Lisseth Zouhbi, CHRO at Child Care Resource Center

Show Notes

From Five-Star Hotels to Childcare Nonprofit: Authentic HR and Real-World Benefits

Summary

What happens when a luxury hospitality veteran applies a five-star service mindset to a mission-driven workforce?

Lisseth Zouhbi, Chief Human Resources Officer at the Child Care Resource Center in California, shares how she translates decades in brands like Rosewood, Langham, and Fairmont into an employee experience that truly supports working parents and frontline providers.

Lisseth explains her “experience lens” for HR—designing for both employees and the families they serve—and how research, clear communication, and agility help her team meet real childcare needs around cost, access, and misaligned schedules.

She unpacks her pivot from hotels to nonprofit during COVID, CCRC’s rapid growth, and her transformational leadership style grounded in psychological safety, individualized development, and the belief that “life happens.” Expect practical insights on building benefits that match real life, enabling authenticity at work, and creating cultures where caregivers can thrive without fear.

Timestamps

[00:45] – From five-star hospitality to mission-driven HR: why Lisseth made the pivot

[01:51] – The “experience lens”: designing for employees and the families they serve

[03:45] – Career shift during COVID and scaling CCRC through rapid growth

[04:56] – Dual-career parenting, support systems, and managing the juggle

[07:17] – Authenticity at work: what to share and why it builds trust

[08:55] – The childcare gap: cost, access, and misaligned hours with work

[16:19] – Transformational leadership: individualized development, agility, and “life happens”

[20:51] – Creating psychologically safe cultures so caregivers can ask for help

Takeaways

- Design benefits and schedules around real childcare realities—cost, access, and hours—not assumptions.

- Build communication norms that reduce fear of retaliation and invite early, candid conversations.

- Individualize development plans; learn each employee’s goals, values, and boundaries.

- Normalize flexibility for caregivers—focus on outcomes and allow life to happen without penalty.

- Use research and community feedback to evolve programs as family needs change.

- Model authenticity as a leader to strengthen trust and improve team resilience.

Sponsor

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What is Parenting at Work?

Work and family aren’t two separate lives—they’re one reality. Welcome to Parenting at Work, the podcast exploring the human side of business. Join us for a warm conversation with leaders redefining employee support. Each episode offers stories and strategies for building workplaces that care. This is serious coverage with serious heart.

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Learn more at junokids.com

Max Tedaldi (00:00)
Hello everyone and welcome to Parenting at Work. I am honored and so excited today to bring you Lisseth Zouhbi. A transformative HR executive with a fascinating career trajectory currently serving as the Chief Human Resource Officer at the Child Care Resource Center, a nonprofit that serves tens of thousands of children and families across California. She's a strategic powerhouse with expertise in everything from AI to global talent management.

But what I find so unique about Lisseth is her background. And before leading the people function for an agency dedicated to child and family care, she spent over two decades shaping the employee experience in the world of hospitality at iconic brands like Rosewood Hotel, Langham, and Fairmont. Today she's taking that five-star service mentality and applying it to the mission-driven world of family and child care services. So today we're going to talk through that major pivot.

and how she's designing benefit strategies that address the real world needs of a diverse and mission focused workforce. Leseth, welcome to the podcast.

Lisseth Zouhbi (01:02)
Thanks Max and thank you for such a wonderful introduction. I might just need to copy that.

Max Tedaldi (01:07)
Yep, well, we're recording it. So if you want to you want to take that and and use it in your bio you are welcome to ⁓ Wonderful ⁓ and what I'm I think what I'm really curious about, you know diving into to start is You you spent you know decades, know working in luxury hotels and where the goal is really anticipating guest needs and and I'm really curious how that has transferred into

Lisseth Zouhbi (01:14)
Yeah.

Max Tedaldi (01:34)
you know, and leading HR for child and family services. And what does that mean to you to anticipate those needs and really be there for a workforce?

Lisseth Zouhbi (01:47)
Yes, you know, I look at it from a couple of lenses. ⁓ It's really about the experience, right? And being a people leader, I look at it from the lens of the employee experience. You know, what opportunities, programs, resources we can provide to create a positive employee experience for our workforce. Then I look at it from the lens of who are our customers. And when I was in hospitality, our customers, external customers, were the guest.

here in the nonprofit, our customers are the families, the communities that we serve. So I look at it from the lens of the services that our team provide to the community. And so, are we equipping our team to be able to deliver on those services that continue to make an impact to the families? So I look at it from those perspectives, not just internally, but also the external piece.

And whether it was hospitality or a nonprofit, to me it's about that experience, that service that we are creating for those that are receiving it.

