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 early childhood professionals who are ready to find their voice, build confidence, strengthen their teams, and create programs where children, families, and educators thrive.
Each week, you'll hear honest conversations, practical leadership strategies, and inspiring stories from childcare directors, owners, educators, authors, and industry leaders who understand what it really takes to lead in early childhood today. We'll tackle the conversations others avoid, celebrate the wins that matter, and give you practical ideas you can take back to your center tomorrow.
Around here, we don't chase perfection—we build confident leaders, multiply future leaders, and create a ripple of impact throughout the early childhood profession.
Pull up a chair. Find your voice. Lead with confidence. Create lasting impact.
🎤 Let's Grow Leaders Together
Looking for a keynote speaker, breakout session presenter, leadership retreat facilitator, professional development trainer, or leadership coach for your childcare organization?
Erica partners with conferences, state associations, childcare organizations, school districts, and leadership teams across the country to deliver engaging presentations that are practical, relatable, and transformational. Every session is designed to inspire audiences, spark meaningful conversations, and equip leaders with strategies they can immediately implement in their programs.
Connect with Erica for:
- 🎤 Keynote Presentations
- 🎓 Conference Breakout Sessions
- 🏫 Professional Development Days
- 🌱 Leadership Coaching
- 👥 Leadership Retreats
- 🎙️ Podcast Guest Opportunities
🌐 www.childcaredirectorschair.com
Pull up a chair. Find your voice. Lead with confidence. Create lasting impact.
Episodes
696 episodes
633 The Confident Childcare Director
If you’re waiting to feel confident before you lead, this episode is your wake-up call. Erica Saccoccio breaks down why confidence in childcare leadership is built through action, not personality, and how John Maxwell’s leadership prin...
632 Your Center Doesn’t Need More Rules—It Needs Stronger Leadership
In this episode of Childcare Directors Chair, Erica makes the case that many childcare centers don’t need another policy, memo, or handbook update—they need clearer leadership. She explains the difference between managing people with rules and ...
631 Beyond Babysitting: Professionalism in Family Child Care
Family child care is not babysitting, and this conversation makes that impossible to ignore. Erica Saccoccio and Dacia Dumas unpack how home-based providers can lead with warmth and operate like the professionals and business owners they are, w...
630 Louisiana Family Child Care Grants
Louisiana family child care providers are leaving money, support, and growth opportunities on the table - and Cierra Amar shows you exactly how to stop. If you run a home-based program, this conversation breaks down the licensing, registration,...
629 HR in Childcare: Protecting Your Program, Team, and Peace of Mind
In this episode of Child Care Directors Chair, Erica sits down with Sheika Petteway to break down the HR side of childcare leadership. They discuss what actually falls under HR in an early childhood program, the most common documentation and co...
628 Your Contract Ended, Your Career Didn’t
What happens when you’ve poured your heart into teaching, built relationships with children and families, and then suddenly hear the words: “Your contract will not be renewed”?In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Panico for an impo...
627 You’re Not Rebuilding the Old Program—You’re Building the Next One
For years, child care leaders have been trying to recover from staff turnover, burnout, constant hiring, and the disruption that changed so many programs after COVID. Maybe you had a dream team once. Maybe your center ran with a rhythm that fel...
626 Leadership Beyond the Classroom with Carolyn Bobby Green
What happens when early childhood professionals stop working in silos and start building stronger connections across classrooms, programs, and professional associations?In this episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Sa...
625 Childcare Leadership: How to Grow Without Burning Out | Danni Christine
In this episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio sits down with Danni Christine, who shares her journey from assistant teacher to home daycare owner to operating four childcare centers in New York.
624 Stop Buying Yourself a Job: From Child Care Owner to CEO with Shelbra McKnight
In this episode of Child Care Directors Chair, Erica Saccoccio sits down with Shelbra McKnight to unpack one of the biggest challenges in child care ownership: how to stop building yourself a job and start building a true business. Shelbra shar...
623 Leading Childcare Programs That Help Families, Staff, and Communities Thrive with Julie Amy
In this episode of Childcare Directors Chair, Erica sits down with Julie Amy to explore why great childcare is about much more than getting through the day. Julie shares how her “Best Day Ever” framework helps leaders build sustainable programs...
622 Your Next Chapter in Education: From Classroom Experience to Bigger Possibilities ( See Guests below)
Every year, this small group of educators comes back to the mic for a Power Hour conversation about leadership, play, growth, and the evolving journey of the educator.This year, the conversation goes even deeper. Carla Ward, Kate Woodwar...
621 Own Your Story: Confidence to Be Seen & Heard with Shemeka Maddox
What if the opportunity you’ve been waiting for is one you’re supposed to create?In this episode of the Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica sits down with Shemeka Maddox for an energizing conversation about confidenc...
620 Play Isn’t Just for Kids: Anthony Toombs on Joy, Leadership & Men in Early Childhood
What happens when we stop treating play as something only children need?In this engaging and energizing conversation, Erica Saccoccio sits down with Anthony Toombs of the Life is Good Playmaker Project to talk about where early childhood...
619 Before the Doors Open: The Leadership Reset Every ECE Team Needs with Melonie Karrem
A successful school year doesn’t begin with decorated classrooms, completed checklists, or perfectly organized supply closets. It begins with the way we lead.In this episode, Erica Saccoccio and Melonie Kareem go beyond traditional back-...
618 The Power of Advocacy with Tim Kaminski
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 episode, Erica sits down with Tim Kaminski, child care operator, advocate, and Texas Licensed Ch...
617: When the Job Costs You Your Health with Dr. Yvette Ledford
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 episode, Erica sits down with Dr. Yvette Ledford, author of Teacher by Day: The No-Guilt Guide to S...
616 What It Really Takes to Be a Childcare Director
Being a childcare director can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be one of the hardest leadership roles in early childhood education.In this honest and relatable episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, I sit down with Jol...
615 The Surprising Power of Music and Movement in Early Literacy
How can music and movement help young children build stronger language and literacy skills?In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, I sit down with Alyssa Jewell, MLIS, and Melissa McCall to explore how songs, rhythm,...
614 Bet on Yourself: Turning Your Skills Into Something Bigger
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 Chair, I sit down with Adva Hanan for an honest conversation about believing in your skills,...
613 Grow Your People, Grow Your Organization
Organizational growth does not begin with a new program, a bigger building, or a longer strategic plan. It begins with developing the people who will help carry the vision forward.In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair
612 Beyond Management: Becoming a Pedagogical Leader
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 with Jessica Karpathios, a forest school practitioner, pedagogical leader, presenter, and the v...
610 Why Your Best Teacher Struggles to Become a Supervisor
Your best teacher may be dependable, respected, and amazing with children, but that does not always mean they are prepared to lead adults.In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair Podcast, Erica breaks down why strong teachers o...