Libsyn Directory

Ep. 220 - Becoming Stronger and Getting Better Each Day with Cynthia Maher

Release Date: 02/05/2026

Ep. 220 - Becoming Stronger and Getting Better Each Day with Cynthia Maher

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Are you ready to grow stronger as a leader and show up bigger for your center? This week, Kris sits down with Cynthia Maher, owner and founder of Bedford Child Development Center in Michigan, and a proud finalist in the 2025 Child Care Rockstar Contest. Cynthia shares what it felt like to be on that big stage, the personal breakthroughs she experienced, and the mindset shifts that are helping her move forward with more clarity and confidence than ever before. With over 20 years in the field, Cynthia opens up about her team culture, marketing strategies, and why her center’s...

Ep. 219 - Having a Seat at the Right Table Is Everything with Kyleigh Tolman and Keaton Ross

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kyleigh Tolman and Keaton Ross are the powerhouse sister duo behind Klever Kidz Academy in rural Southeast Oklahoma. With three centers and over 300 children served, Kyleigh and Keaton have built something deeply rooted in family, community, and intentional leadership. During their chat with Kris, they share how they’ve infused fun, core values, and heart into their culture, from heart-shaped tattoos with their leadership team to parent survival kits and walkout-proof staff meetings. They also open up about enrollment challenges in rural areas, personal development routines, and...

Ep. 218 - Stamp Your Center’s Footprint in the Community with Megan Ferring

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! In this episode, Kris sits down with Megan Ferring, a dynamic regional director at Hamilton Heights Child Development Center, where her 16-year journey began as a preschool teacher. Megan’s deep commitment to both operational excellence and playful leadership recently earned her the Director of the Year award. Kris and Megan talk about how Hamilton Heights approaches leadership structure, branding, and enrollment strategy across its six locations. Megan shares her perspective on centering community connections, building team culture, and...

Ep. 217 - Not Your Typical Childcare Center with LaVonda Paul

Child Care Rockstar Radio

This week, Kris welcomes LaVonda Paul, a trailblazing early childhood leader and fourth-generation entrepreneur, for an inspiring conversation about legacy, leadership, and the power of showing up. As the owner of Small Impressions Child Development Center in Taylors, South Carolina, LaVonda has spent 19 years building a community-first program. In the episode, LaVonda talks with Kris about how she’s cultivated deep trust with families, built a rock-solid team culture, and gone all-in on advocacy, helping shape policy while showing up for children, parents, and educators alike. She opens...

Ep. 216 - What “Trust the Process” Really Means with Kris Murray

Child Care Rockstar Radio

It’s solo episode time! Kris shares insights from her new book, The Antidote to Fear, and outlines three practical ways to trust yourself and the process. She talks about embracing fear and self-doubt, including her “yoga mat” moment that changed her career direction. Kris discusses manifestation as a giving process and highlights the importance of creating quiet spaces for intuition and growth. She also gives an update on her recent women’s retreat in Maui. Key Takeaways: [2:22] Kris explains the concept of “trust the process” from the Success Academy’s guiding...

Ep. 215 - How Disney's Service Values Can WOW Your Customer with Vance Morris

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kris welcomes Vance Morris, former security guard turned Disney leader and successful entrepreneur, for a trip to the happiest place on earth — great customer service! Vance helps business owners get, serve, and keep clients for life through creating experiences and response-required marketing. He shares real-world strategies to delight customers, build community buzz, and drive word-of-mouth referrals. In this episode, Vance breaks down Disney’s hiring and training magic and the “why” behind it, how it transforms the customer experience, the role of linertainment, and how...

Ep. 214 - Fixing a Broken Culture with Intentional Leadership with Ashanti Ordone

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kris welcomes Ashanti Ordone, the Founder and CEO of Gifted & Talented Academy, and the 2025/26 Child Care Rock Star Award winner! They talk about expanding from a home daycare to three locations, transforming her school’s culture, and overcoming challenges in the early childhood education landscape. Ashanti shares her powerful story of building a thriving early learning center, detailing how she developed rock-solid core values and poured into her leadership team, implemented innovative leadership strategies, and turned her school’s culture into a model of excellence. Key...

