Ep. 223 — Protect What You've Built with Sharita Brown

In this episode, Jennifer shares a personal moment that slowed her down and clarified what matters most: impact, leadership, and protecting what's been entrusted to you. That framing sets the tone for a grounded conversation with Sharita "Rita" Brown, a long-time early childhood leader and Child Care Success Company coach, about one of the fears many owners carry quietly — the allegation that can shake everything.

Rita walks Jennifer through a season where her centers faced a false report, and they couldn't immediately produce the proof they needed. Instead of spiraling, they tightened their standards: documentation, overstaffing to protect ratios, and leadership that showed up in the building, not just on paper. This conversation is a real look at how "inspect what you expect" plays out when it's no longer a slogan, and why the simplest protection is often the most overlooked: documenting, consistently, as a team.

Key Takeaways:

[:08] Jennifer reflects on a recent car wreck and how being "shaken" clarifies what matters, and why "protect what you've built" is more than a mindset.

[6:07] Rita recounts the moment a false report landed, and they couldn't quickly find documentation to prove ratio coverage.

[8:45] The emotion behind it: feeling helpless — and realizing systems exist to protect children, staff, and families.

[10:24] What changed immediately: pushing systems, tightening documentation, and temporarily overstaffing to protect against ratio risk.

[14:28] "Inspect what you expect" as the non-negotiable leadership shift, especially across multiple sites.

[16:45] The practical reset: going into each center, one-on-ones, rebuilding buy-in, and modeling standards in real time.

[19:26] A more recent allegation (2025) and what it looked like to be ready this time: systems, documentation, leadership alignment, and no case.

[21:36] Rita's "one thing" every owner can do today: document, and make sure your team is documenting.

[28:41] Stepping into the CEO seat means boundaries: staying reachable without being on the floor every day and building leaders who can carry the work.

Quotes:

"What matters to me is not about playing a game. It's not about chasing something, wanting bigger and better. It's more about living a life that matters to me. It's about making an impact. It's about leading well and protecting what's been entrusted to me." — Jennifer [2:43]

"So we really pushed our systems and made sure that our documentation was in place from that moment, because we didn't have any proof to show them otherwise." — Rita [11:43]

"Inspect what you expect." — Jennifer / Rita [14:04]

"I think sometimes, as owners, we don't realize that there's no shortcut to time, there's no shortcut to personal interaction, there's no shortcut to modeling the behaviors you want to see." — Jennifer [18:03]

"Make sure your team is documenting." — Rita [21:08]

Sponsored By:

ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)

Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Kris Murray

@iamkrismurray

Jennifer Conner

The Child Care Success Company

The Child Care Success Academy

The Child Care Success Summit

Grow Your Center

Childcare Education Institute: Use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal

Sharita Brown