Max Tedaldi (02:55)
Yeah. And what drove that career shift for you? Was it something personal? Was it just where you wanted to take your career?

Lisseth Zouhbi (03:04)
You know, it was a combination of things. My last hospitality opportunity, there were some changes.

Max Tedaldi (03:06)
Mm-hmm.

Lisseth Zouhbi (03:12)
and the leadership change was going to be moving to Singapore, and it was right in the early mid stages of COVID. And so I was actually reached out about this opportunity through a search firm that I've known for some time and I've, you know, build relationships for me, building relationships with everyone is important and staying connected. And so got introduced to the opportunity and met with the CEO.

Max Tedaldi (03:28)
Mm-hmm.

Lisseth Zouhbi (03:39)
and learn more about the organization. And as a mom, I felt very close to the connection about servicing and making that positive impact to the children, especially because we predominantly provide services to children preschool ages. And so at that time, my children were in early elementary. And so it was that connection of

Max Tedaldi (03:46)
Mm-hmm.

Lisseth Zouhbi (04:07)
you know, being a mother, but also being able to bring my skill set that I had gained in working at, you know, large organizations. And since I've been here, that has really helped me to support the organization. We've doubled in size in the time that I've been here, almost four years now.

Max Tedaldi (04:26)
Wow. I mean, that growth has probably been a bit of a whirlwind for you. I'm curious how that has been balancing being a mother of two children and also being in now an arena where the worlds of your personal life and professional life might feel like they're overlapping a little bit.

Lisseth Zouhbi (04:48)
You know, I've been very blessed that I have a very supportive husband and he also has a very demanding career. He's a chef. you know, growing up, my dad had multiple jobs and he was also a chef. So I grew up in that environment where I understood the demand of the job. And my husband has been very supportive of my career. And, you know, we balance each other out.

There's times where maybe I'm not available to be present for something, but then he will. And so, you know, we tag team and I think that partnership is really important. I'm also blessed that my parents have helped me continue to help me with the children, you know, drop off, pick up, you know, and so forth. You know, and I understand maybe not everybody has that opportunity, but for me, it's been a great blessing because it's helped me to, when I'm at work,

Max Tedaldi (05:34)
Thank

Lisseth Zouhbi (05:44)
focus on my work, on my career, when I'm at home, focus on the family. And it's a balancing act and that is different for everybody. But because of that personal support I have, it has helped me to be able to continue to focus on my passions, you know, being an HR executive and being a mother.

Max Tedaldi (06:07)
Yeah, yeah, my.

My mother and father-in-law ⁓ both live in New York and my wife and I definitely rely on them probably more than we should. And I definitely count my blessings every time that they do a pickup or a drop off. And it really makes me think about what that means in terms of showing up at work and feeling like you can leave some of that personal life behind. do you bring that with you to work?

and show up at work not separating those two. And that's something that I struggle with is how much of my personal life do I let bleed into my professional life? ⁓ I'm curious if you have any sort of ⁓ philosophies or ideologies about how you like to show up. is it a little bit of separation there? Is it a combination? What does that look like for you?

Lisseth Zouhbi (07:00)
You know, fundamentally, I think it's being the authentic you, right? And knowing your values and what's important and, you know, it's it's a combination of both because, you know, when you're here, obviously you focus on what needs to get done. And, you know, there's no day that's alike. But then there's also part of you that, you know, you connect ⁓ with others about, you know, sharing about your family and, you know, stories and.

Max Tedaldi (07:04)
Yeah.

Lisseth Zouhbi (07:29)
I think because you're showing us your authentic self, it helps to sort of understand where you might be coming from or your perspective, right? And all this builds as to who you are and how you manage through some situations.

Max Tedaldi (07:47)
Yeah. And I'm very curious because I think you're in a bit of a unique position.

working at the Child Care Resource Centre and really sort of seeing somewhat firsthand what families go through in terms of needing caregiving resources. And I'm curious, and obviously your role is in the human resources arena, but I'm curious if you see any sort of, what are some of the biggest gaps that you see or what are the common ⁓ requests or needs that you see that families are having?

when it comes to child care, when it comes to needing support, to either balance work, work life, or support otherwise.

Lisseth Zouhbi (08:32)
Yes. And you know, I hear it through stories as we talk about our strategies and the services that we provide, but also experiencing it firsthand when we do have community events and you engage with the families, right? I think the biggest opportunity is the resources for childcare, right? And whether it's an infant or after school or just in general during normal working hours.

