By Monica Howard

 

 

How It All Started

In 2019, my husband and I were living in Charlotte, North Carolina, running a small drop-in child care center. It was simple—just a few hours a day—but we loved what we were building. Every afternoon, we carved out time to create a program that would go beyond babysitting and actually educate and inspire young children.

After three years of testing, learning, and dreaming, we decided it was time to go bigger. We started looking for a full-time child care center to purchase—somewhere we could put down real business roots. We found one about five hours away and thought, “We’ll hire a great director, check in once a week, and let it run.”

We closed on that center on February 20, 2020.

Three weeks later, COVID hit.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. The world was shutting down, schools and businesses were closing, and we were standing at the starting line of a brand-new venture. But we had made a commitment—not just financially, but ethically. We believed that when you start something, you finish it.

So we showed up. We moved into a hotel near the center and worked 6 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday, for seven straight months. We cleaned. We cooked. We held babies. We built relationships with staff and families. And when we realized this wasn’t going to be temporary, we bought a home in the area and sold our place back in Charlotte.

We thought we were just buying a business. But in the middle of a global crisis, we found our calling.

 

 

From Surviving to Scaling

Once we settled into our first center, we thought the hardest part was behind us. We had weathered the storm—or so we thought. But running a child care business during a pandemic wasn’t something anyone could have prepared for. Every day brought new challenges. New protocols. New fears. And we were still new to this, figuring it out one step at a time.

But something shifted in us during those long days. We started to see the real impact we were making—not just on children, but on families who needed a safe place to bring their kids while they worked, and on teachers who needed someone to believe in them. That sense of purpose is what kept us going.

By early 2021, we got a call about another child care center for sale in a neighboring county. Logic said we should rest. Common sense said one center was enough. But we felt ready—and more importantly, we believed in what we were building. So we said yes.

And then it happened again. In late 2022, another opportunity came up, and we acquired a third location. We were building momentum, growing our team, creating systems, and fine-tuning our approach.

Then came the big test.

In mid-2023, we were offered two sister centers—already established, right in the heart of our service area. Mr. Howard said no at first (and honestly, I didn’t blame him). But I said, “Let’s just go look.” And as soon as we walked through those buildings, we both felt it: these were meant to be part of our story.

We closed on those two centers in June of 2023. Just like that, we were operating five locations.

And then everything fell apart—at one of them, at least.

 

 

The Storm That Nearly Took Us Out

Just weeks after the purchase, the entire staff and director at one of the new centers walked out. We found out at 10:00 PM on a Sunday night. By Monday morning, families were arriving and asking, “How are you going to keep my child safe if you don’t have staff?” Some of them had already been told we were short.

It was a moment of truth. Again.

So we called in our team from every other center. I showed up myself, along with Mr. Howard and a handful of trusted staff. We had 25 children left—down from 115—but we weren’t going to let them down.

That morning, I called one of our assistant directors and said, “You’re the director now. I need you to come take this on.” She didn’t hesitate. And what she did in the weeks and months that followed was nothing short of extraordinary. She rebuilt that center from the ground up—staff, families, systems, culture—and brought enrollment back to 115 children.

Today, she’s our Director of Community and Growth. Because when people rise, we elevate them.

That’s the kind of team we’re building.

 

 

Getting Clear About the Money

For a long time, I avoided the numbers. I didn’t grow up in finance. I didn’t come from a business background. I was a woman with a mission—and that felt like enough.

But the moment I started understanding our financials, everything changed. I stopped being afraid of what I’d find and started using the numbers to make confident decisions.

Now, we track enrollment efficiency (how much we earn per available spot), staff utilization (how much revenue each staff hour generates), and customer acquisition cost (how much we spend to bring in a new family). We even calculate lifetime value—because it’s not just about today’s tuition, it’s about the long-term relationship we’re building with that family.

Profit matters more than revenue. Period. You can have full classrooms and still be drowning in expenses if you’re not managing your margins. Cash flow is king. We check our accounts daily, audit expenses quarterly, and price our services based on the value we deliver—not just what the center down the road is charging.

And let me say this: if you’re not paying yourself as the owner, that’s not a business. That’s a job. And you didn’t come this far to build yourself another job.

 

 

You Can’t Hide From Marketing

In the early days, I thought a cute logo and a Facebook page were enough. I believed if we loved the kids and did good work, the families would come.

And they did… slowly.

But slow isn’t sustainable. So I learned how to market intentionally. I built out our online presence, invested in social media advertising, built automated email sequences, and optimized our website to convert visits into tours. We studied lead generation and positioning—because in today’s world, people need to know who you are and why you’re different before they ever walk through the door.

We now have a waiting list at multiple locations. Not because we’re lucky—but because we learned how to tell our story in a way that resonates with the families we’re meant to serve.

 

 

The Bigger Picture: Innovation, Leadership, and Legacy

Running a child care business today requires more than love and grit. It requires adaptability. It requires vision. And it requires courage to keep reinventing yourself.

We listen to our families. We pay attention to trends. We test ideas before scaling them. We embrace technology and lean into innovation—not because it’s trendy, but because it makes us better at what we do.

As leaders, we model the culture we want to see. We don’t just talk about values—we live them, sing them, and hold each other accountable to them. Leadership is not about doing it all. It’s about empowering others to rise with you.

And at the end of the day, it’s about the legacy you’re building.

We’re not just growing centers. We’re shaping lives—of children, families, and educators. We’re building a community where people are seen, supported, and inspired to become their best selves.

And that? That’s a legacy worth fighting for.

 

 

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the thick of it—burned out, stretched thin, ready to quit—I hope my story reminds you that it doesn’t have to end there.

You have the power to rebuild. To rethink. To reimagine.

You don’t have to do it all. But you do have to decide that your dream is worth protecting—and that you’re willing to grow into the kind of leader who can carry it forward.

So whether you’re just starting out, stuck in the middle, or scaling like we did—keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep standing on business.

You’re not just running a center.

You’re building a dynasty.

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If you’d like help creating results for your business like Monica did, set up a free coaching call with us. Book here!