The CampHacker Podcast: Recent Episodes

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https://gocamp.pro/campprogrammingbydesign/boredom

The Gift of Boredom: Why Uncomfortable "Dead Air" is Your Camp's Secret WeaponWhen a camper drops the dreaded "I'm bored" bomb, most counselors panic and go into immediate rescue mode, treating it like a programmatic failure. But what if that uncomfortable silence isn't a problem to solve, but a necessary bridge to self-reflection, identity development, and deep human connection? Chris and Ariella unpack the neurobiology of boredom, the vulnerability of phone-free communication, and how camp leaders can intentionally design low-stimulation "green zones" that build true psychological resilience.

Big Ideas

• The Default Mode Network: Why your brain actually needs to step away from task-switching to activate imagination and process identity development.
• The Deceptive "Bored" Flag: The hidden emotional states—like homesickness or a desperate call for peer inclusion—that kids mislabel as boredom.
• The Dandelion Technique: How to train staff to blow away the guilt of programmatic "failure" and lean into curiosity instead.
• The 30-Second Task-Switching Nutrient Drain: Why our modern, over-stimulated brains run completely out of words by the end of the day, and the antidote camp naturally provides.
• Unlearning Productive Outcomes: Shifting staff and campers away from a zero-sum mindset where an activity is only successful if you catch a fish or win the game.

Your Hosts* Ariella Skoczylas, Educator and Trainer - Leadership Lioness * Chris Rehs-Dupin, Founder and President - TQAMP LLC

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campprogrammingbydesign/design-magic

Welcome to a new show from the Go Camp Pro Podcast Network!

Welcome to the Go Camp Pro podcast family! We are thrilled to introduce a show that peels back the curtain on the "how" and "why" behind our favorite summer moments: Camp Programming, By Design. Join hosts Chris Rehs-Dupin and Ariella Skoczylas as they move beyond the logistics of schedules and supplies to explore the intentional architecture that turns a simple activity into a life-changing experience.

Why Purpose is Your Greatest Program ToolIs your camp mission just a set of dusty words on a website, or is it the pulse of your daily activities? Chris and Ariella break down why the "magic" of camp isn't a happy accident, it's the result of intentional design. From rethinking what "fun" actually feels like to using your mission as a motivational anchor in the heat of July, this episode challenges you to look beneath the surface of your schedule to find the purpose that transforms lives.

Big Ideas

• The "Mushroom" Metric: Why your son pretending to be a fungus on a basketball court might actually be a masterclass in mission alignment.
• The Facebook Mission Trap: How over-generalized buzzwords are failing your organization and how to fix them with "camp-friendly" language.
• The Mid-July Motivation Anchor: The secret to using your mission as a psychological lifeline for burnt-out staff during the summer's hardest weeks.
• Redefining "Fun": Why success—not just entertainment—is the hidden engine behind every camper’s favorite memory.
• The "What, So What, Now What" Framework: A simple, three-step debriefing tool that ensures your lessons stick long after the buses leave.

Your Hosts* Ariella Skoczylas, Educator and Trainer - Leadership Lioness * Chris Rehs-Dupin, Founder and President - TQAMP LLC

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-jane-m

Mastering the "Business" of Camp with Jane McCutcheonBuilding a thriving summer camp requires more than just "warm and fuzzy" feelings, it demands rigorous professional standards and an intentional focus on safety. Many leaders struggle to balance the magic of the campfire with the hard metrics of a successful operation. This episode breaks down why treating your camp as a high-level business actually protects the heart of your mission.

Big Ideas

• The Business-First Paradox: Why prioritizing your camp as a business is the only way to safeguard the "soft and fuzzy" outcomes for your campers.
• The Danger of "Homegrown" Hiring: The one interview question you’re likely skipping that identifies if a staff member loves the place or the people.
• The Return Rate Deep Dive: How to use granular camper and staff return data to identify your strongest (and weakest) unit leaders.
• Rethinking Supervision: Why the transition from "free time" to "absolute supervision" is a necessary evolution in modern camp culture.
• The Caring Counselor Metric: What a 1992 focus group revealed about why parents really choose camp—and it’s not what you think.

Your Hosts Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jane McCutcheon - Jane McCutcheon* is a legendary camp owner, author of over 10 industry-standard camp books, and an MBA graduate who has spent decades professionalizing the summer camp industry.

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/expectations-vs-reality-for-staff

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The Truth About Selling the Camp Experience to Gen ZJoin the team as they discuss the critical gap between what seasonal staff expect and the gritty reality of summer camp. The conversation explores why staff members often hit a wall three weeks into the season and how directors can prevent burnout by being radically honest during the hiring process. They dive into practical ways to connect mundane orientation tasks like cleaning docks or prepping equipment to the higher mission and values of the camp community.

Key takeaways include:

• Connect Every Task to a Core Value. When orientation focuses primarily on cleaning and logistics without explanation, staff believe those are the only priorities. By explicitly linking tasks like raking or organizing to values such as respect and stewardship, you build a culture that sustains itself when the work gets difficult.
• Lead With the Hard Truths During Recruitment. This generation of staff does not appreciate surprises and values transparency above all else. Sharing the most challenging aspects of the job, such as the demanding schedule or physical exhaustion, during the interview phase ensures that the people you hire are truly capable and prepared for the commitment.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - Board Game Arena * Travis - Seating for Staff Training * Tavis Bonus! - Digital Tire Pressure Gauge * Jolly - Trailnotes Journal * Kim - We Connect Cards

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant and Staff Trainer. Contact Email. * Jolly Corley, Camp Director - Camp Robindel. Leadership Development. Contact Email.

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/camper-parents-and-our-staff

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Training Your Team to Inspire Confidence in CaregiversThis episode explores the friction between caregiver expectations and camp realities, emphasizing why trust is the foundation of every interaction. Matt shares insights from his book on the science of belonging while the team discusses practical ways to shield frontline staff from communication fatigue and manage the "webcam" culture of modern parenting.

Key takeaways include:

• Shift the focus from quantity to quality in communication. While parents may ask for daily updates or photos, the real goal is building a foundation of trust so they feel confident their child is safe without constant proof of life. Effective communication is an outgrowth of how a parent feels about leaving their child in your care.
• Implement structural communication boundaries to protect staff energy. Rather than allowing parents to interrupt frontline counselors during busy times like bus duty, create systems that nudge caregivers toward leadership members who are trained to handle complex questions. This ensures that counselors can stay focused on their primary job of keeping children safe.
• Train your staff to inspire confidence through professional interactions. Even if a counselor is young, teaching them specific social scripts and decision trees helps them appear capable and reliable to anxious parents. You don't want to communicate that you don't trust your staff to speak, but you must empower them with the tools to triage conversations effectively.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris. H - Traveling Mailbox * Travis - Bambu A1 3D Printer * Chris. R - “EFA” * Matt - Claude Cowork

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Chris Rehs-Dupin, Founder - Tqamp. ChrisSpeaksOut. Contact Email. * Matt Kaufman, Director - Camp Ramaquois. The Campfire Effect Book. Ilove.camp Blog. Contact Email.

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/ill-larry-b

Lessons from 80 Years of Camp Robin HoodJoin Travis Allison as he sits down with Larry Bell, Director Emeritus of Camp Robin Hood, Canada’s oldest privately established day camp. In this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, Larry reflects on his legendary career—from becoming a director at just 23 years old to navigating the massive shift from paper-based logistics to modern digital systems. The conversation dives deep into the "why" behind camp traditions, the evolving relationship between camps and parents, and the secret to building a staff culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and personally invested in the mission.

Key takeaways include:

• The Power of "Why": Larry emphasizes that camp staff shouldn't just follow rules; they need to understand the purpose behind every action. When staff understand the "why," they take ownership of their roles, turning a summer job into a high-level professional development experience.
• Scaling Intentional Connection: Despite managing a seasonal staff that grew from 80 to over 300, Larry made it a point to know every individual. By taking photos during interviews to ensure he remembered faces and stories, he built a culture where the Director was approachable and every staff member felt seen.
• Invisible Technology vs. Front-and-Center Logistics: From 21-page carbon-copy bus routes to the custom-built "Larry App," the goal of technology at camp should be transparency. Larry discusses how high-tech back-ends should make the logistics invisible so the staff can focus entirely on the human experience.
• The "Helicopter" Evolution: Larry notes a significant shift in the camp-parent partnership over the decades. He discusses the challenge of modern parenting styles that sometimes "stymie" a child's growth and how camp remains a unique environment for children to build resilience outside their parents' protective bubble.
• The Evolution of Tradition: Rituals like the Camp Robin Hood dance aren't maintained by accident. Larry shares how involving a year-round senior staff in reflecting on "what worked" ensures that 80-year-old traditions remain vibrant and relevant for a new generation of campers.

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Larry Bell, Director Emeritus - Camp Robin Hood

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/staff-member-who-wants-to-quit-midsummer

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Managing Mid-Summer Staff Departures with StrategyJoin Chris, Travis, and Emily as they tackle one of the most stressful moments for any camp director, which is the mid-summer staff resignation. The conversation centers on why traditional "Camp Magic" marketing often sets counselors up for failure by hiding the gritty realities of childcare like exhaustion and physical stress. They explore the critical distinction between a staff member who is simply venting and one who has truly decided to leave, arguing that forcing an unwilling counselor to stay is a liability for both safety and culture. The team shares strategies for offboarding staff with dignity while protecting the camp community from the social fallout of a sudden departure.

Key takeaways include:

• Recruit with Brutal Honesty. Avoid using only high-energy or positive imagery on your staff application pages because it fails to prepare young adults for the 17-hour days and high-stress moments. Showing the difficult parts of the job during the interview process ensures that the people who show up are truly ready for the responsibility.
• Respect the Decision to Leave. When a staff member declares they are done, the best move is to let them go rather than pressuring them to stay for the sake of ratios. An employee who no longer wants to be there is a risk to the children and a drain on the overall staff morale.
• Control the Departure Narrative. Have a clear policy for how staff leave the property, whether they are fired or they quit. Removing departing staff quickly and professionally prevents "pity parties" and keeps the focus on the campers while allowing the remaining team to move forward without unnecessary social drama.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - Dot Cards * Travis - How to Shift your Sales Mindset and Sell Without Feeling Uncomfortable, Carole Alalouf * Emily - 2 Sips Rule

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Emily Golinsky, Consultant & Trainer - Bright Moose Training. Contact Email.

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/ill-travis

Building a Resilient Camp Operating System with Travis AllisonIn this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, Matt Wilfrid sits down with Travis Allison, a primary architect of the modern camp industry’s culture of collaboration. As the founder of Go Camp Pro, Travis has spent decades helping camp professionals move past the "sprint" mentality to build organizations that are sustainable, efficient, and deeply human.

Using a D20 to navigate the conversation, Travis discusses his journey from a farm-boy-turned-camp-director to a global consultant. This episode is a masterclass in systems thinking, exploring how the right "operating system" can actually create more space for the high-touch, heart-centered moments that define the summer camp experience.

