Lisa Giancarli is the Executive Director and Owner of Over the Rainbow Child Development Center, located in Bordentown, New Jersey. Lisa followed her passion to own her own business and fell in love with childcare after acquiring the center in 2011. She talks about the improvements she and her husband made when starting Over the Rainbow from the bottom up, the specific things she has done to create a culture in line with the overall company vision, and the benefits she received when really looking at her metrics and taking action steps based upon them.   Key Takeaways: [3:13] Lisa’s husband is a REALTOR®, and they bought the Over the Rainbow building as an investment in 2011. Her plan was to run it until they got a deal but she ended up taking it on and 8 years later, the rest is history. [6:10] Lisa proves that it is possible to learn as you go. She became a student of the childcare business and they went from a barebones school to one that utilizes technology and state-of-the-art electronic reporting and data collecting. [9:36] Lisa and her husband Joe not only work great together but they are also high school sweethearts who have been married 28 years. [9:54] While you are working hard and building your business, self-care is not only important but it’s also essential. [13:34] The Director position is a huge component of success in the school. Lisa realized firsthand how important it is to listen to the team and foster an environment where people can speak up. [17:38] When one toxic person leaves, sometimes more follow. [20:45] In an age of electronic communication and quick responses, a well thought out handwritten note goes a long way to create a personal touch and show that you care. [21:28] Lisa tracks enrollment weekly and reviews her metrics to create a realistic view of where her business is. This wasn’t always the case but she found much more control and power once they started consistently looking at metrics. [28:45] Lisa’s top pillars to success in the field: Never stop learning about the business and immersing yourself in the industry. A happy family and happy staff build the business and foster high retention. Be open to the outside-of-the-box ideas from all people on your team. Don’t resist growth and change or advice from others who have done it before you.  [36:287] A rockstar is one who learns what they need to do and figures out how to do it. They understand, plan, and execute.   Mentioned in This Episode: Kris Murray The Child Care Success Company Child Care Success Academy Child Care Success Summit Over the Rainbow Ann Rhoades ChildCare CRM The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People, by Gary Chapman and Paul White Child Care Millionaire: Secrets to Building a Profitable 7 or 8 Figure Child Care Business, by Brian Duprey StrengthsFinder ProCare KidReports