How To · Erica Saccoccio

The Child Care Directors Chair Podcast

by Erica Saccoccio

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.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

655 Bust a Move: Dr. Jamie Lewis on Leadership, Resilience & What Comes Next

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when leadership gets hard, business gets heavy, and the path forward does not look anything like you expected? Dr. Jamie Lewis joins Eri

Oct 9
27 min

654 Would You Want to Work for You on a Monday Morning?

Send us Fan Mail Great teachers don’t always leave because of the labor market. Sometimes, they leave because of their experience at work. On this episode of The Child C

Oct 8
23 min

Bonus: Making Waves in ECE: Why This Weekend Matters

Send us Fan Mail This weekend, Rhode Island’s early childhood community is coming together—and this episode is about more than just attending another conference. Erica

Oct 7
10 min

653 The Toxic Teacher Problem: When Is Enough?

Send us Fan Mail You know the teacher. She may be great with children. Families may love her. She may have been with you for years. But the gossip, negativity, eye rolli

Oct 7
13 min

652 Check In Before They Check Out: Supporting Your Teachers

Send us Fan Mail What if one of the most powerful things a director could do for an educator was simply ask, “How are you doing?”—and actually listen to the answer? Rec

Oct 6
15 min

651 You Take Care of Everyone. Who Takes Care of You?

Send us Fan Mail Family child care providers are used to doing it all—caring for children, supporting families, managing the business, maintaining the home, and keeping

Oct 5
40 min

650 The One Thing That Makes Children Love Coming to School

Send us Fan Mail What separates a good early childhood educator from a truly great one? Eva from Church Early Learning Center makes the case that the answer is not just

Oct 2
27 min

649 Stop Leading Alone: Why ECE Leaders Need Community

Send us Fan Mail Early childhood leadership can feel lonely, especially when you are carrying the needs of children, families, staff, and an entire program. But strong l

Oct 1
27 min

648 The Leadership Mistake Early Childhood Directors Keep Making

Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest way to strengthen your early childhood program is not tighter control, but more accountability, empathy, and support? Ruth shares th

Sep 30
24 min

647 Lead Beside Them: What Great Directors Do Differently

Send us Fan Mail What separates a director who simply manages a program from a leader teachers actually want to work for? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s C

Sep 29
17 min

646 What Educators Need From Their Directors

Send us Fan Mail What makes an educator feel truly supported by their director? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica Saccoccio sits down with Reva

Sep 28
15 min

645 Why Women Keep Minimizing Their Authority at the Table

Send us Fan Mail Women in early childhood education aren’t “just” anything. They’re business leaders, employers, community builders, and decision-makers—and this convers

Sep 25
46 min

646 A Few Closing Words from Kevin ( Part 2)

Send us Fan Mail One of my favorite moments from my conversation with Kevin from WatchMeGrow came at the very end. After talking about his work, the relationships he ha

Sep 24
3 min

646 Behind the Camera: Meet Kevin from WatchMeGrow

Send us Fan Mail What really happens behind the camera when it comes to building trust, supporting childcare programs, and helping leaders feel more confident about safe

Sep 24
33 min

645 What Really Makes a Childcare Professional?

Send us Fan Mail Professionalism in early childhood education is about much more than what you wear to work. In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica t

Sep 23
15 min

644 Supporting Educators Through Authentic Leadership

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to support educators as a leader? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica sits down with Annette Eberhart fo

Sep 22
39 min

643 How Do We Believe Children Should Be Educated?

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how you truly believe children should be educated? In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica take

Sep 21
19 min

642 The Courage to Keep Growing

Send us Fan Mail Your next level of leadership may have nothing to do with a new title—it starts the moment you stop treating your experience like it only belongs inside

Sep 16
45 min

641 You’re Going to Get Your Feelings Hurt: Leading When You Can’t Please Everyone

Send us Fan Mail You can be the best boss someone has ever had, support a family for years, extend grace, make exceptions, and genuinely care—and still become the “bad g

Sep 15
14 min

640 Stop Leading Everyone the Same Way

Send us Fan Mail One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming everyone on their team needs the same kind of leadership. They don’t. In this episode, we’re talki

Sep 14
14 min