Take the Camp Resilience Check-Up: https://reselientcampblueprint.paperform.co/

Key Takeaways include:

• The Resilient Camp Blueprint: Travis breaks down his "operating system" approach for camps. By installing better systems for the "boring" operational tasks, directors can clear the mental clutter and reclaim the bandwidth needed to truly engage with staff, parents, and campers.
• The Power of ETB (Early To Bed): When the "Week 5 Despair" hits, Travis’s go-to defense isn't a pep talk or a pizza party - it’s sleep. He explains why mandating a 9:30 PM lights-out for staff is the most effective way to turn around a camp’s mood.
• IAAT (I Am Always Teaching): Travis dives into the philosophy that every action is a lesson. Whether it’s how a maintenance closet is labeled or how a director uses their phone at lunch, every system at camp is teaching staff and campers a way to interact with the world.
• The Two-Second Rule: Discover the power of micro-improvements. Travis advocates for a culture where everyone aims to make camp "two seconds better" every day. These small, decentralized changes add up to a massive organizational impact without requiring constant director oversight.
• Technology as a Bridge: While camp is a sacred tech-free space for kids, Travis argues that technology should be "front and center" for the professionals behind the scenes. He explores how using modern tools to solve operational problems is the best way to ensure leaders have time for the things that can’t be automated - like laughing until you cry.

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Resources:Take the Camp Resilience Check-Up: https://reselientcampblueprint.paperform.co/

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Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/are-we-ethically-failing-campers

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Ensuring Every Staff Member Understands the MissionJoin Chris, Jake, and Amanda as they dive into the heavy ethical weight of running a summer camp. The conversation moves beyond simple childcare to explore the moral obligations directors have when promising youth development. They tackle the uncomfortable reality of where the industry falls short, specifically regarding mission clarity for staff and transparency for parents of vulnerable children. By redefining safety as a social and emotional requirement rather than just a physical one, the panel offers a roadmap for building trust through radical honesty and intentional community building.

Key takeaways include:

• Radical transparency with parents about what your program is not equipped to handle is a powerful way to build long term trust. Admitting that your camp is still growing in areas like support for diverse identities allows families to make informed decisions and ensures the safety of the children you serve.
• Camp is naturally messy and community friction is an essential part of the developmental process. Instead of trying to bubble wrap the experience, directors should focus on training staff in conflict resolution and reflection to help campers navigate uncomfortable moments in a way that honors their individual growth.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - Banking Trick using a Virtual Account Number. * Jake - The Parent Cue. * Amanda - Using AI as a thought partner.

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Jake Sorenson, Sacred Playgrounds Director * Amanda Palmer, Camp Consultant - Amanda C. Palmer Consulting. Contact Email.

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-jolly-c

Lessons in Capability and Safety: Jolly Corley on Leading with IntentIn this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, Jolly Corley, leadership coach and Director of Camp Robindel For Girls, joins the show to discuss the deep-seated why behind camp leadership. From her early days as an 18-year-old counselor to her professional background in theater, Jolly explores how childhood experiences and even vivid dreams have shaped her approach to developing young leaders.

Jolly challenges camp directors to look beyond simple activities and embrace the moments that build true resilience. She dives into the necessity of treating staff and campers as capable individuals, moving away from the fragility of modern parenting and toward a model of honest, collaborative growth.

Key Takeaways include:

• The Cabin as a High Risk Zone: While waterfronts and ropes courses have clear safety structures like life jackets and harnesses, the cabin is where the highest emotional risk lives. Jolly highlights how we rely on the training and intuition of young staff to manage the most precious thing in a parent's life, which is their child’s emotional and physical well being.
• The Capable Child: Reflecting on her own mother’s refusal to talk down to her, Jolly explains that leadership is about making others feel capable. She emphasizes that childhood is simply the process of becoming an adult and camp is the perfect laboratory for practicing that independence.
• Mission vs. Ego: Jolly reveals that the hardest leadership decisions are often between mission and ego rather than money. She discusses the hubris of a director thinking they can fix every staff member and the importance of recognizing when a specific camp environment just is not the right fit for someone.
• The Red Popsicle Resilience: True partnership with parents requires transparency about struggle. Jolly argues that resilience is not built by finding the last red popsicle in the freezer. Instead, it is built by sitting with a child in the disappointment of not getting one, which teaches them that they can experience hard feelings and still function.
• The Non Negotiable of Safety: When balancing support and accountability, Jolly draws a firm line at physical safety. While emotional and mental growth requires nuance and flow, physical safety rules must remain absolute to protect the community.

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jolly Corley, Leadership Development Coach and Director - Jolly Corley LLC & Camp Robindel For Girls

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/camps-using-and-applying-ai

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Balancing the Ethics and Efficiency of Modern TechnologyJoin Travis, Chris, and Kate as they dive into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in the 2026 camp landscape. The conversation explores the tension between increasing administrative efficiency and maintaining the human touch essential to the camp experience. They discuss practical ways to use AI for scheduling and staff onboarding while addressing valid ethical concerns about environmental impact and the creative arts.

Key takeaways include:

• Move Beyond Simple Search to Collaborative Coaching: The most effective way to use modern AI is to treat it as a thinking partner rather than a search engine. Asking the technology to coach you through better prompts or to analyze your specific camp values ensures that the output is personalized and avoids the generic feel of common AI generated content.
• Balance Technological Speed with Ethical Considerations: While AI offers massive benefits for productivity, camp leaders must remain mindful of the environmental costs and the impact on creative professionals. Using the right tool for the right job, such as high quality translation services or specific writing assistants, helps maintain professional standards without sacrificing the camp's core values.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Claude AI * Chris - Rotating Pomodoro Timer * Kate Taylor - DeepL Translator

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Kate Taylor, Consultant - Stephane Richard Development Consulting. Contact Email

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-andy-p

Raising the Bar: A Masterclass in Camp Intentionality with Andy PritikinIn this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, Matt Wilfrid sits down with Andy Pritikin, a true powerhouse in the summer camp industry. From founding Liberty Lake Day Camp to producing the New Jersey Renaissance Fair and hosting the Day Camp Podcast, Andy has spent decades "sharpening the sword" of youth development.

Through the roll of a 20-sided die, Andy shares how his background as a rock musician and a student teacher shaped his belief that leadership is earned through relationships, not titles. We dive deep into why camp is the ultimate antidote to an AI-driven world and how directors can navigate the tricky waters of transparency and candor in a modern camp setting.

Key Takeaways include:

• Earned Respect vs. Authoritarianism: Andy reflects on his early days as a music teacher to explain why "collared shirts and walkie-talkies" don't grant authority. True leadership requires constant deposits into the "relationship piggy bank" with your staff.
• The Anti-AI Value Proposition: In an age where even a trip to the gym involves earbuds and screens, Andy discusses why camp is uniquely positioned as a "religion of nature." It’s the one place where kids can focus purely on being human.
• Emotional Safety over "The Trains": Andy shares a profound insight on prioritizing emotional safety and belonging over administrative efficiency. While a schedule is a necessary framework, it should never steamroll the chance for a meaningful, life-changing interaction.
• Forgiving the Mistakes: From "sunscreen machines" that didn't work to hiring mishaps, Andy shares his mantra: "All you can do is the best you can do." Learn why humility and a "glass-half-full" perspective are essential for a long-term career in camping.

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Find full show notes and links for this episode at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-andy-p

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Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro * Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/the-resilience-report

Analyzing Hard Numbers and Camp Realities
Join Travis, Chris, Kendra Perkins, and Amanda Palmer as they dissect the initial findings from the Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic. This episode explores the stark reality of how modern camps are operating, from the "all-or-nothing" nature of psychological safety to the industry's massive blind spot regarding AI and tech adoption. The team moves beyond simply identifying problems to offer tangible frameworks that help directors reclaim their time and build a camp that can survive (and thrive) even when the director isn't in the room.

Key takeaways include:

• The Psychological Safety Polarization: New data reveals a "bimodal" distribution in the industry. Camps either have high levels of staff trust or almost none, with very little middle ground. This suggests that psychological safety is a culture that must be built intentionally or it simply won't exist.
• The Director Trap: Many camps are dangerously dependent on a single person’s energy and knowledge. Transitioning from a "person-dependent" to a "system-dependent" model is the only way to prevent leadership burnout and ensure long-term operational resilience.
• The Parent Relationship Reframe: While many directors find parent communication draining, the team argues it is the primary relationship of the job. Systematizing family knowledge and feedback loops is essential for raising the bar on camper care and retention.
• Tools for Decision Fatigue: Empowering staff requires concrete tools. Frameworks like the Forest Test (Safe? Builds self-esteem? Stewardship? Servant leadership?) allow staff to make high-level decisions without constant oversight.

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro. Contact Email. * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant - Planet Chris Consulting. Contact Email * Kendra Perkins, Camp Consultant - Innovative Camp Company. * Amanda Palmer, Camp Consultant - Amanda C. Palmer Consulting. Contact Email.

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!

UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-howie-g

High Expectations, Higher Support: A Masterclass in Legacy Leadership with Howie GrossingerIn this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, host Matt Wilfrid sits down with a living legend of the summer camp world: Howie Grossinger. As the co-owner of Camp Robin Hood and a pillar of the Ontario Camps Association, Howie brings over three decades of wisdom to a conversation that goes far beyond budget lines and schedules.

Using the randomness of a 20-sided die, Howie opens up about the moments that shaped him, from a sliding-doors moment where he almost chose dentistry over camp, to the early mentorship of Larry Bell that taught him the weight of responsibility. This episode is a deep dive into what it means to lead with a "safety net" mentality and how to maintain a personal touch in an increasingly digital world.

Key Takeaways include:

• The Power of the Pivot: Howie reflects on his transition from a planned career in health sciences to finding his "blood" in the youth education and camp space. It’s a reminder for camp pros that our "why" often finds us when we’re open to mentorship.
• Progress Over Perfection in Staffing: In a world obsessed with finding the "perfect fit," Howie argues for choosing coachability and heart over a flawless resume. By acting as a safety net for staff, directors can allow their teams the grace to grow into their roles.
• Engineering Belonging: While belonging is cultivated through relationships, Howie explains how it can be designed through intentional touchpoints. Whether it’s a personalized video message (using tools like Bonjoro) or a specific arrival system, the "feeling" of camp must be consistent from the first Zoom call to the last bus of the summer.
• Legacy and Resilience: Celebrating 80 years of Camp Robin Hood, Howie discusses the beauty of generational connection, where grandparents stand on the same docks as their grandchildren, and how leaning on a network of peers is the best defense against industry "despair."
• High Expectations, High Support: Borrowing from the philosophy of David Yeager, Howie emphasizes that the best leaders don't lower the bar; they simply increase the level of support provided to help their staff clear it.

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Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro * Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps

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Thanks to our sponsor!Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Clipboards, Kaizen, and Connection: Revolutionizing Camp Attendance with Ryan RosenThis is a piece of sponsored content by our friends from Camptivities and Whereabouts. We are so grateful for Ryan and the Camptivities team for their support of many Go Camp Pro podcasts and we're excited to bring you this episode and share more about Whereabouts - Check them out whereaboutsapp.io****

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In this episode, Travis sits down with Ryan Rosen, a 28-year camp veteran and owner of a premier Los Angeles day camp, to discuss the intersection of "tech-free" camp philosophy and high-efficiency logistics. Ryan shares the origin story of Whereabouts, an innovative app designed to bridge the communication gap between parents and camp offices. From the "Spirit of Kaizen" to real-time attendance reconciliation, this conversation explores how small, iterative improvements in camp tech can lead to massive gains in safety, staff sanity, and parent satisfaction.

