Podcast
Everything Early Childhood
Hosted by Leeza Browne · EN
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.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What If They’re Right About You?
1w ago00:32:55Tap to summarizeWhat If They’re Right About You? What if the people around you can see something in you that you can't see yet? We are so quick to see the gap. The conversation we could have handled better. The boundary we still need to hold. The things we haven't finished. The person we haven't become yet. Meanwhile, the people around us might be looking at our impact. In this episode of Everything Early Childhood, Leeza shares a very personal reflection on growth, receiving the good and what happens when we are so busy looking at what's next that we miss what is happening right in front of us. We talk about borrowing someone else's belief until you have enough evidence to believe it yourself, why leaders should never stop telling people what they see in them, and the uncomfortable question Leeza has been asking herself lately... What if they're right about you? Maybe you don't have to completely believe it yet. Just don't hand it back quite so quickly. 💗
Transcribe →Building a Business Rebuilds You
2w ago00:57:12Tap to summarizeIn this deeply personal episode of Everything Early Childhood, host Leeza Browne shares a conversation she almost talked herself out of recording. As a coach, mentor and leader in the Early Childhood sector, Leeza admits she questioned whether sharing the fear, doubt and messy parts of business might somehow take away from her credibility. But then she realised she was doing exactly what she sees leaders do all the time. When we don't feel like we're nailing it, we retreat. We go quiet. We protect ourselves. We wait until we've figured it all out before we let anyone see that it was hard. In Building a Business Rebuilds You, Leeza opens up about the messy middle of building a business and being a leader. The hard decisions that can still hurt even when you know they're right. The moments of doubt that can exist alongside complete clarity. The seasons where you know better but still don't quite get it right. Because maybe growth isn't about never wobbling. Maybe we just get better at finding our way back. This episode is a reminder that you can know what you're doing and still find it hard. You can be proud and tired. Clear and scared. Grateful and overwhelmed. All of those things can be true. And maybe when things feel uncomfortable, we don't need to retreat. Maybe we need to lean in, say it out loud and give someone else the chance to say... Me too. 💗
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Mud, Magic & the Mama Tree: Reimagining Childhood Through Nature with Amelia
3w ago00:55:21Tap to summarizeMud, Magic & the Mama Tree: Reimagining Childhood Through Nature with Amelia What happens when we slow down enough to truly see childhood? In this week's episode, Leeza travels north of Sydney to experience Mama Tree Farm firsthand before sitting down with founder, educator and mother, Amelia, to explore the story behind this extraordinary community. Together, they unpack Amelia's journey from early childhood teacher and primary school educator to creating a space where children, families and community can reconnect with nature, each other and themselves. This conversation is about so much more than mud, animals and outdoor play. It's a powerful reflection on connection, belonging, risk, community, leadership and the courage it takes to trust your instincts and create something deeply aligned with your values. Whether you're an educator, leader, parent or simply someone passionate about childhood, this episode will leave you reflecting on what children truly need and what we may have lost along the way. ## In this episode, we discuss: * Amelia's journey to creating Mama Tree Farm * The legacy of family, childhood and the story behind the Mama Tree * Why slowing down matters for both children and adults * The power of connection, belonging and community * Nature play, risky play and trusting children to lead their own learning * Creating environments that inspire wonder rather than entertain * Why observation is a powerful form of learning * The role animals can play in co-regulation and wellbeing * Supporting families to embrace mud, mess and imperfection * Following your intuition and staying true to your vision ## Key Takeaways: ✨ Childhood was never meant to happen entirely within four walls. ✨ Connection cannot wait. ✨ Children are often far more capable than we give them credit for. ✨ The most meaningful learning often happens in moments of wonder, curiosity and play. ✨ Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is trust ourselves and follow the vision on our hearts. ### Connect with Amelia and Mama Tree Farm: Instagram: @mamatreefarm --- If this episode resonated with you, we'd love for you to share it with a colleague, friend or fellow leader and tag us on social media. Because leadership, childhood and community were never meant to be experienced alone. 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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AI in Early Childhood: Tool, Threat or Turning Point? with Adam Hucker