Ep. 213 - Getting Your Operational “Stuff” Together with Jami Hartmann

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Want to stop the revolving door of teachers and create a rock-solid childcare team? Kris talks with Jami Hartmann from Trainual about how the right systems can transform your center’s operations. They dig into practical strategies for finding great staff, training them effectively, and keeping them motivated. Jami shares some great insights on getting your whole team aligned, creating smooth onboarding, and using technology to make documentation easier. If you’re struggling with staff turnover and want to build a more consistent, high-performing center, this episode is packed with...

Ep. 212 - Leveraging Word of Mouth Marketing for Fast Growth with Josh and Pamela Hernandez

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kris welcomes Josh and Pamela Hernandez, owners of Montessori Kids Universe Stone Oak. The duo talks about their path into early childhood education and opening up MKU, tips for starting out with cash flow out of the gate, and enrollment strategies that worked for them. They also chat with Kris about using referral rewards, how they balance family and business, marketing tools that help them build trust and stand out in their community, the need for the industry to collaborate more, and how they keep their staff happy and inspired. Key Takeaways: [5:04] Joshua and Pamela talk...

Ep. 211 - Chasing Cows and Building Dreams Into a 12-Center Empire with Jennifer House and Jenni Grawvunder

Child Care Rockstar Radio

Kris welcomes “The Jens”, aka Jennifer House (CEO) and Jenni Grawvunder (COO) of Children’s Choice Preschool, to share the remarkable story behind their 12-center child care empire in San Diego County. What started as a nonprofit program with 25 children has grown into a thriving operation serving nearly 1,300 kids across 11 centers (with a 12th on the way) and supported by a team of over 300 staff. From pet chickens to RV-based school openings, the Jens talk about blending practical business strategy with fun, managing both nonprofit and for-profit centers, building culture...

More Episodes

With over 20 years in the field, Cynthia opens up about her team culture, marketing strategies, and why her center’s motto, “treat others as you want to be treated”, is more than just words on a wall.

Key Takeaways:

[3:14] A big podcast announcement!

[8:04] Cynthia shares how she's using discounts and community awareness to drive enrollment at Bedford Child Development Center.

[9:21] She’s been in the field her whole adult life and has owned her center for over 20 years.

[10:10] Cynthia lights up when she talks about watching children grow and hit those magical “lightbulb” moments.

[12:49] For her, this work is more than a job — it’s a calling and a ministry.

[13:44] Cynthia reflects on how much she’s grown as a leader, especially in shifting her mindset around business ownership.

[15:13] She gives a peek into her personal life, from her supportive husband to the joys of being a grandmother.

[18:21] Cynthia breaks down the community partnerships that are helping her center thrive, like working with the local library and schools.

[23:24] Her leadership style centers on treating staff like family and making sure every team member feels supported and properly trained.

[24:34] Building a strong, connected team culture has always been a top priority at Bedford.

[26:06] Cynthia walks through how her admin team is structured to help things run smoothly and support both teachers and families.

[27:53] She talks about what it was like to be a finalist in the Rockstar Contest, and how it helped her step more fully into her power.

[31:20] Her “why” keeps her going: helping kids, building a legacy, and showing her team what’s possible.

[33:12] Cynthia encourages other leaders to take the leap, invest in themselves, and keep learning, no matter what stage they’re in.

Quotes:

“The development and watching children grow and flourish and getting those aha moments with the light bulb has always been like something that just drives me.” — Cynthia [10:10]

“It has always been my ministry to be with children and to work with the children.” — Cynthia [12:49]

“Our motto has always been to treat others as you would want to be treated.” — Cynthia [23:24]

“Just building that sense of teamwork and a culture that inspires excellence has always been what we have been focusing on.” — Cynthia [24:34]

TOPICS