Key Takeaways include:

• The Spirit of Kaizen: Success isn't always about massive overhauls; it’s about the "incremental improvement" of systems. By questioning why "we’ve always done it this way," directors can identify stagnant procedures - like where T-shirts are handed out or how attendance is taken - and refine them for a better experience.
• Closing the "Lunchtime Gap": Many camps don't fully reconcile bus lists with group rosters until midday. Ryan explains how real-time widgets allow directors to know exactly who is on-site before the morning assembly even ends, meeting modern parent expectations for safety and transparency.
• Passive vs. Active Engagement: There is a fine line between "convenient" tech and "isolating" tech. Ryan discusses moving away from passive check-ins (like unattended QR codes) toward "human-powered" technology that prompts staff with camper birthdays or medical alerts during the check-in process.
• Empowering Gen-Z and Alpha Staff: Modern summer staff are digital natives. Asking them to manage complex paper-and-pen systems often leads to errors. Providing them with intuitive, mobile-first tools like Whereabouts aligns with their skills and reduces operational friction.
• Tech-Enabled Emergency Safety: Beyond daily attendance, the episode highlights the importance of "Emergency Pods." In the event of a wildfire or evacuation, having a cellular-connected system to track which kids are on which bus in real-time is a critical safety upgrade for any modern camp.

Thanks to Camptivities and Whereabouts for sponsoring!

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected.

Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time - so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out at whereaboutsapp.io

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/winning-over-parents

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Adapting to New Parent Expectations

Modern parents view summer camp as a significant investment, rather than a simple recreational activity. This episode breaks down why safety and skill-building now outperform traditional marketing. It offers practical advice on removing camp jargon and using professional tones to build lasting trust with protective families. You will learn how to win over parents by focusing on their child’s personhood during every interaction, from the first tour to the final checkout.

Key Takeaways:

• Prioritize Skill Building Over Recreation. Parents today view summer programs as a financial investment toward the future of their child. To compete with travel sports you must articulate the specific developmental gains and educational value your camp provides.
• Focus on the Child to Win the Parent. Trust is established when directors engage directly with the child during recruitment. Making a genuine connection with a camper signals to the parent that your organization is observant and capable of providing emotional safety.
• Eliminate Barriers Created by Jargon. Internal nicknames and camp shorthand make new families feel like outsiders. Using clear and descriptive language ensures that every family feels the program was designed specifically for their needs.

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant. Contact Email * Dan Weir, Camp Consultant Immersive1st, Day Camp Community * Suzanne Ross, Camp Safety Network Consultant. Contact Email

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Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

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Winning Over First-Time Campers on Day OneThis episode provides a masterclass on transforming the high-stakes environment of opening day into a welcoming and inclusive experience for every child. Learn how to break down the psychological and logistical barriers that often make first-time campers feel like outsiders. By focusing on intentional preparation, empathy-driven staff training, and subtle shifts in camp traditions, leaders can ensure that the "welcome home" starts long before the family car pulls into the gate.

Key Takeaways:

• Implement a Camper Liaison Program. Designating a specific staff member to connect with new families via Zoom or phone calls before camp helps lower anxiety for both parents and children. These sessions allow kids to ask small but vital questions like what food is served or where the bathrooms are located, which helps them feel seen and prepared.
• Apply the Pass Down Principle during Training. The way leadership treats staff during orientation becomes the blueprint for how staff treat campers. If you want counsellors to give a warm and energetic greeting, you must model that exact behaviour the moment they arrive for staff training.
• Audit Your Traditions for Inclusivity. Use a Sherlock Holmes perspective to notice things that have become invisible to you over time. This includes checking if your opening day games are "out games" that might embarrass a new camper or ensuring your "Welcome Home" greeting feels authentic rather than intimidating for someone who has never been there before.

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant. Contact Email * Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant and Staff Trainer * Michael Brandwein, Camp Consultant, Writer

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people - to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-gabe-c

The End of the "Magic" Myth: Gabe Chernov on Engineering Social-Emotional Growth

In this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leaders, Travis Allison talks with Gabe Chernov, the owner and director of Birch Trail Camp for Girls. They explore the small interactions that stick with us forever and the systems Gabe uses to build a resilient camp culture.

Gabe talks about the deep impact of a camp director’s letter during a time he felt childhood homesickness and how he uses that same spirit of mentorship today. They dive into the post-COVID challenges of youth development, which led Birch Trail to create a custom values-based board game to help campers talk about their feelings. Whether he is explaining the process of scaffolding a wilderness trip or the non-negotiable need for eight hours of sleep, Gabe shows how to lead with a mix of data and empathy.

Key Takeaways for Camp Professionals

• The Power of the Nothing Moment. Gabe and Travis discuss how a tiny interaction, like learning the right way to drink from a glass soda bottle, can stay with a person for decades. Gabe uses these stories to remind his staff that they are always making a permanent impact even when they do not realize it.
• Gamifying Values and Empathy. To help kids with the social effects of the pandemic, Birch Trail developed a physical board game and value cards. This tool gives campers the specific language they need to express gratitude and work through feelings within their cabin group.
• Scaffolding for Growth. Gabe describes camp as a process by design. By carefully planning every activity and wilderness trip, directors create a safe environment where campers are encouraged to fail, learn from that failure, and build true resilience.
• The Midnight Rule for Staff Wellness. Long before sleep science was a major trend in the industry, Gabe implemented a mandatory midnight shutdown for staff lounges. He talks about the importance of being unpopular in the short term to protect the long-term health and safety of the counselors.
• Distinguishing Needs from Demands. With parent advocacy on the rise, Gabe shares his framework for saying no. He breaks down the difference between an individual demand and a communal need, explaining that a camp must say no when a request hurts the collective experience of the cabin.

Connect with Gabe. If you have questions about Birch Trail’s programming or their values board game, you can reach out to Gabe Chernov at Gabe@birchtrail.com.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/the-enrollment-cliff

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Preparing for the Demographic Shift of 2028

Join Travis Allison, Jake Sorenson, Eric Wittenberg, and Stefanie Gillman as they discuss the massive demographic shifts threatening the summer camp industry. The conversation centers on the "enrollment cliff", a sharp decline in birth rates that is already impacting higher education and is set to hit the camp industry's median age group by 2028. They explore why camps must move beyond their historically white, middle-class roots and start engaging diverse communities, alumni networks, and even older populations to ensure survival.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Joyful Belonging Newsletter by Casper ter Kuile * Jake - Kenn Gronbach Demographer * Eric - Innovation Accounting * Stefanie - The Unstuck Box

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jake Sorenson, Sacred Playgrounds Director * Eric Wittenberg, Camp Machine and Camp Stack CEO * Stefanie Gillman, Hofstra Summer Camps Director

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected. Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out at whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-sam-t

Lessons from 8 Seasons of the Day Camp Pod: Sam Thompson's Essential Rules for Day Camp DirectorsHello everybody and welcome back to the CampHacker Podcast. In this edition of the unique Intentionally Intentional interview series, Executive Producer Matt Wilfrid dives deep with Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor at Crystal Lake Park District, ACA Illinois Board Chair, and co-host of the long-running Day Camp Podcast.

Moving through rounds of memories, insights, and beliefs, Sam shares the bedrock truths that guide her 30+ years in the youth development field. This conversation is essential listening for any camp leader who struggles with balancing organizational growth, financial pressure, and the core mission of providing a quality experience. Sam brings her signature "do a lot with a little" philosophy to tough topics like gaining (and maintaining) parent trust, managing imposter syndrome, and setting non-negotiable boundaries for staff accountability.

Key Takeaways for Camp Professionals

• The Non-Negotiable Accountability: Learn Sam's precise strategy for handling parent complaints: always support staff first by gathering the full story. Accountability to children's safety and wellbeing, however, is the only non-negotiable line, with immediate action required for inappropriate behavior.
• The Park District Edge on Scaling: Sam reveals her decision rule when mission and money pull in different directions. She explains how to identify the "tipping point" where any further site expansion or growth would compromise the quality and core philosophy of the camp program.
• Fighting Imposter Syndrome: Sam shares powerful advice for younger professionals dealing with self-doubt. Her truth—that you have to work to put yourself "at the table"—is tempered by the need for mentorship and the confidence to own your expertise.
• Gaining Parent Trust in a Short Time: Discover the deep, impactful nature of short-term parent relationships in camping. Sam reflects on a powerful moment where a golf cart, a cheering crowd, and an overnight experience built unbreakable trust with a camper's father.
• The Unending Camp Career: Sam reassures listeners that a career in camping is as wide and varied as any other, encompassing everything from directorship to training, consulting, and building industry resources like the Day Camp Podcast.-

Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting - Go Camp Pro * Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/fundraising-strategies-for-2026

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Strategies that work! The 2026 Playbook for Camp FundraisingIf you’re still fundraising like it’s 2019, you’re leaving money and mission on the table. In this deep-dive update, Travis Allison, Joe Richards, and Heather Withrow unite to discuss what actually works in the current landscape of camp development.

From securing $650,000 "bespoke" gifts to using AI as a "body double" for accountability, this episode covers the tactical shift from broad campaigns to personalized, intentional relationship building. Whether you are an Executive Director struggling to find time to call donors or a development professional looking to modernize your tech stack, this episode provides a roadmap for sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways:

• The Shift to Bespoke Asks: Heather highlights the power of "permission-based fundraising." Instead of cold asks, she builds proposals around specific donor "friction points."
• Monthly Giving & Alumni: Travis discusses the success of targeting staff alumni for operational monthly gifts. Because alumni know the "grind," they are the perfect group to fund the unglamorous essentials of camp life.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Adaptive Listening Book, by Nicole Lowenbraun, and Maegan Stephens * Joe - The Comet Browser * Heather - Giving USA (Canadian Version: Canada Helps)

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director of Pearce Williams * Heather Withrow, President of Jumonville

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people - to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-jordanna

Leadership, Legacy, and the Magic of Day Camp with Jordanna GrossingerJoin Matt on Intentionally Intentional Leaders for a deep-dive conversation with Jordanna Grossinger, Director of Camp Robin Hood and a prominent voice in the summer camp industry. Through the unpredictable format of a 20-sided dice roll, Jordanna explores the intersection of childhood nostalgia - from Tamagotchis to Hit Clips - and the serious business of modern camp leadership.

The discussion centres on the evolution of staff support, moving beyond simple "time off" to a culture of active, hands-on mentorship. Jordanna shares her journey of slowing down her professional timeline, the importance of the "Kids in Camp" initiative, and why the most courageous act a leader can perform is letting go of the reins to let others shine.