Jun 1801:19:22Tap to summarizeAI in Early Childhood: Tool, Threat or Turning Point? Artificial Intelligence is everywhere. Some people are excited by it. Some are overwhelmed by it. Some are using it every day, while others are doing everything they can to avoid it. But regardless of where you sit, AI is already changing the way we work, communicate, access information and make decisions. In this episode of Everything Early Childhood, Leeza Browne is joined by Adam Hucker from Policy Pass to unpack one of the biggest conversations happening in our sector right now. Together, they explore the opportunities, concerns, myths and realities of AI in early childhood education. From workload reduction and compliance support through to privacy risks, data security, hallucinations and the future of human thinking, this is a balanced conversation about what leaders need to know now. This episode is not about whether AI is good or bad. It is about learning how to use AI responsibly, ethically and thoughtfully, while protecting the critical thinking, professional judgement and human connection that sit at the heart of early childhood education. In this episode, we discuss: • Why AI has become one of the fastest adopted technologies in history • How services are currently using AI for policies, procedures, communication, documentation and administration • The importance of understanding AI's limitations and why it sometimes gets things wrong • What AI hallucinations are and why they matter in compliance and technical writing • Data privacy, confidentiality and the risks of entering sensitive information into AI platforms • The importance of creating guardrails, policies and expectations around AI use within services • How effective prompting can improve the quality of AI-generated outputs • The role of ethics, values and human judgement when using technology • Whether AI will replace jobs and what the future may hold for education and society • Why the human element of early childhood education remains irreplaceable • The balance between embracing innovation and maintaining professional responsibility Key Takeaways AI can be an incredibly powerful tool, but it is not a replacement for critical thinking. Just because AI provides an answer does not mean it is the right answer. As leaders, educators and professionals, we still have a responsibility to question, verify, reflect and apply professional judgement. Technology will continue to evolve, but relationships, trust, empathy and human connection remain at the centre of quality early childhood education. Our final message? Use the tool. Don't lose the human. Connect with Leeza 🎙️ Everything Early Childhood Podcast 📚 Platinum Education Group 🌐 Training, mentoring, leadership development and compliance support for early childhood professionals across Australia.
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The belonging conversation we're not actually having - Part 4
Jun 1000:34:52Tap to summarize🎙️ Everything Early Childhood Podcast The Belonging Conversation We're Not Actually Having ### Why Team Building Isn't the Same as Building Community Part 4 of our series: **The Conversations We're All Having... But Not Properly Unpacking.** --- How do we bring our teams together? How do we get everyone on the same page? How do we create a shared vision? How do we build a culture people actually want to be part of? These are some of the biggest questions I'm hearing from educators, leaders, directors and owners right now. But what if this isn't actually a team-building conversation? What if it's a belonging conversation? In this episode, I explore what happens to connection, trust and community when survival mode becomes the culture of a profession. We unpack: ✨ Why belonging might be the thing we're really searching for ✨ The difference between a team and a community ✨ What survival mode does to relationships ✨ Why support means something different to everyone ✨ The hidden reason team-building activities often don't work ✨ Psychological safety and why "nice to your face" doesn't always mean safe ✨ The difference between belonging and fitting in ✨ Healthy conflict, leadership and shared vision ✨ Why I think many of us might be grieving the loss of community ✨ The question every leader should be asking about their culture right now This isn't an episode about blame. It's not about leaders versus educators. It's not about who's right and who's wrong. It's about humans. Connection. Belonging. Community. And what it means to create places where people genuinely want to be. Because maybe the answer isn't getting people to show up for work. Maybe it's creating places people genuinely want to belong. 💗 ### Reflection Questions • What are people currently bonding over in your service? • What is the thing currently holding your team together? • When educators ask for support, do you know what support actually means to them? • Do people feel safe giving honest feedback in your service? • Are you building a team, or are you building a community? • What would it look like for people to genuinely belong here? --- 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone in early childhood who needs to hear this conversation. Because these are the conversations we're all having... Let's talk about them. --- 💛 Connect with Leeza Browne Founder & CEO, Platinum Education Group Host of the Everything Early Childhood Podcast "People before paperwork. Relationships before systems. Belonging before performance."
