Season 5, Episode 7: The Six Professional Pillars of Child Care, with Heather White

Heather White is a multi-site owner who is part of The PREP Schools franchise, and she’s a licensed director and speaker. Finding ways to help fellow child care leaders find joy in their jobs and lives is a huge passion of hers.

In this podcast, Heather shares her six professional pillars of child care success and delves into how each matters in being successful in early childhood education and in being happy leading a program.

Those pillars are: mindset, team, systems, marketing, financial and relational focus. And each has a very different, and very important, role in success!

Learn more about Heather and her work at ThePrepSchools.com or shoot her an email at heatherw@prepschools.com!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Child Care Business Podcast, brought to you by ProCare Solutions. This podcast is all about giving childcare, preschool, daycare, afterschool, 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_01: 0:53

Hi everyone and welcome to the Child Care Business Podcast. My name is Leah Woodbury. I'm the head of content here at ProCare Solutions and I'm very happy to have you all join us today. And for this episode, we are thrilled to have Heather White with us. She owns three schools in Texas that are a part of the PrepSchools franchise and she's a licensed director and speaker as well. Finding ways to help child care leaders find joy in their jobs and lives is a huge passion of hers. And that's what we're going to be talking about today as she discusses her six professional pillars of child care. So welcome, Heather. We are so glad you're joining us. Thank you so much, Leah. I'm so honored. As we get started on today's podcast, we love getting a little background about our guests. So could you tell us how you became involved in ECE and chose it as your career path? Yes. It's so funny. I always say, you know, to anybody that I'm speaking to, did it choose you or did you choose it? You know, because this is definitely a line of work that, you know, it's not for just collecting a paycheck. It's definitely a work of the heart and it's something that I've done for 25 plus years. And I just feel like it's my life work. I feel like this is where, you know, there's really a calling and a pull to changing a staff member's life, a parent's life, a child's life, or we're here for the children. That's the nucleus of everything that we do. So I'm very, very proud to still love what I do at this stage of my career and am still teachable, trainable. I'm still learning so many things. And that's a lot about what I'm going to talk about today, actually. OK, well, then let's get started. So you developed this framework for success in the child care for child care businesses that you call the six professional pillars of child care. So before we jump into each pillars, what led you to create them? Well, honestly, I mean, it's the culmination of so many trainings, just having all of that knowledge. And really, I went to a conference in Chicago, the Child Care Success Summit, and so many different speakers were there. It was directed to owners and directors. And it was just so relational to me because thinking about all of the different things that it takes really to have a successful child care, but it's. that's just like the big overview, right? It takes so many details and so much time and energy and effort to get to that amazing spot, you know, where you've like arrived and, and you know, your, your school is functioning or your company's thriving. But I really just kind of took a lot of all of the culmination of training recently because I feel like times have shifted. We all feel it right. And it's, I used to kind of word it differently than I word it now. I used to say like, you know, our employees are different. Our parents are different, but I realized like we're all humans and it's together. Like we are different from a lot of, things that really started during the pandemic and have kind of morphed into. So the pillars or the, the, the just kind of like main frame, I think is super, super important for just a different lens, like a refresher of like, Oh, okay. I see how she's explaining. This goes hand in hand with this and that goes with that. So it's like, so that's where this arrived. I will say. Okay. Yeah. So let's break it down and start with the first pillar, which is mindset, that every day you have a choice. What does that mean specifically for childcare leaders? I feel like operationally, directors, it's not a 40-hour work week. It's not... if you're an owner that's definitely in it and involved in the operations, then, you know, I refer to our teachers, like they're in the trenches, right? Our directors are in, they're in it, you know, I mean, every little thing, HR, everything with parent concerns, parent phrases, you know, everything with a child that goes on throughout the day. It could be a behavior. All of the things that are thrown at you that are unexpected, that are just, you know, I mean, just kind of changes your and