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Find out more about the Kids in Camp Fireside Gala here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fireside-gala-the-ultimate-camp-reunion-tickets-1974523534043

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Key Takeaways for Camp Professionals

• The Power of Validation: Jordanna reflects on a pivotal childhood moment where a CIT validated her homesickness rather than trying to "fix" it. This underscores the importance of empathy over instruction when building trust with campers.
• Support vs. Time Off: A major insight for day camp professionals: physical breaks or snacks are often less effective than active, on-the-job support. When supervisors step in to co-lead or cover a cabin, it reduces the pressure on staff to be "Level 10" at all times.
• The "Bump It Up" Philosophy: To protect staff's mental and emotional health, Camp Robin Hood utilizes a "bumping it up" strategy. By normalizing the act of asking for help, they’ve turned "not having the answer" from a perceived failure into a celebrated team strength.
• Curiosity Over Judgment: Using the "invisible backpack" metaphor, Jordanna explains why assuming people are fundamentally good leads to better leadership. Approaching a struggling staff member with curiosity about what they are "carrying" is more effective than reacting to their performance.
• People Before Programs: When camp margins and missions compete, the North Star must always be the care and concern for people. Investing in inclusion and mental health is not just a moral choice, but a strategic one that ensures the long-term sustainability of the camp community.
• Slowing the Timeline: For young and emerging professionals (and children of camp owners), there is often a rush to prove one's worth. Jordanna discusses the value of "slowing down the train" to allow for more organic, sustainable growth within an organization.

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Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Consultant & Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro * Jordanna Grossinger, Director - Camp Robin Hood

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Fresh Eyes, Fresh Ideas: Lessons from a Summer of Site VisitsJoin Travis Allison and guests Ari Polsky, Elizabeth Kaplan, and Dan Kirsch from JCamp 180 as they share their unique perspectives from visiting dozens of camps this past summer. Discover the trends they're seeing across the industry—from the return of "normalcy" to the challenges with seasonal staff resilience and housing. This episode is packed with actionable insights on how camps are creatively solving problems, the power of asking donors for help, and simple systems (like a dining hall clipboard!) that can streamline your camp's operations.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Staffing Challenges & Solutions: The trend of staff lacking problem-solving confidence and the "week-to-week" commitment struggle continues. However, creative solutions like upgraded adult-style housing and strategic pay bumps are helping retain key staff.
• Fundraising through Authenticity: Don't be afraid to show donors the "unvarnished" truth. Authentic storytelling—even unpolished videos—can be more powerful than slick productions. Let donors see the real impact and challenges; they want to help.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - ShortWave AI Email Agent * Elizabeth - Meal Announcement Clipboard! * Dan - DiVine Video * Ari - Don't Get Accustomed to Average Podcast Episode

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Elizabeth Kaplan - Jcamp180 Program Coordinator, ekaplan@hgf.org * Dan Kirsch - Jcamp180 Consultant, dan@hgf.org * Ari Polsky - Jcamp180 Consultant, apolsky@hgf.org

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Whereabouts

Your mission is campers. Ours is making their experience coordinated and connected. Whereabouts is the only camper management system that keeps Parents, Admin, and Staff in sync in real time — so every camper’s day runs with confidence, clarity, and care. Check them out at whereaboutsapp.io/

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-matt-k

Engineered for Intentionality: Matt Kaufman on Data, Habits, and The Campfire EffectIn this episode of Intentionally Intentional Leadership, host Travis Allison sits down with Matt Kaufman, Director at Camp Ramaquois and author of the upcoming book, The Campfire Effect. Matt brings his background in engineering and systems thinking to a deeply insightful conversation that tackles the big questions around running a successful, impactful camp.

Matt shares the life-altering disappointment that led him to his calling in camping, the profound impact of intentional camp traditions, and how his background informs Camp Ramaquois' use of data and AI to buy back intentional time. From the confidence found leading a first-grade group to the absolute necessity of transparency when making tough decisions, this episode explains why nothing at a great camp is accidental - it's all engineered for learning and growth.

Key Takeaways for Camp Professionals

• Camp is Not Magic—It's Science: Matt's upcoming book, The Campfire Effect, connects camp traditions, rituals, and relationships directly to brain science (specifically five key chemicals) to show that what we do at camp is the ideal environment for children and adults to learn and thrive.
• Data-Driven Intentionality: Learn how Camp Ramaquois uses data and technology to improve the camp experience. Matt differentiates between efficiency AI (like summarizing intake forms) and opportunity AI (like using retention numbers to identify red flags and inform better decisions).
• The Power of Tradition and Ritual: Matt shares how simple traditions, like the "Crocodile Hunter Hat" ceremony, are not just silly fun, but powerful tools for building culture and reinforcing core values in campers.
• Changing Habits is Changing People: Matt believes people can change, but only through intentional effort and by understanding how to replace bad habits with good ones. This philosophy applies to improving staff management, personal health, and communication skills.
• Candor is Non-Negotiable: When a crisis hits (like COVID), Matt's duty as a director is to have complete transparency with families. Trust is the foundation of camp, and even though honesty is hard in the short run, it wins in the long run.

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Matt Kaufman, Director - Camp Ramaquois

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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The Resilient Blueprint: Escape the Camp Director Burnout CycleThis episode tackles the core challenge facing camp leaders: chronic overwhelm and burnout. Travis explains how camp professionals can break the cycle of feeling like they have to "do it all" and instead focus on building simple, resilient systems. Learn about the 'Path' framework, the power of a "two-second lean," and how small, incremental changes can lead to massive improvements in your camp's efficiency, community, and financial health. Plus, get an eye-opening look at how AI tools can save you hours every week, giving you the time and energy back to focus on the human side of camp leadership.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Overwhelm is the Enemy of Progress: Many camp directors are so overworked and overwhelmed that they cannot step back to consider improvements—even if they know those changes would make their lives better. The goal is to create the time and space to think strategically.
• Start Small for Momentum: Don't try to tear down and rebuild your entire camp operation. Start with tiny, incremental changes, like making something 5% better, or implementing the Two-Second Lean philosophy, to build momentum and develop a culture of continuous improvement
• Three Pillars of Resilience: Resilience isn't just about bouncing back—it's about building strong foundations in three areas: Financial, Operational (day-to-day systems like staffing and maintenance), and Community (trust, appeal, and staff retention).

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Notebook LM * Chris* - The Resilient Camp Blueprint

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people - to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/iil-chris-h

Dungeons & Directors: Chris Hudson’s Wild Card Ride on Love, Awe, and Camp

In this unique installment of the CampHacker Podcast's Intentionally Intentional Leaders series, Executive Producer Matt Wilfrid sits down with Chris Hudson, consultant, speaker, youth development specialist, and co-host of this very podcast. Using the unpredictable roll of a 20-sided die (D20), Chris explores pivotal memories, profound insights, and fundamental beliefs that have shaped his 30+ years in camping and social work.

The conversation is a moving journey that touches on the power of Dungeons & Dragons as a childhood refuge, the influence of Mary Poppins and Willy Wonka on his leadership style, and his essential work with Planet Chris Consulting to make camps more inclusive and equitable. Chris shares why love is his "religion" and what he believes camp is uniquely positioned to deliver that schools and screens can't: the ability to live in a diverse, empathetic community. This episode is a raw, inspiring listen for any camp professional committed to intentional leadership and building a better future for their campers.

Key Takeaways for Camp Professionals

• Behavior Isn't Always the Issue: Chris advocates for taking camper behavior less seriously, especially minor infractions. He challenges camp professionals (especially those with teaching backgrounds) to move past ableist expectations and focus their attention on the core values of safety and belonging.
• The Power of Connection and Love: Discover why Love feels like a religion to Chris. He discusses how empowering kids to bring out "everything they have to bring out"—their complete, authentic selves—is the highest form of respect and leadership.
• Camp's Unique Position: Camp is argued to be a necessary "third space" uniquely positioned to teach children how to live in community. It's the environment where kids learn to embrace diversity and solve problems on their own, lessons critical for navigating the world that screens and traditional schooling often fail to provide.
• The Foundation of Inclusive Work: Chris addresses the horrific current climate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, urging camp leaders to call him to work through the emotional process of dismantling old, often racist structures within their camp's foundation. He emphasizes that the work must be done if you truly care for all children.
• Guiding Principles for Staff and Campers: Learn Chris's three guiding principles to bring a calming and effective energy to any interaction: "I love you so very much," "I'm interested in what you have to say," and "Everything's gonna be all right."

Your Hosts* Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Co founder of Camp Highlight and Camp Consultant at Planetchris Consulting.

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/how-to-hire-a-camp-consultant

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Making the Case for a Camp ConsultantAre you feeling stuck running the same old systems? This episode pulls back the curtain on why hiring an outside camp consultant is an investment, not an expense. Travis and Chris, both experienced consultants, dive into the critical value proposition they bring: fresh eyes to combat "camp myopia," rapid shortcuts to save significant staff time, and invaluable expertise forged by working with hundreds of other camps. The conversation also provides practical advice on how to select the right consultant, how to talk about budget, and the unexpected benefits of accountability and institutional protection that an outside expert can provide.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Understanding Your Value: Calculate the cost of your own time (salary + benefits) to understand how much you save when a consultant fast-tracks a project that would have taken you months.
• The Shortcut Economy: Consultants bring battle-tested tools, systems, and lessons learned from dozens of other camps, providing instant, high-value shortcuts to accelerate revenue generation, improve staff culture, or optimize operations.
• Overcoming Sticker Shock: Consultants are open to discussing the budget. Be upfront about what you can afford, as many are willing to scale services or help you find initial revenue to cover their costs, treating the engagement as an investment in your future.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - CleanShot MacOS App * Chris* - Removepaywall Website

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Co founder of Camp Highlight and Camp Consultant at Planetchris Consulting.

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people - to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/welcoming-and-including-1st-year-staff

How to Make Every New Staff Member Feel Included and Supported from Day One

This week on the Camp Hacker Podcast, Chris Hudson, Travis Allison, and Kim Aycock dive into how to make camp's most beloved "magic moments" genuinely welcoming and inclusive for both first-year staff and new campers. The crew challenges the notion that camp success relies on "magic," arguing that true inclusion comes from intentionality, strong communication, and better systems.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Segment Your Communication: Avoid overwhelming new staff with an 80-page PDF. Break down essential information into multiple mediums (audio, video, simple graphics) and frequently reinforce the most crucial rules and camp lingo to appeal to different learning styles
• Make Tiny Pockets of Safety: Intentionality means equipping new people with little wins before they arrive. Teach them one song, one chant, or one ritual via video before the first day so they can immediately participate and feel like an insider.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Simple tricks for defensive calendaring to take back control of your time, by Andy Polaine * Chris - I wrote this for you, by Iain S. Thomas * Kim* - How to Work with Complicated People, by Ryan Leak

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant and Staff Trainer - https://kimaycock.com/

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/wildcard-chris-rd

TQAMP’s Chris Rehs-Dupin: Failure, Humanity, and the Wild Card of LeadershipJoin host Travis Allison for the inaugural "Wild Card" segment of the Camp Hacker Podcast, an interview game show format inspired by the NPR show. He welcomes Chris Rehs-Dupin from TQAMP to tackle a series of spontaneous questions spanning Memories, Insights, and Beliefs.

Chris offers profound and candid answers on what shapes his leadership style, his admiration for his teenage self, and the valuable lessons learned from a massive, hilarious parking meter programming blunder (yes, you read that right!). He also shares the mission of TQAMP: to make camps safer spaces for LGBTQIA+ campers and staff by focusing on inclusion, a practice he believes enhances safety for everyone.

