163: The Team Culture Secret Every EC Leader Needs to Know This Year Artwork

Early Childhood Business Made Easy

Ever thought… How to start a preschool or play cafe? How to successfully manage an early childhood business or childcare? How to hire great teachers? How to grow preschool enrollment? How to increase your parties and indoor play traffic? What do today’s busy parents value most? How great would it be to have a business mentor sharing preschool, childcare, play cafe, and other early childhood business success secrets based on years of lessons learned the hard way so you don’t have to? For just that and more - tune in each week to the Happiness Hustle - Early Childhood Business Made Easy Podcast with your host, Kelley Peake, ex-corporate childcare leader turned CEO of multiple million-dollar early childhood businesses. Kelley is on a mission to help other early childhood business leaders, managers, and owners control the chaos, ditch the exhausting overwhelm, and keep the joy as they build a profitable business, making a difference in the lives of others. You will find lots of inspiration, tips, resources, and actionable strategies giving you the step-by-step details you need to create success in your own business. Whether you are a busy parent, a pulled in all directions ambitious mompreneur, or one in the making who's looking to create a preschool, play cafe, or other early childhood focused business that makes a difference, it is our goal to make your life a little easier with every resource, blog post, or podcast. To find out more resources that will help you control the chaos, ditch the exhausting overwhelm, and keep the joy as you grow your successful business, head over to www.peakecreative.com.

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Early Childhood Business Made Easy

163: The Team Culture Secret Every EC Leader Needs to Know This Year

January 15, 2026 • Kelley Peake • Season 1 • Episode 163

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🎙️ In this episode of Early Childhood Business Made Easy, we uncover the real reason so many early childhood programs stay stuck on the hiring hamster wheel—and why traditional retention advice keeps falling flat.

👥 If you’re losing great teachers every few months and starting to wonder if “no one wants to work anymore,” you’re not wrong—but you are being given solutions that don’t work in ratio-dependent businesses with razor-thin margins.

⚙️ Confident Early Childhood Operators know that strong team culture isn’t built through bigger paychecks or flashy perks—it’s built through strategic empowerment systems that help staff feel trusted, capable, and valued without breaking your budget.

✨ When you professionalize your leadership structure using frameworks designed specifically for early childhood businesses, you stop constant rehiring and start building a team that stays, grows, and drives your business forward—so you can lead with confidence instead of spending weekends interviewing.

Click HERE to see the Shownotes and Printable.
The Shine Membership & CEO Mentorship – Both programs with Kelley Peake and her experienced team are monthly experiences for preschool/childcare/enrichment program business owners, directors, and managers. Operating an early childhood business can often be chaotic and overwhelming. By following our Peake Creative, step-by-step simplified business strategies, you will gain more clarity, time freedom, and confidence to lead a profitable early childhood business.
Profit Pathfinder – Inspired by the game-changing Peake Creative CEO Profit Journey Flywheel, this pathfinder is your personal guide to finding out exactly what you need most right now. Are you craving more time to breathe, or do you want to unlock fresh streams of revenue? Let’s find out!
January Jumpstart – FREE 5-day experience designed specifically for early childhood business owners who are ready to stop operating in survival mode—and start leading like a CEO.
Profit Planning Reset – The Profit Planning Reset gives Early Childhood business owners the tools, clarity, and confidence to build a business that finally supports your life. In just two half-days, you’ll learn how to simplify your operations, design your Purposeful Profit Plan, and create predictable profit (without the burnout).
Visit https://kelleypeake.com/freebies - Grab these amazing resources and tools to grow your knowledge, control the chaos, and become more stress-free!
Early Childhood Business Operations Framework Flight Plan. It goes over the 6 Operations Profit Boosters that are essential to operating an EC business. Be sure to set aside uninterrupted periods, you can optimize your concentration and accomplish more in less time. Here you will find an easy-to-implement tool to help you with this first strategy to help you reclaim your

We help early childhood business owners ditch the chaos and lead with confidence. With actionable strategies and time-saving tools, you can grow your revenue, inspire your team, and create a thriving business—without sacrificing the life you love. Ready to make it happen?
Visit kelleypeake.com and take the first step toward your dream business today!