shifts your mindset of like. I had such goals today. I had such priorities today. And none of that happened because all of these things were thrown at me all throughout the day. And that kind of overtook, you know, as a leader, what each person wanted or needed or had to accomplish that day. And so it's like day after day after day of that same feeling and that same thing happening. I feel like a level of frustration is It's like a mountain. Once it was a little molehill or a grain of sand, and now it's like a whole thing. And so where I think about mindset, I just know for– I've used myself as a guinea pig. I'm going to only speak about my experiences where mindset has really, really shifted in so many different areas and mostly– Directing. Mostly... helping my directors that work alongside of me to just have the proper mindset going into each day so that you're not constantly disappointed and you're not constantly feeling defeated when you don't get your to-do list done. One of the main things I always ask everybody that I kind of promote from within or I help them kind of obtain their career goals. Okay, what's your system? How does your mind work best? Are you a sticky note person? Are you a legal pad person? Are you a digital? Are you tablet? Or are you like a combination of all of them? And you may not realize that creates a level of kind of chaos because you're like, I know I wrote that down. I know I saw it. Where was that? Because of all the things that come at you that are unexpected. So I think mindset, having that glass half full mentality, I think mindset of really like thinking about being present during conversations so many times, I mean, directors, owners, we're multitaskers. I mean, you know, it's hard to have a mind of like being a single core processor really in, in this line of work, because, you know, it just, it, unfortunately, it's not like the phone's ringing, and then an employee needs you. And then a child, you know, has a minor injury. And then, you know, it's like, nope, it's all happening all at once. And so I just really think that mindset and, and doing the, I feel like professional growth starts with personal development. And I you know yourself, you know, like, gosh, I wish I was positive like her. I wish she's always happier. She's always smiling or like I'm directing a school just like she is. Like, why is her, why does she look so much like everything's just so much easier or better than I do? And I just realized like, everything's hard. Like everything is challenging. And so if you really, really, really put in some work to figure out, it's a little bit of soul searching, right? It's a little bit of like, okay, I want to be over here, but right now I'm stuck here. What can I do? Or what do I need to do to get to that more happy, positive place where I feel like I'm thriving versus surviving? You know, it's so, so really, you know, with mindset, I believe every moment you have a choice, you have a choice and the words that you say, You have a choice in your reaction, your, your affect, your body language. I mean, I have big eyes and I am animated and, you know, it's hard for me to hide, you know, what I'm thinking and what I'm feeling. And I feel like a lot of us are that way. Right. And in this early childhood, you know, developmental and in our career path, it's like you're having such deep and large conversations with everybody. And if your mindset isn't, kind of right, it's hard to be present and give the person, it's kind of like reading the room and listening versus hearing. There's things that I feel like people can snuff out if you're not genuine, if you're not really focused on them. And no matter what it is, a paying parent one of your employees, their need is the biggest thing. If they have walked into your office, if they have called you, if they've sent an email, most people expect an immediate response. Right. And so it's like what I think it's, it's important for each person to figure out like where mindset's concerned, what, what are the tools that work for you to kind of shift your mindset to it's kind of like, you know, okay, five seconds ago I was frustrated. Now I'm like, hi, you know, someone's in front of me and I'm like, how are you doing? And literally a few minutes ago, you were like, oh my gosh, this day is awful. You know, how do we, I can't wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow's going to be a better day and a new day. But even thinking that, you know, is a mindset shift that can really just kind of help you get through and not just, like I said, survive, but like, Be the best version of yourself. And, you know, I am not trying to be positive, Patty, like being unrealistic about, you know, how it just, I just know how I used to be. And I just know that it takes work. You don't just arrive at, you know, a positive mindset. Every single day, you have to literally like, you have to kick out those negative thoughts and those, you know, frustrating things that, you know, they're real life things that happen, you know, running a school and being a director, being