Technology scares people, and that's true for child care employees.
"Easing them into it helps, and really slowing it down and teaching them," says LaToya Riggins, vice president of professional development of CRAFT by Better Futures.
Proper training and guidance is key, and so is showing employees how they'll benefit from using technology ... and that you're ready to help them.
"Don't be afraid. Technology is a beautiful thing when used correctly. Give it a chance," she says.
In this podcast, LaToya shares her tips for how to get your staff on board with using technology in their classrooms and for running other parts of the business, including using QR codes for check-ins and getting rid of paper documentation that is prone to errors and takes so much time to complete manually.
One such tip is to break staff into small groups so nobody gets lost or is afraid to answer questions. And she has a lot more to share.
"One thing about technology is that it's very forgiving. Everything has an undo button," she says.
To reach LaToya, email her at lriggins@betterfuturesdc.com or visit www.betterfuturesdc.com!
Technology scares people, and that's true for child care employees.
"Easing them into it helps, and really slowing it down and teaching them," says LaToya Riggins, vice president of professional development of CRAFT by Better Futures.
Proper training and guidance is key, and so is showing employees how they'll benefit from using technology ... and that you're ready to help them.
"Don't be afraid. Technology is a beautiful thing when used correctly. Give it a chance," she says.
In this podcast, LaToya shares her tips for how to get your staff on board with using technology in their classrooms and for running other parts of the business, including using QR codes for check-ins and getting rid of paper documentation that is prone to errors and takes so much time to complete manually.
One such tip is to break staff into small groups so nobody gets lost or is afraid to answer questions. And she has a lot more to share.
"One thing about technology is that it's very forgiving. Everything has an undo button," she says.
To reach LaToya, email her at lriggins@betterfuturesdc.com or visit www.betterfuturesdc.com!
Welcome to the Childcare Business Podcast, brought to you by ProCare Solutions. This podcast is all about giving childcare , preschool, daycare, after school , and other early education professionals. A fun and upbeat way to learn about strategies and inspiration you can use to thrive. You'll hear from a variety of childcare thought leaders, including educators, owners, and industry experts on ways to innovate, to meet the needs of the children you serve. From practical tips for managing operations to uplifting stories of transformation and triumph, this podcast will be chock full of insights you can use to fully realize the potential of your childcare business. Let's jump in.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome everyone to today's podcast. Um, my name is Leah Woodbury. Um, I work in the marketing department here at ProCare Solutions, and I'm filling in for Ryan Gwaltney , who is our usual host today. But I'm gonna do my best and I have a really great guest who's gonna make it really easy, and we're gonna have a wonderful conversation. Um, her name is Latoya Riggins. She's the Vice President of professional Development , um, of Craft by Better Futures. So welcome, Latoya. We're so happy to have you on the podcast.
Speaker 3:Thanks, Leah . Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here. Wow.
Speaker 2:And yeah, and she's gonna talk to about she Talk technology in ECE classrooms, which is something she knows a lot about. And to get started, Latoya, could you talk a little bit about, about what your company is and what it does, and then let's go right into how you got your start in ECE.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Well, I'll tell you a little bit about Craft . So, craft By Better Futures is an online business and professional development platform, specifically designed for early childhood education business leaders. So what we do is we combine our knowledge of childcare operations and all of that with the business side, because one thing that we found is that all the different education you need to become an ECE leader, it never touches on business. And lo and behold, about 90% of the centers out there, whether it's family, childcare , center based group home, are ran by entrepreneurs. So that's kind of like the pink elephant in the room is the business side. And you know, when it comes to children, you know, the love trumps everything. But guess what, in order to give that love and provide the space for the love and the programming for the love, we're gonna need money, which means that we're gonna have to run this business like a business. And culturally, you know, it's always kind of been like, okay, this is something that maybe moms do, or, you know what I mean? So it, you know, not to be like, I'm a mom. So a lot of times we might get a little