In this episode, Jennifer shares a personal moment that slowed her down and clarified what matters most: impact, leadership, and protecting what's been entrusted to you. That framing sets the tone for a grounded conversation with Sharita "Rita" Brown, a long-time early childhood leader and Child Care Success Company coach, about one of the fears many owners carry quietly — the allegation that can shake everything.

Rita walks Jennifer through a season where her centers faced a false report, and they couldn't immediately produce the proof they needed. Instead of spiraling, they tightened their standards: documentation, overstaffing to protect ratios, and leadership that showed up in the building, not just on paper. This conversation is a real look at how "inspect what you expect" plays out when it's no longer a slogan, and why the simplest protection is often the most overlooked: documenting, consistently, as a team.

Key Takeaways:

[:08] Jennifer reflects on a recent car wreck and how being "shaken" clarifies what matters, and why "protect what you've built" is more than a mindset.

[6:07] Rita recounts the moment a false report landed, and they couldn't quickly find documentation to prove ratio coverage.

[8:45] The emotion behind it: feeling helpless — and realizing systems exist to protect children, staff, and families.

[10:24] What changed immediately: pushing systems, tightening documentation, and temporarily overstaffing to protect against ratio risk.

[14:28] "Inspect what you expect" as the non-negotiable leadership shift, especially across multiple sites.

[16:45] The practical reset: going into each center, one-on-ones, rebuilding buy-in, and modeling standards in real time.

[19:26] A more recent allegation (2025) and what it looked like to be ready this time: systems, documentation, leadership alignment, and no case.

[21:36] Rita's "one thing" every owner can do today: document, and make sure your team is documenting.

[28:41] Stepping into the CEO seat means boundaries: staying reachable without being on the floor every day and building leaders who can carry the work.

Quotes:

"What matters to me is not about playing a game. It's not about chasing something, wanting bigger and better. It's more about living a life that matters to me. It's about making an impact. It's about leading well and protecting what's been entrusted to me." — Jennifer [2:43]

"So we really pushed our systems and made sure that our documentation was in place from that moment, because we didn't have any proof to show them otherwise." — Rita [11:43]

"Inspect what you expect." — Jennifer / Rita [14:04]

"I think sometimes, as owners, we don't realize that there's no shortcut to time, there's no shortcut to personal interaction, there's no shortcut to modeling the behaviors you want to see." — Jennifer [18:03]

"Make sure your team is documenting." — Rita [21:08]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

@iamkrismurray

Jennifer Conner

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal

Sharita Brown

A new season of Child Care Rockstar Radio begins with Jennifer Conner, CEO of the Child Care Success company, stepping in as host! Jennifer shares the real behind-the-scenes of her own journey: buying a struggling center, realizing "love and passion" alone won't sustain a business long-term, and learning how systems, finances, and leadership create the stability that protects your mission. Then Jennifer welcomes Michael Ingram, a legacy child care leader and school owner with multi-generational roots, to talk about the kind of leadership growth that doesn't show up on an org chart. Michael reflects on moving from defensiveness to connection, mentorship and choosing community over isolation, and learning how to create space. Michael also shares how mentorship changed his leadership, and why being the one everyone calls for answers can be a signal that it's time to find your own room of mentors.

Key Takeaways:

[1:10] Jennifer shares her journey from childcare owner to building a strong leadership team and moving to Mexico.

[1:25] She highlights how systems, finances, and leadership are critical to a sustainable childcare business.

[2:28] Jennifer talks about shifting from running schools remotely to becoming a coach and CEO rooted in love for children and families.

[9:32] Michael reflects on taking feedback too personally early on and learning to get comfortable with discomfort.

[16:20] Michael explains how stepping aside from his own ego and seeking mentorship transformed his leadership.

[20:22] He describes his school's model, which includes on-site OT, speech, and ABA therapy for children with higher needs.

[22:31] The challenges that Michael faces in his school, and how he works to overcome them.

[26:02] Michael's passion for advocacy and advice for someone who wants to get involved but doesn't exactly know how.

[29:11] Finding the right group that advocates for your cause.

[31:17] QTIP - Quit Taking It Personal, and how Michael learned to not take things so personally.

[35:23] Learning how to give and take space as a leader, and embracing the mantra "just for today".

Quotes:

"The version of you that started your center isn't necessarily the version of you that sustains it or carries it forward." [4:44] - Jennifer

"I had to get out of the way of knowing all the answers and allow the people who I am here to serve and work with to help me figure out those answers." [10:05] – Michael

"Where there's uncomfortability, that's where growth is. You know, that's the innovation of growth. And so, I had to be comfortable with being uncomfortable." [11:04] - Michael

"You just have to embrace the uncomfortability, and then you can step into greatness." [11:20] - Michael

"We are doing great things, and we are ready to accept families and support families where they're at. And I think when you have a voice, and you use that voice, other people often will hear it, and it will energize them to rally around a cause that you're passionate about." [29:43] - Michael

"When you operate out of space, that's when things fall into line." [35:09] - Michael

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

@iamkrismurray

Jennifer Conner

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal

Michael Ingram

Bedford Heights Daycare Center

In this heartfelt sendoff episode, Kris sits down with her very first hire, Camille St. Martin, for a deeply meaningful conversation about the postpartum experience, nervous system regulation, and the importance of truly seeing and supporting new moms. Camille, now a mother of two and the founder of Ritual Movement Mama, shares how her own experience of isolation and identity loss after childbirth sparked a mission to help mothers reconnect with their bodies, their breath, and their inner wisdom, one slow movement at a time.

Together, Kris and Camille explore what it means to return to yourself after birth, how child care leaders can support the full family system, and why "happier mamas" really do lead to "happier babies." This episode also marks a full-circle moment and a big transition — Kris's final episode as host of Child Care Rockstar Radio before passing the mic to new host and CEO of the Child Care Success Company, Jennifer Conner.

Key Takeaways:

[9:35] Camille talks about her experience of feeling isolated and disconnected after her children were born, and her desire to create a community of support for new moms.

[10:14] Ritual Movement Mama is aimed at helping new moms feel at home in their bodies and regulate their nervous systems.

[15:14] Camille shares her personal journey of quitting drinking and the coping skills she developed, which inspired her to help other new moms.

[17:43] Camille speaks candidly about postpartum depression screenings, the cultural default to medication, and the urgent need for alternative, holistic support.

[23:04] Instead of a rigid routine, Camille now teaches a "wheel of anchors," small, accessible practices like breathwork, movement, and prayer that help moms feel grounded again.

[25:27] Camille's personal life and projects.

[27:05] Fun fact! Camille INDEED was a professional hula hoop performer!

[31:26] Her new virtual program offers guided journaling, somatic movement, and imagery-based integration for women navigating identity shifts in early motherhood.
[34:58] Camille reminds child care leaders that they may be one of the first outside interactions for postpartum moms, and that those early moments imprint deeply.

[35:50] Kris reflects on her own child care experiences as a new mom, emphasizing the power of environments that support both the baby and the mother.

Quotes:

"Moms right now are so isolated, and there is not a lot of support, and there isn't a lot of support around healing as far as stepping into motherhood and transitioning into motherhood and learning how to cope and how to regulate our nervous systems and how to move into motherhood gracefully." — Camille [10:04]

"Lots of times we have the biggest shift of our lives and everything rearranges on the inside, our whole nervous system has been rearranged, and everyone just expects us to bounce back and go back to normal, and there's just not even a witnessing or a holding or a ceremony." — Camille [11:29]

"I would say it's kind of a real honoring and reverence for the transition into motherhood through movement and other integration processes." — Camille [31:18]

"Regulated mothers equal regulated children and happier families." — Camille [33:18]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

@iamkrismurray

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal

Ritual Movement Mama | IG

Miracle Morning