Jacob Jensen is the Executive Director of The Learning Station, a Christian-based child care organization in Myrtle Beach, and a coach for the Child Care Success Company. As a husband and father of two boys, Jacob is dedicated to providing exceptional early education while upholding core values like positivity, family, and excellence.
With three schools serving nearly 500 children, Jacob focuses on empowering leaders and driving success in the child care industry. He is passionate about building strong communities and helping child care businesses thrive. In this episode, Jacob talks with Kris about his journey from growing up in child care with the awesome Donna Jensen as his mom, how his experience in mortgage sales and ministry shaped his leadership style, and how stacking small wins creates massive momentum and helps to prevent burnout. Jacob also has some great insights into using community events and a "whatever it takes" approach to boost enrollment, embracing technology, and the COACH acronym (Call Out & Call Higher) as a key strategy for empowering staff and fostering growth.
Key Takeaways:
[5:58] Jacob grew up in child care. His mom, Donna Jensen, founded The Learning Station. He talks about returning to lead his family's business after exploring careers in mortgage sales and ministry.
[10:31] More about Jacob's (very busy) family life.
[12:18] Fun fact: Jacob's front two teeth are fake, and knocked them out during a wild event the same day he was supposed to take his now wife out. Everyone is pretty happy she decided to give him another try!
[14:10] Challenges in the industry include technology and child care leaders learning to build their own systems to stay efficient.
[18:42] The power of consistency and the "captain" analogy. Many child care leaders are busy plugging holes in a sinking ship instead of standing at the helm and leading with strategy.
[22:07] Lessons learned in the ministry that Jacob carried over to childcare.
[27:51] Stacking small wins builds momentum.
[31:02] Seasonal thinking helps prevent burnout. Understanding when to push hard and when to pause and reflect keeps businesses sustainable.
[33:37] The Learning Station now follows a "whatever it takes" approach, removing barriers and offering promotions to secure sign-ups.
[38:52] Ways that The Learning Station markets everywhere parents are, including community events, partnerships, and a grand reopening to stay top-of-mind.
[42:20] The "COACH" analogy.
[42:49] The importance of finding the hidden talent on your team.
Quotes:
"I always joke with Donna that I need 10 centers before 2030. But we're, we're excited, and it's been an honor to help her bring to fruition that dream that she's always had." — Jacob [9:40]
"Obviously, it is a passion-based industry, and so there's a lot of different heart-tied elements to the fact that the margins are not as big as they are in other industries, and so you're operating with fewer resources." — Jacob [15:13]
"I think the biggest thing that I noticed is you have to create your own thing. You have to take the bull by the horns and say, okay, if not me, then who's going to do it?" — Jacob [15:38]
"Consistency, consistency, consistency. That will save leaders so many headaches and also give your people a roadmap for how this place runs and how we do things around here." — Kris [18:50]
"When you're in leadership, you are the captain of the ship." — Jacob [18:53]
"You have to have a vision of where you want to go." — Jacob [19:10]
"Sometimes when you're under the water, you have to hold your breath, and you have to just paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle until you get to shore. But the shore is there, and just understanding that it's a season. It's a really good mindset because it's way easier to run hard when you see the finish line." — Jacob [19:33]
Sponsored By:
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI)
Use code CCSC5 to claim a free course!
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Child Care Success Company
The Child Care Success Academy
Childcare Education Institute: use code CDARenewal22 to get $100 off your renewal
How to Lead When You Are Not in Charge, by Clay Scroggins
Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