an owner. And so, yeah, I mean, that's just my take on mindset that just do what you can personally to really help you kind of cope and handle what what comes at you that's unexpected, that really changes your mindset in the moment. I love that. And it kind of ties into your next pillar, the pillar number two of team. And you asked that question, are you a one person show or a team leader? Can you talk about that a little bit? That's a biggie. That's a biggie. Because I will tell you, I am a reformed task order. I was like, nobody can do it like I can do it. I do it best. It's my way. And what that equals is I don't trust. I don't place value in the skill set that the team members that work alongside of me bring to the table. So really like having some tough years of like, you know, asking like, it's the same question over and over again. And finally it clicked like, I'm the common denominator. Okay. Like I need a team. I can't be a one person show every single person from an, a director, however your structure is, you know, an owner, a director, assistant directors, curriculum coordinators, you know, an office manager, like whatever your, you know, the hierarchy of, of your team is, it's a team. And, you know, there's no letter I in the word team. And I used to crack up at that, like, that's so corny, you know, but, it is kind of true you know i mean it's a we and us type of thing and so i try to not use i terms as much because you know it is i i take little credit honestly little credit for the success of each of my schools i give homage and the praise and the appreciation Right. So they look at that class, that's the teaching team that they rely on each day. And so then you shift to your management team, right? It's called a management team for a reason. And those are the people that are at the core, the heartbeat of your school. Not just running logistics, but they're literally wiping a child's tears wiping a staff member's tears, like listening to them, whatever, how large or how small their need is. But the teaching team looks at the management team as their resource for help, their resource for whatever need they have for that to be met. And like that team word, I mean, teamwork makes the dream work. That is for real. It's another thing. you know, cheesy, corny thing to say, but it really does because guess what? In early childhood education, we're also in the customer service field. Okay. And we have a large responsibility to show up each day and to show up as leaders. I firmly believe in setting the standard for how you expect your team to perform. be to feel and i feel like you know if you don't have a strong team if you don't really work together it just you can see it you can feel it it's just it's the ick right um i feel like chemistry within a team is vital it truly is somebody can be amazing on paper The whole team can be amazing on paper, but if they don't have the chemistry and they don't form that connection, that personal connection, that connection that keeps them coming back each day because they care for a member of their team. It's the same with our teachers, you know. the chemistry, like we can try to make all your dreams come true. Right. Give you the perfect stage of development that you love working with the perfect shift that you, you know, want, you want to work seven. Everybody wants to work seven to two and everybody wants pre-K or, you know, like it. So it's like, we can do all of that, but if you're unable to say yes to all the things to every team member under and under your team, then it's, There's got to be that give and take of the foundation of the relationship. There was trust built. There was, hey, you know, I hear you. I see you. You know, there's that, you know, recognition of how each person in the team feels appreciated, valued, seen, heard, respected. You know, all of those things, they all work hand in hand. And it starts in there. the classroom with chemistry of the right teachers the combination you know it's it never works if there's two hens in the hen house right um but but also also really making one person not feel like they're being bossed by another person like it's a it's training even the teachers to form a team within their classroom. And then if you have multiple age groups, like you have two, three-year-old classes or four, three-year-old classes, like having them work as a team so that they can collaborate together. You know, there's nothing worse when you walk in, not just in a school, but think about it, a classroom. Okay. And you walk in and you're like, Oh, I could cut the tension with a knife in here. Like this doesn't seem fun and joyful and happy. Well, I always go back to looking at the team. Is there a breakdown somewhere with that unit, that team? So it's kind of one of the most important things is the team mentality because everybody brings strength to a team. Everybody brings their talents and the things that they're passionate about. If someone's passionate about something, they typically will thrive at it and you can see it and feel it and you can feel their energy. It