Key Takeaways include:

• Leadership Modeled and Modified: Learn about the trusted, curious, and authentic leadership modeled by his former boss, and where Chris intentionally shifts to balance support with necessary challenge.
• The Power of Accountability: Hear a fascinating (and funny) story of a colossal failure involving city parking meters and the critical moment Chris chose immediate accountability—a core lesson for all leaders.
• A Deep Belief in Humanity: Chris shares his unprovable belief that everyone is fundamentally trying their best, even those we deeply disagree with, offering a powerful, empathetic lens for camp professionals.
• TQAMP’s Mission: Understand why TQ Camp focuses on creating spaces of belonging for campers of all genders and sexualities, and the practical consulting they do around inclusive housing, advocacy, and handling challenging caregiver conversations.
• A Good Summer Metric: Discover Chris’s one-sentence definition of a good summer and the simple metric that tells you it was a success.
• The Camp Time Machine: Find out which electric, hopeful moment from his camp career Chris would go back to and just be in again.

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Rehs-Dupin, Founder & President - TQAMP

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/preemptive-scarcity-mindset

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Are Camp Directors Getting Too Scared, Too Early? This episode centers on the 'preemptive scarcity mindset' affecting camp directors, who are increasingly worried about future challenges related to enrollment, staffing, and budgeting. The conversation highlights the impact of past crises. Key solutions include being intentional with resource allocation, maintaining dynamic programming, and enhancing camp culture. Practical advice is offered, such as organizing listening sessions with staff and families and using technological tools to streamline operations.

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Key Takeaways Include:

• The Intentional Pivot (Less is More): How to reframe a conservative approach into a strategic opportunity. Focus on doing six core things exceptionally well, rather than 36 things poorly.
• Listen, Then Do: Practical advice on organizinglistening sessions with staff and families, not just to hear their worries, but to make small-to-medium dynamic program changes that prove you're listening.
• The Scarcity Vicious Cycle: Identifying how fear about future financial and staffing challenges leads to bad, present-day decisions that hurt your program's quality and staff morale.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - The PROMPT OF PROMPTS (Find details at Go Camp Pro) * Chris - The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield * Max - The How We Feel Project, https://howwefeel.org/

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Max Claman, Camp Consultant

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Running camp comes with enough moving parts. UltraCamp keeps registration, payments, and communication in one place—so you can spend less time juggling systems and more time building an incredible camp experience. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker.

Camptivities

If you’re still making camp schedules in spreadsheets, you know how draining it is and how often mistakes slip in. Enter Camptivities. It’s made by camp people, for camp people - to save time, cut errors, and make camp run smoother. Be the change your camp needs - explore smarter scheduling today at camptivities.com

Our free Resilient Camp Blueprint diagnostic is available at: https://camp.mba/travis

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/ops

From Paperwork to People: The “Ops” Deep Dive EpisodeAre you truly taking the operational side of camp seriously enough? If you're like many camp leaders, the answer is probably "not yet." This episode of the CampHacker Podcast dives deep into the often-undiscussed world of camp operations. Join hosts Travis Allison, Chris Hudson, and Rachel Kent, along with special guest Peter Elbaum from Camp Graystone, as they share insights, practical strategies, and personal experiences on making your camp run smoother.

Discover how freeing up time from back-office tasks can allow you to focus on what truly matters: creating unforgettable experiences for your campers. Learn about tackling frustrating dining hall bottlenecks, leveraging technology to automate repetitive tasks, and fostering a culture that embraces efficiency without sacrificing the human touch.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Brother HL-L2360D Laser Printer https://www.brother-usa.com/products/hll2460dw * Chris - Futureme.org * Peter - pinpoint applicant tracking https://www.pinpointhq.com/ * Rachel* - James Clear newsletter https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Peter Elbaum, Operations Director - Camp Greystone & writer of The Tool Belt Newsletter * Rachel Kent, Camp Consultant, RKent Consulting

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic.

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/dei-camp-2025

Is Summer Camp Inherently Racist? A Frank Discussion on DEI in the Camp IndustryThis week on the CampHacker Podcast, Travis Allison gets straight to the point with Chris Hudson, Rachel Kent, and Simone Gamble: Is summer camp inherently racist? They dig into the history of camping and how it's wrestled with being truly open and welcoming to everyone. The group doesn't shy away from the industry's past and looks closely at the challenges camps still face in making sure all kids and staff feel like they belong.

The conversation moves beyond just talking about diversity to practical steps camps can take to show they're serious about inclusion. They discuss real actions like looking at their own numbers, setting clear rules, and making sure their leadership reflects the campers they serve. The episode also touches on the tricky balance of speaking out about these values in today's world. Ultimately, the panel pushes the camp industry to really think hard about who feels welcome and to actively build camps where everyone can thrive.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - The World’s Fairest City - yours and mine (book) https://amzn.to/4ihb8no * Chris - Laziness does not Exist https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781982140113 * Rachel - Your Next BreakThrough Mark Manson newsletter - https://markmanson.net/breakthrough * Simone* - The Anti-Racist Organization : Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace : Shereen Daniels https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781119880622

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Simone Gamble, Founder - OAAARS * Rachel Kent, Camp Consultant, RKent Consulting

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic.

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/power-of-performance

Unlocking Hidden Potential: What All Camps Can Learn From the Magic of Performing Arts CampsWhat's the secret sauce of performing arts camps? Host Travis Allison chats with Chris Hudson, Carolyn Daniels (Meridan YMCA), and Theo Lencicki (Camp Broadway) to uncover the surprising lessons that all camps can use.

Discover how embracing elements of theater, music, and dance builds community, fosters leadership, boosts confidence, and creates safe spaces for kids to truly be themselves. Learn simple ways to weave in the magic – no big productions needed! From talent shows to improv games, find practical tips and inspiring stories to unlock your campers' potential.

Ready to add some spark to your camp? Tune in for actionable insights you won't want to miss!

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Canon Ivy 2 - Zink mini photo printer - https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/ivy-2-mini-photo-printer?color=Pure%20White&type=New * Chris - Band aids for everyone! * Carolyn - https://goosechase.com/ * Theo* - Stage Write App - https://www.stagewritesoftware.com/

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Carolyn Daniels, Arts and EducationProgram Director - Meriden YMCA * Theo Lencicki,  Artistic Director for the Broadway Education Alliance

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic.

View Details

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/modern-mentor

What does it take to be a great mentor in the camp industry?This week on CampHacker, hosts Travis Allison, Chris Hudson, and guest Michael Garcia (author of "Becoming a Modern Mentor") dive into the essential elements of effective mentorship. They share personal stories of impactful mentors, discuss strategies for setting boundaries, and explore how to empower staff to reach their full potential. Learn how to move beyond "voluntold" management and cultivate a supportive environment where everyone can thrive and invisible culture is always visible to those who matter most.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - 14 INSANE Mac Apps You Can't LIVE Without!https://youtu.be/9qLWL505WlQ?si=tQ2y-N31Wse5mztO * Chris - A use of ChatGPT that will save $$$$ * Michael* - Trello

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Your Hosts Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Michael Garcia, Consultant/Author/Podcaster -* Youth Development Pro

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic.

View Details

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/culture-customer

Mastering Camp Culture: From Disney Magic to Tea-Kettle Secrets!Dive into the latest episode of the CampHacker Podcast, where Travis Allison, Chris Hudson, and Heather Withrow unravel the secrets behind creating a vibrant and intentional camp culture. From the enchanting influences of Disney to the practical magic of a 'nurse mobile' during check-ins, this episode is packed with quirky insights and savvy advice. Learn why first impressions matter, how to win over new campers and their parents, and why serving tea might just be the ultimate camp hack. Plus, discover how to ensure your camp's invisible culture is always visible to those who matter most.

Join the conversation and take your camp's customer service game to the next level!

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Best personality test based on science https://www.tiktok.com/@idiotic_shrimp/photo/7474823467444210990?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7446923457428456965 * Chris - List of LGBTQ camps! https://riverhuntervooris.com/lgbtq-summer-camps/ * Heather* - Raving Fans - Ken Blanchard

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Heather Withrow, President & CEO - Jumonville

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline HQ

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic. Find out more at https://www.bowlinehq.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/talk-to-parents

Save the dodging and weaving for wide-game, not for avoiding camp parents!On this episode of CampHacker, Travis and Chris are joined by Ruby Compton, and Joanna Warren Smith to really dig into the importance of communicating with camp parents. They discuss the common issue of camps avoiding communication with parents and emphasize the importance of timely, meaningful responses to build trust and ensure camper safety. The conversation highlights the need for camps to set clear expectations with parents, train staff on effective communication, and prioritize responsiveness to inquiries. Guests share practical tips for improving parent relations, from proactive communication strategies to addressing parental concerns head-on.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - The Canary Code Ludmila N. Praslova (Author) A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work + https://amzn.to/3OWpc9H https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781523005840 * Chris - Matador Pocket Blanket * Ruby -  Breville Jewel Sous Vide * Joanna - Bunk List Retention Hack. Use last year’s bunk list and map who isn’t registered yet, then reach out with personal moments from the kiddo’s summer.

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors * Joanna Warren Smith - Camp Consultant

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline HQ

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic. Find out more at https://www.bowlinehq.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/spicy-questions

Are these questions about the camp industry too hot to handle?In this special live recording from OCA Connects 2025, Travis is joined by Go Camp Pro podcast hosts Howie Grossinger (The Camp Owners Podcast), Rachel Kent (Beyond Camp), and Matt Wilfrid (First Class Counselors) on a panel discussion like no other.

The group answered spicy questions while eating progressively hotter wings - much to the delight of the audience and the pain of the panelists.

Here are the questions:

• What is the biggest waste of time you see or think many year-round camp professionals engage in?
• Has the camp industry abandoned environmentalism?
• Given the changing attitude about social media. If a camp who has a belief system that is opposed to what they feel social media and companies like meta and x specifically have become or what they represent, how realistic is it for them to de-couple themselves, knowing that families still use it?
• Many camp professionals and the industry at large seems to understand that it's a good goal to welcome more diverse campers and staff into camps. What are some ways you see our industry succeeding and/or falling short of that?
• What is the ultimate camp footwear (so spicy!)

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Back next episode!

