Episode 12: Daring to Dream When the Odds Are Against You | LaFarris Risby

08/05/21 • 46 min

Child care is full of inspiring stories, and LaFarris Risby is no exception. A mother at just 15 and married to an abusive husband, LaFarris knew she needed to make a change. In this episode, you’ll hear LaFarris’ amazing story about how, with just $50 to her name and two children, she left her abuser, went back to school and started an in-home child care business – a business that grew to be the largest African American child care center in Junction City, KS.

Today, LaFarris is the CEO of her own consultancy company and has written a book about her incredible journey called Dare to Dream.
Highlights from our conversation with LaFarris include:

The turning point when she decided to completely change the trajectory of her life.
How she purchased her first property and overcame a massive sewage issue the very first day her center opened – with very little money on hand.
The ways her faith has helped her traverse even the toughest circumstances.
When she fired her son from the center for not coming to work on time, and the lesson he learned to now become the CEO of her business.
How she discovered hidden talents in herself, and how she helps tease those out of the clients she works with.
Her plans to build a safe haven for domestic violence survivors.

About LaFarris:

LaFarris Risby is a CEO, award-winning business strategist, author, international speaker, radio personality, child care & parenting expert, executive coach and community leader.

She is the founder of the largest African American child care center in Junction City, KS and has more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education and family support.

Currently, LaFarris is the CEO of LaFarris Inc., a consultancy company where she fills the role of business strategist by helping a growing number of clients overcome their challenges in finding direction, purpose and success in life and business. A testament to her business acumen, she was recently selected as Top Business Strategist of the Year for 2021 by the International Association of Top Professionals.

Before LaFarris embarked on her career path, she earned her Associates of Arts in Early Childhood Education and then her Bachelor of Science in Human Services. As a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) for the National Council of Family Relations, LaFarris provides education, social and emotional, and cognitive support for both her students and parents.

She’s also the author of Dare to Dream, where she tells the inspirational and transparent account of her personal and professional life.

You can connect with LaFarris by visiting her website: www.lafarris.com.

Additional Resources:
To get more insights on ways to succeed in your child care business, head over to our Resource Center at https://www.procaresoftware.com/resource-center/.
Contact Us:
Have an idea for a podcast or want to be a guest? Email us at [email protected].

Today, LaFarris is the CEO of her own consultancy company and has written a book about her incredible journey called Dare to Dream.
Highlights from our conversation with LaFarris include:

The turning point when she decided to completely change the trajectory of her life.
How she purchased her first property and overcame a massive sewage issue the very first day her center opened – with very little money on hand.
The ways her faith has helped her traverse even the toughest circumstances.
When she fired her son from the center for not coming to work on time, and the lesson he learned to now become the CEO of her business.
How she discovered hidden talents in herself, and how she helps tease those out of the clients she works with.
Her plans to build a safe haven for domestic violence survivors.

About LaFarris:

LaFarris Risby is a CEO, award-winning business strategist, author, international speaker, radio personality, child care & parenting expert, executive coach and community leader.

She is the founder of the largest African American child care center in Junction City, KS and has more than 25 years of experience in early childhood education and family support.

She’s also the author of Dare to Dream, where she tells the inspirational and transparent account of her personal and professional life.

You can connect with LaFarris by visiting her website: www.lafarris.com.

Previous Episode

Episode 11: A Framework for Child Care Financial Success | Kathy Ligon

In this episode, we talk with Kathy Ligon, a titan in the child care space. She’s someone who has not only taken the child care real estate industry by storm, but also has become a sought-after resource and source of inspiration for child care business owners and operators looking to think more strategically and grow their operations.

At the helm of HINGE Brokers for more than 17 years, Kathy has amassed a wealth of knowledge that addresses the gamut of child care business issues. In this chat, you’ll hear about:

How Kathy works with child care business owners to purchase new locations or exit their businesses successfully.
Kathy’s child care financial model for success – something she’s been perfecting for 25 years.
A preview of Kathy’s new app called Framework, which will assess a center’s total financial health and provide guidance on how to improve it.
Current trends Kathy’s seeing in the child care space, including more government funding.
The upcoming SHIFT Childcare Leaders Conference, an inspirational and informative event aimed at giving owners and operators clear strategies they can use to grow their businesses.

About Kathy:

Trained as a public accountant, Kathy has a unique 30+ year background in educational operations. Early on, she was named Financial Director for a growing educational organization and subsequently moved to COO, directing growth management and helping the company multiply from five to 125 sites operating in several different states. During this time, she gained a wealth of knowledge in growth strategy, target selection, pricing and negotiation, cultural analysis and post-closing integration tactics.
In 2003, Kathy started her own early education brokerage firm—called HINGE Brokers, providing support to the private early education sector by developing price analyses, negotiating strategies and matching buyers with sellers. Her important work has led to the successful transactions of more than 250 early education business.
If you want to learn more about Kathy’s incredible work, including her annual SHIFT Conference, check out the following links:

Website: https://www.hingebrokers.com/
SHIFT Conference: https://www.hingebrokers.com/shift-conference

Next Episode

Episode 13: Thriving Through Multiple ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ Crises | Paula Polito

In this episode, we chat with Paula Polito, owner of Beary Cherry Tree in New Orleans. From humble beginnings 45 years ago to a four-building, 16-classroom operation, Beary Cherry Tree is a thriving business that boasts a four-star rating, low turnover and low ratios. However, the journey hasn’t been an easy one. From navigating the loss of her house and severe building damage during Hurricane Katrina to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, Paula has seen it all. But her resilient spirit, business acumen and focus on culture have helped her weather the storm (pun intended).

Topics we talk about with Paula include:

How she hires and retains teachers through culture-building, caring leadership, professional development, lower ratios and a strong focus on mental health.
Strategies for communicating with parents and staff in a transparent and compassionate way.
Her approach to the latest COVID outbreaks.
How she’s implemented a structure that allows for her to spend more time doing work outside the center, such as child care advocacy and earning her PhD.
Paula’s storied background, including spending six years as a New Orleans Saints cheerleader as well as a stint on the show “Fear Factor.”

About Paula:

Paula is owner of Beary Cherry Tree in New Orleans. Beary Cherry Tree is a family-owned and operated day care center that is 45 years old and spans three generations. They have grown from 1,000 square feet in 1976 to what is one of the largest in the area.

Paula's center has a four-star rating from Louisiana’s Quality Start Program and is a 5210 Partner, which means her center is all about kids health, providing 5 or more fruits/vegetables, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time, 1 hour or more of physical activity and 0 soda or sweetened drinks.

Paula is currently getting her doctorate in Urban Studies/Affairs from the University of New Orleans and has a number of certifications, including:

Pathways Level 3 trainer
MTP Credentialed Coach
MMCI Trainer
CLASS TTT (Train the Trainer)
CLASS Reliable (Infant/Toddler / PreK)

She’s also the Department of Education Advisory Board Chair.

You can connect with Paula by visiting her website: https://www.bearycherrytree.com/ or by emailing her at [email protected].

The Child Care Business Podcast - Episode 12: Daring to Dream When the Odds Are Against You | LaFarris Risby

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):

[inaudible] welcome to the childcare business podcast brought to you by ProCare solutions. This podcast is all about giving childcare, preschool, daycare, afterschool, and other early education professionals, a fun and upbeat way to learn about strategies and inspiration you can use