devalued because we do it so well, you know, <laugh>, it looks like it's easy, but it's really not. So what we do is we empower business owners to really dig into the business piece and take their business seriously, because it's not rocket science, but if you have never been taught it, it's gonna be foreign language to you. So what we do is we take that and we break it down, we break it down to layman's terms, and we teach business, but we only, we, we really, really hone in on the early childhood education business because that is a unique business. Now, as you know, you know, with ProCare, you guys are taking it to the next level, you know, helping businesses take it to the next level. And that's what we really love about , uh, childcare management systems because, you know, what we've seen, I don't wanna go deep into that just yet, but what we've seen in , you know, with our clients is just the confidence. When we talk about business, you know, they're like, well, you know, I'm just a this or I'm just a this. And we're like, no, you're exactly what you should be. We are gonna help you take it to the next level. So with Craft by Better Futures, we go all the way in Leah , we go in Uhhuh . I mean, from the nitty gritty to the business plan, to budgeting to taxes, to actually <laugh> finances. Meaning not just, you know, knowing, you know, financial literacy, but how do you keep your books? Uh , how do you actually manage your finances? And I'm telling you , the <laugh> , the answers that we get will smack you in the face because you're like, you , you gotta be kidding me. But no shade, because that's why we are here. 'cause we are gonna teach you. So if you know anything about Better Futures, better Futures are the founders of Craft By Better Futures, obviously by Better Futures, <laugh> , and they are , well , I call the Odd couple , uh, Dr. Robert Ling, he has over 50 years of experience in the early childhood education industry. I mean, he is done everything from teaching in schools. I mean, he's even taught CDA in prisons. I mean, this man gives his life to this industry, you know, and then, you know, it's a very woman dominated field. So as a man, he really had to, you know, break through some of those, you know, strongholds to make a difference. And he's done a great job. He's developed his life. When he met his partner, Mr. Jahi , b Davis, NBA , he, he was a banker. He was working on treasury boards. And I mean, he was all about funding and things like that, business, business business. So he said, this is what we're missing in ECB , we're missing the business part because if we have that knowledge, who knows how big our centers can go? Who knows how much we can really do for our communities. So he asked him , you know, let's get together and do this. And Jahi said, you know, know what, that is the craziest idea I've ever heard, but it's just crazy enough to work. I'm in <laugh>.
Speaker 2:And
Speaker 3:These guys, they went all over the country teaching these principles about really running your business as a business and really honing in on the specifics of talent acquisition, credentialing systems, put , bringing in technology, which is what we're gonna be talking about today, which is sometimes the hardest thing to kind of bring people's mind to, but it's the biggest game changer. So they went around doing all these classes, but realize, you know, they're in conferences and, you know, these big conferences can get pretty pricey, and then you have to shut down your center so that you can travel and all of that. So people were really missing out on what they had to say. So they thought about what can we do to really bring this to everyone and really make it not just accessible, but affordable? Mm-Hmm , <affirmative> , let's go virtual, because now we can, you know, create something that really can get to people and bring that flavor that I love. You know what I mean? And because, you know, you don't want it to be boring. You want it to be upbeat, you want it to be interesting, but you also want it to be effective. So that's when Craft By Better Futures was born. And we went online, and this is way before there was a pandemic, Leah . So we were ready . We didn't even, obviously no one knew it was gonna be a pandemic, but the pandemic was, you know, didn't hurt us at all because we were already virtual. I came aboard . Yeah, I came aboard in 20 19, 20 20, and we started to do, you know, push with the virtual classes. We , uh, morphed into boot camps, which are hands on because, you know, when you go to all of these , uh, webinars and stuff, they're great. You feel amazing. But then, you know , you probably remember maybe 10% of it if that. So what we do is we make sure that not only do you have the the knowledge, you get the one-on-one, and you get the actual handholding to implement it into your business, so you see results. So that's what Crap by Better Futures is in a nutshell. <laugh> .
Speaker 2:Excellent. Uh , and how about you? What is your, what's your background in ECE?
Speaker 3:Well, glad you asked Leah . Well, UL ultimately, I'm actually from New York City. And growing up, my sister, shout out to my sister Denise. She had this idea, she was a single mom, and she had about three kids, and she was like, I always wanted to have my own daycare, and, but I don't have a place to do it. And she's like, you know what? I'm just gonna do it in my house. Everybody told her she was crazy. They were like, no one's gonna bring their kids to your house. That's crazy. And I told her, I said, I actually think that's gonna work. She's like , yeah, I've seen people do it before, but I don't know anybody that did it. So I was like , I'm gonna help you. She created it. We, I mean, we, she had a big house, so, you know, we had a lot of space to do it in . I was a teenager then, so I worked there. Uh , after school I worked there. I was the closer, I was the, the , the kid who wore your kids out for you, <laugh> . I took them to the park. Oh, yeah. I would wear those kids all the way out. I'd have them chasing them up and around and all that. You know how the energy Uhhuh <affirmative> . So I saw my sister build this business against all odds, and people looked to her as just a savior because they didn't understand how they were gonna do it on their own. And here she is providing this resource for them to go ahead and make a living for their, for their families. And it just gave me that, I call her my muse, because I always worked with children growing up, even in high school, in college, I went to Howard University. I worked in DC public schools, worked with , uh, preschools and all that. So fast forward in my career, I ended up in workforce development, <laugh>. Okay. So I , um, worked with all businesses in DC about , uh, really bringing that core essence of qualified candidates to businesses. And when I got into childcare , I worked with childcare businesses, I realized that I had a really good knack for placing people into childcare , uh, positions. And that was due to how I recruited, you know, I acquired talent. I didn't go off of the paperwork, I went off of their heart because I understood what it took to be successful in that business. And then I , by then, I was a mom myself, so I knew what I looked for as a mom and then as an employee. So I had the best of all three worlds, the employer, the mom, and the employee perspective. So that's how I, that's how actually met Dr. Gunman. Um, I was, I had this big project that I wanted to do. I wanted to create a center inside the Workforce Center, and I got him in there to help me. And when I saw what these guys were doing, I had to be a part of it. I was like, oh, yeah, I'm in, I'm in. And the rest is history leader . Like, we've been working, it's what, 2024? So it's been over four years now that we've been doing this work. And it's been super amazing. You know, we've been everywhere and we meet so many people like yourself that mm-Hmm , <affirmative> really love this business, and they're looking for solutions. So I'm just happy to be here talking about this.
Speaker 2:Well, it sounds like it was meant to be,
Speaker 3:Right? I believe that. I definitely believe that.
Speaker 2:I do too . I do too . So , let's talk a little bit about technology, ECE using apps, that kind of thing. And one question that I think is really important to start with is, let's start with the teachers. Like, why are so many of these teachers nervous about embracing technology when it's something we know is gonna make their job easier, but they're still scared? Why do you think that is <laugh> ? Why do you think that is?
Speaker 3:Well, Leah , I'll tell you one thing. Um, you know , I'm also a , a marketing consultant as well. And one thing that I've learned from working with our members and our clients is technology scares people. It scares people down because it, it can be quite intimidating. Even the lingo, like when I start talking about just Zoom, people are like, oh my God, I don't know that <laugh> . And I'm like, it's fine. It's so simple, I'll teach you. Yeah . And a lot of times, you know, you kind of feel dumb when you don't know something, so you stay away from it. So I think the biggest pushback is the, the not knowing the unknown and, and feeling like, I'm not gonna learn all of this, but not realizing that it just takes a quick little training and to do it, you know, more repetitiously and you'll get it. So I think it's the fear most of Olia , it's the , it has to be. And if you see the look on people's faces, when I, when I give them a link, they're like, oh God, what am I gonna do with this? And I'm like, just , just click it. <laugh>,
Speaker 2:<laugh> . But I ,
Speaker 3:I've learned that easing them into it helps and really, you know, slowing it down and teaching them, you know, but it's the fear. It's definitely the fear.
Speaker 2:Okay. So if we're talking about fear , um, so what is the best way then to integrate technology into a center ? I mean, is it that slowly or is it like tearing off a bandaid? What, what have you found that works?
Speaker 3:Well, I would say it's a little bit of both. Okay. I , I say that you have to introduce it for one, let people know the benefits of it. You know, what happens if you don't use it
Speaker 2:<laugh> Yeah . First . Yeah .
