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 developing consistent processes across all sites. She also reflects on her growth from shy teacher to confident presenter, the importance of celebrating wins through initiatives like the Hammy Awards, and how servant leadership, inflatable silly Santa costumes, and "yellow box" muffin runs all play a role in culture-building.

Key Takeaways:

[7:24] Megan shares about her family life, including her 17-year-old and 12-year-old sons and her love of camping with her husband of 18 years.
[8:01] She began working in early childhood during high school and has now been with Hamilton Heights for over 16 years.
[9:12] Her leadership journey has included roles as a preschool teacher, toddler teacher, assistant director, director of special projects, and now regional director.
[13:06] Megan emphasizes the importance of building brand recognition and making your center a household name in the community.
[14:17] Community outreach strategies and partnerships with early childhood networks.

[17:43] She encourages leaders to recenter on their program's unique strengths to maintain and grow enrollment.
[19:52] In her new company-wide compliance role, Megan oversees SOP alignment, staff file audits, and training expiration alerts using BambooHR.
[24:05] She finds value in the Academy's team program for helping leaders feel less alone and more connected.

[27:05] Megan uses playful leadership tactics like inflatable costumes, scavenger hunts, and holiday games to boost team morale.
[30:27] She prioritizes understanding how each team member feels appreciated using workplace love languages.
[33:59] Megan shares how her leadership team supports one another through challenges with trust and shared commitment.
[34:24] She defines a childcare rockstar as someone who shows up every day to serve children and families with heart.
[36:28] Hamilton Heights recognizes excellence through company-wide shoutouts and the annual "Hammy Awards" celebration.

Quotes:

"The thing that I've recognized about myself is that I'm a lifelong learner. That fuels me. So being able to do that and put it into my toolkit is just great." — Megan [12:31]

"I think the big thing to learn in all of this is that it's important that you put your footprint in the community that you're serving." — Megan [14:09]

"I think that in that team room, something special happens. In the main room, too. You don't feel alone; you're hearing that people are struggling with the same issue you are, and it makes you feel better. And that you're not in it alone." — Megan [24:02]

"Not everybody has the same heart and drive that I do, and that's okay. It's what sets me apart." — Megan [37:44]

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

Ep 202 with Adrianne Agulla

Hamilton Heights Child Development Center

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 up the community programs she's launched and why she might just run for office one day. This is a powerful look at what it means to lead with heart, purpose, and unapologetic commitment.

Key Takeaways:

[7:37] LaVonda shares the origin of Small Impressions, which she's led for 19 years. With 90 students currently enrolled, she prioritizes quality over quantity and deep relationships with families.

[8:57] Her journey in early childhood education began at the Urban League of the Upstate and in after-school programs, where she realized the impact she could make by working with younger children.

[10:13] LaVonda reflects on launching her center while going through a divorce, raising a one-year-old. Her leap of faith led to a thriving business — now co-run with her husband, Curtis.

[11:40] Fun fact: LaVonda is afraid to fly, but that doesn't stop her from being a world traveler!

[13:34] LaVonda details what sets her center apart: low staff turnover, deep parent engagement, teacher-parent conferences, onsite therapy, and advocacy for families.

[17:27] She's active at the state level, working with lawmakers and Chambers of Commerce to advocate for childcare investment and workforce development in South Carolina.

[18:06] LaVonda explains her entrepreneurial drive as generational — a fourth-generation business owner who didn't want to live with "shoulda, coulda, woulda" regrets.

[19:41] LaVonda explains running her school like a real school, where she acts as more principal than babysitter.

[21:53] Kris and LaVonda talk about the importance of taking ownership when mistakes happen.

[31:59] Lavonda's advocacy work includes training for childcare workers, as well as expanded services and access for children with behavioral or developmental needs.

[33:06] What's next for LaVonda and Small Impressions?

