Inspiring Conversations with Angie Altaii of Little Seeds Child Development Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie Altaii.

Hi Angie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I started out my adult life by working in a childcare center just before graduating high school. I LOVED it but chose to ultimately pursue a career in accounting and corporate world. I attended Eastern Michigan University and earned a bachelor’s in business administration and master’s degree in accounting, eventually earning my CPA and CMA credentials (certified public accountant and certified management accountant). I worked as a CPA for a public accounting firm for a few years and then transferred to the accounting team at Quicken Loans and worked as a Special Projects Manager. While working in all of these accounting positions, I was still babysitting and nannying whenever and wherever I could fit it into my schedule. There was a longing inside to own my own business. I would dream about owning a childcare center! I started conducting market research in my spare time and building my business plan. I was randomly put into contact with the previous owner of my (now) Little Seeds Northville location. We coordinated and negotiated the sale terms, and I bought my first location! The location was in need of a lot of repairs – I put every dollar the center made back into it PLUS my own money and previous savings. Over the past 3 years, I invested over $750k in repairs to the property and have transformed the buildings/landscape in the magical place that I know it to be. We stayed open throughout the construction and quickly outgrew the space (we started with 41 children and had 100 enrolled within 1 year) and had a very long waiting list. In June 2022, I bought the second location in Novi, a convenient 2-mile drive. This was a smaller location and perfectly accommodated our families waiting patiently to get in. The previous owner retired, and we gave the building an aesthetic makeover to match the Little Seeds’ style. Our style consists of a lot of greenery and wooden elements coupled with a warm, neutral color palette (you will not find any primary colors on our walls or floors!). 

We have grown our team from 9 teachers to 45+ between both locations. It is a true honor to serve our teachers and give them opportunities to grow in their careers and personal lives – we have had MANY teachers grow their families with us over the past 4 years. I am endlessly grateful for their perseverance and dedication to the early childhood field. I think it’s one of the most important jobs in the world because the work they do every day in caring for our littles will leave an impact on the world for a long, long time. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Seemingly endless construction projects, the COVID pandemic that resulted in a 3-month closure for us and huge loss of revenue, staffing pressure, and the increased costs of “everything” have caused a lot of opportunities for growth over the past 4 years. I have learned SO much about building maintenance, and that has helped with tremendously in choosing future projects to work on. Nearly everything that could go wrong with a building has happened with the Northville location, and I’ve utilized 100’s of contractors over the years – some of which I’ve developed great relationships with now. Every struggle has presented a unique opportunity to learn, and I’m truly grateful to have had these experiences. I have noticed over time that my attitude in navigating these experiences (often unexpected) has been critical to managing and tackling these struggles. I remind myself of the mission and core values of Little Seeds whenever I am feeling stuck. This has led to some difficult decisions in the past, but I’ve never regretted making a decision where I trusted my intuition. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My vision for Little Seeds is for it to be a place where children can spend time that doesn’t feel like school but rather an extension of their homes. We encourage our teachers to be loving and nurturing and to build lasting relationships with our families. Our Reggio Emilia childcare approach is child-led learning (vs. teacher-led learning), and we pride ourselves in offering beautiful, natural play spaces for children to explore. We also bring nature into the classroom whenever possible and allow children to have abundant and diverse sensory experiences (i.e., get messy!). Our playgrounds are filled with natural materials (plants, wood chips, rocks, dirt, grass, etc.), and most play elements have been custom-curated to suit the developmental needs of the children we care for. We definitely appreciate and support PLAY vs. structured academics, which are often unrealistic in nurturing the proper brain development for friends under age 5. 

My website also has our philosophy outlined! 

Pricing:

• Offering daily and full-time rates starting at $75/day (discount for full-time)
• We offer infant toddler classes and have a full preschool and pre-kindergarten program
• enrolling children ages 6 weeks through 6 years – inquire through website to check waiting list and availability

Contact Info:

• Website: www.littleseedsgrowing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_seeds_growing/