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Rachel Kent, Non-Profit Professional - Host - Beyond Camp * Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps - Host - The Camp Owners Podcast * Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro - Host - First Class Counselors

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline HQ

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic. Find out more at https://www.bowlinehq.com

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/adhd

Is Summer Camp the Right Profession for Someone with ADHD?"I thought it was just me." This is the sentiment shared by many camp professionals with ADHD. On this episode of Camp Hacker, Travis, Kelie, and Shauna open up about their personal experiences with ADHD, sharing the struggles, the "aha" moments, and the unique strengths that come with neurodiversity. They discuss the challenges of masking, the importance of self-advocacy, and the power of finding community. Tune in for an honest and relatable conversation about ADHD and camp leadership. This is part one of a two-part series; hear more on Scamp Life: The Other Side.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Kelie - Factile (Jeopardy Maker) https://www.playfactile.com/ * Shauna - Goblin Tools - https://goblin.tools/ * Travis - The Way of Play - Dr. Tina Payne Bryson - https://www.tinabryson.com/the-way-of-play

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Kelie Cook, Camp Director, Pine Ridge Day Camp * Shauna Guglielmo, Camp Programs Coordinator - Lincoln Park Zoo * Check out Kelie and Shauna’s Podcast - Scamp Life - The Other Side

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Bowline HQ

Camp leaders: Win back your time to what matters most—your campers. Bowline's comprehensive accounting back-office solutions and tech-enabled team free up your staff to focus on your mission. Visit bowlinehq.com to learn more and book a free 2-hour financial diagnostic. Find out more at https://www.bowlinehq.com

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/no-fun

Is it even possible to have fun while being a camp director?This week on CampHacker, we're tackling a big question: Should camp directors have fun? It might seem obvious, but we dig deeper than just surface-level enjoyment. We explore what "fun" really means in the context of the demanding world of summer camp. Our guest, Ariella Skoczylas, joins Travis and Chris to share her insights on balancing the hard work with the joy of making a difference. We talk about where we find our own fun in the camp experience, from planning and leading to those spontaneous moments of connection. We also discuss how to communicate the realities of the job to young staff, making sure they understand the balance between fun and responsibility.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Lego Bontanicals * Chris - Behind the Overlay * Ariella Skoczylas - The Carrot Principle

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Ariella Skoczylas, Educator and Trainer - Leadership Lioness

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2025/hire-director

Expectations vs. Reality: The Camp Director Job MarketJoin Travis Allison, Chris Hudson, Dan Weir, and Esther Eisenhard for another fantastic episode of the CampHacker podcast! This episode dives into key challenges and emerging trends in recruiting and retaining camp staff. Learn about tools and strategies to manage camp operations more effectively, improve the candidate experience, and set up your camp for success. Plus, find out about specific job openings and practical tips on hiring superstars for your camp.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - Battery-powered lamps (Expensive version) * Travis - The Unstuck Book - Conor McCarthy https://amzn.to/3PwqWH2 * Dan - Grammarly Pro: https://www.grammarly.com/referrals/redeem?key=pj7usy9dest2ilsu * Esther + Indeed.com Role posting - Analytics / Analytics Review + JazzHR - https://www.jazzhr.com/ + Glassdoor - https://www.glassdoor.ca/index.htm

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Esther Eisenhard, Co-Founder, CampHire Recruiting * Dan Weir, Sr. Consultant - immersive1st - Day Camp Community

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/scenario-planning-101

Exploring Camp Futures: Key Drivers and Scenario PlanningIn this episode of Camp Ahead, hosts Joe, Jess, and KJ expand on the idea of scenario planning as an essential tool for thinking about the future. They discuss key drivers such as climate change, economics, demographics, technological advancements, and social shifts that can shape the next decade of summer camps. Through imaginative scenario planning, they aim to prepare the industry for both positive and challenging futures. Tune in as they explore the potential impacts of AI, climate mitigation, and more on the world of summer camps.

• 01:46 Recap and Introduction to Scenario Planning
• 05:33 Key Drivers for the Future of Camps: Economic and Staff Considerations
• 07:55 Environmental and Technological Impacts on Camps
• 15:09 Social Drivers and Equity in Future Camps
• 20:33 Imagining Positive Futures: Pronoia vs. Paranoia
• 25:36 The Impact of Camp and Nature
• 26:04 Funding and Philanthropy in Camping
• 29:31 The Value of Experiential Learning
• 30:12 Community and Indigenous Relationships

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Episode Links:* The Book: Imaginable by Jane McGonigal: + https://janemcgonigal.com/2021/12/17/imaginable-how-to-see-the-future-coming-and-feel-ready-for-anything-even-things-that-seem-impossible-today/ * https://poe.com/UOScenarioCreator * https://urgentoptimists.org/

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Our Hosts:Jess Elfring-Roberts - Executive Director, Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers

Joe Richards - Executive Director, Pearce Williams Summer Camp and Retreat Facility

KJ Williams - Camp Director, Phantom Lake YMCA Camp

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Sponsors:A huge thanks to our sponsors for making this possible.

Campify:

Is creating your camp schedule a headache? Does it limit the experience of campers or staff? Campify is software that does the heavy lifting for you - taking care of group, elective, and specialist scheduling based on your custom scheduling rules.

Interested in learning more? Visit campify.io/CampAhead to schedule a demo or create a free trial today.

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/noticing

Use noticing to build a culture of inclusivity and intention.In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, Travis and Chris discuss the vital skill of 'noticing' at camp. The duo share how camp leaders can foster awareness among staff and campers, ensuring dynamic and inclusive programs. They share practical tips, including the importance of diverse staff hiring, continuous feedback, and re-evaluating programs based on the feedback that comes from your “noticing” data. Additionally, they emphasize the necessity of noticing who is left out and the impact of thoughtful communication. Tune in for insightful strategies that can enhance your camp’s environment and overall experience.

Hear more about:

• 01:59 Introducing Noticing Skills
• 05:36 Challenging Traditions for Better Camps
• 08:24 Empowering Staff to Notice
• 17:24 Tips and Tricks for Noticing
• 22:03 Common Camp Challenges and Solutions
• 24:17 Hiring the Right Camp Counselors
• 34:55 Effective Communication with Parents
• 39:51 Tool of the Week

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - Bluesky https://bsky.app/ * Travis - The Art of Noticing - Rob Walker https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780525521242 https://amzn.to/4isdrFq

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

-

Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

A new show from Go Camp Pro!

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/intro-to-mental-time-travel

Welcome to Camp Ahead: The Futurology of the Summer Camp IndustryIn this inaugural episode of the Camp Ahead podcast, Joe Richards, KJ Williams, and Jess Elfring-Roberts dive into the concept of future-proofing the summer camp industry. They discuss the importance of mental time travel, scenario planning, and preparing for larger global issues like climate change, financial instability, demographics, and migration. The hosts share their personal experiences and outline the goals for the podcast, emphasizing the need for proactive thinking to ensure the long-term success of camps.

This episode sets the stage for exploring how the camp community can adapt and thrive amidst uncertainties.

• 00:58 Meet the Hosts
• 01:51 The Concept of Future Scenarios
• 03:46 Pandemic Reflections
• 06:43 Proactive vs. Reactive Planning
• 30:08 Thinking Big: Managing Smaller Challenges
• 31:10 Climate Migration and Its Impacts
• 33:12 Demographic Shifts in Camping
• 38:09 The Importance of Collaboration

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Episode Links:* The Book: Imaginable by Jane McGonigal: + https://janemcgonigal.com/2021/12/17/imaginable-how-to-see-the-future-coming-and-feel-ready-for-anything-even-things-that-seem-impossible-today/ * https://poe.com/UOScenarioCreator * https://urgentoptimists.org/

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Our Hosts:Jess Elfring-Roberts - Executive Director, Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers

Joe Richards - Executive Director, Pearce Williams Summer Camp and Retreat Facility

KJ Williams - Camp Director, Phantom Lake YMCA Camp

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Sponsors:A huge thanks to our sponsors for making this possible.

Campify:

Is creating your camp schedule a headache? Does it limit the experience of campers or staff? Campify is software that does the heavy lifting for you - taking care of group, elective, and specialist scheduling based on your custom scheduling rules.

Interested in learning more? Visit campify.io/CampAhead to schedule a demo or create a free trial today.

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/gender-equity

Do you notice that gender equity is something we are better at talking about than doing?In this episode, Travis and Chris welcome back Gabrielle Raill to explore the persistent issue of gender equity in camps. Chris leads a discussion on how camps often roll out the red carpet for male staff due to a shortage of male applicants, sometimes at the expense of gender equity. Gabz shares her experiences from all-girls camp, highlighting the implicit gender norms that surface even in such environments. The team examines the importance of addressing these disparities through intentional staff training and mission-driven leadership. The episode also includes practical tools and resources for camp professionals to incorporate gender equity into their daily operations.

Hear more about:

• 00:00 Introduction to Gender Equity in Camps
• 01:58 Observations on Gender Equity
• 07:27 Challenges and Solutions
• 13:34 The Importance of Mission-Driven Gender Equity
• 19:52 Promoting Gender Equity Through Staff Training
• 24:25 The Importance of Clear Communication
• 28:05 Microaggressions and Staff Training
• 28:59 Safety and Inclusion as Non-Negotiables

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - The Book of Shadows (Amazon is cheaper but funds evil conglomerates - https://amzn.to/4hY3vTR) * Travis - Fixable Podcast with Anne & Francis - Neurodivergent book/interview https://www.ted.com/podcasts/fixable * Gabz -* HiDock https://www.hidock.com/products/hidock-h1e

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/delegate

Do you keep saying, “It would be faster if I just did it?”Are you a camp professional struggling with delegation? Travis and Chris sit down and discuss the intricacies of effective delegation, sharing personal experiences, strategies, and tools to help camp directors empower their team and improve camp operations. From understanding the importance of communication to leveraging AI tools and overcoming ego, this podcast episode is packed with valuable insights for every camp manager looking to create a more efficient, stress-free environment. This episode will equip you with the knowledge to make a lasting impact on your camp community.

Hear more about:

• 01:31 The Importance of Delegation
• 02:42 Challenges in Delegation
• 05:58 Effective Communication for Delegation
• 07:23 Understanding the Value of Your Time
• 09:28 Planning for Succession
• 13:21 Overcoming Ego in Delegation
• 20:47 Building Confidence Through Delegation
• 26:11 Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Magnesium Citrate - https://amzn.to/4fIIvhR * Travis* - Ellie Middleton - I love her LinkedIn post from today talking about this framework and explaining why it's important. She also has a new book out that I haven't had a chance to look at yet. She also has a new PDF guide available that I hope to check out soon. The important thing to look at is in this illustration: vague instructions and the anxiety and questions that arise from those vague instructions. If your brain only works literally, there are so many factors to consider when you're considering a vague instruction, making it almost impossible to follow through on that instruction. + https://www.linkedin.com/posts/elliemidds_neurodivergent-accessibility-activity-7262019544062341121-7siE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

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• Your Hosts

  • Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
  • Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

Thanks to our sponsors!

• UltraCamp
  Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities
Activity schedules are the backb

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/digital-detox

Are we doing our staff and campers a disservice by not better managing the expectations around their phone time at camp?Travis and Chris sit down with Max Claman to chat about effective digital detox and the psychological impacts of removing screens. They also discuss the role of AI in streamlining operations and provide practical tips for integrating technology while preserving the authentic camp experience. Packed with valuable insights and real-world examples, this discussion offers essential advice for camp directors and educators looking to enhance their camp programs.

Hear more about:

• 01:57 Max's Camp Journey
• 04:17 Technology and Phones at Camp
• 08:27 The Impact of Technology on Campers
• 11:23 Balancing Technology and Camp Life
• 20:42 Educating Campers on Technology Use
• 24:21 Generational Perspectives on Technology
• 29:27 Developing a Digital Detox Plan for Camps
• 31:43 Engaging Parents in the Digital Detox Process

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Brother printers * Travis - unapologetically ADHD - podcast and book * Max* - Claude.ai

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Max Claman - Principal - VestEd Consulting

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

-

Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/ai-fall-2024

The State of AI and Camps: Fall 2024In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, Travis and Chris explore the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on summer camp management. They dive into AI's role in streamlining operations, automating tasks, and enhancing staff training and parent communication. Discover specific tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Notebook LM, which improve efficiency while addressing privacy concerns. Learn how AI can transform everything from scheduling and communication to monetization and fundraising, making camps more effective and enjoyable.