Quotes:

"I'm about quality as opposed to quantity. I don't want to pack out my classroom because I don't want to lose my sense of being able to connect with my students, um, being able to connect with my families." — LaVonda [8:10]

"That speaks volumes within itself, that children and families believe in our program here, that they stay with us, five, six years. I have a family here that's been here for 12 years." — LaVonda [9:02]

"I'm a risk taker. I'm gonna jump off that cliff. One or two things are going to happen, either God's going to catch me before I fall, or he's going to give me wings and teach me how to fly, but he's taught me how to soar." — LaVonda [10:40]

"It's better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. So why not try to create something special with my own ideas?" — LaVonda [18:32]

"Take ownership when you screw up. Take ownership when you don't always get it right." — Kris [22:34]

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

Small Impressions

Small Impressions Facebook

First Steps South Carolina

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 principles.

[11:11] How fear can come in and stop us from taking action on following our intuition and going towards our calling.

[14:28] The yoga mat moment that came from a moment of stillness and changed Kris's life.

[15:00] Hug your fear? Why going towards your fear is actually one of the best things you can do to alchemize it.

[17:25] The importance of tapping into gratitude.

[18:08] Overcoming self-doubt.

[21:24] Calling out the "B.S." in your life, and why having a coach or mentor to help you through the process is great.

[22:04] Manifestation as a giving process.

[33:26] Kris talks about manifesting a fun book club where she is surrounded by sisterhood, and her beautiful partnership.

Quotes:

"When you feel fear, the ultimate strategy, the ultimate antidote to fear, is to move towards it. It's to actually embrace it and to feel it and hug it." — Kris [15:24]

"The opposite of fear is actually love. So the way to alchemize the fear is to love it, and to tap into gratitude." — Kris [17:25]

"Manifest from the giving energy, the loving energy, and everything in your world can change." — Kris [33:26]

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

Mana Awakening

The Antidote to Fear

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 to make operational consistency actually fun, all with a lens on how these lessons can translate to the early education business. He also walks through the steps to Disney-fy your business and opens up about how to navigate loneliness in leadership.

Key Takeaways:

[2:53] Kris and Vance agree — no cell phones out in the water, unless you are playing music!

[7:11] Vance talks about the changes at Disney, including the increase in employees and the impact on customer service.

[15:22] The importance of addressing leaky holes in the business process and improving customer experience through small changes.

[15:30] Gifting and reciprocity in building customer loyalty and trust.

[16:57] Disney's "linertainment" or the entertainment that helps people stay energized and happy while they wait in line.

[19:09] The "what, how, and why" at Disney and the importance of running things on a system and process.

[20:07] Systems give you freedom, and the importance of consistency and efficiency.

[26:43] What we can learn from the hamburgers at McDonald's!

[27:07] Having an engaged team and empowering people.

[32:23] Building trust and reciprocity through gifting and special "thank you" treats.

[37:03] Vance Morris introduces his coaching program and the concept of systematic magic, which helps businesses map out the customer journey.

[39:50] Finding your community when you are an entrepreneur, and the downside to isolation.

[41:50] Vance's Disney event business and the unique experiences he offers, including a nine-course wine pairing dinner.

[50:06] What's next for Vance in the future?

Quotes:

"I much prefer to work with the mom and pop, Main Street business, where we can have an immediate, noticeable impact, not only on the experience, but on the finances and how profitable customer experience can be." — Vance [10:55]

"What is the company doing to entertain you during that wait period and make it not feel so bad?" — Vance [18:08]

"The secret sauce behind all of the experience stuff at Disney is that Disney runs on systems. And literally runs on three words: what to do, how to do it, and why do we do it that way? And everything has a what, how, why behind it, and the reason for this." — Vance [18:39]

"Systems give you freedom. You're not locking down creativity." — Vance [20:07]

"The boss doesn't always have the answers, and asking your employee, well, what would you do? And you'll be surprised a lot of times, because, you know, they're pretty smart." — Vance [25:57]

"Isolation kills entrepreneurs." — Vance [39:18]

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

Vance Morris

52 Ways to Wow Your Customer Without Breaking the Bank

Deliver Service Now Institute

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 Takeaways:

[6:02] Ashanti shares her background, starting Gifted and Talented Academy in Indiana with her mom in 2002. They are family-owned and family-focused.

