It’s 5:00 a.m. and before you’re fully awake, you find yourself reaching for your phone to see what crises you’ll have to face today. There’s no time to exercise, meditate, or even notice what you ate for breakfast. There are meetings to attend, 100s of emails to respond to, and of course test data to worry over.

You find yourself on auto pilot, driving the same road, parking in the same spot, and approaching your building with dread. You thought this leadership position would allow you to realize the changes you dream of, to be creative, and to have a real impact on the lives of children and families.

Instead, you are feeling like a failure…you can’t seem to make a difference in a single classroom, let alone program wide. In fact, most days, you end up leaving work feeling defeated, unfulfilled, and ineffective.

It makes you sad that your old self would approach challenges with optimism and excitement, and now, you approach them with resistance and dread. You have become like them. You’ve resigned to the fact that things will never change, so why bother.

But what if things actually could be different?

Imagine if you could stop counting the days to retirement, and instead, become a better version of yourself.

Imagine if you had more energy to do things, that were less reactive, and felt renewed and stronger.

Effective leaders need opportunities to:

• clarify their goals and have access to strategies to take action

• learn from other early childhood leaders

• access a social network that is there to see them succeed

• strengthen leadership skills, particularly their EQ

• ensure their own social-emotional health and well-being

The most effective leaders:

• work from a place of hope, compassion, and mindfulness

• are resonant leaders

• have high EQs

Try these five simple steps to raise your EQ and be a resonant leader:

1. Do things that slow the body down and focus the mind
2. Engage in physical activity
3. Interact and be a part of nature
4. Do things that promote optimism and hope
5. Engage in acts of self-kindness/self-compassion

My name is Kristie Pretti-Frontczak. I’m a researcher, speaker and play advocate who customizes and designs transformative early childhood professional development and learning.

After working with adult learners for 25 years and nearly 50,000 hours, I now experience a new reality. A reality that has put me on a path to change early care and educational systems.

My own journey started at the University of Oregon and continued as I became a professor at Kent State University. And while I loved my job as a faculty member and international speaker, I was on the constant look-out for something different. Something different than preparing for another course, or offering training to a group of teachers I would see once, and never again.

I longed to support leaders in a way that would have a lasting impact.

I knew that if I could better support early childhood leaders, it would have a direct and positive impact on the teachers, staff, and children and families they served.

Yet, as I continued on my journey, I began to feel more and more dissatisfied and began to doubt I had made the right career choice. I tried to quiet the unease by securing more grants to test out the latest innovations and searching for more and more creative ways to teach adults.

In the end, I found myself as a full professor with tenure and as a respected speaker and researcher. I had prepared hundreds of master’s degree and doctoral students, and thousands of direct service providers in over 30 states and four countries. But…I was still left wondering if I had made a difference.

The truth was, most days I felt like I was going through the motions…delivering another lecture, facilitating another online discussion, giving another keynote….and to what end?

After my own searching, and somewhere near 50,000 hours of working with adults, I found the answer.

That answer?

I needed to spend time raising my own EQ and becoming a resonant leader. To learn how to work from a place of wonder and joy, and a place driven by compassion instead of compliance.

I needed to surround myself with others who shared these beliefs and were willing to embark upon a journey toward a place of wholeness, wonder, and intentionality. A place where I could work with others toward the shared goal of all children thriving in school and in life!

One way I do achieve this is through Masterminds.

Masterminds help you accomplish your goals

A Mastermind is a strategy used across industries to help individuals get clarity, reach personal and professional goals, and build strong networks.

Masterminding has been around for centuries and is, basically, the formation of an exclusive community. For example, read about “The Junto“, also known as the Leather Apron Club, started by Benjamin Franklin in 1727.

Masterminds are comprised of carefully curated leaders who see the value in social-networks, are driven to make a change, and are looking to benefit from the expertise of others.

The community’s sole purpose is to be life giving and soul affirming.

Masterminds can last anywhere from three months to years, and provide a lifelong network for brainstorming, receiving feedback, and learning from people with whom you would otherwise not have the opportunity to interact.

Benefits of being a part of a Mastermind

Full access to like-minded ECE leaders who share your passions and struggles
More than 2 hours of individualized attention and accountability to help achieve your goals
Gain clarity and focus on how to be a resonant leader in an age of accountability
Grow quickly and deeply through opportunities for self-discovery and honest feedback
Become a critical member of a team of experts committed to one anothers success
Form lifelong friendships and a trusted network of others who see the best version of you

[testimonials style=”1″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]

President and Consultant for Beyond the Box LLC (HI)

%3Cp%3EIf you want to take a deep dive into where you see yourself now as a leader and where you would like to go to leader, then Mastermind is for you. It provides an opportunity to remove barriers, obstacles and excuses so that you can attain any level of leadership you are destined for.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Birth to Three Coordinator - Traverse Bay Area ISD

