podcast
Everything Early Childhood
Welcome to the Everything Early Childhood Podcast, designed for Approved Providers, Nominated Supervisors and other child care business leaders. This fun, light-hearted and very serious podcast features weekly episodes on strategy, advice and conversations with fascinating and inspiring people from across our sector. Join the journey and have access to the tools and inspiration you need to create high performing child care businesses.
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OUR LATEST EPISODES
Episode #135
The Early Childhood reset everybody is talking about.Â
May 14, 2026
Leeza Browne unpacks the “early childhood reset” everyone is feeling right now — from exhaustion, pressure and rising expectations to the changing reality of what it now takes to truly thrive in early childhood.
Episode #134
Culture is more than a checklist
May 7, 2026
Leeza and Jessica Staines unpack what it really means to embed culture meaningfully in ECÂ moving beyond tokenism to create environments where children, families and educators feel seen, valued and reflected.
Episode #133
Your questions Answered - Q&A April 2026
April 17, 2026
This month’s Q&A episode is built completely from your questions — real challenges coming from the floor, your teams, and your leadership right now.
Episode #132
Director File: Holding It All Together
April 09, 2026
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.
Episode #131
The Director’s Day: The Work No One Sees
April 01, 2026
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.
Episode #130
Are You Actually Ready to Solve It… Or Do You Want to Stay in the Fire?
March 26, 2026
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.
Episode #129
Director file: I refuse to work with her
March 19, 2026
This Director Files episode unpacks a real-world leadership dilemma, exploring team conflict, resignation threats, psychological safety, and what it really means to lead when two adults refuse to work together.
Episode #128
The Real Leadership Questions Directors Are Asking Right Now (Q&A Episode)
March 12, 2026
This episode dives into the real, often unspoken challenges of early childhood leadership - from recruitment doubts and team dynamics to the emotional weight of leading, reminding you that if it feels heavy sometimes, you’re not alone.
Episode #127
We Want to Do the Right Thing - Let’s Talk About the Changes
March 5, 2026
This episode breaks down the latest early childhood regulatory changes, helping leaders understand what’s required, why it matters, and how to turn compliance into meaningful, integrity-led practice.
Episode #126
Why leaders struggle to make decisions
February 19, 2026
This episode explores why leaders struggle to make decisions, unpacking the tension between head and heart and offering practical insight into moving forward with clarity, structure, and emotional steadiness.
Episode #125
The 5 Questions Directors Are Asking (But Rarely Say Out Loud)
February 12, 2026
This episode brings language to the unspoken questions many childcare directors carry, unpacking why they arise, what they reveal about leadership pressure, and how normalising them can bring clarity, reassurance, and perspective.
Episode #124
What changes when a Director stops carrying everything alone
February 5, 2026
In this episode, I’m talking about what actually changes when you stop being the one who holds it all together. The internal shift. The emotional relief. The way leadership starts to feel different in your body.
Episode #122
The invisble load that directors carry (and why its not just you)
January 22, 2026
This episode explores the invisible load of early childhood leadership - the mental, emotional, and cognitive weight directors carry - and why understanding it is the first step toward leading with greater clarity, support, and sustainability.
Episode #120
10 Leadership tips in 10 years Lesson 6 - I Don’t Want Them to Hate Me: Leading with care and accountability
October 31, 2025
Episode #119
10 Leadership lessons from 10 years Lesson 5 - Letting Go of the Dream – and Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
October 23, 2025
Episode #118
Leadership Lesson 4: Park the Ego - Why great leaders accept support
October 16, 2025
Episode #116
10 Leadership lessons from 10 years: Lesson 2 - You can do anything, but not everything - why do we wait?
October 2, 2025
Episode #115
10 Leadership Tips from 10 Years: Tip 1 The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything
September 26, 2025
Episode #112
What’s Your Wobbly Chair? — The Small Discomforts We Learn to Live With (Until They Break Us)
July 24, 2025
Episode #111
Child Protection Can’t Wait: What Every Educator Must Know Now
July 17, 2025
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SOME OF OUR MOSTÂ LISTENED TO EPISODES
EPISODE #122 - The invisible load that directors carry (and why its not just you)
In this episode, I’m naming something I’ve seen again and again across early childhood services and something I carried myself for years before I realised it wasn’t a personal failure and learnt the techniques and systems to manage it. It was the role.
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EPISODE #111 - Child protection cant wait: why every educator must know
In this powerful and timely episode, Holly shares surprising data, real stories, and the practical tools educators need to confidently support the children in their care. This isn’t about fear it’s about being prepared.
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EPISODE #90 - Mid year burnout blues: refresh and re energise your leadership in early childhood
Learn how child care owners and business leaders can identify the early signs of burnout and implement effective strategies to combat it. Discover practical tips for taking breaks, delegating tasks, prioritising self-care, and reconnecting with your purpose.
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EPISODE #64 - Top 10 practical tips for early childhood professionals
Whether you're a seasoned educator, a passionate parent, or just starting your journey in early childhood, this episode is a goldmine of practical insights and strategies that will leave you inspired and ready to make a lasting impact.
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EPISODE #16 -Â Maximising transitions - the meaningful moments in between the routine - my fav!!
If your routine feels disjointed or your team is constantly rushing, this one's for you. We unpack what smooth transitions actually look like and how getting them right can transform the entire feel of your day.
Let's start the conversation
Share your details and one of the Platinum Education team will be in touch to understand your service and talk through the best next step.
You don’t need to have it all figured out, just yet, that’s what this conversation is for.
We look forward to connecting.Â