just is like, Oh wow. Okay. This is amazing. This is happy. This is joyful. But when it's the opposite, it's like, I think as a leader, sometimes we have kind of a lens of like what we're doing in that moment and not really seeing like, is the team functioning the way it should? Is our management team, you know, kind of, accomplishing all of the things that need to be accomplished every hour every day every week every month every year you know um for us we just sent out parent surveys you know that's just such a snapshot of an overview but we want to know from them like do you feel like our team our management team is you know doing a great job for your child for your family you know we asked the same about the teaching team so the word team i just feel like it just it can't be a one-person show and it's it's not i'm as i said i'm a reformed task order i realized long ago that you can't do it alone no no and it is hard to hand over that control too i mean i get it it's a hard thing it is It is. It's like, it's like, how can, it's like, you don't want to remove the humanness of, because what we do is so relational. Right. It's like, but you kind of have to like, okay, we're a team, like kind of like get your mind back to mindset, get, get your mind right. You know, where, okay, I have a team. I need to trust them because when you're a leader that doesn't trust, then you're, it turns into micromanaging. And I used to always say, I do not micromanage. But there were things that I was doing that didn't read to me as if I was micromanaging my team, but they felt micromanaged. So through some real hard questions and asking each person some things, I realized, okay, it's time for me to shift my mindset around how to be a better team leader. So I look at myself as the team leader because for me, I set the standard of how I want to model The team behavior for each of them as a director manages a management team. And then teachers, a lot of schools have a lead teacher, assistant teacher type of structure. Or what if everybody is equal and co-teaches? There's still somebody that has a different skill set than somebody else. I mean, that's what makes the world go round, the differences within all of us. But that's also what makes a great team. They're just some things to think about. And another thing to think about, pillar three is systems. And you break this down to two parts, into policies and procedures. So what's the difference and why are these so important? So, okay, so system. So It's like when I hear the word system, I start thinking like engineering or something, you know, like, yeah, right. You know, and, and yes, we, we are early childhood development. Okay. But think of it like this. So you have policies. Okay. So policies are the rules. Policies are the things that you or the owner has decided are the rules. no-fly zone, the things that our mission is going to be about. The policies are the things that can make you or break you if you don't enforce them, if you do not have consistency within your team, if you do not follow your own policies. As a leader, as a director, as an owner, If I go, I call it go when my team, look, I'm using the word team. I always say team, you know, when I will say the phrase like, okay, somebody's gone rogue here. That's my way of saying somebody's broken a policy. Somebody has, you know, not followed the processes in which we have created so that there are best practices. Okay. So systems are, to me is very important. I've learned a lot about this and the trainings that I've been to, you know, I referenced the childcare summit success summit. Oh my gosh. I mean, so many different leaders in our industry, just videos, webinars, talking about policies actually matter. And guess what? The downside of not following policies or policies, allowing some to follow policies and some to not follow policies, that is not just for the childcare industry. It is for any company you're running, any business, you know, consistency and fairness. It's important. I mean, policies are often created because something has gone awry or a situation, right? And you're like, we need a policy about that so that that doesn't happen again or again. If it does, there is a consequence. There's going to be something that happens if an employee chooses to do this. So policies, when it comes to systems, very important. The second part is procedures. So procedures are how you're going to actually follow the rule of the policy. So a process, a procedure, kind of the same thing, right? you have this policy, but you're like, how are we going to do that every day? Okay, well, we create a system, which is the procedure part of like how you actually are going to follow what that policy is. And so I think that it's super important if you do either monthly staff meetings, or if you have, you know, in service days where you're training your teaching staff or Having either one-on-ones, I love to have one-on-ones with management members. I just started something new. Instead of doing an annual review with them, I like to do a quarterly performance review