Max Tedaldi (08:38)
Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Lisseth Zouhbi (08:59)
That's where the biggest opportunity is because families need to balance between working to provide for their families. In some cases, some are also going to school and getting their education. It's a balancing act. This is where as a community, we try to provide different resources or access to different programs so that families can learn about them. It really is about that.

communication and being able to be resourceful to be able to identify what's going to help that particular family. So I think right now the biggest opportunity is the childcare, the cost, the opportunities, because sometimes the scheduling may be different than the hours of when the parent needs to work. So it's a combination of those things.

Max Tedaldi (09:37)
Yeah.

Yeah. And honestly, when I became a parent, that was one of the most mind blowing, you know.

parts of that is you feel lucky to get your kid in a daycare or in a preschool and then you're immediately confronted with just the disparity in hours, right? And there are so few programs that operate during a full work day. And so even if you have coverage during that time, you're still either, you're going to work late, you're leaving early, or you're paying

for pick up and drop off. there's, it almost feels like the system was designed in an era where only one parent was working.

Lisseth Zouhbi (10:33)
Yes, and now this is where the opportunities are very different for families, right? Because it depends, you know, whether it's one parent or two parents or, you know, also now maybe even taking care of your parents. So it's really important that, you know, as for us as an organization that provides these services to think about ⁓ what are the needs that the community needs.

Max Tedaldi (10:38)
Yeah.

Lisseth Zouhbi (10:56)
And we have a great team that does research to better understand that. And this is how we've been able to pivot some of our programs to support the families. But personally, this has been a balancing act too, where you try to figure out where you can accommodate either some professional development or work experience and balancing.

you know, the kids have after school activities or events and, you know, it's, it's a juggling act. But it's very fulfilling, at least personally, you know, for me. And, you know, lessons that I learned in the work and as a parent, sometimes they intertwine. And so I think for me, being a parent has made me become a better

multitasker, problem solver, you know, and that emotional intelligence and, you know, picking up on cues on the individuals to be able to handle difficult situations.

Max Tedaldi (11:55)
Yeah. I'm curious in your experience as both an employee and as a mother, if there's one moment in particular where you either found it challenging to do both or you felt those worlds colliding in an almost irreconcilable fashion.

Lisseth Zouhbi (12:14)
You know, I was in hospitality, I had to fly outside of the US for a hotel transition. And it so happened to be the same week where my son was starting preschool. So it was his very first day of preschool. And I remember having that mom guilt for not being present on his very first day of school. However,

My husband was there. And this is where, you know, that tag team comes into place. He took some pictures and, you know, had everything prepared for my son and even the first day of school sign. And I remember my husband sending me a text later. He says he had a very good first day of school. He said he was mad at you. And after talking more about it, he said he still loves you no matter what. And I was like,

Max Tedaldi (13:10)
I...

Just gotta kill you. ⁓ god. man.

Lisseth Zouhbi (13:11)
That's all I needed to know.

You know, so it's those moments like that, that stay with you. Because from a very, from the moment that they were born, your whole life changes. But, you know, we've had this parenting strategy where, you know, we both agreed that we would always speak to our kids as adults.

and be transparent. And so they were very young when I was in hospitality and they used to see me travel a lot and see my husband work holidays, weekends. And so from a very early on, got used to us working dedicated to a work as well and trying to balance.

being a parent. And so they understood that no matter what, we love them. There might be times where we might not be physically present, but we're there for them.

Max Tedaldi (14:07)
Yeah, yeah. And I think they feel that. And I think those moments, those moments where you're not there, they sting.

⁓ But it feels like the kids are super resilient and it's almost the marathon over the sprint mentality. And it's those little moments that feel like hiccups, I think are usually trumped by just consistent showing up. And it's almost like ⁓ attendance feels like 90 % of ⁓ parenthood in those moments.

Lisseth Zouhbi (14:38)
Exactly.

Max Tedaldi (14:40)
Cool. I want to, I want to shift things a little bit. ⁓ and I'm, I'm, I'm curious about your, your, your philosophy as a leader, and, and how, and how you show up and particularly as, as it pertains to, you know, bringing parts of your, of your personal life and your, your authentic self into your, not only your sort of your work persona, but into your philosophy. And what, what does that look like for you and what are the

sort of values that you try to espouse as a leader.

Lisseth Zouhbi (15:11)
You know, I see myself as a, you know, transformational leader. One of my biggest passions is the development and the growth of my team. And it looks different for everybody, right? But, you know, most important is to be able to learn about that individual, understand what is important for them, you know, authenticity, the trust, you know, the ethics.

the development, all those values are really important for me. And so as I think about bringing that into the workforce, I wanna be able to pivot my development strategy to that individual, to find ways of what is important for them, what do they value and be able to, as much as I can, match what their needs are.

Max Tedaldi (16:04)
Mm-hmm.