Speaker 3:So that they started to put it in perspective. Once you show them the benefits of it, then they're like, okay, I guess I'll give it a chance. But then let them know that you are gonna walk them through it. You're gonna handhold when it comes to craft, that's how we get them through the technology is honestly Leah , the handholding. Okay . And that's why we do one-on-ones that is the game changer is the one-on-ones. All our memberships come with one-on-ones. That way you have an expert on the other side of you, and they can walk you through it. Hold your hand just like riding a bike. You know how your mom or your dad had to hold the back of that seat, <laugh> . Yeah . You know, and then once you get to Pedalling , you are off. Then you're like, all right , get off me. I got this now. And that's what you have to get 'em to. I think that when people don't have training, that's when they fail, because they're, they just throw their hands up. They're like, I don't know how to do this. And they throw their hands up and they quit. Uhhuh <affirmative> , when you have proper training and guidance, it is a no brainer. So I think that's the best way . That's when I say ripping off the bandaid, which you mean, don't just trickle it in. Meaning, Hey, this is what we have a new system. And that's the rip off of the bandaid to say, Hey, this is starting such and such . Let's say we give them a couple of weeks to kind of get used to it. And we'll say, in two weeks we're going full throttle. Okay. So here's what's gonna happen up until then. Okay, we're gonna have daily trainings. We are gonna have exercises, something that makes it fun, because I'm a visual learner. Leah , I don't know about you. I'm a visual and a touch learner. Like I totally
Speaker 2:Am
Speaker 3:A rhythm person, so I gotta see it. I gotta touch it, and I gotta do it myself too. I can't just read about it. So I think hands-on learning. That's, I mean, that's what we're all about. Hands-on learning. And also groups, especially if you have a a , a thick staff, I would break 'em up into groups and Oh , really? I , I , I like to make cohorts, you know, little pots, because those big groups, sometimes you get lost, you're scared to ask a question 'cause you don't wanna look crazy or dumb. So you kind of keep it to yourself. Small groups help the people in that group connect with each other. Now they're partners in this, they're partners in the learning. They can hold each other's hand because something you might understand, I might not Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> . And sometimes even that trainer, you know, as, as a trainer myself, I noticed that there's sometimes when your neighbor has to lean over and say she's on page 18, you know what I mean? And you're like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? So that comradery that I would say work togetherness aspect of it, it makes that so much easier. And it calms people down, you know? And Go ahead. What were you gonna say? So,
Speaker 2:So I was just thinking, like, so when you're forming these small groups, do you put together people who are kind of maybe on the same level as technology? Or do you mix up the, say the Gen Z who've, you know, were born with an iPhone <laugh> in their hand, it seems like <laugh> or, or do you keep 'em kind of where everybody's on the same page and what works?
Speaker 3:Oh, no . Well, I mean, I would say mix 'em up. Mix 'em up, definitely mix them up. Because just like I said, when you think about a class that has a mix, you, your superstars become your, your TAs, your te your , your teacher's assistants. And now that when you are , when you need to work with the full class, you don't have to stop for maybe one or two people who are not getting it. That person who already has it can say, Hey, that's why I love breakout rooms. Because if someone's struggling with a specific part and you don't wanna, you know, specifically stop the training, you can say, Hey, Lee's gonna take you into a breakout room to practice that more with you. Okay. And then we're gonna come bring you back in. And now they come back in more confident and , and they say, oh, wow. I don't know how I didn't get that. You know? And , and, and you're like, come on back in here. And we get, you know, it gets right back on track. Mm-Hmm, <affirmative> . Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> . So I , I definitely think that a mix is, is good. You know, some people, they say, I mean, these people are already working together, so they should have some type of relationship. And the more that you guys achieve together, the more you will achieve together, because it makes you closer as a staff, you know, because we've gone through something together. We've learned something together, we've achieved something, you know? Yeah. And reward, you know, I, I'm a celebration person. I always say I have an event spirit. So anytime we do trainings, we, we give certificates of completion. And I step in and I, like, I always tell the guys, I say, can I give them a graduation, <laugh>
Speaker 2:<laugh> ?
Speaker 3:And they say , go ahead, Latoya. And because I love it, you know, who doesn't wanna feel celebrated? Yeah . It gives you that sense of pride and accomplishment. And even if I , I just give you a certificate and I have like, maybe some juice and some donuts or something, or, you know , send you a little DoorDash card to , you know , get you something or Starbucks. You know what I mean? Like, just something to celebrate that win, because a win is a win no matter how small it is . Absolutely . And incentives are always a thing, you know. And also, like you said, like, you know, using a system like ProCare, like, you know , that is something that can be, you know, maybe a little intimidating because you guys are the, you know, the , you are the, the gurus, you know, so they're like, this has to be something complicated. If they can do all of this in a click , it's gotta be something crazy that I just don't understand, you know?
