance of celebrating wins and success even though it is very easy to get pulled into hardships and what is and isn't working. The biggest mindset shift that school leaders need to make - investing in their people. How strategy can be likened to planning a trip and how it plays a key role in successful school leadership. How radical self awareness will change your entire life. … and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the unique Confidence and Resilience Training using this link: chanie.me/confidencetoolkit Here are some other ways The Schools of Excellence can help you and your staff. Access the Intentional Play Builder: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-intentional-play-builder/ Access ​the School Leadership Toolkit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/the-school-leadership-toolkit/ Access ​the Early Childhood Teacher Bundle: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Soon the last weeks of summer will be upon us, the new school year is right around the corner. New beginnings always have a few pieces to them. There is the joy of something new and there is the anticipation of the transitions. Sometimes we can overthink the new year - which is why I created this episode. Today I share the eight guideposts to prepare you for an amazing school year. As a school leader, you probably will spend at least some of your summer vacation planning for the new school year. While planning and organizing are important, It's equally vital to understand how to prepare your OWN mindset for the new year. Remember the ripple effect episode I did in the beginning? You are at the center of it all. In a nutshell, I talk about: What happens in moments of survival when survival becomes a habit. The 8 signs of survival habits and what to do in order to get out of survival mode. Powerful strategies to gear you up and set you up for success for the new school year. Why asking for help is a huge component of my leadership philosophy. … and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the unique Confidence and Resilience Training using this link: chanie.me/confidencetoolkit Here are some other ways The Schools of Excellence can help you and your staff. Access the Intentional Play Builder: https://discovered.thrivecart.com/the-intentional-play-builder/ Access ​the School Leadership Toolkit: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/the-school-leadership-toolkit/ Access ​the Early Childhood Teacher Bundle: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/early-childhood-teacher-trainings/ 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Summer is such an exciting time! It is a season filled with so many great ideas which if not well thought out, will never get to see the light of day. Tune in to today's episode to learn how the IRER method has been a game-changer for me and my family. Planning for summer using the IRER method has 4 parts to it. Intention, Reflection, Experience, and Rhythms. Why intention? Because there is a very big difference between creating an intentional plan and playing it cool. Reflecting on your wins reminds you how far you have come, and how much more you are capable of achieving. While experiences allow you to schedule your life, rhythms help you stick to the schedule! Some of the episode highlights include: What it means to start with intention and what is in it for you. Building the confidence and a mindset to stop falling apart when chaos happens. Reflective questions to ask yourself as you plan out your summer. Some of the rhythms that my family and I are bringing back this summer. ... and so much more! Remember, rhythms create a culture and become part of who you are as a family. Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: What Stage of the Pyramid of Excellence are you in? Answer a few questions to find out at chanie.me/pyramid Access the Reflective Questions for the End of the School Year via: chanie.me/reflectivequestions Check out the unique confidence and Resilience training using this link: chanie.me/confidencetoolkit Want your staff to be more confident? Want your team to be resilient in the face of constant changes? Your staff needs tools and strategies to learn how to choose how they show up. Pre-Order my Confidence and Resiliency Trainingtoday at chanie.me/confidencetoolkit This 30-minute recorded training will guide your team on the 3 essential ingredients to become confident and resilient. Get it Now → chanie.me/confidencetoolkit 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Are you on the verge of falling apart and wondering whether this is what resilience for school leaders looks like? Having an amazing school is not a result of having amazing systems or infrastructure. While those are important and critical for success, the leaders who truly excel are those that have built strong, confident, and resilient toolkits. The ones that have fully understood their stress cycles and helped their team do the same. In today's episode, I speak about building your confidence and resilience toolkit. This toolkit is mainly built by becoming self-aware and taking the necessary steps towards improving yourself. Tune in to learn more about: What a confidence and resilience toolkit is How to recognize your stress cycles and invite calm into your life. The best way to combat burnout, staff quitting or high turnover rates and building a culture of excellence Why you constantly need to be investing in your skillset. The self-awareness questions to ask yourself if you are looking to build your confidence. ... and so much more! Remember, wise people do not catch up, they learn how to close their skill gap. Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Check out the unique confidence and Resilience training using this link: chanie.me/confidencetoolkit Want your staff to be more confident? Want your team to be resilient in the face of constant changes? Your staff needs tools and strategies to learn how to choose how they show up. Pre-Order my Confidence and Resiliency Training today at chanie.me/confidencetoolkit This 30-minute recorded training will guide your team on the 3 essential ingredients to become confident and resilient. Get it Now → chanie.me/confidencetoolkit 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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

In today’s episode, I speak with a close friend and guest expert, Sally Haughey, CEO and Founder of FairyDust Teaching. FairyDust started in 2010 as a space for Sally, an early childhood educator to blog out her thoughts and ideas. She was in a highly academic setting and still wanted to bring in the wonder to her classroom. From there it expanded and grew. FairyDust Teaching has cultivated a community from over 101 countries. Sally has authored several books, including The Wonder Art Workshop and Through the Child's Eyes. She has been producing dynamic Play conferences/summits since 2014, has offered hundreds of PD hours through online professional development courses, the Wunder-Led certification program, and the Wonder League membership program. In this episode, we speak about: Sally’s childhood experiences with wonder and play How Sally’s personal pathways have helped her to harness her own inner wisdom. Sally’s early days as a teacher, and how she was hunting for answers that actually didn't exist. The values, the principles, and the character that continues to guide Sally’s pursuit in building FairyDust Teaching. Her core message to you who is listening today. … and so much more! Join The Free to Play Summit on July 12-16 at chanie.me/freetoplay The Free to Play Summit has gathered 25+ of the best and brightest experts in early childhood education from six continents. Each will share their observations, insights, and ideas, and together engage this moment to create a better world for young children, their caretakers, and their teachers. The conference offers strategies and tools for both early years educators and parents of children up to 5 years of age. It will be online live July 12th through July 16th. The Free to Play Summit, which is THE place to confidently own your personal approach to play-based learning in your classroom. My friend Sally Haughey, founder of Fairy Dust Teaching and creator of the Play-Activated Learning® model, has created an incredible 5-day guided journey that is 100% online and available worldwide. You’ll get 26 hours of online learning, absolutely free. Fairy Dust Teaching has been hosting this incredible event for years (this is the “original” that has inspired countless others to host their own summits!). Even better, this summit has been designed to give you something more - your OWN map to play. Over 5 days, you’ll listen in on conversations with a curated global panel of educators and experts — not to replicate their approach, but to truly discover your own. Piece by piece, day by day, the summit will help you borrow new insights and the latest research, then combine them with your own ideas — so you can construct your bespoke map for teaching through play, your way. As you build your map, you’ll identify the personal values, ideals, and principles that will guide your practice. With your FREE access to the summit, you’ll receive the full “make your own map” experience. Secure your spot! chanie.me/freetoplay The Summit kicks off July 12, 2021, and runs for 5 days entirely online. You will have 24 hours to access each day’s sessions.

Are you the kind of school leader that is obsessed with results? Do you find it hard to celebrate the small milestones that your school crosses and constantly in pursuit of ticking the next box? Do you constantly beat yourself up for not achieving certain goals? Well, you could be suffering from perfectionism! Yes, that’s a thing! In today’s episode, I speak about the 3 important steps to follow if you are looking to overcome the perfectionist mindset and focus on the process. And no, it’s not that I am encouraging you to settle for less – I want you to recognize that you must work hard in pursuit for excellence, and then accept whatever happens. Stop beating yourself up whenever outcomes do not meet your expectations. Waiting to only celebrate your wins is punishing yourself. You deserve more than that! Yes, you do! In this episode, I talk about: What perfection is and what it’s not. How to stop obsessing over the results and learn to fall in love with the process. The three steps to overcoming the perfectionist inside you. The reasons why you struggle appreciating feedback. How to start embracing your mistakes and failures, and seeing them as opportunities for improvement. ...and so much more! Remember, perfection is actually an addiction, because it is a form of distraction from action and progress. Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the School Leadership Toolkit at chanie.me/toolkit Access the Time Management & Accountability Bundle at Chanie.me/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 a 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 everyday which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve everyday.

Sara Schreiner is the owner of sunshine Academy in Laurel Montana. She's married to Greg and the two of them have two children; Sophia-Jo and Wyatt who is six. Sara cares deeply about her team and the families that she serves. And her unshakable optimism and her mindset to be in the pursuit of excellence are truly remarkable. Sara has 25 teachers, 120 families, and 135 children that she's been entrusted to care for and serve. Today’s episode begins with Sara inviting us into her home on that fateful night in March when it all began. In this final episode of Stories of Resilience, we talk about: How she was quickly able to process the emotions that the pandemic brought. How she arrived at the really hard decision of remaining open amidst the pandemic. How Sara knew that the pandemic was going to impact people in a very traumatic way, and what she did about that. Sara’s unique parenting philosophy and how she incorporated it into the curriculum at Sunshine Academy. How she intentionally separated feedback from opinions and attacks. How she intentionally has practices that elevate her thinking and what she does to keep it consistent. How Sara has created healthy boundaries and how they help her live a beautiful quality of life. Creating boundaries around phone usage as part of your resilience training. How Sara is different now, from the person she was in January of 2020. How this season has been rough on both Sara’s personal and professional life. Some of her big dreams and what’s on the horizon for her and for her company. Sara Schreiner is a beacon of light and joy. What a privilege it is to work alongside her and be part of her journey! -------- Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders HERE The Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders Wednesday, June 23 - 12:00-1:00 pm EST (replay available) In this 90 Minute premium online masterclass, EC Leadership Coach, Chanie Wilschanski with the Schools of Excellence, will teach you the strategies on How to Set the Right Priorities to Build your School of Excellence This workshop features... 90 Minutes Workshop with Training and Done-With-You Implementation walk-thru Live Q&A with Chanie Workbook for Guided Implementation Access to Live Workshop & Lifetime Access to Recording Gain the input and advice from other High Achieving School Leaders on what's working and is driving their current success Practical plans and strategies to start putting into action in your school right away. The guidance from an industry expert, with over 15 years of experience in the field. And much more… Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders HERE ------- 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.