Hear more about:

• 4:03 AI's Impact on Summer Camps
• 16:36 Staff Training and AI Scenarios
• 26:46 Understanding AI's Limitations
• 27:35 Career Coaching with AI
• 28:41 AI in the Gig Economy
• 29:27 AI in Camp Photography
• 31:54 AI's Role in Camp Administration
• 35:04 Addressing Privacy Concerns
• 37:54 Future of AI in Camps

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Resources from this EpisodePrompt-building link: https://mitenmit.github.io/gpt/https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=V31CAJ02

Use this to append to prompts to get you better answers:

Ask me clarifying questions until you are 95% confident you can complete the task successfully. Take a deep breath and take it step by step. Remember to search the internet to retrieve up-to-date information.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Game - Once Upon a Time - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1234/once-upon-time-storytelling-card-game * Travis* - Match Puzzle Game

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

-

Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

View Details

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/over-programmed

Are camps so packed with activities that it's actually detrimental? In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, hosts Travis Allison and Chris Hudson discuss the concept of overprogramming at camps, questioning if an abundance of scheduled activities could be detrimental. With insights from camp consultants, they explore balancing structured and unstructured time, considering the interests of children, parents, and staff. They also discuss generational changes in camp staff and touch on post-pandemic effects on camp programming.

• The Impact of COVID on Camp Structure
• Pros and Cons of Free Play
• Parental Concerns About Free-Play
• Balancing Structure and Free Time for Kids
• Understanding Children's Needs and Preferences

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Radical Candor by Kim Scott - https://www.radicalcandor.com/ * Travis* - Hoverair X1 - drone - https://hoverair.com/

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Subscribe to Camp Ahead in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts!

View Details

Send us a Text Message.

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/start-camp-2025

If we were starting a summer camp from scratch, here’s what we can do!200 episodes and over 14 years, the CampHacker Podcast has been around literally so long that we actually can’t find the first few episodes (seriously, if you find them, holler!).

After 200+ hours (that’s 1.5 weeks, people!), it’s time to put our money where our mouths are…hypothetically at least.

In this episode, Travis and Chris take their collective camp and education experience, alongside the realities of running summer camps today, and put it together to share how they would build and launch Camp Hudson (get it, Hudson + Allison?).

From site ownership (hint, they wouldn’t), to who they serve (hint, start local), to marketing (hint, often and BIG), this episode covers a lot of ground.

Join us in this hopeful and intentional thought experiment as a send-off for the summer of 2024.

Thanks for the season, friends!

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Game - Once Upon a Time - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1234/once-upon-time-storytelling-card-game * Travis* - Finch app - https://app.befinch.com/share/TRJD

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

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Send us a Text Message.

Find full show notes and links at:https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/camp-pro-adhd

You can be a camp professional and have ADHD - there are lots of us out there!You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that as we have gotten more comfortable talking about exceptionalities, disabilities or diversabilities, the rate of diagnoses for those exceptionalities, disabilities or diversabilities has gone up.

More and more people (kids, teens and adults are like) are discovering how their brains work best and are starting to understand their potential when the spaces that they are in work in their favour.

As with most things - the camp industry, by and large, is catching up on making sure that their spaces are using Universal Design Principals when thinking about how they create the day-to-day of staff training and summer camp.

Travis and Chris are joined by Lisa Drennan, founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting and an absolute PRO when it comes to making spaces more inclusive for kids, teens, young adults and adults who identify as neurodivergent.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - The Book of Virtues - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25774.The_Book_of_Virtues * Travis - ConqueRing Fidget Ring -https://myconquering.com/ + New Canva - Meet the NEW Canva | Canva Create 2024 Updates✨ * Lisa* - https://thearcofmass.org/toolkit-organization/

Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Lisa Drennan, Founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

View Details

Send us a Text Message.

https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/camp-2035

How are you doing at pushing past the overwhelm and considering the big picture?If you’re reading this on release (mid-May) - it may feel impossible to get out of the weeds and think about the future.

That’s fair - and - in order for our industry, and even our camps to make it the next 10 years, we need to consider the challenges that we’re going to face and the opportunities we’ll discover along the way.

Thank goodness for people like Stephane (and Travis - it’s not him who writes these show-notes, so he’s not being an arrogant jerk by mentioning himself) to help us zoom out and think of the big picture.

In this episode, Travis and Stephane use their combined experience to share what camps and camp leaders will need to do to ensure they not only survive until 2035, but to thrive along the way.

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Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Stephane - 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni * Travis* - High-Quality Post-Its + Sharpie + Big Wall Brainstorming

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Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Stephane Richard, Owner and Lead Consultant, Stephane Richard Consulting

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

View Details

Send us a Text Message.

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/04/13-tips-for-new-camp-pros

New and new-ish Camp Directors, this one is for you. Kick some butt this summer.There are a TON of full-time camp professionals that have entered the industry post-COVID.

For those of us that have been around for a while, we know how incredibly difficult the first few years of the job are. You’re figuring out what this level of responsibility means for you and your team and with problems emerging, it can really feel like a whack-a-mole type of situation.

So - Travis asked fellow camp podcasters to combine their joint 200+ years of full-time directing to distill their best pieces of advice for people just like you.

You’ve got these 13 (and many more) people behind you - so get out there and do what you do!

We’re grateful to the following people for sharing their tips:

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Your Hosts - In order of “appearance”:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Allison Krabill, Executive Director - The Summer Camp Society * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer & Host - Camp Code Podcast * Cole Kelly, Owner/Director - Camp Weequahic, Podcast Host - Campfire Conversations * Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Podcast Host - The Day Camp Pod * David Sherry, President - The Sherry Group, LLC, Podcast Host - The Sherry Group Podcast * Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher, Professor & Consultant, Podcast Host - The Pudding * Jack Schott, Founder/Owner - The Summer Camp Society, Host - The Summer Camp Society Podcast * Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer - Go Camp Pro, Podcast Host - First Class Counselors * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries, Go Camp Pro Contributor * Andy Pritikin, Owner - Liberty Lake Day Camp, Podcast Host - The Day Camp Pod * Etienne Lefebvre, Director of IT Service Management, Podcast Editor - Camp Code Podcast * Beth Allison, Founder - Go Camp Pro, Podcast Host - Camp Code Podcast

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/04/what-they-dont-get

What is one thing you learned working at camp that surprises people when you talk about?The fact that people don’t understand what we do full-time is not just and “us” problem - it’s a problem for our entire industry.

It’s annoying as all heck - yes.

And.

It could be the reason why you’re under-enrolled and understaffed.

One of the biggest issues facing our industry is our reputation. We are consistently fighting against Hollywood stereotypes and the notion that camp is a luxury item for privileged kids or glorified child-care.

We - meaning consultants, associations, directors, staff, etc. - need to do a better job articulating what camp does for it’s leaders and the types of people that it creates.

If we don’t, how do we expect families and staff to value the experience enough to trust us with their kids or their summer employment?

Do these show notes sound like we’re up on a soap-box? Well just wait for the episode!

Tune in to get a (kind) earful from Travis and Chris!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Notion.so * Travis* - https://deckofbrilliance.com/

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/03/choice-based

Elective-based, choice-based, whatever you call it, it just may be the future of camper programs.We welcome back one of our original hosts, Dan Weir and welcome back Jack Schott from The Summer Camp Society (and TSCS Podcast!) to unpack all things choice-based programming.

You’ll hear:

• How do we actually define choice-based programming
• Why was this model so radical 10(ish) years ago
• What are the benefits of giving campers more ownership over their camp experience
• How does a choice-based model tie into equity, intentionality and positive social development (yes, we go deep in this one!)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Argh! Pirate Ship! * Travis - ear filter - Flare Calmer - 🇨🇦 https://amzn.to/3VI3MkW 🇺🇸https://amzn.to/3VDWOgW * Jack - https://www.allinpodcast.co/ or https://getaway.house/ * Dan* - Wireless

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder - The Summer Camp Society * Dan Weir, Sr. Consultant - immersive1st - Day Camp Community

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/03/our-advice-to-new-staff

What are the most important things staff need to know to be successful this summer?Right now (March), camp directors everywhere are starting to think about staff training…or, intending to do so at least.

There are a trillion things that we want to teach staff and it would be literally impossible to pack it all in during training and even harder to decide on which one is the most important.

This episode, Travis and Chris put themselves in the shoes of camp directors the day before the kids arrive at camp. If this was the only advice they could give to camp staff - what would it be?

Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t narrow it down to one each, but it’s all great.

Please pass this on to your camp staff! The keeners will thank you!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris - http://makeplayingcards.com

Travis - Talknotes https://talknotes.io/app

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/gen-z

Unlocking the Potential of Gen-Z at Summer CampStaffing continues to be one of the biggest thorns in the paws of our industry. It’s a challenge that isn’t likely to go away soon, so what can we do to ride this wave, rather than just letting it crash into us?

Travis and Mandi dig into this topic and share how an approach of curiosity is a Camp Pro’s best tool when working with this generation of camp staff.

In this episode, we cover:

• What do we need to know about this generation of camp staff? How will their worldview shape how they view their role this summer?
• How can we show this generation why the summer camp experience is not just worthwhile, but incredibly desirable?
• How we can help staff understand that camp is one of the best training grounds around for almost all future careers
• Is it possible to screen for the potential of great staff members? What can we do to identify the staff who are going to be super successful this summer?

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Thanks to our sponsors!The American Camp Association - Illinois

The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org.

Camptivities

You know the impact you want camp to make in a child’s life. But figuring out the day-to-day details can be overwhelming. Let Camptivities help you make that impact by streamlining the creation of your camp activity schedules. Schedule a demo at camptivities.com.

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/power-between-people

With great power comes…well, you know the rest.We all know that even in the sunshine and butterflies that is summer camp, there is evil lurking about. An evil that affects people and communities from all over. It has a name, too.

Are you ready?

Power.

Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but it’s something nonetheless that we need to talk about when it comes to the microcosm that is summer camp.

On this episode, Mandi and Travis discuss how the power structures of the summer camp world have consequential effects on not just the employees, but the entire culture and program.

You’ll hear about:

• How power is an ever-present entity, how everyone has it (to an extent) and how dynamic it can be
• The risk of harm that can be inherent in the systems that even the most well-intentioned camp leaders can create
• How the different spaces, and the unspoken rules of those spaces create a power-filled environment
• How camp directors can be aware of these systems of power and consider the good, the bad and the ugly in them

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Thanks to our sponsors!The American Camp Association - Illinois

The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org.

Camptivities

You know the impact you want camp to make in a child’s life. But figuring out the day-to-day details can be overwhelming. Let Camptivities help you make that impact by streamlining the creation of your camp activity schedules. Schedule a demo at camptivities.com.

View Details

Find full show notes and links at:https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/02/retain-staff

The number one recruiting tactic? You got it - retaining!As the summer creeps closer, the staffing woes of the industry rear it’s ugly head again.

Wouldn’t it be great if staffing wasn’t the thing that stole your focus from creating the best program you know you could be? Well, it’s a long road, but one of the biggest shortcuts on that road is retaining last summer’s staff!

