If you are an Early Childhood director or childcare owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 kids.
Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies - equipping school leaders to improve staff retention, increase teacher motivation, grow parent partnerships, create a collaborative culture, and enjoy a beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about childcare and early childhood school leadership for those striving towards excellence.
If you are an early childhood or childcare school leader looking for strategies to grow your school, that are working TODAY, The Schools of Excellence Podcast is for you.
In addition to weekly solo episodes, she'll also be inviting childcare and early childhood industry leaders to discuss the most pressing issues facing school leaders today.
Don't miss an episode; subscribe today for everything you need for your school leadership journey!
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254, Honesty Over Image: Leading Through Grief, Discomfort, and the Messy Middle with Beth Cannon
Episode 254
Monday, September 29, 2025 • Duration 31:10
Leadership doesn’t pause for grief, betrayal, or personal storms. In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Chanie sits down with Beth Cannon to talk about what it means to lead when life unravels. From walking through the terminal illness of a loved one, to staff exits and leadership mistakes, Beth shares her “discomfort zone” season and the messy middle of showing up for her people while falling apart inside.
This episode is not about perfection, it’s about presence. It’s about choosing honesty over image, showing up when you don’t have it all together, and finding systems and rhythms that carry your school (and your soul) through seasons of chaos.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why “waiting until everything is perfect” is leadership avoidance
How to keep showing up when grief and business crises collide
The difference between accountability and ownership in staff leadership
Why leaders must choose honesty over image if they want trust and culture to hold
How to find outer-circle people who can lead you through your own fo
Key Insights
Culture isn’t built on polish. It’s built on consistency, clarity, and shared standards.
Grief and leadership can coexist. You can hold heartbreak in one hand and still lead with purpose in the other.
Leadership is a mirror. Staff accountability gaps often expose where owners haven’t built the right rhythms.
You don’t wait for perfect conditions. Growth happens in the middle of the storm, not after it passes.
Memorable Quotes
“I wasn’t replacing a role. I was reacting to a wound.” – Beth Cannon
“You have to choose honesty over image, because the day when everything is perfect doesn’t exist.” – Beth Cannon
“Schools don’t need leaders who wait for the fog to clear. They need leaders who keep walking.” – Chanie Wilschanski
Why This Matters for School Leaders
Stops the cycle of waiting for perfect conditions before leading
Models vulnerability without abdicating responsibility
Builds staff trust through honesty and accountability, not polish
Anchors leaders in rhythms that hold during grief, betrayal, or transition
Resources & Next Steps
Reflect: Where are you waiting for things to “settle” before you lead?
Revisit your staff accountability systems: Are they true ownership, or excuses and follow-up cycles?
Connect with Beth Cannon: bethcannonspeaks.com | Instagram & Facebook: @bethcannonspeaks
253. Stop the Hidden Drain: Admin & Tech Systems That Protect Your Profit
Episode 253
Monday, September 22, 2025 • Duration 15:33
Admin & Tech isn’t flashy like enrollment or emotional like staff culture—but it’s one of the biggest hidden profit drains in schools. In this finale of the Money Leaks series, Chanie breaks down how underutilized software, paper-based SOPs, missing automations, and messy file systems quietly torch your time capacity and cash. You’ll get a simple, CEO-level playbook to audit your tech stack, automate the right tasks, assign platform “champions,” and build rhythms that stop dependency and start true scalability.
The 5 Admin & Tech pillars that protect profit (workflows, utilization, automation, data & file systems, review rhythms)
How to audit your tech stack and cut redundancies without chaos
Why automation doesn’t replace people—it gives them back time for what only humans can do
The “internal platform champion” model that prevents bottlenecks and builds team capacity
A simple naming convention + 10-second file-finding standard that ends “final-final-FINAL-v6” madness
How to move from dependency (it only works when Sarah’s here) to system (it works when anyone follows the rhythm)
SOE Playbook: 5 Concrete Moves
Run a Software Audit (30–45 min): List every tool, owner, cost, and actual use. Cancel redundancies, downgrade unused premium plans, and standardize what stays.
