The Director's Club

Hosted by Noelle D'Intino

Entrepreneurship Education

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Episodes

180

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

A podcast for child care center owners and directors. Business tips and resources to help you build enrollment, retain your best teachers, and getting your operating just how you want it.

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60 recent

June 3, 2026Episode 18412 min

The Story Behind The Director's Club

For those who are new to our community—and as a reminder for those who have been here for years—I wanted to share the story behind why I do this work.In this episode, I talk about my journey from corporate banking to child care ownership, the leadership lessons that shaped how I run ScribbleTime, and the personal experiences that inspired The Director's Club and The Early Education Teachers Lounge.You'll also hear why supporting directors, teachers, and leadership teams has become such an important part of my mission, along with a look at some exciting things coming next for our centers and our community.If you've ever wondered what drives the work we do, this episode is for you.Are you looking for a community to get connected to or need a one-off workshop? We have a new line-up I'm excited to share with you! Shop - CLICK HERE The Directors Club

March 29, 2026Episode 18319 min

Understanding The Balance Between Compliance and On-Boarding

Directors, how many times have you blamed a staff issue on onboarding — only to realize the real gap was something else entirely? In this episode, Noelle breaks down the critical difference between onboarding and compliance, and why mixing them up means you're solving the wrong problem. Onboarding teaches the what and the how. Compliance confirms it's actually happening — whether you're watching or not.Through real scenarios (a bus driver off-protocol for a year, a teacher skipping rest time checks, staff records constantly lapsing), you'll learn how to quickly diagnose which system is broken and what to do about it. If your center is struggling with consistency, accountability, or staff not following through — this episode is your starting point.In this episode:What good onboarding actually covers (and what it can't fix)Why compliance is a system, not a checklist binderThree real-world scenarios that show exactly where the gap livesThe key questions to ask yourself when something goes wrongWhy training someone once doesn't mean the behavior is locked inCompliance is a full-time, full-year job. Onboarding is a moment in time. Know the difference — and lead your center like you mean it.COMPLIANCE COMMAND CENTER WORKSHOPConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

March 23, 2026Episode 18239 min

Testing Hiring Strategies

Noelle shares a staffing dilemma at her childcare center: a group of six or seven teachers with ongoing attendance and punctuality issues that persist despite meetings, warnings, and write-ups, prompting her to start hiring and potentially work some staff out. She outlines an inexpensive hiring plan before paying for ads, including rewriting and simplifying job postings with a positive culture-and-growth message, testing a free Indeed account, trying EarlyDay.com, publishing a blog about expansion and workplace culture with a link to apply, creating Canva hiring graphics, posting in local community Facebook groups, and emailing past and potential client lists for referrals, including former students returning as staff. She also offers ideas for rural programs, such as proactively partnering with local high schools to present early-education career pathways and recruiting from relevant courses.Check out our new Lunch and Lead series HEREConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

March 16, 2026Episode 1818 min

Budget-Based Tuition Setting

Noelle discusses a common question from childcare directors—how much to raise tuition—and explains that there is no universal percentage because each center’s expenses, staffing, benefits, rent, and financial goals differ. She recommends starting with a budget built from last year’s numbers, adjusting for expected changes like staff raises, rent, taxes, insurance, new programs, and extra cash flow, then calculating the revenue gap to determine the needed increase. After that, she suggests checking community rates within your specific market and positioning your center based on quality and demand so the final tuition rate balances what your budget requires with what is reasonable locally. She encourages directors to complete 2026 budgets, seek help from a CPA/bookkeeper or software, and invites listeners to join the Director’s Club for ongoing support.Check out our new Lunch and Lead series HEREConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

March 9, 2026Episode 18010 min

Boosting Morale with Intentional Conversations

Noelle talks about staff retention challenges in child care programs, including accountability, support needs across generations, and improvement that doesn’t always come from training or formal feedback. She explains how adding simple, intentional one-on-one “connection” check-ins a few times a year can shift a culture where employees only meet with leadership when something is wrong. These meetings are not evaluations or disciplinary conversations; they are protected, distraction-free time to build trust, celebrate what’s going well, surface concerns early, and understand what feels overwhelming. She outlines sample questions, key benefits such as stronger relationships, earlier problem awareness, improved morale, and higher retention, and encourages leaders to schedule check-ins consistently across the team, including assistant directors.Check out our new Lunch and Lead series HEREConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