where it's a back-and-forth conversation of, Because it's hard to think, you know, a year ago, like, oh, you had an issue with, you know, really like bonding with your staff, you know, talking about that and all of the procedures that you did to get to a better place. That's hard when long time periods have gone on. So I just, I think of like the procedures, it's the how to. It's the kind of roadmap process. To give each of your employees from your management team on down, it's a roadmap of what to do to actually follow the policy. I like it. Putting it into action. Yes. Yeah, for sure. All right. Putting something else into action. Pillar four, marketing. I know this is something you are really passionate about and you're really good at it too. And that parents are on social media. And a question that you're asking is, are you creating content that is relevant and eye-catching? How do you do that? Well, I mean, just the main thing, the parents are hanging out on the socials. Are you, you know, and most humans are like we are looking at reviews. We're looking on Yelp. We're not eating. We're not even putting food in our mouth until we're looking at the reviews of a restaurant or before we're making a reservation. Right. So we think about like someone's the most important thing in their life. Right. Is their child. Second thing may typically be money. Right. Two. very important and and we have both of them okay so when you think about marketing you want to put your best foot forward you want to show people what amazing opportunities their child has by coming to your school you want to show the fun the engaging side of it like you want to show just a snapshot of yourself and your staff and your programming i mean so many things right now of course having a waiver putting a child you know on the world wide web super important to do of course um but i i feel like it's not just content of you know them playing on the playscape it's really showing Prospectful parents, you know, what their child would be doing if they came to our school, you know, if they came to the prep that, you know, we believe we are the best and early childhood education. And so why? Well, we have to paint a visual picture of that because a lot of times people are going to socials and going into online You know, your Facebook, your I mean, some schools have TikToks now. You know, they're looking at Instagram. They're looking at your Yelp reviews, your Google reviews. They're looking at testimonials on your website. You know, I recommend all of those things. Our franchise team works very, very hard on on working with our management team. See the word team, you know, together hand in hand, because, you People know if it's a dog and pony show or if it's just smoke and mirrors, right? They know if it's just like you just put on a whole show. Now, some posts can be staged and definitely there is validity in that. But some posts, I think you have to show different facets of what you want to bring to... Thank you so much. grow your family, please, you know, do that right here at our school. We love to accommodate you, but the marketing piece, you know, making sure that you are putting your best foot forward. That's essential. It's just, it's hands down. One of the most important things you can do. And you just talked about the, you know, the importance of being authentic, not putting on a, you know, a show that's people aren't, it doesn't, it doesn't, isn't genuine. And people are going to realize that. But what are some other mistakes you see when childcare leaders do these social media posts? I feel like if you are not authentic with what the point is you're trying to show, you know, if it just is kind of pointless or kind of random or not intentional, then the people viewing it won't really understand the meaning behind it. The reason you decided to post whatever you posted on your social media. And remember, I mean, think about the old saying, you know, don't judge a book by its cover. But I mean, you are 100% judged by your cover. And that book cover is your social media. And it truly is. you know, how you choose to market for us. I mean, we have an amazing team that works together with our graphic artists so that our branding is consistent. Okay. Number one, our Brit, like you can see something and say that has to be from the prep a million percent, you know? So it's like curating, like, post and curating, you know, what you want people to receive about you in the right way and, and being very clear and direct with it and not confusing, like too many things to me, it could be just, it could kind of feel chaotic, you know? So I just recommend just really having a clear focus and not kind of being all over the place with it. All right. Another two more. Oh, I'm sorry. One other thing. One other thing that I just thought of that, you know, I think is super important to mention Leah is, you know, make sure that you have a caption or words like explaining what it is that you, because remember you're painting a visual picture. And they're not in it in the room, at your school, but you