Assign Platform Champions: One trained “owner” per platform. Share quick wins, create 1-page SOPs, and stop knowledge hoarding.
Automate Repetitive Admin: Scheduling, reminders, links, confirmations, form routing, basic onboarding steps. Free people for —the work only humans can do.
In this client spotlight episode, Chanie Wilschanski sits down with longtime coaching client Niki Van Cleave, owner of Butterfly Bunch in Metro Detroit, to explore what it means to lead a school with sustainable systems, real accountability, and operational clarity—especially during seasons of personal and professional upheaval.
Niki’s leadership journey spans two centers, a season of grief, increased operational pressure, and the bold decision to consolidate into one location with strategy and purpose. The turning point? She stopped defaulting to survival mode and started anchoring into intentional leadership. With the support of the Five Gears Diagnostic and the Money Leaks Assessment, Niki clarified her school operations, strengthened her team culture, and created rhythms that hold—even in chaotic seasons.
What You’ll Learn
What aligned school leadership looks like when the pressure is high
How to identify stuck gears that are slowing down your school’s growth
Why a no-spend freeze revealed unsustainable patterns and opened up team ownership
How operational clarity and team systems reduce burnout and second-guessing
What it means to move from micromanaging to leading with confidence
Key Insights
Survival Mode Isn’t a Long-Term Strategy
Niki’s story reminds us that running a school in constant reaction mode isn’t failure—it’s a signal. And it doesn’t have to be permanent.
The Five Gears Diagnostic Pinpoints System Gaps
Niki identified Financial Health and Strategic Growth as her stuck gears. That clarity helped her stop putting out fires and focus her energy where it mattered most.
Tightening Systems Reclaims Profit and Ownership
A no-spend freeze and new ordering protocols cut supply waste by over 50% and empowered her assistant director to take ownership of key systems.
You Don’t Need More Staff—You Need a Team You Can Trust
155. How to Plan Travel as a Leader
Episode 155
Monday, November 20, 2023 • Duration 22:44
When my husband Mayer and I still lived in NYC, he held a position at a college that was highly demanding (to put it lightly).
As part of his role, he was required to work 7 days a week, with very limited PTO. And when he did have time off, he fell ill—just like clockwork.
That wasn't a coincidence.
When we work ourselves to the bone without allowing ourselves proper time to rest and recover, we become more vulnerable to illness.
Think of your well-being like a battery—if you don't plug it in to charge, eventually it's going to run out of power.
As a school leader, I'm sure you know this better than anyone. After all, professionals in the field of education are especially prone to burnout.
But what you may not realize is that recharging your battery is about more than taking a yearly vacation.
Because if you only give yourself time away once or twice a year, that break ends up being spent in a desperate attempt to recover from burnout…
…rather than experiencing genuine moments of aliveness and connection with the people you love.
To move beyond survival mode and make the most of your time off for fun and travel, you need to plan for regular rest and recovery throughout the year.
That way, you won't be running on a near-empty tank while trying to enjoy all life has to offer.
In this week's podcast episode, I'm discussing how to plan strategically for rest and travel as a school leader.
Join me for a conversation about:
Why it's crucial to strategically plan for rest and travel
The different kinds of rest you need to feel fully recharged
How I manage my own recovery and travel throughout the year
How you can plan for rest and travel in 2024
154. Navigating Tough Talks: A Guide to Handling Termination Communication
Episode 154
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 33:17
No matter the industry, leaders are often afraid to be honest about why they're firing someone. They think that by sugar-coating the truth or dancing around the issue, they're protecting the person's feelings.
But the reality is that being dishonest doesn't help anyone but you. Rather than protect them, you actually protect yourself from uncomfortable feelings.
In reality, the best thing you can do for everyone involved is to communicate with transparency and kindness—no matter the context.
Back in 2011, when I was working as a camp director in NYC, I had to fire a teacher after a very unfortunate incident.