Speaker 2:So Well, we got, we got it handled for everybody <laugh>, just do it with a , like , right. Yeah. Yeah. And why, I mean, why do you think it is that people maybe do hesitate to ask questions? Especially like in this education space where we, you know, we're always encouraging people ask questions, yet when it's us, we're sometimes, Ooh , I don't know if I should ask that. Is that silly? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> . Is there a way , is there a way to make someone feel more comfortable with throwing those questions out there? 'cause somebody else is probably thinking it <laugh>
Speaker 3:Well, yeah. Um, you know, that's always been a thing, Leah . I mean, throughout time Yeah . In education. And , and it's a , it's a vulnerable thing to ask a question and to Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> to openly say, I don't know . You know what I mean? Yeah . 'cause we we're, we're a people of knowers. We know her , we know everything. And we, and we feel, you know, some people will make you feel bad, like, oh my God, you don't know that. You know? So it's a vulnerability thing. So what I would do is have them write the questions down anonymously and submit 'em . Oh , yeah. So that way nobody knows, who doesn't know <laugh>. And, and , and those people who are too shy to ask, they're gonna be so relieved. So relieved. Like, oh my gosh, I thought it was just me. You know?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a great idea. Yeah. I like that. I'm a ,
Speaker 3:I'm a firm. I'm a big FAQ person. Ask Jahi , I'm always on him. I'm like, we need an FAQ , you know? And he's like, okay, okay. I got you, Latoya, because I know me, it , it alleviates a lot of questions for me when I have a frequently asked questions bar where I can kind of get a jump on some of the things that I, you know, that I'm probably gonna wanna know anyway. So having that handy and , um, even a , uh, like a glossary, because tech terminology, like, I talk to a guy and he's like, oh, you're such a techie. And I'm like, I'm not, I , I'm a little, but not really, you know, like, not as much as I would like to be. So, yeah . And, and like, even the way you write your numbers, like I write the dots and stuff, he's like, you write like a techie. So I realized like it's a language that techies talk , and I didn't realize it because I speak it a little Mm-Hmm . So I didn't think it was a thing, you know? And I'm like, wow. Like, th that's a thing to you, but you can't discredit anybody for not knowing if they not in that realm or, you know, they , they don't do tech, they definitely might feel intimidated. So breaking down it , breaking it down into layman's terms what these terms mean. So it gives them a , a , a power pack going in. You know what I mean? Uhhuh , it gives them that ammunition. So at least I understand a little bit. So when I heard that, I'm like, oh, okay. I see what that is. You know? Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And then kind of along those lines, can we talk a little bit about giving teachers buy-in, like, like, how is it that, that you can show them that using this technology, you know, whether it's digital curriculum, whether it's these QR codes to sign in, sign out, anything along those lines that it is different, but how do you show them that this is gonna make your job easier and hopefully lower your stress, hopefully lower your burnout? You know, that's always a goal.
Speaker 3:I'd say the proof is in the pudding. Okay. I always say the proof is in the pudding, showing real live examples of how things have changed. And the numbers do not lie. Uh , I , I'm a firm believer of the numbers don't lie. When you show them, Hey, here's how much time you're spending on of your day doing X, Y, and z,
Speaker 2:Uhhuh <affirmative> ,
Speaker 3:If you use this system, you can cut that into a fraction of that time and, and whatever they like to do, put that in there. Like, you know, you like, you know, strolling on Instagram, on your phone, look how much more Instagram time you gonna get <laugh>.
Speaker 2:You know what I
Speaker 3:Mean? Yeah . And they're like, oh , really ? If you , like , if a person loves their lunch break and you don't wanna be doing work on your lunch break, 'cause that happens, you know, you have that one quiet moment, and now you have to do paperwork, you know, with it. How are you eating your lunch ? Dripping it all over the paper? You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:<laugh> , right . No one put into
Speaker 3:Perspective for people. Say, Hey, here's what you're doing Uhhuh . Here's what , here's what it could look like if you use technology.
Speaker 2:Gotcha . And then
Speaker 3:Handhold, walk 'em into it, give 'em a little taste and say, Hey, let's try this. How about let's see how much easier and more accurate your clock ins will be. You know, you remember last week when you had to ask about your, your hours because you , you forgot to write down on the book , the book log in what time? Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> . What if all you had to do was flash your badge and we clock you in ?
