We recently connected with Diamond Hutchinson and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Diamond thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

If I could go back in time, I would not have started my business sooner. I officially opened my Childcare Center in 2023, and I could not imagine doing it any earlier. If I had started sooner, I would have been missing out on crucial learning lessons that I experienced while trying to figure it all out. I dabbled in a lot of different fields as I was finding my passion, in those different fields I learned so much. I have tried marketing/advertising, book publishing, and healthcare but I eventually found my passion in education, Early education to be more specific. I did not have the discipline and patience that I have now to be an entrepreneur, which can be a very challenging job. I did not have the network or community that i have built now to be able to assist in supporting my business. I have such a strong, supportive community that has helped support me every step of the way, even when this whole business was just an idea.

There was one thing that had the most significant impact on my decision to start when I did and that is Time. As a young adult exploring my options in different career fields, I didn’t leave myself a lot of room to think long term. Once I had my son and was on maternity leave, I used the tiny bits of free time I did have to get some clarity and make a decision on what I wanted to do next. I have a purpose now, something I did not feel I had before. If I had a business with no purpose, I don’t think I would be pouring into it the way I am now. My purpose is my motivation, it is what keeps me going even on days when I am exhausted or feeling burnt out.

While there would’ve been advantages to starting earlier, such as seizing market opportunities starting later allowed for more growth and preparation, and a more mature approach to being the Director/Owner of a Center. I would not have the professional maturity I have now, if I didn’t go through those trials and tribulations before.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Diamond Hutchinson, and I am the Director/Owner of Little Leaders Childcare Center. I am an all-around creative who has always had a passion for working with children. Growing up, my mother always saw me doing what I am currently doing, but I on the other hand did not see it as easily. I grew up around entrepreneurs whether they were family or close friends of my parents, so I always figured I would be one as well.

In my adolescence, I tried a variety of different career fields before I ended up where I am now. I figured out early on that I really liked to have the freedom to express myself creatively. I began the process to open my own Center while on Maternity leave. I could not imagine going back to work with such little time with my newborn, so I created a space where I would not have to, while also assisting my community. Finding good, reliable, safe childcare can be a hard thing to do, my goal was to create an affordable space where families felt comfortable leaving their children and where the children would receive quality care with activities and experiences that they could carry with them even after graduating.

Little Leaders provides Daycare both full time/part-time, drop-in care, tutoring, and before/after care. What sets us apart is our approach to Early Education, the activities and amenities we provide, as well as our decision to remain a State licensed Home Center as families in my area tend to lean towards home centers more because of the personalized touch they receive. It took me a while to get here because i had so much i liked to do before realizing, just because I’m passionate about it doesn’t mean I have to make it a business.

Aside from Little Leaders we do have MMM. Monthly mom meetings are monthly events that we have with the moms of the enrolled children at our Center. Each month we do something different, but the purpose of the event is to create community and support one another!

So far, I am most proud of the qualities that I have gained over this last year of being in business. Qualities like resilience, determination, and discipline have allowed me to surpass all the goals I set for the business in the first year. It only makes me want to keep going and improving every step of the way.

I want any potential families to know that our Daycare prioritizes your child’s safety, learning, and happiness, offering a warm nurturing environment that feels like a second home. I am always looking to partner with brands for events like our annual field day and our back-to-school events where we give backpacks full of supplies to those students who may need it so they are prepared for the school year. I want to make a difference in my community and that starts with addressing the needs that we have like childcare!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There is a book that has changed the way I think entirely, and it is called Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s mainly about how making tiny 1% changes to your life can prove remarkable improvements. The book has shifted the way I think which has helped me tremendously as a business owner. In the book, Clear talks about focusing on the system to reaching your goals and not putting all your focus into the goal. By focusing on the processes and not the goal it can help you create positive change that can be applied to different aspects of your life from personal growth to professional development.

As an entrepreneur personal growth is essential. Personal growth propels entrepreneurs forward, it allows us to be better leaders, navigate business challenges more effectively, and achieve our goals. Some tips I use to incorporate personal growth into my daily routine include setting clear goals for myself, continuously learning, networking, managing time management, and dedicating time to think creatively. This book has impacted my life by offering practical strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In business, especially in that first year I feel like most Entrepreneurs have to pivot a lot. I have had to pivot in response to various challenges and changes in society. Due to the Technological progress, I have had to make sure that we are integrating educational digital platforms into our curriculum at Little Leaders. This was a pivot from what I was used to, having worked in Childcare settings years prior. This technological pivot allows us to personalize the learning experiences and keep up with the pace of educational needs. We use a software called Bright wheel which is something that we did not open our Center with. When we opened, we were not utilizing technology to the best of our ability. Bright wheel automates administrative tasks, including billing and payments, enrollment management, communication with families, and tracking children’s activities and development. It has saved us a lot of time and improves efficiency within our Center.

As the Director I recognize that there are going to be times when we have to pivot and adapt. We have had to do that a lot this year from expanding our hours and services to meet the needs of working families, to making sure we are including more diverse-focused inclusive programs in our curriculum from books to artwork, and language integration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.littleleaderschildcarecenter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleleaderschildcarecenter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095222799435

Image Credits

Self Taken Images