want them to feel like, oh my gosh, I want my child to experience that. And so words matter, words matter. And a caption or some sort of explanation of what the post is all about is super important. Agree, 100%. Like, what am I looking at? Right, yeah. All right, now we'll go on our last two pillars. Pillar five. And this is financial. If the school makes money, you make money, enroll, retain, and fill your school. Can you walk us through that? Well, let's not forget. We are not charity. We are running a business. We are running a business for profit. So the financial piece is super, super important. It's so many different facets. It starts with Do some market research. Figure out every single child care in your area. What are they charging per age? What are they paying their teachers? Look on Indeed.com. Do some research to make sure that you're relevant in your demographic and that you are charging what your value is for your program. Absolutely. Absolutely. But I think a lot of people have the fear of, oh, I can't be more than my competitor because then people won't come. Well, yes, they will. You explain to them why you're more with confidence and with a strong tone of like, Let me tell you all the ways, you know, and that's one thing that we really do an amazing job of training our management team about and our teachers also. I mean, our teachers are our spokespeople, right? I mean, when a parent walks in our school, they were the nicest management team ever. The school was amazing. It sells itself, but they really want to meet that teacher, right? And so that teacher, if they are not trained with all the nuts and bolts, that can affect us financially. It could be the difference of a parent enrolling or not enrolling, right? The financial piece, I will say, if a lot of people shy away from collecting tuition, like, I'm not a bill collector. That's awkward. But listen, if you don't go back to that policy and then the procedure of being consistent every single month and reaching out and then having conversation. And in, you know, the most positive way possible of, you know, hey, I really want to partner with you, I will work together, you know, tuition is due, you know, whatever day of the month that it's due for your school, and I really need some help from you to get caught up and let's work together so that we can obtain the same goal. because I want your child to continue being able to go to our school. And I want your family to continue to partner together because we love you. But the financial piece, it's key. So along with 5,000 other things that are a director's number one responsibility, for me, a director's number one responsibility is to enroll the school. They're there to fill your school. So what does that mean? That equals financial success, right? But it only equals financial success if that tuition is collected. So I feel like really following your procedures and your policies on collecting that tuition, setting the standard with your paying families that tuition is due. On this day period, the end, late fees will be started to accrue. And after this point, your child will not be able to attend if tuition hasn't been paid or whatever it is. But I'm also a firm believer that because our management team is in the trenches, right? They're enrolling, they're having these conversations on the phone with a prospective parent. We do an amazing job of giving back to them and bonuses and having goals set, you know, to have a certain number of FTEs, which is full-time equivalents, right, of students and, you know, really setting that standard so that they feel like I'm making money when the company's making money. And that's a connection that I think that it really gives directors directing is, is a hard job. It's, it's, it's not the most easy position in the world. Right. And owning a school isn't either, but if you really lead with, with your heart and intentional, I feel like the financial success comes because, you know, I mean, at some point if they're not paying tuition, then they're, you'll have to have a harder conversation about it. But I firmly believe that, and my business partners do too, that rewarding our management teams financially, and that's everybody in our management team is financially rewarded when the success of the school is there. And that financial piece is we are running a business, we're running a company. And so sometimes that is missed. in the structure of a school. Like there's a big financial stake here. There's bills to pay, there's loans to repay, there's utilities to pay. I mean, we can't have classes set at 67 degrees or I mean the electricity bill, utilities would be out the roof. So it's like all of that working together. But I think it's important to really think about as an owner if you haven't thought about, you know, really, you know, giving your management team some goals, some financial goals. It's not just about collecting tuition because parents absolutely feel like just a number or you're just here to swipe their card or collect their check if there's not that relational piece behind it.

