Why Us?
We’re not just consultants – we’re former childcare center owners who
understand your journey because we’ve walked it ourselves.
Meet the Founders
Tommy and MJ Runfola—your partners in childcare success
Tommy Runfola
Vision. Strategy. Proven Results.
Tommy Runfola is a serial entrepreneur, author, and success coach who has spent his life building and mentoring high-performance businesses — from court reporting and media ventures to one of the most successful childcare organizations in the nation.
Known for his sharp business instincts and heart for helping others win, Tommy co-founded ONE Center with his wife, MJ, transforming a single struggling center into a thriving, eight-figure enterprise with multiple locations and a reputation for excellence. Together, they built systems that attracted hundreds of families, empowered teams, and delivered consistent growth — even in challenging times.
Before becoming a childcare industry leader, Tommy founded and scaled multiple national businesses, hosted a syndicated radio show called Makin’-It, and coached entrepreneurs across the country on wealth, mindset, and marketing. His unique blend of street-smart entrepreneurship and faith-based leadership has helped countless business owners break through limitations and discover what’s truly possible.
At Childcare CEO Academy, Tommy now channels decades of business experience into one mission: helping childcare owners think bigger, earn more, and live freer. His hands-on mentorship and no-fluff business frameworks help transform overwhelmed operators into confident CEOs — capable of scaling, systemizing, and selling a business that works for them.
What Tommy Can Do for You
- Teach you the profit and growth strategies behind seven- and eight-figure childcare businesses.
- Show you how to systemize your center so it runs smoothly — with or without you.
- Help you think and act like a CEO, not an employee of your own business.
- Guide you to create a childcare company that’s valuable, scalable, and sellable.
Tommy’s philosophy is simple: “Success isn’t luck — it’s strategy, discipline, and belief in what’s possible.” And his mission is to help every childcare owner step into that success with confidence and purpose.
MJ Runfola
Resilience. Reinvention. Remarkable Results.
MJ Runfola’s journey is one of courage, faith, and unstoppable determination. Before she ever built an eight-figure childcare enterprise, she faced battles most would never imagine — including a life-threatening illness that left doctors uncertain whether she would make it through the night. Told she might never have children of her own, MJ eventually found herself surrounded by the laughter of hundreds of children — not by chance, but by divine purpose.
What began as a small dream to make childcare better for families became a mission that transformed an entire industry. MJ and her husband, Tommy, built one of the most respected multi-location childcare organizations in the region. Under her leadership, the schools grew from one struggling center into a thriving, seven-figure network known for excellence in education, operations, and culture.
MJ didn’t just run schools — she built systems that created freedom. She developed sales and marketing strategies that filled classrooms, team training frameworks that inspired loyalty, and leadership systems that allowed her to step out of daily operations while profits continued to rise.
After selling their schools in an eight-figure exit, MJ turned her attention to helping other childcare owners experience the same success. Today, through the Childcare CEO Academy, she mentors center owners who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving — guiding them to build businesses that are not only profitable, but purposeful.
What MJ Can Do for You
- Help you fill every classroom with proven enrollment and marketing strategies.
- Teach you how to build systems and teams that run your business — so you don’t have to.
- Show you how to reclaim your time, your peace, and your life while growing your income.
- Guide you through the same transformation that took her from overwhelmed operator to empowered CEO.
Her message is simple but powerful: “You can create a childcare business that changes lives —
and gives you the freedom, income, and peace of mind you deserve.”
The Childcare CEO Academy Pledge
deep with every single person we serve. When you join Childcare CEO
Academy, you’re not just a client… you’re family.
mission like it’s our own. We will pray over your business, your
breakthroughs, and your boldest dreams.
legacy is our why.
Founders, Childcare CEO Academy