Speaker 2:Yeah . Now
Speaker 3:You're getting your full check . You know what I mean? Think about, you know, giving them the scenarios of what happens if you don't. Yeah. How much time you're, you're you're giving away Now it becomes a choice. <laugh>,
Speaker 2:I like it. You know? And when you were talking about spilling your lunch all over paperwork, when we , um, when we were talking recently, you were telling me about some of the crazy spreadsheets that you've seen. And I'd love it if you could like <laugh> , give me some of these examples of what directors, assistant directors, I mean, maybe even teachers are doing too, to try to keep track of the business end and talk a little bit about those and what the end result is for how the, how the business is being is being run
Speaker 3:<laugh>. Oh, wow. Leah . Yeah. When, when we talk about technology, one thing I craft by better future is we are big on technology because uhhuh , we are , you know, we are grassroots team. So we were just joking the other day about how we've gone through so many systems to find the right ones for us, because we had to do so many things manually. And I'm not a millennial, I don't think I'm a millennial. I don't know where I am in it, but I'm not, what do you call those? The ones, the new ones that come out ?
Speaker 2:Oh, the Gen Z.
Speaker 3:Gen Z. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not a Gen Z <laugh> , so there's a lot of things that I know, but there's a lot of , like, I , you know how they can text 2000 words in two seconds? I can't do that. So typing for me is, is is brutal. Uhhuh <affirmative> . So we talk about different systems, and one of the systems that we use, we, we teach on a accounting system. We do a bootcamp about , uh, a wave bootcamp where we teach business owners, EE business owners how to manage their finances with a actual system. Okay. Uhhuh <affirmative> . So the same thing with ProCare. We talk about what happens if you don't. We have Leah , we have this bootcamp, and we were teaching people how to manage their finances, right? Uhhuh <affirmative> . And this woman, she has a laptop. And I mean, she pulls out this spreadsheet. This thing has 300 line items. It has about seven different colors. I mean, she's got formulas in it. And lemme tell you, this spreadsheet looked great. I was like, my goodness, where'd you get this from? She was like, oh, I made it over the years. I'm like, okay, how <laugh> , how long does it take you to, to edit and update? She was like, well, you know, after my kids go home, I take about an hour and a half to input the days. I'm like, you do what? Like, oh , my, like, wait a minute. And she said, or sometimes I get up 5:00 AM before my kids get in, and I do a couple of hours on the spreadsheet. And I'm like , are you serious? Are you serious? What happens if you miss a , a , a coin? You know what I mean? The whole spreadsheet's ruined, you know, if you accidentally delete something, how are you even gonna know it's a million line items on here? Yeah . Like, this is crazy. And she was like, well, this is all I've got. I'm , I'm just kind of a slave to it. And I was like, honey, we've gotta do better than that. And there's a better solution for that. But like you said, Leah , it takes for somebody to see that. 'cause if nobody saw , if I didn't look over her shoulder being a little nosy, like, what is that thing? You know? Yeah . She would've even thought about it. She's like, oh, this is nothing. You know, because it's a great spreadsheet, but it's killing your lifestyle. No work life balance. You are not getting any free time because you gotta wake up and do it all over again. So we're like, what about a childcare management system? You can manage everything from there. And,
Speaker 2:Oh , I think you're cutting out a little bit. Oh , it's a little, it's a little grainy right there. Okay . No , it's still really, huh? That's weird. Can you hear me okay ?
Speaker 3:Okay. What about now?
Speaker 2:Perfect. It's perfect. Okay. We'll just edit that last part out. That's super easy. Um, do you wanna start , um, where you were talking about like your work-life balance, how that affected it, or Definitely you don't really have any <laugh>, you don't really have any work life balance. It's all work
Speaker 4:<laugh>.