UNKNOWN: 37:47

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01: 37:47

And we do hear that from a lot of our customers, the headaches involved with collecting tuition. And I just want to put it out there that with ProCare, you can have parents set up auto pay or recurring payments weekly, monthly. And yeah, it's such an awkward conversation. So I totally get that. It is. And I'll tell you, we love ProCare. Tuition Express is brilliant because... What Tuition Express does is you have that family's ACH, you have their credit card or their debit card, and you have preloaded that into each family. family's Tuition Express account. And that puts you in control. Like I am in control when I process all of our Tuition Express. So all of our ACH payments, all of our credit card payments, debit card payments, every single month at the same time of month, like I'm in control. Yet they also have the ability to go on to their MyProcure account and pay for something on their own in that way. So if you don't have a system set up, created, then I mean, We're running a business. The financial piece is huge. And so is number six, relational focus. Yes. What does that mean? I know, right? It sounds all like, is it like a therapy session or is it like woo-woo? What does relational focus mean? I mean, so for me, it means that Every single relationship starts with a genuine conversation between people. And in running a business, running a school, that's the most important thing. If somebody feels comfortable with you, trust automatically just starts forming, you know? being relational means that you are interested in engaging with the person that's either on the other side of the camera, just like each of you, like you showed up for this podcast for this training today. And that means something to me. That means I know Talia that you are interested in learning more and you want to know more. And the relational piece to me, it's very sincere. It's, it's, it's, It's genuine. It's something that people can see when you make an effort. And that's your teaching staff. I mean, you have to be relational with them. It's not just about like, here's your shift. Here's your classroom. Bye. It's literally like your office can be a revolving door nonstop of H.R., And what do you have to do sitting on the other side of the desk of one of your employees that's struggling? Most of the time, it's not any struggle having to do with their classroom or work. It's just life struggles, right? And I feel like being an empathetic person to a parent who's struggling, who you have to have a conversation with about their child, right? biting behavior, you know, if you have that relation where the word relational, you know, comes from relationship, if you have that with them from the start, but it's not just about when they take a tour or when they register, it has to continue after that. It has to be a relationship where it continues to build and grow, right? Well, Our schools are very large. We have, you know, 220 minimum students. So you think about that times two parents. OK, that's already 450 plus people. Then all of the grandparents and family members or, you know, nannies or other caregivers that are involved. You're having a relationship with a lot of people. Then you think about your, you know. it could be two staff members to 50 staff members, or for me, it's, you know, over a hundred, you know, you think about like, it's important for, you know, for them to know, to know me and for me to know their name, like the relational piece is vital. And I just think that sometimes it's myths. And to me, it's the bread and butter of being successful in early childhood education, because We're taking care of humans, of children. And to a parent, that's their most prized possession. And so really forming a relational bond with people, it's just vital. It's a part that is the one thing that's most of the time overlooked and not focused on, but it can get you through the toughest times or the biggest conversations. And it's just one of those things that has to be there, literally. So for everyone listening who wants to put these pillars to work in their childcare business, I mean, what's the first step? How do they make these pillars happen? Well, here's the thing. Everybody learns something from somewhere or someone, right? So don't take a big bite. Think of a cookie. Don't take a big bite out of it. Let's talk about a crumb. You have to start somewhere. Don't put the pressure on yourself of like, oh my God, I have to do all these things and I have to do them right now. Because nine times out of 10, that comes with overwhelm, that brings a level of anxiety and stress. And we already have all that going on as humans, right? So it's like, just think about like one thing at a time, one day at a time, one mindset shift at a time, okay? One policy at a time, one policy. conversation at a time sitting on the other side of someone where you're having a relational you're building the relationship so that's the best advice I have is not just yes I've talked about a lot of things right but like what can you implement and what can you shift or change change is a word that makes humans freak out a little bit I think change is exciting I invite it I think it's the thing that makes humans evolve into where they want to go. You don't just wake up and, you know, you've, you own a childcare. What did you do over the years or the steps to get to that place where you are now? You know, think of it in the same way. Like think about little steps at a time. So that's my best advice. I love it. Heather, thank you so much for joining us today and taking so much time out of your day to explain all this. Could you share with our listeners where they could find out more about you, your organization, your website, that kind of thing you want to spread the word about? Absolutely. Thank you so much. So our website, theprepschools.com. You know, we are a national franchise company. We are a fast growing company that we're ever changing and ever evolving because we want to be innovators in the childcare industry. And we want to not, it's not just always about technology. It's not always about, it's like, you got to get back to the root of what makes you, you and you special and that consistent branding. So, yeah, I mean, that's how to reach me. Heather White, the prep schools. My email is heatherw.prepschools.com. All right. Well, thanks again, Heather. And thank you to everybody out there listening who's in ECE and child care. Thank you so much for the work you do every day. This is coming from a working mom, so it is genuine. You're making a difference in the lives of those young learners and also for moms and dads out there, too. So we hope to see you next time. Have a great day, everyone.

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And we'll talk to

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you soon.

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Bye.

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Until next time.