%3Cp%3EA Mastermind is a really great way to come together with other thoughtful people to think about various aspects of early childhood leadership. It uses structured yet open ended format that encourages you to be thoughtful and reflective and allows you to garner feedback from other leaders. And you always leave with a specific action step or plan.t%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Consultant, Inst. Tech Pre-K Sped Team at CO Dept. of Ed

%3Cp%3EI was surprised how easy it was to connect with my group members. I was also surprised at how much progress I made in relation to my own thinking regarding my goals and leadership practices. The Mastermind process allowed me to focus on goals and priorities, practice questioning, and to gain insight from others through questioning.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

NW MI Community Action Agency EC Programs Director

%3Cp%3EI have been a member of reflective supervision groups for a long time and thought it would feel very similar. In some ways it did but I felt challenged in a new way to articulate my feelings, concerns and questions…and in questioning others in a way the I thought would be useful to them.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

[/testimonials]

What will I get for my investment?

• 6 Mastermind sessions over 3 months (2 hours per session) ($3000 value)

• In-between session access to me within a private Facebook group ($1500 value)

• 30-minute individualized goal-setting session with me ($125 value)

• Guidebook to support discussions and learning during sessions ($30.00 value)

• Workbook of Human Superpowers ($18.97 value)

• The Essence Glossary Daily Journal ($13.95 value)

• Contact information and access to cohort members for life (priceless)

What are the risks?

Q: What if I’m accepted, but then the dates don’t work for my schedule? When you apply, pick the cohort that is most likely to match your schedule. Once dates are secured, if you can’t attend all 6 sessions, you will be placed on a waiting list to be placed into a different cohort. You do not need to invest in your Mastermind experience until you have been accepted and know the dates your cohort will be meeting.

Q: What if I have a work or family emergency that keeps me from completing all 6 sessions? While it is understandable that issues will arise, and all members can miss one session if necessary, you are making a commitment to the group for the full three months. If you anticipate your schedule is too erratic, you may find that a Mastermind is not right for you at this point.

Q: How will confidentiality be maintained? All members will sign an agreement to not share information outside of Mastermind sessions. Recordings will be stopped at any time, and only members of a cohort will have access to recorded sessions. When possible, or unless requested, participants from the same district or agency will not be placed in the same cohort.

What’s the time commitment?

Cohorts for 2019 Masterminds:

• Spring Cohorts (March-May 2019)

• Summer Cohorts (June-August 2019)

• Fall Cohorts (October-December 2019)

Each Cohort will come together two times a month for 3 months

• Each cohort will have between 5 and 10 members

• Each session will last 2 hours

• Sessions will be conducted via ZOOM (live audio, video, desktop sharing)

• Actual dates will be secured once cohorts are formed

The investment for all 6 session is $1200 and requires a 3-month commitment

• Mastermind members need to attend the first session and can only miss one of the 6

• All sessions will be recorded for playback

• The networks created will serve members for a lifetime

When do I apply?

Applications for 2019 cohorts are being accepted NOW!

Applications will cease once all cohorts are filled.

Click here for another video that tells you a bit more of what to expect once you apply.

Is joining a Mastermind right for me?

This Mastermind is for you if….

• You are in an ECE leadership role (e.g., director, supervisor, principal, administrator, coach, teacher leader)

• You are passionate about {r}evolutionizing early care and education

• You are struggling to make a difference, but aren’t ready to throw in the towel

• You want to find ways to help others thrive

• You are prepared to take action to accomplish your professional goals

This Mastermind is NOT for you if…

• You have too much going on right now and can’t commit to showing up every time we meet. The power of Masterminds relies on the trust and engagement of the group.

• You think this sounds fun, but your time, energy, and attention are already a premium.

• You would benefit more from a one-on-one coach or a more concentrated amount of time to deal with your specific issues and concerns.

• You don’t enjoy working in groups. Masterminds are about sharing and supporting individuals that come together.

[testimonials style=”1″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]

Coordinator EC Programs for Durango School District 9-R (CO)

%3Cp%3EI feel more confident that I can draw on my experience and use my superpowers to intentionally make a positive contribution to early childhood services in my district..%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Early Education Supervisor - Grant Wood AEA (IA)

Coordinator/Early Interventionist (KS)

%3Cp%3EIMastermind can be everything you wanted and something you didn’t know you needed! Be prepared to challenge yourself and your thoughts, while making some great connections with people you may not have chosen in your own circle..%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Preschool Coordinator, Perrysburg Preschool (OH)

%3Cp%3EThe Mastermind group gave me the opportunity to meet people from across the country that value early childhood education. Kristie provided us the guidance to be reflective and extend our thinking. The framework that Kristie utilizes for the Mastermind group is supportive yet stretches us both personally and professionally. I feel that I have an additional support system to utilize for my continued growth..%3C%2Fp%3E%0A