Episode 208 with Rachel Supalla — Creating Leadership Magic In Her Ruby Slippers

Kris is joined by longtime friend, business visionary, and rockstar early childhood leader Rachel Supalla. Rachel is the founder of Vision Tree, a TEDx speaker, and the author of The Playful Leader’s Toolkit, a book packed with wisdom on leading with joy, grounding, and energy. With 10 schools across Montana and Utah, Rachel shares how she’s scaled her business while embracing what she calls “ruby slipper leadership.” They talk about managing energy instead of time, why remote teams need tight leadership structures, and how playfulness is more than just dress-up — it’s a strategy for productivity. Rachel also opens up about living with ADHD and how it shapes her leadership style, creativity, and drive.

 

Key Takeaways:

[5:26] Rachel shares her evolution from center owner to coach and consultant, and how joining the Child Care Success Academy changed her career path.
[6:36] She talks about scaling rapidly across three regions and how Vision Tree emerged as her consulting and leadership training brand.
[9:05] Rachel loves lake life and is a proud mom of four kids and grandma to baby Zeke.

[10:39] Fun fact: Rachel’s trip with her grandma (who some thought was her sister) to Ireland at age 13, including a spontaneous solo in a pub, was an early clue that she’d someday take the stage.
[12:46] Rachel explains how The Playful Leader’s Toolkit came out of her ADHD-fueled trial-and-error experiences, and why she believes burnout is not a badge of honor.

[14:12] Ruby slippers became a metaphor for grounding, confidence, and leadership clarity, especially in high-pressure seasons. Once you’ve got the right shoes on, you can do anything!

[16:41] Managing energy (not just time) helps Rachel structure her day and lead effectively, especially as a neurodivergent leader.

[20:24] She breaks down the “max of 10” rule for direct reports and why it protects leadership bandwidth across large teams.
[24:34] Rachel gives a deep dive into her favorite systems: Playground, JotForm Enterprise, Teachable, and Zapier.
[27:16] Playfulness isn’t fluff — it’s a mindset that supports innovation, brain-based leadership, and mental reset when teams are stressed.
[32:03] Rachel walks through her M.A.G.I.C. framework, the five pillars of playful leadership.

[35:40] Doing a TEDx Talk was terrifying and transformational; the unexpected outcome was a deeper conversation about ADHD and leadership.

[39:15] Rachel shares her seasonal schedule, non-negotiables like football and summer in Montana, and the power of team infrastructure.

[41:48] She teases her upcoming course, focused on helping women scale their culture without losing their soul.

 

Quotes:

“I think that’s probably where I learned the most about how to run a remote team, was being an employee for the Child Care Success Academy.” — Rachel [7:46]

 

“You go up the ladder in life when you’re succeeding and you’re accomplishing, and you get to this level of contribution, and that’s the level that I feel like I’m at. And I want to give back. I want to help people do it faster, the right way, from my mistakes. So that’s what inspired me to write my book.” — Rachel [13:46]

 

“That’s when I’m most productive, when my energy is managed. It doesn’t have anything to do with time. You can have time blocked. You can have all the time in the world. But if your energy sucks, you’re not going to get anything done.” — Rachel [17:46]

 

“I think that’s been the biggest thing, learning to manage my energy.” — Rachel [18:29]

 

“From the beginning, we have learned to automate, delegate, eliminate.” — Rachel [21:10]

 

“Play is not just, let’s dress up and have a potluck. It’s a mindset.”— Rachel [26:15]

 

“I am very passionate about this playful leadership concept. It’s an idea. It’s silly to some, it’s weird to others, and it’s powerful to others. And I really do think that if you embrace it, it’s going to change the way we teach children, it’s going to change the way we lead our companies, and it’s going to make the world a more happy, innovative, creative place, which is what we’re lacking right now, and so I am very passionate about that.” — Rachel [36:48]

 

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

The Playful Leader’s Toolkit 

A Quest of Creative Culture Building with Rachel Supalla

The power of play for better leadership | Rachel Supalla | TEDxParkland

Vision Tree