637 Why Her After-School Program Became the Smartest Move She Made

0:00Whether you're dreaming of becoming a lead teacher, stepping into your first director before you go or lead Ask your self-writing child care program. Move your childs and you'll put the act of the spirit out of the loan. Then share one thing with the child care director's chair. Because air-code codes that great-eaters don't just grow themselves. They're all on air. It's a co-show. Ready to share your growing wisdom. Join Erica DeTi. It's a we-see-sus-trial-blow-a-child-liter-share program for developing at the child care director's chair. Each episode is designed by the sponsor of your voice. Lead with co-s�ters, lead with the leader's resident, lead with title. It's an action. And become the kind of leader in your chair for next. It's excited to follow. Expect real talk, big laughs, bold leadership truth, practical strategies, and the encouragement to believe in yourself every step of the way. Because when Erica teaches leadership, she's teaching what she's lived. The child care director's chair is proudly sponsored by Watch Me Grow, supporting child care leaders with innovative technology that helps build stronger programs and stronger family connections.

1:00Together, they believe leadership is an title. It's an action. Pull up your chair, future leader. Here's Erica Sikoshio. One. Hey guys, it's Erica here with the Child Care Directed Share Podcast. We are live in ATL. We are at the ECE PEP rally run by Shoebroom Ignite. And we have our very first person in the director's chair. I'm going to give her a second to tell you a little bit about herself, her center. And then we're going to get it into it, all things leadership. So introduce yourself, honey. How long have you been in the field? Six years, all right. Congratulations. And what made you decide to hop into the field? OK, so COVID. COVID. It was late. Change everybody's life. OK. Hey, I just had a baby too. Yeah. She was going to pre-K. OK. But that life changed. It changed your life, for sure. It's kind of followed her since she was the last one.

2:01Yeah. Oh, my clothes are big. That's right. What up, Dave? It's like, I'm always holding up. I'm almost on the girls. They're really good at it. Yeah. So you bet on yourself. OK. So how big is your center? My center, my capacity is. OK. We don't say only 25 kids is a lot of kids. Yeah? Chips. OK. I have a basic, there is a six, turning to three o'clock. OK. Then I have a bunch of things to do through. And what made you think about that? Was it because of your past experience as a working mom or you just saw a need? Or what made you say there's a big gap here? To make me open those sections? Yeah. I wasn't quite making any speed. OK. OK. I really wanted to go. It was what's needed in my area. I kept getting fun because I was like, that whole means for them at the school. Yeah. So you open up the after school?

3:02Which is your favorite? My favorite. You like pre-care after school? Pre-care? OK. OK. So I started the opposite. I started after school and then expanded into pre-care. But most people do the other way. But yeah, I do love them school. It's because I know they tell what. I do love them. I have about 25. Oh, OK. All right. Great. So what would you say is one way that you build trust with your families? Make sure that it was very accurate when they're on T.S. You know, make sure that the man of a state even didn't know what everything is. The staff is meeting at my family. Yup. So you kind of take care of things. I mean, you know, it's just things. Yes. Yeah. I understand. Yeah. So I work with my niece, my nephew, my daughter, my sister, and my husband. But we have three schools. And my favorite one, my favorite one, is our smaller center, which it holds around 50.

4:05But it used to be a home. And it was converted into a center. And then it expanded. We put an addition on it and expanded it. But yes, there is something about that homey kind of feel. So yeah, I agree with that. Families do love that, especially when their baby is a little. But what would you say for somebody who's listening, how do you lead your team? It's like your best leadership advice. As that means, you know, there you are. OK. And so when family is toward your program, what would you say when you're saying, like, these are my unique, unique things that we offer here? What would you say they are? Sir, we does not agree. But we have a three school times. So my two students, as they were my pre-cats. I have a lot of students. And it's one of them, yeah. I'll find Fridays, no discrepancies here. So you're making it? Yeah. OK. OK.

5:05Do this to me. What would you say the biggest challenge is owning a center? All this stuff is, I would say. OK. And now you know you're good. Yeah, I'm good now. But I'd be at the bottom right. OK. OK. So being competitive, because we're competing against free and so forth, yeah. So how do you do you security cameras at your school? You do. And so when you're marketing the parents, do they ask you about that? They don't. OK. So maybe you tell them at the tour, like, Oh, and I think when they want to, they can arrive. I can't. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. So what would you say to somebody who's thinking about opening a center right now? What would your advice be? Oh, yep. Yeah. Yeah. Always to be honest. What session are you most excited to hear about over this weekend? Like is there one particular session,

6:06or one particular speaker that you're really excited to hear? Do I mean? OK. I'm glad to hear you. OK. It means it's a bag of metal and the little metal speakers. OK. I love it. I love it. Yeah. I know. Right. It's so nice to connect with other owners too. I think I think that community. I love that, which is why I flew down here, because I just love I love the ECE community. Yeah. All right. So one last piece of advice that you can share with the listeners that I didn't ask you. Any piece of advice? I have to say. I have to fix it. I mean, this is this is this is not for them. No. It is not. Now, in that note, thank you so much, guys, for tuning into the Child Care Directed Sheat podcast. This is Erica. We are out. Don't worry. We'll be back tomorrow.

7:07Before you go, ask yourself, what's one leadership lesson you'll put into action this week? Then share one takeaway with your leadership team. Because Erica believes that great leaders don't just grow themselves. They help others grow too. Ready to keep growing? Join Erica inside the ECE Trial Blazers Leadership membership at childcaredirectorschair.com. proudly sponsored by Watch Me Grow. Together, we believe leadership isn't a title. It's an action. And we'll save your chair for next time.