Shows / The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
Because childcare leadership deserves a real conversation.
If you're looking for another leadership podcast filled with corporate buzzwords and theories from people who haven't stepped inside a childcare center in years... this probably isn't it.
I'm Erica Saccoccio—a multi-center childcare owner, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and podcast host who still leads in the work every single day.
This podcast is for childcare directors, daycare owners, assistant directors, preschool leaders, and…
Episodes
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
618 The Power of Advocacy with Tim Kaminski
Send us Fan Mail Child care leaders are often expected to follow rules created by people who may not fully understand what it takes to run a program. In this…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
617: When the Job Costs You Your Health with Dr. Yvette Ledford
Send us Fan Mail How many times have we put our jobs before our health and convinced ourselves that it was simply part of being committed? In this powerful…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
616 What It Really Takes to Be a Childcare Director
Send us Fan Mail Being a childcare director can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be one of the hardest leadership roles in early childhood education. In…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
615 The Surprising Power of Music and Movement in Early Literacy
Send us Fan Mail How can music and movement help young children build stronger language and literacy skills? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
614 Bet on Yourself: Turning Your Skills Into Something Bigger
Send us Fan Mail What happens when you stop waiting for permission and finally decide to bet on yourself? In today’s episode of The Child Care Director’s…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
613 Grow Your People, Grow Your Organization
Send us Fan Mail Organizational growth does not begin with a new program, a bigger building, or a longer strategic plan. It begins with developing the people…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
612 Beyond Management: Becoming a Pedagogical Leader
Send us Fan Mail What does it truly mean to lead learning in an early childhood program? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica sits down…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
610 Why Your Best Teacher Struggles to Become a Supervisor
Send us Fan Mail Your best teacher may be dependable, respected, and amazing with children, but that does not always mean they are prepared to lead adults. In…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
609 The Workforce Is Not Failing—Our Leadership Approach Is
Send us Fan Mail Passion may bring educators into early childhood education, but passion alone will not keep them there. In this episode of The Child Care…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
608 You May Not Have a Staffing Problem
Send us Fan Mail What if the real problem is not that good teachers are impossible to find—but that something inside your program is making it difficult for…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
607 Who Is Holding the Childcare Director Together?
Send us Fan Mail Childcare directors spend their days holding everything together—the classrooms, the staff, the families, the schedules, licensing…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
606 Decode the Behavior, Reach the Child.
Send us Fan Mail What if the behavior challenging your classroom is actually a child’s way of asking for help? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
605 Are You Taking Your Best Teachers for Granted?
Send us Fan Mail Your best teachers are often the ones who show up, step in, solve problems, support others, and quietly hold everything together. But because…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
604 Are Great Leaders Born? The Leadership Myth That's Holding You Back
Send us Fan Mail Are great leaders born, or are they built? It's one of the oldest leadership debates, but I believe we've been asking the wrong question. Some…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
603 Sisters, Stories & Family Child Care
Send us Fan Mail What happens when two sisters each run their own family child care program? You get honest conversations, plenty of laughter, real-life…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
602 Family Child Care: More Alike Than Different
Send us Fan Mail After spending time with incredible family child care providers at the National Family Child Care Association Conference in Chicago and the…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
601 Finding Your Way
Send us Fan Mail Finding your way as a leader isn't always a straight path—and in early childhood education, every experience shapes the leader you become. In…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
600 The Secret to Strong Childcare Teams
Send us Fan Mail How can collaboration transform your childcare center and strengthen your leadership? In this episode of The Child Care Director's Chair…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
599 The Surprising Power of Intentional Collaboration in Child Care Teams
Send us Fan Mail Unlock the secret to transforming your early childhood program by cultivating a culture of genuine collaboration. If you're a director feeling…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
598 Lead Smarter with AI
Send us Fan Mail Artificial intelligence is here, and it's changing the way child care leaders work. But before you worry about AI replacing educators, let's…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
613 Bet on Yourself: Turning Your Skills Into Something Bigger
Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you stop waiting for permission and finally decide to bet on yourself?In today’s episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
597 Stop Leading Alone: Build Stronger Child Care Teams Together
Send us Fan Mail What if one of the biggest myths in early childhood education is that great leaders have to carry everything alone? In this episode of The…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
