Ep 197 with Neshanta Linson: Creating an Extended Family In Her Community
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Neshanta Linson is the owner of Hermes Enchanted Garden, a boutique early childhood program in Lower Alabama. Starting as a home-based daycare, her center has grown into a thriving, community-driven school that blends classical education, family values, and a strong sense of connection. Beyond her role as a business owner, Neshanta is deeply committed to servant leadership, fostering an environment where families, staff, and children feel like an extended family. In this episode, she shares how she built a family-centered school culture where staff and parents feel truly connected. Neshanta...
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Ep. 196 with The Sisters (M. Mercedes & Maria Consuela): What Does ECE Stand For? Empathy-Courage-Excellence
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Kris welcomes The Sisters, Sister M. Mercedes Diaz and Sister Maria Consuela Garzón of St. Francis Daycare Center in Alton, Illinois, who also just happen to be the winners of the 2024 Child Care Rockstar Contest! In this episode, the sisters share their journey of leading a 45‑year‑old institution, discussing their leap into early childhood education without prior daycare experience, transforming systems post‑COVID, and embracing a “whatever it takes” mindset. Their story reveals the heart, courage, and excellence that define a true ECE rockstar. Key Takeaways: ...
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Ep. 195 — Jacob Jensen: Stack Your WINS for Massive Momentum
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Jacob Jensen is the Executive Director of The Learning Station, a Christian-based child care organization in Myrtle Beach, and a coach for the Child Care Success Company. As a husband and father of two boys, Jacob is dedicated to providing exceptional early education while upholding core values like positivity, family, and excellence. With three schools serving nearly 500 children, Jacob focuses on empowering leaders and driving success in the child care industry. He is passionate about building strong communities and helping child care businesses thrive. In this episode, Jacob...
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Ep. 194 — Creating Beauty From Tragedy with Michelle Masjedi
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Michelle Masjedi is a dedicated early childhood educator and business owner in Los Angeles. As the founder of The Journey Begins and the soon-to-open The Journey Continues, she has spent over 30 years shaping the future of child care. In this episode, Michelle shares how she and her community have rallied together in the wake of the devastating California fires, working to provide emergency child care, support families in crisis, and address the gaps in disaster infrastructure for young children. Beyond that, she goes more into the systems and leadership strategies that have transformed her...
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Ep. 193: Tameenah Adams — Feeling Alive in ’25
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Tameenah Adams is a Certified Child Care Success Academy (CCSA) Business Coach and a seasoned entrepreneur who has successfully owned and operated multiple childcare centers in the DC Metro area. As a coach, she helps childcare owners streamline operations, build high-performing teams, and achieve sustainable growth. With over 25 years of experience in HR, business management, and leadership development, Tameenah launched ChildcareHR to support childcare owners with HR, compliance, and scaling their businesses. In this episode, Tameenah and Kris dive into the feelings wheel and discuss...
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Ep. 192: Thomas Brawner - Build a Great Team Around You
Child Care Rockstar Radio
Kris welcomes Thomas Brawner, Owner and CFO of Alta Schoolhouse, a Montessori-inspired preschool located in Lakeland, Florida. Thomas first talks about his and his wife's journey to Lakeland - his wife had previous experience as a director at a childcare center, while Thomas came from a business background but shared a passion for working with kids. Thomas provides an inspiring glimpse into the strategies he and his wife used to successfully open Alta Schoolhouse, after facing challenges with their first two location attempts, emphasizing the importance of understanding the dynamics of their...
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Ep. 191: The Power of Story with Brenda and Geordie McClay
Child Care Rockstar Radio
In this episode, host Kris Murray welcomes Brenda and Geordie McClay, the dynamic husband-wife team behind Bright Ideas Child Care and Learning Center. Brenda and Geordie share their remarkable journey, from Brenda's initial desire to be an elementary school teacher to opening their first childcare center in 2009 and expanding to a second location in 2020. The McClays discuss the challenges they’ve faced, particularly with hiring quality staff during the pandemic, and the strategies they’ve employed to overcome these hurdles. This includes partnering with local high schools to develop an...