Speaker 3:Yeah. If you're getting up two hours before your shift starts just to fill in a spreadsheet or staying two hours late to fill in a spreadsheet, you're never going to catch up. It's a rat race and you're never gonna have quality of life, and it's not worth it. You guys do the most important job. You know, you have to face these children and they're looking to you for your energy to be on point, and they're looking for you to bring their energy up. So if you are spending your time manually doing everything, you are not gonna be at 100% . You definitely, you're not even gonna be at 80%. You know? So what we talk to our business owners about is efficiency. Efficiency, because you want something that's gonna be correct and you want it to be time, you know what I mean? You know, to save you time , save , and in turn it's gonna save you money. Because now when, like I was saying before, it's the output for me. You know, because you have the excellent reporting, you know? Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> , if your parents, your, your clients slash parents ask you for any type of detail in what you're doing, one click. You don't have to shuffle through papers and download this and put this together and pull out this and hide this column and <laugh>. It's just a mess. So ,
Speaker 2:Well, it just seems like there's so much room for error. And maybe I'm thinking how when I do excel, how it <laugh> how it turns out. Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> . But I mean, that's just asking for a mistake that's just gonna send you down a rabbit hole of <laugh> , of a mess. <laugh>
Speaker 3:Yeah. And the anxiety that comes with it, Leah , that, that you could have made a mistake. And I'm one of those people, I'm gonna keep checking back. I'm gonna check it a million times because I'm like, like, I'm worried that I might've missed something or I accidentally clicked something off and, and did something else. I can't undo it. Or, yeah. But like you said, just the , if you have seen the, I've seen people actually do things on Word documents, like keep books on Word documents. So a spreadsheet is asking me to step up. Yes. I'm like, what is that? And even handwritten. I'm, I'm, I'm definitely a notebook girl, I'm no shade. I love a good notebook. Yeah . But that's like a backup to my computer. And that's like my anxiety anyway. I'm like, I have to write things down. I'm a scribbler,
Speaker 2:Uhhuh , <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:I also have systems, you know, that I, that I use . And they have done nothing but changed my life and my business. So we definitely , we speak by example, Leah . That's why I said, you know, with ProCare being such a , a , not , don't wanna say intricate, but such a , uh, sophisticated system. You guys have seen the, you've seen 30 years of this. So you've guys have been able to grow with the industry to see where it's going. And that's what I love about you guys. 'cause you're listening, you know, listening to what people really need and what will help make it better so that we can be better for the children. Because that's really the, the biggest deal. We wanna be able to go outside and play in the water and not be worrying about, oh my gosh, I gotta go and put my spreadsheet together, you know? Oh . And if the parents say, Hey, I'm applying for , uh, a loan and I need to get my , uh, receipts from you for the last six months. And , and that's a whole nother project for your weekend. And you thought you were going to Atlanta City this weekend, <laugh> not
Speaker 2:<laugh> , not anymore . You're putting
Speaker 3:Together , right? You're putting together a , a whole report, but not with growth here . Not with a system where you can hit a button and say, Hey , um, what we , what we really talk about technology for businesses when it comes to wowing your clients, wowing your families. 'cause families appreciate efficiency. Yeah . They look at your business in a different light when they see that you've invested in processes that make not only your life easier, but their life easier. And it just makes your business look more, I would say, more responsible, you know? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> . So who want , who wants to be with somebody that is not responsible and, and you're leaving your child there and you're, you're really putting your , you're trusting your raising your child to someone else. Pretty much. So if you know that in there on the spreadsheets, who's, who's hanging out with the kids and teaching them things and having experiences, you know? Yeah . So we wanna make sure you're, you're present.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And when we, you know, we talked to a lot of center owners, teachers all the time, you know, and the question I asked you right at the beginning, you know, how did you get into ECE? And not once has anybody ever said, because I'm so excited about accounting and running a business <laugh> like that is, that is what's really driving me. So, and I'm, you know, my youngest isn't preschool. He goes to a UCE center and I'm grateful for that. Like, like be there with him teaching him his letters, that kind of thing. Yeah . So I totally get what you're saying.
Speaker 3:And Yeah, the parents love it. Yeah .
Speaker 2:For the ,
Speaker 3:The parents side of it, because they get a glimpse into their child's day. And I'm gonna tell you, you know, I was a working mom and, you know, my kids are bigger now. They're like, you know, early, early teens. So, you know , they don't care about me anymore, <laugh> . But when they were young, I had such mom guilt, Leah , because I didn't get to see my kids all day. So I know from the mom perspective, having that access to your children and what they're doing and what they're learning and how they're experiencing life is just so much easier to have that peace of mind when you are at work trying to focus on your spreadsheets, <laugh>.
