The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast

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 set the record straight—it never will. In this episode of the Child Care Director's Chair Podcast , Erica Saccoccio explores how child care directors and owners can use AI to become more organized, communicate more effectively,...

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 Child Care Directors Chair , Erica sits down with Tacita Bateman, founder of Childcare Culture and Company, to talk about why collaboration, culture, and leadership pipelines matter more than ever. They dig into burnout, broken systems, innovat...

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 Director's Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio challenges educators to stop simply going through the motions and start creating moments that people will remember for a lifetime. Through personal stories, leadership insights, and practica...

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 don't end in the moment—they continue shaping confidence, culture, and future leaders long after you've moved on. In this powerful episode of the Child Care Director's Chair Podcast , Erica Saccoccio explores one of the most overl...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful leadership episode, Erica Saccoccio explores one of the most misunderstood dynamics in early childhood leadership: the difference between confidence and control. At first glance, these two approaches can seem similar—both can reflect structure, high standards, and strong leadership. But beneath the surface, they produce very different outcomes in teams, culture, a...

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, Erica sits down with Angela MacCarthy to discuss her leadership journey, the growth she has experienced through the ECE Trailblazers program, and the lessons that have transformed the way she leads her team and program. Angela shares her ho...

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 wait instead of think. In this episode, Erica Saccoccio unpacks what is really happening when directors feel like they are repeating themselves, stepping in too often, or carrying all the thinking in their program. This is not about talking...

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 leads to confusion, inconsistent follow-through, and a team that’s never fully sure what’s expected. In this episode, Erica Saccoccio breaks down the hidden habits of “softened leadership”—from over-explaining decisions to apologizing for ex...

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 truly means to build confidence as an early childhood educator. Together, they explore how slowing down in early childhood environments can unlock deeper learning, strengthen educator reflection, and support children’s natural curiosity. Veron...

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 influence, and why over-explaining dilutes your message. But there’s one thread that ties all of it together: your language. The words you choose as a childcare director are not neutral—they either build trust or slowly erode it. In this episode,...

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, leaders often end up over-explaining their decisions, weakening their message and unintentionally diluting their leadership presence. In this episode, Erica Saccoccio breaks down why over-explaining happens, how it impacts team trust and aut...

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 changed the conversation—but you stayed quiet. In leadership, influence isn't lost overnight. It's lost one silent moment at a time. In this episode, Erica Saccoccio explores why childcare directors and owners often hold back, the hidden...

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 decisions, manage families, navigate staffing challenges, and keep programs running every day. But true leadership confidence goes far beyond being comfortable in your role. In this episode of the Childcare Director's Chair Podcast, Erica Sacco...

Send us Fan Mail In an industry filled with opinions, expectations, and constant demands, many childcare directors lose confidence in their own leadership voice. In this episode, Erica Saccoccio explores why so many leaders struggle with self-doubt, second-guess their decisions, and feel pressure to lead like everyone else. You'll learn three practical strategies to develop a leadership voice...

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 about becoming an owner, opening another location, earning a degree, speaking at conferences, starting a business, or stepping into a larger leadership role, the next level of your life will demand a different version of you. In...

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 get real about what it actually means to be a school owner. Spoiler alert: it's probably not what you're spending most of your day doing. If you're jumping in to solve every problem, answering every question, covering every ro...

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. Discover why emotional intelligence remains a cornerstone of effective leadership, enabling professionals to build trust, foster resilience, and create nurturing environments. Join us as we delve into practical strategies to harness this skill, ens...

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 of life—what we carry, what we release, and what continues to shape us as leaders in early childhood education and beyond. Through stories of love, loss, resilience, and growth, they explore how personal experiences inevitably influence leade...

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 episode of Your Daily Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio continues the Whole Leadership Series by breaking down one of the most important shifts in Pedagogical Leadership: moving from supervising teachers to coaching them. You...

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 Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio continues the Whole Leadership Series by breaking down one of the most overlooked truths in early childhood leadership: being full does not mean being financially stable. You’ll learn how...

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 been taught how to read the numbers that actually run their program. In this episode of Your Daily Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio continues the Whole Leadership Series by breaking down what “numbers” really mean in early c...

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 taught how to lead with systems. In this episode of Your Daily Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio continues the Whole Leadership Series by breaking down Administrative Leadership through the McCormick Center framework. You’...

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 of your leadership toolkit? In this episode, Erica Saccoccio unpacks the McCormick Center's Whole Leadership Framework and reveals why the most effective child care leaders don't just focus on operations, teachi...

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 permission, stop overthinking, and finally take the first step toward the leadership, business, platform, or purpose they’ve been dreaming about. Using John Maxwell’s quote, “A passive life does not become a meaningful life. You cannot make...

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 is a podcast for educators over 50 who are ready to step beyond burnout, routine, and “playing it safe”—and into a new chapter of purpose, freedom, and impact. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Cheryl Hovey of Dr Cheryl Hovey, founder of...