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Ep. 190 — Fail Your Way To Success with Constance Sholar Cherry
Child Care Rockstar Radio
This week, Kris welcomes Constance Sholar Cherry, the powerhouse owner of Creative Home Academy, to share her remarkable journey from home daycare to running multiple thriving centers. Constance discusses her growth through challenges, especially navigating the launch of her center during the pandemic, and emphasizes the “don’t just survive, thrive” mindset. Constance also highlights the value of creating a positive culture, personal development for staff, and the rewards of seeing children go from surviving to thriving. Key Takeaways: [9:15] Constance joins the show and...
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Ep. 189 — The Power of Story with Jon Sieber
Child Care Rockstar Radio
It’s all about the story this week as Kris welcomes Jon Sieber, Co-Founder of Story Time Learning, and Story Time Chess, an innovative early learning and education-based product for kids and adults of all ages. Jon shares how he went from theater to chess to Story Time, the power of storytelling to help children learn complicated concepts such as chess or coding, and the importance of storytelling in creating meaningful connections and learning experiences. He and Kris also talk about the importance of consistency in personal and professional goals, and the future exciting plans for Story...
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Kris Murray: What Would You Love?
Child Care Rockstar Radio
What would you love in your life? This week, Kris goes solo to explore the power of possibility and heeding the universe’s call—wet pants and all. She recaps highlights from the Child Care Success Summit and reflects on her own journey from CEO to strategic founder. This shift, she shares, has opened doors to new passions and personal growth. Through her transformation, Kris inspires listeners to step outside their comfort zones and fully embrace life’s possibilities. At the end of the episode, she talks about her new coaching, combining conscious leadership with business badassery....
info_outlineKris welcomes the awesome Kim Harris, affectionately known as "Big Ups," from The Harris & Tucker School in Connecticut. Kim talks about getting her structures “right and tight” and how she stays on the pulse of good leadership. She talks more about the rich legacy of The Harris & Tucker School, and their mission to create superhero influencers and a culture that connects the whole community. She expounds more on Harris & Tucker’s values of respect, integrity, and faith-based education and how she has accomplished so many goals over the years, one of which was getting accredited.
Key Takeaways:
[10:55] Kim joins the show and talks about Harris & Tucker schools, along with how it is a product of the civil unrest in the 60s.
[12:00] Harris & Tucker becoming an urban epicenter and growth community.
[15:23] Harris & Tucker is the only Black-woman, family-owned-and-operated, nationally accredited faith-based urban center in the area.
[16:56] Kim speaks more about Harris & Tucker’s leadership structure.
[20:56] The two big things that really set Harris & Tucker apart.
[22:03] Creating superhero influencers.
[24:28] Where did the phrase “big ups” come from?
[25:04] Kim discusses taking on her new role after her mother’s passing and her vision for growth, including national accreditation.
[27:03] The beauty of longevity in the community, along with values such as community connection and ongoing education.
[28:02] Why the pandemic was the best thing that happened to the school.
[33:26] The benefits they have seen since joining the Childcare Success Academy.
[36:11] Automating operations and systems.
[38:24] Plans for the cultural activities center.
[41:27] The famous soap story!
[44:13] Kim defines a childcare rockstar as someone who has helped to create a movement through transforming their community.
Quotes:
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“This is because of the mindset of two black women who came to Connecticut, and said that they were going to make a difference and do the things that they were going to do.” — Kim [12:22]
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“We walk our core values. We talk about it all the time.” — Kim [20:33]
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“We can talk about all the dreams and everything that we want to have in life, but if we don’t do the action part, it doesn't happen.” — Kim [22:30]
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“That's what we teach our kids here with the school — you have a chance to create your hustle, create your legacy, and to keep it going.” — Kim [44:14]
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“To be a childcare rockstar is a movement that just moves us all forward. I think when you arrive at the status of childcare Rockstar, you've helped to create a movement. ” — Kim [45:38]
Sponsored By:
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)
Use the code CCSC5 to claim a free course!
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Child Care Success Company
The Child Care Success Academy
Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal.