Veronica Nelson of Child Time, Inc. schools in Salt Lake City joins the show to talk about leading through example, what benefits she has experienced as a Child Care Success Academy Empire member, and what happens when owners have to step back in the day-to-day of their business. Veronica and Kris also have a vulnerable and authentic conversation about how to know when it’s time to let a staff member go, and how to build a strong environment that encourages honesty and loyalty.
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Here Are the Key Takeaways From This Episode:
- Child Time, Inc. now has four locations in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, and each school is different. Their capacity is a 309 max, and are doing quite well with their enrollment.
- Veronica has three very helpful sons, and her 19-year-old, Nate, is working full-time at one of the schools.
- Veronica got started with her career in the child care industry when working at a summer youth program when she was 15. She loved what she did, and went on to get many credentials in child care.
- We must continue to learn and be open to learning from others. Success is not an island, and it only makes us stronger when we network and help others.
- Fun fact: Veronica is known as the “Martha Stewart of Utah”! She is your go-to woman for all things creative, whether it’s gardening, decorating, or entertaining.
- Veronica shares her experience of learning to separate her head from her heart and part ways with an employee that had been at the school for quite some time. After the employee left, Veronica dove in headfirst and worked tirelessly to show her staff that she was willing to do exactly what she asked of them.
- You can tell the culture of a place by the feeling, and a leader must jump right into action and not waste time when they get the vibe that staff doesn’t want to be there anymore.
- Listen to your intuition. For Veronica, she now completely trusts her internal assessment of a classroom. She is open to hearing feedback from others, but nothing can replace her gut feeling.