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The question that started it all: Why dont people want to show up to work anymore? - Part 3
May 2800:33:45Tap to summarizeEPISODE TITLE The Conversation That Started It All: Why Don’t People Want to Show Up to Work Anymore? EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week’s episode of the Everything Early Childhood Podcast is unlike any episode I’ve recorded before. No polished script. No “5 tips.” No perfectly packaged answers. Just me, a whiteboard and one question I genuinely cannot stop thinking about: Why don’t people want to show up to work anymore? And the deeper I unpacked it, the more I realised this conversation is about so much more than staffing. This episode is part of the “Conversations We Need to Start Having” series — a series created to explore the deeper tensions, shifts and uncomfortable conversations sitting underneath the surface of our profession right now. Because this isn’t about blame. It’s not about pointing fingers at educators, leaders, owners or teams. It’s about curiosity. Understanding. Reflection. And trying to make sense of the complexity so many people are currently feeling. In this episode, I unpack: * burnout and emotional exhaustion * disconnection from purpose and meaning * leadership pressure and emotional load * changing family dynamics * increasing expectations within the profession * support systems and workplace culture * why surface-level solutions often aren’t enough * the difference between burnout and disconnection * what happens when people lose connection to mission, identity and belonging * why these conversations matter if we genuinely want meaningful change This episode is raw, reflective and deeply human. It’s less of a polished podcast episode and more of an invitation into my thought process as I try to understand the patterns, shifts and deeper realities our profession is currently navigating. And honestly… I’d love to hear your thoughts too. What resonated with you? What patterns are you noticing? And what conversations do you think we need to start having more honestly? As always… every moment counts.
Transcribe →When Survival Mode Becomes Team Culture - Part 2
May 2100:15:48Tap to summarizeWhen Survival Mode Becomes Team Culture What happens when “hard” stops being a season… and becomes the identity of the profession? In this deeply honest and reflective episode, Leeza explores the emotional weight many educators, leaders and owners are carrying right now — and the uncomfortable truth that exhaustion has become normalised in early childhood. This is not an episode about pretending everything is fine. And it’s not another “just stay positive” conversation. This is a real discussion about burnout, survival mode, compliance pressure, emotional overload, and the growing disconnect between what early childhood currently feels like… and what it was always meant to feel like. Leeza unpacks: Why so many educators and leaders feel emotionally exhausted How burnout can quietly become part of team culture The difference between surviving and truly leading Why people are grieving the profession they thought they were entering The hidden impact of constant compliance pressure Why “wellbeing” is much deeper than cupcakes and self-care walls The danger of bonding only through stress and overwhelm What children feel when adults are operating in survival mode How to rebuild hope, purpose and connection in small, realistic ways Throughout the episode, Leeza shares powerful reflections from the Directors Academy, explores multiple perspectives across the sector, and asks the big question: Are we willing to change… or have we become comfortable talking about how hard it is? This episode is for: Educators feeling emotionally flat or overwhelmed Directors carrying the weight of everyone around them Owners trying to balance sustainability and quality Teams wanting to reconnect with purpose Anyone who still believes early childhood should feel meaningful, connected and human Because maybe the answer isn’t pretending it isn’t hard. Maybe the answer is refusing to let hard become all that it is. 🎧 Listen now and join the conversation. ✨ Reflection questions included at the end of the episode. #EverythingEarlyChildhood #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ECELeadership #DirectorLife #EducatorWellbeing #ChildcareLeadership #LeadershipPodcast #EarlyLearning #Burnout #TeamCulture #WellbeingInECE #EveryMomentCounts
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The Early Childhood reset everyone's talking about - Part 1
May 1300:29:43Tap to summarizeSomething has shifted in early childhood… and everyone can feel it. In this deeply honest and confronting episode, Leeza Browne unpacks the growing exhaustion, pressure and uncertainty being felt across the early childhood profession right now. From workforce shortages, rising operational costs and child safety reform, to emotionally overwhelmed teams, shifting family expectations and the increasing weight of compliance… this episode explores the question so many leaders are quietly asking behind closed doors: Is long day care dying… or are we being forced to rethink everything? But this conversation goes far beyond fear or negativity. This is a real and nuanced discussion about: The emotional toll current reforms are having on leaders and educators Whether increasing administrative burden is actually improving outcomes for children The growing disconnect between policy expectations and operational reality Why many leaders no longer feel confident, despite trying incredibly hard The loss of joy, presence and connection in the profession Why “busy” and “exceptional” are not the same thing The reset currently happening across early childhood Why only the most intentional, values-led and trusted services will truly thrive moving forward Leeza also explores the uncomfortable but important truth that while early childhood education itself is absolutely not dying, the season of “good enough” may be. This episode is for the exhausted directors, educators, owners and leaders carrying the emotional weight of a profession they care deeply about. If you’ve been quietly wondering: “Can we keep doing this?” or “Why does everything feel so heavy right now?” …this conversation is for you. Because maybe this isn’t the death of early childhood. Maybe it’s the beginning of rebuilding it stronger. 🎧 Connect with Platinum Education Group: Platinum Education Group 🎙️ Follow Everything Early Childhood for more conversations supporting owners, directors and educators across Australia.