596 Stop Going Through the Motions.
Send us Fan Mail What if the most important part of your leadership isn't what you accomplish—but how you make people feel? In this episode of the Child Care…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
595 The Ripple Effect: The Leadership Decisions You Make Today Shape the Leaders of Tomorrow
Send us Fan Mail Every leader creates a ripple. The conversations you have, the feedback you give, the trust you extend, and the opportunities you provide…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
594 Confidence vs. Control: The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything
Send us Fan Mail In this powerful leadership episode, Erica Saccoccio explores one of the most misunderstood dynamics in early childhood leadership: the…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
🎙️ Trailblazer Spotlight: Angela MacCarthy's Leadership Journey
Send us Fan Mail What happens when a leader decides to stop simply managing and start intentionally growing? In this special ECE Trailblazers Member Spotlight…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
593 How to Talk So Your Staff Actually Listen (Beyond Repeating Yourself and Micromanaging)
Send us Fan Mail Most leaders don’t actually have a “listening problem” on their teams—they have a communication pattern that unintentionally trains people to…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
592 Stop Softening Your Message—Leaders Don’t Need Approval, They Need Clarity
Send us Fan Mail Too many childcare leaders dilute their message in an effort to be liked, avoid conflict, or keep everyone happy. But softened communication…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
591 Child-Led Play, Observation, and Building Educator Confidence with Veronica Green
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Erica Saccoccio is joined by Veronica Green for a powerful conversation on child-led play, observation skills, and what it…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
590 The Words You Use Are Building—or Breaking—Your Leadership Trust
Send us Fan Mail All week we’ve been inside the real conversations of leadership—why speaking up matters, why confidence is a skill, why silence weakens…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
589 How to Communicate Without Over-Explaining Yourself
Send us Fan Mail Many childcare directors don’t struggle with what to say—they struggle with how much to say. In an effort to be clear, fair, and transparent…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
588 The Director Who Doesn't Speak Up Is Already Losing Influence
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever left a meeting replaying everything you should have said? Maybe you had a concern, an idea, or a question that could have…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
587 Why Confidence Is a Leadership Skill, Not a Personality Trait
Send us Fan Mail Most childcare owners and directors would describe themselves as confident—and in many ways, they are. They lead teams, make critical…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
586 Finding Your Leadership Voice in a Noisy Industry
Send us Fan Mail In an industry filled with opinions, expectations, and constant demands, many childcare directors lose confidence in their own leadership…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
Bonus Episode The Next Level of Your Life Requires a Different Version of You
Send us Fan Mail The goals, opportunities, and dreams you're pursuing will require more than new strategies—they'll require growth. Whether you're thinking…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
585 Are You the Bottleneck? The Conversation Every School Owner Needs to Hear
Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest thing holding your school back... is you? In this energetic and thought-provoking conversation, Erica and Sherri J. White…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
584 The Human Skills That Will Make Childcare Leaders Irreplaceable in an AI Future
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Erica and Chris Danilo explore the irreplaceable human skill that sets childcare leaders apart in an AI-driven world…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
583 Life, Loss, Love & Leadership: An Honest Conversation
Send us Fan Mail In this deeply honest and heartfelt episode, Erica and Regina Miller come together as two seasoned educators to reflect on the full spectrum…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
582 Stop Supervising Teachers and Start Coaching Them
Send us Fan Mail Many child care directors were promoted because they were strong educators—but leading adults is a completely different skill set. In this…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
581 Why Good Child Care Programs Still Lose Money
Send us Fan Mail Even full, well-run child care programs can still struggle financially—and most directors don’t understand why. In this episode of Your Daily…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
580 The Numbers Every Child Care Director Needs to Know
Send us Fan Mail Most child care directors aren’t struggling because they don’t care or aren’t working hard enough—they’re struggling because they’ve never…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
