Everything Early Childhood

“I feel like I’m holding everything together… and I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing it.”



In this month’s Director File, Leeza shares a powerful and deeply relatable letter from a director who is caught in the cycle of supporting everyone else… while slowly burning out themselves.



This episode explores:



• The blurred lines between connection and over-supporting your team

• The emotional load of being “the one everyone goes to”

• Why creating a safe culture can sometimes go too far

• The hidden leadership patterns that create dependency

• The shift from rescuing → leading



This is a raw and honest conversation that so many leaders will resonate with.



💛 If you’ve ever felt like you are carrying everything… this episode is for you.



👉 Share this with another director who needs to hear: “It’s not just you.”

What does a Centre Director actually do all day?



This episode answers that question… honestly.



In this powerful and deeply relatable episode, Leeza walks you through the real, unfiltered reality of a director’s day, from the 5am phone calls, to compliance pressures, to emotional leadership, to the invisible load that is carried every single day.



This episode is for:



• Directors who need to feel seen, validated, and proud

• Educators who want to better understand the role

• Families who may not realise the responsibility behind the scenes Inside this episode, you’ll hear:

• The true start and end of a director’s day

• The balance between leadership, compliance, and care

• The invisible mental and emotional load directors carry

• Why a “smooth day” is actually a sign of strong leadership

• A powerful reframe on what it means to be a director



This episode is one to share.



💛 If you’ve ever wondered what your director really does… or you are the director, this is for you.



👉 Send this to your team, your families, or anyone who needs to understand the reality of this role.

You say you’re overwhelmed.

You say you’re burnt out.

You say you can’t keep going like this…



But when the opportunity comes to do something different…

You stay in the fire.



In this bold and honest solo episode, Leeza challenges one of the biggest patterns she is seeing across early childhood leadership right now, directors and owners who are stuck in reactive cycles, constantly putting out fires, even when they are given the tools to step out of them.



This episode dives into:



• Why leaders stay in reactive mode (even when they know better)

• The hidden comfort of chaos and “feeling productive”

• The difference between managing problems vs solving them

• A powerful real-life client story (Katie) and what changed everything

• Why leadership requires a different version of you



This is not a comfortable episode. But it is a necessary one.



If you’re ready to stop surviving your role and start leading forward… this one is for you.



💛 Want support to step out of the fire and into leadership? The Directors Academy mid-year intake is opening soon. Keep an eye out for more details.



🎧 Don’t forget to share this episode with another leader who needs to hear it.

Director Files 🎙

Alright… this month’s Director File had me laughing out loud when I read it.

Not because it’s funny, but because I know so many directors dealing with this right now.

A director wrote in about something she’s calling educator cancel culture.

An educator walked into the office and said:

“I refuse to work with her.”

When the director suggested they talk through the issue, the response was:

“Well maybe I should just resign then.”

Over a conversation about pack-up.

This one opens up a really interesting leadership discussion about:

• conflict in teams

• resignation threats

• the difference between discomfort and psychological safety

• and the role of a director when two adults don’t want to work together

I unpack the whole situation in today’s Director Files episode.

Directors & Approved Providers… these questions might feel familiar.

Each month inside our Everything Early Childhood community, I ask one simple question: “What leadership situation is sitting in the back of your mind right now?”

And the responses are always incredibly honest.

This month we unpack questions around:

• recruitment and second-guessing decisions

• educators doing the bare minimum

• feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions

• navigating difficult team dynamics

• the invisible weight of leadership

If you’ve ever had one of those moments where you think… “Is it just me?” This episode is for you. Because leadership in early childhood can feel heavy sometimes. But you’re not alone.

And if you want to be part of these conversations, join our Everything Early Childhood Facebook group and submit your questions for next month.

Because sometimes just talking it through changes everything.

🩷 Leeza