Speaker 2:Right, right. Exactly. <laugh> . Exactly. And then let's, let's kind of end it looking a bit into the future, if you will. So now let's, let's say the center says, all right , we're gonna use technology in the classrooms. You've done the training. How do directors keep supporting this as it, you know, keeps getting implemented, people are using it, maybe mistakes are made. What's, what's the, what's the key to success there?
Speaker 3:Oh, Leah , I'm so glad you asked. And you have some people think, oh , a training is a one time thing. It's not. It has to be progressive. You know, and I'm a person, I love evaluations because you don't know what was retained. You know, you people love nodding and saying, okay, I got it. And they don't have anything. They don't, they , they're still making the same mistake. So what I would say is, quarterly trainings are always great. Um, we know that in this industry, it can be a high turnover rate. So you, you're gonna have new people, but that doesn't mean only the new people get this training. Everybody needs to be updated, especially, and you guys are always adding new, cute things and features <laugh> . So it's always good to make sure that you're up on those new times and those new features. And what I would say is to keep making an incentive for being great at it. For being great at using it and, and not bashing people for making mistakes, but making it a learning experience. I mean, that , I'm a firm believer that it's about correction and not just, you know, Hey, you did this wrong, look what happened. You know, it's like, Hey, let me, let's, let's, let's explore that. Let's see how we can do better. But bringing it back up, making sure, like making sure that the trainings are currently happening and, you know, reoccurring, I should say, and evaluation afterwards. A knowledge test. Let's see what you retained. You know, make it a thing. You know, if you're great at, at , uh, using ProCare, you could be the teacher, you can be that person that runs the trainings. I'm , I'm big on showing people their, their strongness, their their strengths, really building on people's strengths. And if that's something that you're strong in , nobody , everybody loves to share their strengths. Yep . Make that a thing, you know, and, and when it comes to talent acquisition, that's how you show a person there , that you value them by noticing their strengths and actually utilizing it. Because one of the things I see in the industry is under utilization of the talent that you have in house . So Oh , bring it
Speaker 2:Out . So maybe the younger Yeah, like the younger Yeah . Staff maybe can help. Yeah . Some of the people who've been doing it longer.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And show them that they have a strength this a strength in that. Yeah .
Speaker 2:You know ?
Speaker 3:Oh , love that . They love that phone. Let 'em use it. <laugh> .
Speaker 2:Right . Well, I think we're wrapping up. Is there, can you think of anything I didn't ask or I should have or that you'd like people to take away from this?
Speaker 3:Well, well, I think you asked everything, but what I want people to take away from this is don't be afraid. Technology is a beautiful thing when it's used correctly. And give it a chance. You know, give it a chance. And don't feel like you have to learn everything at once. Start with the small stuff and ease your way into it. And another thing is repetition, repetition, repetition. The more you do anything, the better you're gonna get at it. Don't expect to be so great your first time. Fail forward if you make a mistake. You know, one thing about technology is very forgiven. They, everybody has an undo button. And that's how I help with my clients. I'm like, just remember you got an undo. Okay. <laugh> not the end of the world. Try again. <laugh> ,
Speaker 2:I like, and Latoya, what's the best way for our listeners to get in touch with you or craft better Futures? Any of that? Emails, phone, whatever, whatever you guys like. Yeah ,
Speaker 3:Well, all of that. Well, my , you can email me , um, at l riggins@betterfuturesdc.com, or you can visit our website at ww dot better futures dc.com. And we are on all platforms on social media. You guys, we're at Craft By Better Futures on Instagram. We're at , we're that on LinkedIn, Facebook, we're at Craft Cafe Live. That's my , uh, live show. And TikTok , we are craft by Better Futures. Yes, we're on TikTok, guys, <laugh> .
Speaker 2:Nice. Very
Speaker 3:Cool. Then we , we have a YouTube channel Craft by Better Futures. Okay, guys, so check us out. You have
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, Latoya, this was so great. We'd love talking with you. Loved getting all your insights. And thanks to everyone who's listening, we'll catch you on the next podcast.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to this episode of the Childcare Business Podcast. To get more insights on ways to succeed in your childcare business, make sure to hit subscribe in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you want even more childcare , business tips, tricks, and strategies, head over to our resource center@procaresoftware.com. Until next time.