It was a sensitive time for the Jewish community in that area because a child had been tragically abducted while walking home from day camp. Understandably, everyone in the city was on especially high alert.
So, when a teacher at my camp left a child alone in the bathroom and walked to a park two blocks away, I had no choice but to terminate her immediately.
I found the child in the bathroom while doing my rounds, walked them to the park where the teacher was, and fired her on the spot.
Now, in this particular situation, there wasn't much of a conversation, because I needed to act swiftly. But that didn't mean that I was unkind—or that I avoided addressing the reason she was being fired.
I simply told her that her error in judgment was unacceptable—and let her go.
As a leader, you're going to have to fire team members. In fact, never letting go of employees is a sign that you're not cultivating a values-led culture. Because there will be individuals on your team who simply aren't the right fit.
153. Leadership and Letting Go: When is it Time to Say Goodbye?
Episode 153
Monday, October 23, 2023 • Duration 27:38
Many years ago (when my kids were a lot smaller), my husband Mayer and I took a trip to Niagara Falls. As usual, I had organized everything in advance, including reserving adjoining rooms for our family.
Because our kids were so young at the time, it was really important that we had that adjoining room. So, I made sure to call the hotel—both the day before and the day of the trip—to confirm that the rooms were available for us as planned.
But lo and behold, on the night we arrived at the hotel, the staff member on duty told us that there were no adjoining rooms left because we had arrived too late at night.
Mayer and I were livid. I had called to reserve in advance specifically because I knew we would be arriving late and wanted to make sure we got the rooms we needed.
Yet here we were, standing at the check-in desk, luggage in hand, being told that it was our fault we didn't get adjoining rooms.
Why? Because the hotel staff refused to take responsibility for their mistake.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Throughout your career, I'm sure you've seen plenty of instances where team members didn't take accountability, shifted the blame, or reacted poorly to feedback.
And sure, even the best of us have some missteps along the way.
But when a team member's failure to take personal responsibility becomes a pattern of behavior, it's a signal that it's probably time to say goodbye.
152. The Fear of Firing: What is the True Cost?
Episode 152
Monday, October 16, 2023 • Duration 24:57
No one enjoys having to fire an employee.
In most cases it's uncomfortable and unpleasant to have to let someone go, especially if they didn't do anything "wrong."
But hanging on to a team member who's not the right fit for your center's vision and values can have some serious consequences… maybe more than you realize.
In the case of Janine, a Schools of Excellence Owner's HQ member, her reluctance to fire a toxic team member impacted her health and wellbeing.
Janine was an owner who had what I like to call a "toxic genius" on her team.
This team member was smart, reliable, great with kids and parents—everything you could want in an employee—but she also had a habit of stirring up gossip and putting others down.
Janine was torn about what to do. On the one hand, she knew the team member was negatively impacting her center.
But on the other, she had just opened up a fourth location and barely had the capacity to deal with her usual responsibilities—let alone go through the process of firing someone.
But instead of delegating the responsibility to her team member, a director, Janine insisted that she had to be the one to do it.
So, month after month passed by, and Janine continued to sit with the same dilemma. It wasn't just her mind, though, that suffered from her inaction. She developed high blood pressure and couldn't sleep more than 3 hours a night.
After an entire year of worsening health problems, I finally asked Janine: "When is enough, ? When will you realize what you're losing by not letting this person go?"
151. Fighting Flu Season: How a Proactive Insurance Policy Makes a Difference
Episode 151
Monday, October 9, 2023 • Duration 30:16
Every year, flu season seems to come as a surprise.
We know it’s coming. And yet, it always seems to catch us unaware, putting us into all kinds of highly stressful situations.
Like having to find a sub for your subs' sub.
Seriously. I was dropping off one of my kids at school one day, and I didn't recognize one of the teachers. When I asked her who she was, she said "Oh, I'm subbing for Rachel."
Who's Rachel?
Well, as it turns out, Rachel was subbing for Britney… who was subbing for Sheera, who was subbing for Maria—the original teacher.