March 2, 2026Episode 17917 min

From Managing to Leading: How One Protected Hour Can Transform Your Center

Ever feel like you're running your center instead of leading it? In this episode, Noelle shares the turning point that changed everything during ScribbleTime's expansion from 72 to 114 students. Discover why protecting just one hour a day for leadership work can give you back 240 hours a year to build the systems your center desperately needs. Learn the difference between managing day-to-day operations and leading your center forward, plus get practical strategies for setting boundaries with your team and finally tackling that project you keep putting off. If "enrollment" (or any other important project) keeps showing up on your to-do list week after week, this episode is your roadmap to breaking free from constant interruptions and reclaiming your role as a leader. Check out our new Lunch and Lead series HEREConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

February 24, 2026Episode 17818 min

Onboarding Success: Building Systems for Teacher Retention

Noelle explains why teachers may struggle or quit within the first 90 days when onboarding is overwhelming or unclear. She shares how her center improved retention and confidence by breaking onboarding into day-by-day checklist sections (starting with safety), creating predictable routines, and adding quick daily check-ins from multiple leaders. She also recommends assigning dedicated onboarders by age group to ensure consistent training and accountability.Check out our new Lunch and Lead series HEREConnect with us at The Director's Club HERE

February 11, 2026Episode 17720 min

Crisis Fatigue, How to Lead When Everyone Else is Panicking

Tired of the "crisis" talk in early childhood education? Me too.The truth: funding being pulled is a crisis. Everything else? That's just business asking you to lead.I share what I learned when the payphone industry collapsed during my banking career - and how it changed how I run my childcare center today. We'll talk Money, Administration, and People: the three things you need to focus on to build a business that weathers any storm.Stop reacting. Start leading. Let's do this work together.www.thedirectorsclub.net

January 14, 2026Episode 1766 min

New Year New Opportunities

This is just a "welcome back" to the new year! Here are all the links I spoke about in the podcast. Make sure you reach out with topics you want to hear about - I'm getting ready to write new episodes.Reach out to me at customerservice@thedirectorsclub.net and send me topics you want to hear about on the podcast! I'd love to hear from you.FREE Book Club JOIN HERE We are hosting it on Thursday, January 15th 7 PM ESTVirtual Webinar - Protecting Your Center's Insurability Wednesday, January 21st 1 PM ESTIn-Person Leadership Day! Come join us in Massachusetts on Thursday, February 12th 9 AM - 4 PM LEARN MORE HEREwww.thedirectorsclub.net

September 15, 2025Episode 17510 min

Turning PD into Practice: Helping Teachers Apply What They Learn

Effective Mentoring through Workshop Reflections: Simple Steps for Childcare EducatorsJoin Noelle as she shares three practical ways to mentor and develop less experienced teachers through reflection and action sheets, staff meeting brainstorms, and shared learning activities. Discover how these methods can foster collaborative problem-solving, build strong team dynamics, and enhance the effectiveness of professional development workshops. Listen now for actionable tips to create a more engaged and capable teaching staff.We're expanding our child care center in 2026 and we need to build up our rising leaders. We will need more assistant directors - lead teachers - an infant and toddler team! I've created leadership workshops for my rising leaders and I want to invite you and your team to join us!Take Back Your Day CLICK HERE - Free workshop on September 9th at 1:00 PM Eastern TimeLeadership Day CLICK HERE - For Child Care Cetner Directors; In-Person in Wrentham, Massachusetts on October 2nd 8:30 AM - 5 PM meals and a pretty notebook included!Leading The Way CLICK HERE - Rising Leadership 6-Week Virtual workshop starts October 8th at 1:00 PM Eastern Time Wednesday'sNeed help implementing what you heard today?We’ve got your back. Inside The Director’s Club, we don’t just talk about solutions — we help you put them into action with done-for-you tools, coaching, and a supportive community of directors who get it. Whether you’re ready to create systems that actually stick or just want to stop feeling like you’re doing this alone, we’re here to support you. Reach out here: thedirectorsclub.net