Lisseth Zouhbi (16:05)
so that there's a mutual trust, there's a mutual understanding of, you know, these are the job expectations. However, this is what I can help and support you with so that, you know, you are fully supported, that you are engaged and you know, that when you come to work, that, you know, that you are present and if something is happening, if your child is sick, then take the time to be with the child.

you know, and I so I think it's understanding that, you know, we're all human life happens. And that's what I tell the team is life happens. And so we need to be able to to pivot. And I think as a parent and throughout my career, that's one of the things that I've learned the most is you have to learn how to pivot. And it may not always be the outcome that you originally wanted, but it's OK. Right.

It is okay. It's what did you learn from it? You know, and how can we continue to thrive and move forward? Because it's never going to be perfect. And that's what, you know, as a parent, I've learned is no matter how I envisioned

birthday party or the picture, the family pictures, you know, things will happen. And the same thing at work, you know, things will happen and this is where we need to have that agility. So I think part of my leadership too is having that agility to change strategies, to change

to pivot expectations or adapt to things, needs of the individual employee. And so that has helped me to be able to...

help support the teams and let them know that, you know, we're all human, but you know, the communication is important. And fundamentally, that is one of the most important pieces is that we have that, you know, open dialogue to better understand what is the situation, how can we manage through it, or what do they need? You know, there's times where I've told some of my team members, you know, it's been a tough day. It's like, you know what? It's okay. Step away.

time? What do need? You know, what can wait till tomorrow?

Max Tedaldi (18:16)
Yep.

Yeah, I mean, it's so interesting to me how much of that advice ⁓ also pertains to parents and raising children and being understanding and being adaptable. I'm so curious.

how you handle parents that are afraid of sort of sharing their authentic self or struggles that they are going through. I think that with a lot of working parents, there's like a combination of fear and then maybe like a little bit of imposter syndrome of if I show my authentic self, if I show what I'm struggling with and ask for either concessions or help, that it's gonna be a ding in my record.

or that it's going to somehow make me feel like ⁓ the way that I show up is as a less dedicated employee? And how do you actually communicate with someone or really get through your philosophy of showing up, of really allowing yourself to share what you're dealing with? ⁓

Lisseth Zouhbi (19:23)
You know, it's really, it goes back to I think what I mentioned about, you know, the communication and being able to have open dialogue and creating that positive work experience where there's not a fear of retaliation. You know, it's more of help me under, help me understand you so that I can help you, right? And

You know, it's not always perfect, but I think if we are able to, from the very beginning, you know, be proactive and, you know, talk about what is important and understand where we might need to shift priorities or, you know, reassess, you know, what's important.

I think again, it's fundamentally, let's talk through what are your needs, what can I provide you, where do we need to pivot to come to that common understanding? And that's why it goes back to building the rapport and the relationship and learning about the individual. Some people are more private than others and you completely respect that understanding where their boundaries are. And I respect that.

⁓ And so I adjust my style based on that individual so that I try and make them feel as much comfortable as I can.

Max Tedaldi (20:49)
Yeah, I think that makes sense. I think that, you know, that's really the only environment that someone can share their authentic self is when they do feel comfortable and they feel and they feel supported and that they won't be, you know, there's not going to be retaliatory action.

So I'm curious what, if you had one message that you could give to other HR leaders to help build a better ecosystem for both companies and employees, what would that message be for you as it pertains to your values?

Lisseth Zouhbi (21:21)
you know, I think it's really coming down to, the communication piece. And I think a lot of us in H in the HR field, you know, understand that everybody is, different. And when it comes down to, problem solving or understanding the individual, it's about having those open candid conversations where you're treating that person.

as an individual and not as a number, right? Don't think about I have 1200 people and you're number 35. No, it's you are Tom and I know this about you and let me get to know Tom as individual to understand how I can best support Tom.

Max Tedaldi (22:10)
Yeah. Well, Lissa, thank you so much for speaking with me today. My biggest takeaway from our conversation is really that communication really feels like the biggest tool to not only connect with your workforce, but to really enable you to show up ⁓ as your authentic self day to day. So thank you so much for joining. I so, appreciate it.

Lisseth Zouhbi (22:39)
Thank

you for having me.

Max Tedaldi (22:41)
And for everyone else, know, listening out there, I hope that you take away from this that, you know, showing up, you know, can mean a number of different things in your workforce. But it's really when you feel supported and able to connect with the people in your workforce, your other employees, your colleagues, that's the sort of the level of comfort that allows you to feel supported and to really show up.

Appreciate it so much. you for listening ⁓ and let's get back to work.

Lisseth Zouhbi (23:11)
Yeah, have a great day.