When I say I've seen it all, I mean I've seen it all.
While this particular comically chaotic situation may have never happened to you, I know that as a center leader, flu season has left you scrambling to cope with crises like staff shortages, schedule interruptions, and many other impacts that hit the school.
And it happens every. Single. Year.
So how do you prevent flu season from throwing an annual wrench into all your plans?
A strong, center-oriented insurance policy may give you the tools you need. Simliar to a flood insurance policy you go out and buy, this is something you hope to never use, but that’s there to protect you if needed.
150. Creating a Culture of Growth & Gratitude Ashriel Huber
Episode 150
Monday, October 2, 2023 • Duration 39:49
It’s easy to feel pulled down by the difficult happenings at your center.
This was the case for Ashriel Huber, second-generation legacy owner of A Child’s Touch in Colorado.
Her desire to make the previous owner proud, coupled with the stress of taking over a large center with many moving parts, led to dysregulation, impostor syndrome, and a sense that she could never give enough to move the needle.
When I met Ashriel at a conference, she felt stuck. She confided that she’d lost key members of administration, and lacked the processes and procedures that would calm the chaos.
More troubling, she felt as if she’d given her life to the center, staying late night after night to try and get ahead. She needed to gain the trust of her employees, and working hard seemed the best way to accomplish that.
After listening to her story, I grabbed a napkin and walked her through the Pyramid of Excellence.
In her own words, that conference marked a turning point in how she thought about her role as owner. She joined the Schools of Excellence Owner’s HQ membership program and began working to shift her limiting beliefs.
With the support of other owners, she’s learning to build emotional resilience, allowing her to stay the course when challenges arise. Instead of living at the center, she’s dedicated several mornings to staying home and attending coaching calls.
Most importantly, she found connections with other leaders, which allowed her to form a community of peers. Instead of feeling isolated and alone, she could share her ideas, gain feedback, and take concrete steps forward.
149. Your Distress Tolerance Staff Toolkit
Episode 149
Monday, September 25, 2023 • Duration 30:34
Does the word “stress” make your chest tighten?
If so, you’re not the only one
We tend to think of stress as a negative thing. But the truth is, it’s an integral part of being human. In fact, on last week’s podcast episode I introduced the concept of eustress—a type of positive stress that helps to motivate us.
This week, I want to talk about the tools we use to manage stress in the moment. Because stress is an unavoidable part of our lives, it’s up to us to keep ourselves regulated and ready to approach each situation.
Mornings are a perfect example. Getting four kids out the door is no small task, and it’s hard on the body. On top of that, my five-year-old is often up before I am.
Distress tolerance has taught me that, despite the chaotic demands of a morning full of decisions and preparations, I need a moment of silence. So I’ve set up a private space for myself in my bedroom where I can spend five minutes alone, with the door closed, before tackling the day.
The temptation to immediately jump into the day is strong, but I know from experience that my children and I are all better served when I take that five minutes.
Personal morning space is one of the self-soothing strategies I have in my distress tolerance toolkit.
In this week's podcast episode, I’m going to guide you through the development of a distress tolerance toolkit for yourself and your staff.
Join me for a conversation about:
gratitude, 1:1s, observations, feedback
Lock File Hygiene: Cloud-first, consistent naming, and a structure anyone can understand. Measure success by: “Can someone find any file in ≤10 seconds?”
Quarterly Rhythm Block: Every 90 days: review tools, subscriptions, automations, and workflows. One block. Same calendar slot. Always.
Case Studies & Wins
Sonia’s Tech Tangle → $4,000 Saved: She listed 19 tools; canceled 5–7 redundant platforms, downgraded others, and named champions for the rest—saving nearly $4K/year and loads of time capacity.
The $9,000 Surprise: A leader who “couldn’t afford it” did a money leaks audit, canceled 3 subscriptions, and freed up $9,000—just by telling the truth in the tech stack.
Memorable Lines
“If it takes more than 10 seconds to find a file, you have a leak—not a library.”
