The work · Kidville
Team & Culture
Leadership programs, team live events and tools that build culture.
The story
Your people are your product.
You can’t build or grow a business without attracting great people, developing them and creating a culture they want to stay in. Throughout my career, I’ve sought out coachable talent, built cultures rooted in mission and values, and turned those values into how teams actually work.
At Kidville, that approach helped foster an average seven-year tenure among senior managers, while I led teams across the country remotely, long before remote leadership became the norm. Running six corporate locations meant our leaders were thousands of miles apart but still needed to feel connected and execute as one team. So I built a leadership operating system around that need.
The business results moved with the culture. Average location NPS increased 52% from 2016 to 2019 across all six stores, and in one year we drove more than $538K in incremental same-store revenue, including 18% growth in classes, 15% in preschool and 21% in camps.
Culture has never been the “soft” side of leadership. It’s the infrastructure that allows people, and the business, to perform at their best.
The impact
Our values
The Kidville Ten.
Ten values that defined how we showed up for one another and for our families, from the front desk and clean team to our Play Professionals and corporate leaders. They shaped who we hired, what we nurtured, what we celebrated and how we won together.
- 01
Passionate
Bring energy, heart and genuine belief in what we do.
- 02
Innovative
Look for a better way—and don’t be afraid to try it.
- 03
Reflective
Look back, learn from it and use it to move forward.
- 04
Authentic
Show up as yourself and lead with honesty.
- 05
Caring
Take care of our families, our teammates and each other.
- 06
Vibrant
Bring the energy that makes Kidville feel like Kidville.
- 07
Collaborative
Share ideas, solve together and make each other better.
- 08
Positive
Approach challenges believing there’s a way through.
- 09
Resourceful
Use what you have, figure it out and keep moving.
- 10
Curious
Ask questions, stay open and never stop learning.
The leadership operating system
Values, turned into habits.
Five rituals kept leaders in six cities connected, clear on priorities and growing together.
Kickoffs & High Fives
Days opened with our monthly goals and pacing, and closed by celebrating wins and values in motion.
Monday Playbooks
Company priorities, translated into clear outcomes for each location.
Leadership Power Hours
Leaders connected virtually around lessons tied to our values.
Reflection Sessions
In place of performance reviews: an honest look at the highs, lows and lessons, and a vision for what’s next.
In person, on purpose
Investing in time together when being in the same room could create something a video call couldn’t.
Play Rally
A leadership weekend, built to be lived.
I brought 16 managers together at our flagship location for an immersive weekend designed around connection, development and action.
- ArriveSet Your Intention
- LeadHow to Have Important, Difficult Conversations
- OwnManaging Your Location’s P&L
- RechargeHow to Invest in Yourself
- BuildHow to Hire Your Next Great Team Member
- AlignGoal Alignment & the Path Forward
- CelebrateGraduation & Closing Ceremony
The workbook
Culture you can hold.
The 42-page workbook I created carried the weekend home: intentions, notes and goal setting, plus an A-to-Z of leadership, from “Appreciate your community” to “Create a culture of peace.”
Click the arrows, or drag a page corner to turn it.
A standout leader who puts her team first.
“Jennifer’s super power is her propensity for noticing and honoring one’s unique combination of strengths and challenges… She always encouraged me to stand tall in what I do well and to lead with curiosity in that which felt far outside of my comfort zone… One could look forward to an uplifting email and/or an upbeat morning huddle to remind us of our north star. Jennifer is a standout leader who puts her team first and really understands how to get the best out of people.”
Tiffany A. SmithWorked with Jennifer at Kidville for 4+ years · now UX/UI Designer at Neptune Retail Solutions