An ECE Pioneer: The Secrets of Her Success with Carol Levins
Kris welcomes Early Education pioneer Carol Levins to the show. Carol created a school from nothing and ended up with a business that now has 14 locations, serving over 3,500 children. Carol talks about how a passion for learning sparked her path in education, how she crafted her teaching positions to elevate her teachers and keep them for 20‒35 years, how her door to door marketing led her to get to know the families on a personal level, and her advice for exiting a business. Carol and Kris also talk about how to know when it’s time to walk away vs. when to hang on, overcoming challenges that arise during growth, and why consistency in branding matters.
Key Takeaways:
[10:16] Carol explains how it all started with a passion for learning.
[14:56] What was Carol’s journey like, exiting in February of 2017? What did she learn from that experience?
[15:15] Carol splits her time between Las Vegas and Park City and has traveled all over the world. She has eight grandchildren that are all boys, and she loves a good ski session!
[16:29] Fun fact: you would never believe it if you knew Carol today, but she was very shy as a child and worked hard to overcome it.
[17:21] Carol and Kris talk about the importance of branding.
[20:01] What has Carol done culturally and operationally to maintain consistency throughout her 14 different schools?
[23:30] Carol talks about overcoming the challenges and adjusting to growth and expansion.
[23:33] Why was Carol’s nickname, “the form master”?
[25:48] Carol remodeled her school inside and out, which first had a lot of pushback, but her team ultimately saw how it helped them.
[27:48] In coaching, that’s the big difference maker between people that can scale and who are successful and the people that stay small. They are unable to get out of the day-to-day because they’re not focused enough on the money side.
[29:00] What does Carol look for in a franchisee?
[33:40] The most important thing is to understand what your mission statement is. For Carol, it’s to provide the highest quality early childhood educational program available.
[34:44] How you build your culture and how you build your loyalty is what makes you successful as an owner.
[43:45] If you want loyal staff, you've got to be a loyal owner.
[50:12] Every child matters, even if you are full. Carol reminds us that every single person that inquires about your school is your first child.
Quotes:
- “It all started with a passion for learning.” — Carol
- “I believe that if you want loyal staff, you've got to be a loyal owner.” — Carol
- “Branding is very important. You want to have a strong brand.” — Carol
- You get one chance at a first impression.
- “In coaching, that’s the big difference maker between people that can scale and who are successful and the people that stay small. They are unable to get out of the day to day because they’re not focused enough on the money side.” — Kris
- “You don’t want to be desperate. You don’t want to get to a point where you have to sell because you can no longer run the business.” — Carol
- “Every single person that inquires about your school is your first child.” — Carol
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Child Care Success Company
The Child Care Success Academy