579 Why Great Directors Still Feel Overwhelmed
Send us Fan Mail Most child care directors aren’t struggling because they don’t care or aren’t working hard enough—they’re overwhelmed because they were never…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
578 The Secret Behind Whole Leadership
Send us Fan Mail What if the reason you're feeling overwhelmed as a director isn't because you're doing too much—but because you're leading from only one part…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
577 Stop Standing on the Sidelines: The First Step to the Leadership Life You Want
Send us Fan Mail How many dreams are sitting inside educators who are too afraid to start? In this powerful episode, we challenge educators to stop waiting for…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
576 It’s Not Too Late: Educators 50+ Building Bold New Lives
Send us Fan Mail What happens when decades of teaching, leading, and serving others finally meet a quiet question: “What do I want for me?” It’s Not Too Late…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
575 The Power of the Right Room: Ruth Baugh’s Leadership Journey
Send us Fan Mail One connection can change everything. In this inspiring episode, we spotlight Trailblazers Leadership Group member Ruth Baugh and her journey…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
574 Movement, Leadership & Burnout Prevention in Early Childhood
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio explores how movement is not just a classroom strategy—but a…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
573 Pedagogy Leadership & the Power of Movement
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, host Erica Saccoccio explores why pedagogy leadership is one of the most critical…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
572 Collected With Purpose: Why Great Leaders Remember People
Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most powerful leadership skills isn’t strategy—but remembering people? In this episode of The Childcare Directors Chair, we…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
571 What Great Leaders Hear That Others Miss
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Childcare Directors Chair, we dive into one of the most overlooked—but most powerful—leadership skills in early…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
570 The Future Called… It Wants Better Leadership
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Childcare Directors Chair, we’re talking about the message the field keeps sending loud and clear—the future is…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
569 Leadership Missed the Memo: ‘I’m Having a Baby, I Can’t Open the Center Today’
Send us Fan Mail “I’m having a baby… I can’t open the center today.” That should be the most obvious message in the world—but in this real leadership story, it…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
568 Are You the Boss They’re Recovering From?
Send us Fan Mail Are you the boss your staff feel safe with—or the one they’re recovering from? In this episode of The Childcare Director’s Chair, we explore…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
567 Grateful Leadership: The Culture-Shaping Power Most Leaders Overlook
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Childcare Directors Chair Podcast, we explore what happens when leaders shift from correction-driven leadership to…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
566 Intentional Growth: Why Great Leaders Don’t Grow by Accident
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Childcare Directors Chair Podcast, we explore John Maxwell’s Law of Intentionality and what it truly means to grow as a…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
565 Quiet Leadership: Why the Best Childcare Leaders Don’t Need the Spotlight
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Childcare Directors Chair Podcast, we explore the power of quiet leadership in early childhood education—where the most…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
564 Stop Motivating—Start Modeling: The Truth About Leadership Impact
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Childcare Directors Chair Podcast, we explore the research-backed truth that leadership behavior—not policies…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
563 This One Shift and You’ll Transform Your Leadership Overnight
Send us Fan Mail Most childcare directors aren’t overwhelmed because they’re unorganized—they’re overwhelmed because they’re trying to control things they were…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
562 20 Creative Ways to Boost Revenue in Your Childcare Center (Without Raising Tuition)
Send us Fan Mail Looking to grow your childcare business without relying solely on tuition hikes? In this episode, we dive into 20 innovative and practical…
- The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast
561 When Your Star Employee Becomes Your Biggest Culture Problem
Send us Fan Mail What happens when your top performer—the one hitting every metric and driving results—starts quietly eroding your team culture? In this…