[6:21] Fun fact! They started with a home daycare and expanded to a center within three months due to high demand.

[14:31] Ashanti discusses her transition from practicing law to early childhood education, driven by her passion for working with children.

[17:07] How Ashanti's legal training and education background have been instrumental in her success in the child care industry.

[18:21] Ashanti talks more about her family and personal life, along with her love of a good beach!

[21:53] What led Ashanti to Kris and the Child Care Success family in 2018.

[23:47] Ashanti implemented strategies from the academy, focusing on core values and culture, which led to significant improvements.

[25:42] Ashanti explains how they crafted their core values: family, education, respect, excellence, and fun.

[31:30] Teachers were involved in the interview process to ensure a good cultural fit, and core values were incorporated into interview questions.

[36:19] They have a core value of the month award to recognize team members who exemplify each value.

[38:21] Ashanti gets candid about the struggles that providers are facing, and the importance of staying focused on your mission and staying on the course.

[42:30] The power of keeping a positive mindset and building with consistency and focus.

Quotes:

"I don't think there's anything more important as a cornerstone, a foundational element to your culture, than core values that you actually live and breathe." — Kris [4:55]

"She is absolutely my why. She is the reason that family and education are so important to me." — Ashanti [10:13]

"I think that that combination of just that core value of education, growing up with a mom who is an educator, and having a passion for young children, combined with the legal training, is what helps me to be successful in business." — Ashanti [17:33]

"For me, I think the biggest game changer that first year was focusing on our core values and really starting to turn our culture around." — Ashanti [26:40]

"If family is one of our core values, then you have to fit into this family." — Ashanti [35:26]

"Excellence, again, means we're a culture of continuous improvement, so we don't settle for where we are right now. Our culture is amazing, but culture is living and breathing, and so we're always working on it, and we're always striving to make it better." — Ashanti [35:47]

"When you feed yourself with a positive mindset and you really spend time working on your spirituality and your growth mindset, it helps you actually prepare for the challenges, be grateful for them, and work through them." — Ashanti [42:43]

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

Gifted & Talented Academy

Ashanti Ordone LinkedIn

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 about the history of MKU of Stone Oak, and how they got into the ECE field.

[8:58] They currently have 37 team members.

[9:27] The wins and challenges of creating (and keeping) great employees.

[14:50] Joshua and Pamela discuss their marketing strategies, including Google and Facebook ads, and their active presence on social media.

[15:19] The importance of referrals in their business model, offering bonuses for both staff and families who refer new enrollments.

[21:06] Working as a husband-wife team and the importance of dividing responsibilities based on their strengths.

[26:04] Pamela shares her inspiration from her mother, who was a social worker and professor, and her own passion for education, while Joshua talks about his mother's influence and the importance of hard work and dedication.

[30:03] Thinking long-term with employees and getting them in a mindset to stay with the company for years to come.

[34:48] Will an expansion be in the future?

[38:14] Remembering that building something new takes persistence, but it is one step at a time, so keep going!

[40:24] The need for better collaboration.

Quotes:

"At this stage in both of our businesses, we're more firefighters right now. So wherever there's fire, that's where we go." — Joshua [5:11]

"We have a beautiful culture that we've built, and we go above and beyond to show our teachers how much we care and love them, and want them to be a part of the team." — Pamela [10:40]

"We both bring our strengths to the table, and we have created what I feel is a beautiful team of husband and wife." — Pamela [21:39]

"Growth is a process, and sometimes the best lessons come from challenges." — Joshua [35:05]

"Building something meaningful takes time, persistence, and a lot of heart, but it's worth every step." — Joshua [38:03]

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

Montessori Kids Universe Stone Oak