Lety and Raoul of Springview Academy in Florida join the show today to talk about working as a married couple, the cute story of how they met and became a partnership, and spotting teacher burnout. They are both highly focused on professional development, active leadership and creating a culture that serves children and their families yet also provides the staff with a healthy amount of freedom and autonomy. They also talk about how they went from 125 children to 350, almost tripling their attendance, and the strategies of success that keep them at the top of their game.   Key Takeaways: [13:01] Lety and Raoul of Springview Academy are married and they structure the business to highlight each of their strengths. Raoul focuses on the billing and financial aspect, while Lety is the primary contact for parents, directors and other teachers. [13:50] Lety has an education background with over 13 years of experience in the field of early childhood, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership, which is something that gives them quite an edge over their competitors. Her biggest accomplishment, though, is being a parent and having a special needs child. [16:44] Lety and Raoul partnered early on in their relationship, with a business transaction first before marriage. Raoul’s offering to give her a loan worked out quite well for both of them, and now they are happily married and partners, three years later. [21:19] Miami is very competitive for child care centers. Besides Lety’s background in education, other success strategies that set them apart include going above and beyond in communication with parents, great follow-through, and fun activities. [24:09] It’s important for leaders to recognize burnout in their staff. Lety actively manages it by paying attention to who may be burnt out and having transparent conversations on what it is they need to feel energized and fresh. They also have put back-up systems in place to give teachers time off when they need to recharge, even if it’s not paid. [29:02] Lety and Raoul partake in same page meetings and use the days after conferences as a chance to get away on an extra honeymoon. [31:33] Some of their key success strategies since joining the Academy includes educating themselves on CRM, knowing the metrics of their business, and getting real about their numbers. [32:55] Just by charging weekly instead of monthly, Lety and Raoul made $50k annually. [38:48] Springview runs like a small company with attention to the people and culture, but like a big company with systematization, structure, and autonomy. Tools like sales scripts and phone scripts create freedom and consistency. [47:46] To Leddy and Raoul, a rock star is someone that helps others, and has a life that is both professionally and personally fulfilling. They create high-quality programs and have a great company culture, but aren’t afraid to get off the grid and focus on personal connection. [52:49] Lety and Raoul expanded into K-5 by demand from their parents. They are on fire now, but there were growing pains and learning lessons along the way. From a marketing standpoint, it was the same, but from an administration standpoint, it was a whole new ballgame.   Mentioned in This Episode: Kris Murray The Child Care Success Company Child Care Success Academy Child Care Success Summit The Road Less Stupid, by Keith J. Cunningham Move Your Bus: An Extraordinary New Approach to Accelerating Success in Work and Life, by Ron Clark Springview Academy VPK  Grow Your Center Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman Florida Early Learning Coalitions Brian Duprey  The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness, by Jeff Olson and John David Mann Child Care Millionaire: Secrets to Building a Profitable 7 or 8 Figure Child Care Business, by Brian Duprey