As a school leader, the urgent demands of life will always fight for your attention. And so you need to decide what gets your attention, not the other way around. Your ideal week is a week that you would have 100% control of what you could do with your week. If your week included all the things that could nourish you and your family, and take you closer to your legacy and impact, what activities would get your time? These are the activities that should be at the top of your priority list! In today’s episode, I share with you tips for crafting your ideal week, and what to do to achieve one. Over the years, I have come to realize that time is money; and the same way we guard our money should be the same way we guard our time! If you are looking to make your dream summer become a reality as the school year comes to a close, this episode is for you! In a nutshell, I cover: Treating your time like a budget (and sticking to it) The importance of scheduling empty space in your calendar Scheduling your life and being fully in charge of it ...and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ HERE Access the School Leadership Toolkit HERE Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders HERE The Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders Wednesday, June 23 - 12:00-1:00 pm EST (replay available) In this 90 Minute premium online masterclass, EC Leadership Coach, Chanie Wilschanski with the Schools of Excellence, will teach you the strategies on How to Set the Right Priorities to Build your School of Excellence This workshop features... 90 Minutes Workshop with Training and Done-With-You Implementation walk-thru Live Q&A with Chanie Workbook for Guided Implementation Access to Live Workshop & Lifetime Access to Recording Gain the input and advice from other High Achieving School Leaders on what's working and is driving their current success Practical plans and strategies to start putting into action in your school right away. The guidance from an industry expert, with over 15 years of experience in the field. And much more… Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving School Leaders HERE 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.

Jennifer Bulmer is the owner of Juvenescence Child Development Centre in Calgary, Alberta - in Canada. She is a proud mom to 2 teenage daughters ages 13 and 15. Jennifer’s humor, emotional intelligence, and wit consistently come across in our conversation today. Her attitude of “it's all gonna work out and be okay” has served her very well in life. With 25 teachers, 85 families, and 110 children, the news of the Covid pandemic coming closer to her school doors was something that she didn't have the heads up or ample time to prepare for. She shares how the pandemic affected her school's operations and how she managed to stay afloat. In this episode, we speak about: The strategies and resources Jennifer has used to make her school better. How Jennifer's intellectual wisdom, talent, and skills came in handy during a crisis. How Jennifer's mindset works within the constraints of the business. Where Jennifer's tenacity came from. How mindset is a ripple effect. How Jennifer creates time and space to show up for her leadership team, yourself, and her kids. The culture of connection and collaboration at Juvenescence Child Development Centre. Understanding the various ways through which one can show empathy and compassion to their team. ... and so much more! Resources and links mentioned in this episode: Access the Four Shields of a Difficult Conversation HERE Scripts Workbook https://discovered.thrivecart.com/script-workbook/ Sign up for the Ideal Week for High Achieving Owners Workshop HERE In this 90 Minute premium online masterclass, EC Leadership Coach and Host of The Schools of Excellence Podcast, Chanie Wilschanski, will teach you the strategies on How to Set the Right Priorities to Build your School of Excellence If you are ready to take your school to the next level of growth and are looking for support, community, and accountability to make that happen - then would love for you to apply for our director's inner circle or owners HQ program. Apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ 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 a 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 addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners insider knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.

So many of us get caught up in the different types of support that we need. Sometimes we think we only need financial support, or bookkeeping support, or tax accounting, or team support. And really, those are all peripheral. Those are all kinds of outside contextual things that every school leader needs. In today’s episode, I talk about the six types of support that you specifically need for yourself. So not for your team, not for your financial team, not for your administrative team, but specifically for you. When seeking the kind of support I talk about in this episode, it is important to check whether your mentor has walked down the path you are currently walking on. Choose people that have done what it is that you're trying to do, because this significantly increases your chances of succeeding. In a nutshell, I discuss: The 6 types of support that every school leader needs The difference between a mentor and a coach, and why you need both The 4 things to pay attention to when choosing a coach or mentor ...and so much more! Click Here to Listen on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen on Non-Apple Devices Resources and links mentioned in this episode: This week I opened of the doors to my membership program, Directors Inner Circle and Owners HQ. Sign up for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ HERE If you are ready to take your school to the next level of growth and are looking for support, community and accountability to make that happen - then would love for you to apply for our directors inner circle or owners HQ program. Apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner's HQ