“Dependency isn’t a system. It’s a risk.”
“Automation isn’t about replacing people—it’s about returning time to the work only humans can do.”
“When someone leaves, the brain of your business shouldn’t walk out with them.”
By equipping one team member to manage supplies with clear accountability, Niki eliminated micromanaging and babysitting staff while building sustainable team trust.
Anchored Rhythms Lead to Sustainable Leadership
Even during high-demand seasons like back-to-school, Niki prioritized personal anchors—prayer, movement, reflection—to stay grounded in intentional leadership, not reactive chaos.
Try This Instead: 3 Tools to Regain Operational Control
Run the Five Gears Diagnostic
Discover which area of your school is stuck—enrollment, staffing, parent communication, finances, or strategy—and stop scrambling by focusing on what’s slowing your momentum.
Pick one rhythm—a daily walk, a reflective pause, a team huddle—that gives you peace of mind and builds real leadership capacity when the pressure is on.
Memorable Quotes
“Different is scary—but different is good.” – Niki Van Cleave
“You don’t need another tactic—you need a system that aligns with your values.” – Chanie Wilschanski
“Anchored leaders build cultures that hold—even when they don’t.” – Chanie Wilschanski
Why This Matters for School Leaders
Helps overwhelmed school...
Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ:
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
always
But at the end of the day, the reason you're letting them go doesn't matter. In every case, you owe it to them, to your team, and to yourself to navigate the conversation with poise and respect.
In this week's podcast episode, the final installment of a three-part series on firing, I provide tips on how to navigate termination communication in a way that preserves your center's reputation and maintains the trust of remaining team members.
Join me for a conversation about:
What a termination conversation is really about
Why handling a termination conversation well is so important
How to prepare for and conduct the conversation
How to navigate the aftermath of firing a team member
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
In this week's podcast episode, the second in my three-part series on firing, I dig deeper into personal responsibility and the other key reasons for deciding to let go of a team member.
Join me for a conversation about:
The core evidence that should determine whether you fire someone
Why documentation is essential throughout the decision-making process
How to evaluate performance, coachability, mindset, and more
How personality fit should factor into your decision
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
enough
If reading this reminds you of someone on your team, I want to ask you the same question:
When is enough, enough? How long will you wait in the name of avoiding discomfort before you take action for the sake of yourself and your team?
So, what happened with Janine when she finally faced the truth?
She took accountability, let go of the toxic genius, and for the first time in a long time, she slept straight through the night.
In this week's podcast episode, the first in a three-part series on firing, I explore the true cost of hanging on to team members when it's time to let go.
Join me for a conversation about:
The top 3 reasons we fire employees (HINT: It's not just about performance)
The impact of keeping someone who needs to leave
Why we have to prioritize ourselves and our team's wellbeing
Action steps to take if you're struggling with letting someone go
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
This kind of proactive insurance policy allows you to prepare for understaffing without overburdening your staff. It gives you an efficient, flexible way of managing absences while also improving your staff’s overall wellbeing.
This week's podcast episode is one I’ve wanted to record for years. In it, we’re discussing proactive approaches to the dreaded flu season.
Join me for a conversation about:
How to appropriately prepare for flu season
What an insurance policy for flu season looks like
The impact this season has on schools
How to communicate preparations and alleviate concerns
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
Members of Ashriel’s staff have noticed a shift. They’ve commented on her growing confidence, and the atmosphere at the center is beginning to transition. Now she has the tools to separate caring for the individual from being a leader who expects people to do their jobs.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, or if the stressors of your center sometimes feel too daunting, I encourage you to listen to Ashriel’s story. You'll hear more about her journey and how the membership helped her gain confidence in her role as a leader.
Join me for a conversation about:
The struggles Ashriel faced before joining the membership
What she learned by being surrounded by other like-minded owners
How her center looks now that she's a more confident leader
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
What a staff distress tolerance toolkit includes
How to accept distress when it happens
Steps to create an effective toolkit that empowers your team
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
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