Meet your hosts
Meghan Cornwell
Head of Marketing US, Famly
Meghan is the Head of U.S. Marketing at Famly, and brings a decade of experience in early childhood education marketing, with previous roles in childcare nonprofits, B-corps, and as a consultant.
Raeyna Woodside-Howard
Early Care and Education Specialist at Agenda for Children
Raeyna Woodside-Howard, affectionately known as Rae, is entering her 16th year of working in the early education field. Rae is currently the early care and education specialist for Agenda for Children. Previously, she has worked in various capacities, most notably in Head Start and additional Type III facilities. She spent eleven years as a Pre-K teacher, where she excelled in her role via her curriculum and teaching strategies. She then transitioned to the administrative side, where she has been a mentor coach for a local CDA/ECAC program, PD Specialist, CLASS observer and train-the-trainer. She is also the founder of Hey, Coach Rae Educational Services, where she provides professional development services, conference and keynote speaking. Additionally, she is a Louisiana Pathways certified trainer and a Cohort 5 graduate of the Louisiana Early Leaders Academy (LELA).
Coach Rae’s purpose and mindset is to “pay it forward” to educators by supporting them with the tools and tips needed to keep their trajectory moving upward.
Ever feel like you've got a five year plan in your head and your team is still wondering what happened to the old coffee maker? There's a name for that, and Raeyna Woodside-Howard calls it Pinky and the Brain Syndrome. Picture the classic cartoon duo: the owner is Brain, plotting big moves and grand strategy, while the team gets cast as Pinky, left to react to plans they never saw coming.
It's a funny image until you realize how many centers accidentally set their staff up for that role, even when leadership has the best intentions. Raeyna joins us to talk about why this gap opens up, how to keep your team in the loop before decisions land on them, and what it takes to lead with a plan without leaving people behind.
In this session, you'll learn:
- How to spot the early signs of Pinky and the Brain Syndrome in your own center before it turns into turnover
- Practical ways to build real trust between owners, admin, and teachers, even when everyone's short on time
- What to do (and what to avoid) when a center is changing hands or heading into a major transition