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Culture is more than a checklist with Jessica Staines
May 600:49:55Tap to summarizeCulture Is More Than a Checklist with Jessica Staines In this week’s episode of the Everything Early Childhood Podcast, I sit down with the incredible Jessica Staines from Koori Curriculum for a deeply important conversation about what it really means to embed Aboriginal perspectives meaningfully in early childhood. This isn’t a conversation about ticking boxes, adding a few cultural experiences during NAIDOC Week, or “getting it perfect.” It’s a conversation about relationships, curiosity, identity, belonging, and moving beyond tokenistic practice to create environments where culture is genuinely lived, reflected, respected, and celebrated every single day. Together, we unpack: Why many educators feel nervous or unsure about where to begin The fear of “getting it wrong” and how that creates paralysis in practice The difference between performing culture vs embedding it meaningfully How culture extends far beyond ethnicity and exists within our communities, environments, stories, values, interests and everyday life The powerful concept of “windows and mirrors” in early childhood environments Why slowing pedagogy down creates deeper and more meaningful learning How educators can start their journey with confidence, curiosity and humility The role of relationships, mentoring and community in meaningful cultural learning Why anti-bias approaches matter more than ever How we can create environments where every child, family and educator feels seen, valued and reflected Jess shares practical examples, powerful reflections, and honest insights from over 20 years of experience supporting educators to move beyond surface-level inclusion and into truly embedded practice. This episode is reflective, practical, honest, and incredibly grounding for any educator or leader wanting to create more culturally responsive environments without fear, overwhelm or perfectionism. Because culture is not a checklist. It’s a way of being. About Jessica Staines Jessica Staines is a Wiradjuri woman, early childhood teacher, and the founder of Koori Curriculum. Jess is passionate about supporting educators to embed Aboriginal perspectives authentically within early childhood environments through mentoring, professional development, resources and community connection. You can connect with Jess here: Website: https://kooricurriculum.com Instagram: @kooricurriculum Facebook: Koori Curriculum Loved this episode? If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with your team, community or another educator who needs to hear it. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to the Everything Early Childhood Podcast so you never miss an episode. Keep making every moment count
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Your questions Answered - Q&A April 2026
Apr 1700:51:57Tap to summarizePODCAST SHOW NOTES Q&A: You Don’t Need More Time… You Need a Different Way of Leading 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. Firstly, thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a question. I know how busy you are, and these episodes are designed to support you in real time — not just in theory, but in what you’re actually navigating every day. What We Covered In this episode, we unpack: The growing pressure around planning and documentation — and whether it’s actually serving a purpose anymore How to lead as an Educational Leader when you’re constantly on the floor Mentoring your team in real time when you feel like you don’t have capacity Making compliance and QIP feel simple, clear, and connected Occupancy — why some services are thriving and others are starting to feel the pressure The Big Insight While these questions look different on the surface… they’re not. They all point to one core challenge: 👉 How do I lead when I don’t feel like I have the time, space, or capacity to lead? This episode unpacks the patterns behind the overwhelm — and why it’s not about doing more, but leading differently. Key Takeaways Planning should support understanding — not just prove compliance You can’t deeply lead pedagogy without space to think Mentoring doesn’t require more time — it requires intention in the moment Compliance feels overwhelming when systems are unclear or scattered Occupancy isn’t just a marketing issue — it’s a leadership and alignment issue Occupancy Framework (Simplified) Occupancy doesn’t sit in one area — it flows across three key stages: Marketing — How clearly you communicate what makes your service unique Sales — The experience families have when they first interact with you Experience — Whether your service delivers on what was promised And underpinning all of it? 👉 Your philosophy — your vision, mission, and values. A Question to Reflect On At some point, every leader needs to ask: Am I ready to actually lead this service… or am I more comfortable staying in the fire? Final Thought You don’t need more time. You need a different way of leading. Want Support With This? This is exactly the work we do inside the Directors Academy — helping leaders step out of the day-to-day overwhelm and into clear, confident leadership with structure and support around them. If this episode resonated with you, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure it out on your own either. Submit Your Question This is part of our monthly Q&A series, and we’d love to hear from you. We share question prompts via email and inside the Everything Early Childhood Facebook group — or you can reach out anytime. Next Episode We’re unpacking one of the biggest questions facing our sector right now: 👉 Is long day care dying? We’ll explore what’s actually changing, what it means for you, and where the opportunities are moving forward. Stay Connected If this episode resonated, share it with someone in your team or another leader who needs to hear it. Because every moment counts — and leadership matters more than ever right now.
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