About the Author

My purpose in life is to edify and increase the visibility, mobility, and professionalism of early childhood practitioners and small business owners. With guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit, while giving God all the glory. — Dr. KSChance®

For more than three decades, I have had the honor of serving children, families, educators, and communities through leadership in early childhood education and nonprofit systems. I have seen enthusiastic leaders struggle not because they lacked commitment, but because they lacked sustainable systems. My doctoral research confirmed what I had witnessed in practice: sustainability is not accidental. It is built through intentional strategy, disciplined execution, and systems thinking.

This framework is the product of faith, experience, service, and the many people and places that have shaped my journey. I am deeply grateful to those who poured into my life, encouraged my growth, and inspired me to lead with both purpose and heart.

I honor the strength, wisdom, and resilience rooted in my upbringing in rural West Texas, where hard work, faith, family, and community were not simply taught, but lived.

To those in nonprofit leadership, early childhood education, family child care, and community-based work: thank you for carrying the weight of essential work with strength and determination. Your labor matters. Your leadership matters. Your impact matters.

The Participant Commitment Statement is designed for individuals who use the framework for personal growth, leadership development, organizational reflection, or professional application. It invites participants to engage with the work with honesty, openness, accountability, and a willingness to reflect on their leadership practices. Rather than serving as a legal agreement, it functions as a values-based commitment to participate fully, apply the framework thoughtfully, and use the tools in a manner that supports ethical leadership, sustainable systems, and community-centered growth.

The Framework Integrity Statement protects the purpose, structure, and credibility of the framework. It clarifies that M.I.N.D. Your Business with H.E.A.R.T.® is a trademarked leadership model created by Dr. Katrina S. Chance, DBA, MAOM, FSC, and should be used in alignment with its original intent. This statement helps ensure that the framework is not altered, misrepresented, reproduced, or facilitated in ways that weaken its message, confuse its meaning, or compromise its professional standards.

• American Marketing Association. (2019). The Essential Community for Marketers.
• Chance, K. S. (2021). Strategies to sustain rural micro and small enterprises (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
• Child Care Aware® of America. (2025). An uneven start: 2025 state funding for child care & early learning.
• Child Care Aware® of America. (2026). An uneven start 2026: Where child care funding falls short—and why it matters.
• Grossman, David. (2025). A 5-Step Change Management Plan to Lead Your Organization Forward.
• MIT School of Distance Education. (2022). What is human leadership and how to be a human leader?
• National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2005). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment.
• National Association for Family Child Care. (2026). Building a Child Care System That Works with FCC.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. (n.d.). Early childhood and K–12 education.
• U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy. (2018). Small business profiles for the states and territories.