{"id":8488,"date":"2026-08-19T17:10:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T17:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/?p=8488"},"modified":"2026-08-19T17:10:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T17:10:25","slug":"she-put-her-purse-downthen-she-didnt-know-what-came-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/she-put-her-purse-downthen-she-didnt-know-what-came-next\/","title":{"rendered":"She Put Her Purse Down\u2026Then She Didn\u2019t Know What Came Next"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"What Should a Childcare CEO Do Every Day? | CEO Command Model\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c1-DwjuvZhc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Childcare CEOs, what happens after you arrive at your company in the morning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You walk in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put your purse down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put your drink down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check your email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then\u2026 what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That simple question created a powerful moment inside Dr. Andrea Dickerson\u2019s CEO Command training because it exposed something many childcare CEOs have never been taught:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What does the CEO actually do every day?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Purse and Pepsi Moment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While teaching her CEOs about the CEO Command Model, Dr. Andrea asked a simple question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cWhen you arrive at your company in the morning, what do you actually do as the CEO?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One CEO responded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;Wait a minute now&#8230; I come in, put my purse down, put my Pepsi down&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the laughter revealed something serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it came time to explain the structured CEO routine that followed, there wasn&#8217;t one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another CEO said she comes in, sits at her desk, and checks her emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that&#8217;s when the real issue became clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These weren&#8217;t women who didn&#8217;t know how to run businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had built childcare companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had created teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had served families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They had grown organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But nobody had ever taught them how to operate their own day as the CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We Teach Everyone Else How to Start the Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about how much structure exists for everyone else inside a childcare organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teachers have classroom opening procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Directors have building opening responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teams have staffing procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are licensing requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are opening checklists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are closing checklists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are procedures for classrooms, staffing, compliance, and daily operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But where is the CEO&#8217;s operating routine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where is the structure that tells the CEO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What should I review first?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What should I know about yesterday?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are my priorities today?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which reports should I review?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which location needs my attention?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does my leadership team need from me?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What decisions need to be made?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s CEO work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your Day Cannot Begin With Someone Else&#8217;s Emergency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest leadership shifts CEOs must make is understanding that their morning should not begin with reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the first thing you do is check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who emailed me?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who called me?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who needs something?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What&#8217;s wrong today?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which employee has an issue?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ve immediately allowed someone else to take command of your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CEO leadership requires a different starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your morning should begin with understanding your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What happened yesterday?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is happening today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What are the reports telling you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where is your attention needed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What decisions require your leadership?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What does your leadership team need from you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the difference between being busy and being in command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The CEO Needs an Operating Routine Too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Childcare CEOs spend so much time creating systems for their teams that they sometimes forget to create systems for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if the CEO doesn&#8217;t have a structured operating rhythm, the organization becomes reactive at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And when the CEO is reactive, everyone beneath the CEO feels it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A CEO operating routine creates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clarity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decision-making<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leadership alignment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strategic focus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It allows the CEO to enter the organization already knowing what needs attention instead of waiting for the business to tell them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Purse Moment Exposed a Bigger Industry Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEO putting down her purse and Pepsi gave everyone a good laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it exposed something much bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are childcare owners running million-dollar organizations who have never been given a structured way to operate their own day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that doesn&#8217;t mean they&#8217;re incapable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It means the industry has spent years teaching people how to operate childcare centers without teaching the owner how to lead the company above the centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve taught people how to open classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve taught people how to manage staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ve taught people how to follow licensing procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But CEOs also need to know how to lead the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s what CEO Command is designed to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens After You Put Your Purse Down?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomorrow morning, when you arrive at your company, pause before opening your email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What happens next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do you review?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do you measure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do you prioritize?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What decisions do you make?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What leadership do you provide?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don&#8217;t have a structured answer, that&#8217;s not a reason to feel embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s an opportunity to build one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the CEO should not simply arrive at the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEO should arrive with command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Build Your CEO Operating Rhythm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEO Growth Session is designed to help childcare CEOs strengthen the leadership systems that allow them to lead their organizations with structure, clarity, and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inside the CEO Growth Session, you&#8217;ll begin developing the executive mindset and operating systems needed to move beyond daily reaction and into intentional leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because your team has an opening routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your classrooms have an opening routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your locations have an opening routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Your CEO role should have one too.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So tomorrow morning, after you put your purse down, ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What happens next?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceogrowthsession.com\">https:\/\/www.ceogrowthsession.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the moment the CEO takes command of the day is the moment the organization can begin moving with command too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Childcare CEOs, what happens after you arrive at your company in the morning? You walk in. Put your purse down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[368],"tags":[65,251,80,145,314,69,163,343,24,16],"class_list":["post-8488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-work-it-wednesday","tag-andrea-dickerson","tag-being-a-child-care-ceo","tag-business","tag-ceo","tag-childcare-boss","tag-childcare-business","tag-childcare-owners","tag-consultation","tag-daycare-business","tag-daycare-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8488"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8490,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions\/8490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iownadaycare.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}