And, how do you do that? Well, because this is a Go Camp Pro podcast, you know we have to talk about being intentional in your strategy. How do you be intentional? Well, we’re here to help with that, too!

In this episode, Chris and Travis go deep into the very nature of intentionality and how that can apply as you look to retain your best staff.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris - Big Dumb Cup: https://www.stanley1913.com/collections/tumblers

• Be aware of lead in the bottom of the mug

Travis - Beeper App https://refer.beeper.com/XYMr2p

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/01/camps-and-ai

Is AI going to ruin the summer camp industry?AI really proliferated right before we all went to camp in 2023.

Some of us started playing with it, but over the summer, while we were living in our “unplugged” utopia, many parts of the world began to change without us.

Now that we’re back, directors and industry partners are readily using AI, but in our haste to catch up, have we taken a second to consider the bigger picture?

No shame if you haven’t yet. You’re busy, and that’s why we’re here!

We welcome back EmJ and Jack from The Summer Camp Society Podcast to help guide Camp Pros on unpacking this important discussion.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Beanie w Headlamp (🇺🇸 - https://amzn.to/47reRJJ, 🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3NRlnm0) * Travis - Emergency - Neil Strauss (🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3H61PGv, 🇺🇸 - https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780060898779) * Jack - How to run great meetings - How to Run Effective Meetings | Matt Mochary | The Tim Ferriss Show podcast * EmJ* - Giant Postits - 4 x 6 (🇺🇸 https://amzn.to/3H9dTai, 🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3H8ISmJ)

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder The Summer Camp Society * EmJ Juszczyk, TSCS Podcast Producer and Programs Director at Project Kindred

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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-

Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/good-for-everyone

Just BEING at camp is a good thing - the science proves it!We intuitively know that camp is a good thing.

We can tell a million heart-filled stories about how camp changes lives.

But as you all know, the proof is certainly in the pudding - so for the discerning camp pros (or camp families we are trying to convince to come to camp!) this episode will be a great place to start!

Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis unpack some of the major findings over the last few years of research when it comes to the benefits of the summer camp experience for everyone involved.

You’ll hear about:

• Why being in nature is a foundational part of the benefits of the camp experience
• The psychosocial benefits of positive community and relationships
• How camp develops physical literacy and a healthy relationship to risk
• How camps are a developmental relationship super-charger
• Where to get your hands on this research

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Links and Resources:UPLOADS - The Understanding and Preventing Led Outdoor Accidents Data Systems (UPLOADS) Project

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Thanks to our sponsors!The American Camp Association - Illinois

The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org.

Camptivities

You know the impact you want camp to make in a child’s life. But figuring out the day-to-day details can be overwhelming. Let Camptivities help you make that impact by streamlining the creation of your camp activity schedules. Schedule a demo at camptivities.com.

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/01/climate-changeRecycling programs and talking nature education programs are only step 1.When we talked about climate change and camp 10 years ago, the conversation usually was about how we can be a bit more sustainable, how to teach campers about nature appreciation and maybe looking at recycling a little bit closer.

That’s not what this conversation is about.

We need to seriously consider how the climate emergency is going to fundamentally impact many of our programs. Power availability, infrastructure, air quality, the sheer ability to go outside - as some would say - the very essence of camp is on the line here. Maybe not for us, but surely for the next generation at our camps.

Chris and Travis are joined by Danny Sudman from Green Camps, an organization that empowers camps to reduce their environmental impact and inspire the next generation of eco-leaders.

This isn’t just a “doom and gloom” episode (although, there’s certainly some of that), the team brings solutions and inspiration to help camps feel inspired to think about this in a serious way.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Windproof Waterproof Rechargeable Lighter (🇺🇸 - https://amzn.to/3S9bhPG, 🇨🇦 https://amzn.to/423B3IR) * Travis - Warheads for Panic Attacks - https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/12/01/tiktok-warheads-trend-panic-attack-experts/71754898007/ * Danny -* Energy and Water Efficiency Checklist for Camps and Retreats https://www.greencamps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ES_Checklist_Camps_Green-Camps-co-brand.pdf

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Danny Sudman*, Founder & Executive Director - Green Camps

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/12/giving-up-on-dei

Where did the momentum go?We believe that summer camp should be an accessible place where individuals feel welcome and included for the unique and wonderful things they bring to the community.

Right?

While many camps would say that they believe this - but if they honestly look in the mirror, would their commitment to DEI be the same as it was in 2020?

While DEI may not be in the headlines as much these days (which, isn’t good on it’s own) - camps that truly believe that camp should be for every child and staff member, need to keep their foot on the gas.

Chris, Travis and Gabz join to share what they have been hearing from the industry, why DEI initiatives are still essential, and how we can get back at it.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz - Highlighter Pen - staff gift during exam time * Chris - The Hundred’s Years War on Palestine * Travis* - Bottle Brush

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/being-in-nature

And are we thinking about “nature” too specifically?Being in nature is good for us - we know this intuitively.

But did you know that science backs this up?

It is proven, beyond doubt, that being in nature decreases anxiety, decreases rumination, and alleviates low mood.

Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis unpack some of the major findings over the last few years of research when it comes to being outdoors and its effect on the individual.

You’ll hear about:

• The scientifically proven physical and emotional benefits of being in nature
• Why getting into nature is especially critical in this day and age
• How our bodies process emotions and how nature can be a way to shortcut that processing
• How can camp professionals explain the benefits and the research to camp families

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Thanks to our sponsors!The American Camp Association - Illinois

The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org.

Camptivities

You know the impact you want camp to make in a child’s life. But figuring out the day-to-day details can be overwhelming. Let Camptivities help you make that impact by streamlining the creation of your camp activity schedules. Schedule a demo at camptivities.com.

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/12/demographics-tcsc

Are you being thoughtful about how a changing demographic will affect your camp?Whether you are a camp with a wait-list, or you’re hoping for a few more “bums in bunks”, something that we need to seriously be thinking about is the potential to serve a the demographic in the world. And, this isn’t just in a “be better at DEI” lens (although we should all be consistently trying to be better with our DEI practices). Communities are getting older, more racially diverse, more neuro-diverse, more accustomed to technology, privacy - the list is literally endless.

For camps that are being thoughtful about this, it’s an opportunity to not only bring in new campers, but to bring in new investments into your programs and facilities.

But - it doesn’t come easily.

Luckily, you’ve got some incredible camp pros on your side. Travis and Chris are joined by Jack and EmJ from The Summer Camp Society Podcast to help guide Camp Pros on unpacking this vast discussion.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Jack - https://jamboard.google.com/?pli=1 Mr. Pen- Dry Erase Board https://amzn.to/3SNTCxW - US - https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Erase-Board-Black-Marker/dp/B08L45NSRM?th=1 * EmJ - Canva Magic Studio https://www.canva.com/magic-home * Chris - Ali Abdaal’s Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@aliabdaal * Travis - https://getreadytosend.com/*

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder The Summer Camp Society * EmJ Juszczyk, TSCS Podcast Producer and Programs Director at Project Kindred

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/no-tech

Is the “no technology” policy at your camp compatible with the campers of today?“No technology at camp” is a sacred part of many of our summer camp cultures. The value of unplugging. Being “in the moment”. “Being real” are all things plastered all over our website and marketing materials.

Is this the right way? Or is it just the way that…wait for it…we’ve always done it.

The answer definitely isn’t clear - but Travis and Chris wade into the murky deeps of the techno-sphere and how camps can more intentionally think about technology at their camp.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - JBL Clip 3 Mini Bluetooth Speaker * Travis* - OLIGHT I1R 2 PRO - Can: https://amzn.to/3QRBuRk US: https://amzn.to/3SLHE87 & - https://www.reddit.com/r/summercamp/

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/parent-coms-2023

How confident are you that your camp parents will read and act on your emails?

Getting your information to parents. The most necessary and maybe one of the most difficult parts of the job.

Even though the communication landscape is constantly shifting, what remains the same is that you have important information that parents need. So - adapting is once again - the name of the game!

Chris and Travis get together and talk about the hellish present and…maybe less hellish future of communication with parents.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Chris - An earpiece for your walkie-talkie! Total James Bond!
Travis - Photo sorting and AI editing: https://aftershoot.com/downloads/

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/camp-magic

How do you measure magic?Every camp professional, whether new or seasoned, knows what we mean when we say “camp magic”.

For most of us, we think of camp magic as this ethereal, indescribable, ever-present part of camp. This “magic” is what many of us feel sets camp apart from everywhere else.

To a camp researcher, this camp magic is something that is actually definable.

Tune in to this episode to hear Travis and Mandi unpack their vast experience living and researching this “insiders-only” concept.

You’ll hear about:

• What does camp “being a bubble” have to do with camp magic?
• How are the people at camp integral to creating that magic?
• What elements go into creating this “world apart”?
• At what point does “camp magic” become “camp cult?”
• How to support camp staff while they’re living and working in the “bubble”

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/small-systems

It doesn’t take as much as you think to set yourself up for long-term efficacy.Travis is joined by Dr. Lydia Hughes Evans to discuss systems of project management, personal efficacy and organizational development that any camp pro can pick up and start using today.

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Back next episode!

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Dr. Lydia Hughes-Evans, CEO, Author and Speaker

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/10/decoding-research

What is research, and what can it be for camp pros?We need to start here.

Before we get into how to use research to empower our marketing and recruiting efforts, we need to unpack the basics of research.

So, whether you’re a research buff or not, this episode is meant to get everyone on the same page before we really dig deep.

You’ll hear about:

• What are the basics of research and the process behind it that we need to know?
• How do we know who the right people to talk to when selecting candidates for qualitative research?
• Why it’s important that we ask kids and gain their insights in the research process
• Why it’s important to consider the context when the research was conducted.
• How do you find research on camp? How do you know what is worth reading?
  • Pro-tip: Use Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.ca/
    • Pro-pro-tip - just email the researcher and they may just give you a copy!

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/10/setting-and-honoring-boundaries

We are good at so many things as camp pros. Boundaries, writ-large, is not one of those things.We are excited to kick off this, the 13th season of CampHacker with an episode that will especially resonate with those coming off of a wild summer.

We are grateful to our guest Kyrah Altman for not only suggesting the topic but for agreeing to come on the show! Kyrah is a summer camp alumni and is the co-founder, CEO and President of Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do (LEAD).

Kyrah Chris and Travis break down the art of setting boundaries and helping your staff do the same.

Welcome back!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - The Big Idea Book Series * Kyrah - Resurgence Burnout Recovery Journal - Link * Travis - Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara - (🇺🇸 link) (🇨🇦 link)

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Kyrah Altman, Co-founder, CEO and President of Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do (LEAD)

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/08/the-intersection-of-camp-and-research

Did you know that the positive experience of summer camp is a proven fact?Yes. It is!

In this new mini-series from Go Camp Pro, join Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison to focus in on prominent and emerging research in the summer camp world.

This episode will set up the rest of the season so tune in and get excited!

You’ll hear about:

• How Mandi found her passion for camp and where the research part of her journey came to be
• Where should we be starting our discussions when it comes to research and camp?
• How do we navigate the research that’s already out there?
• What topics will we cover in this mini-series?

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Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/06/30-tools

What will you be putting your brain to keep you focused this summer?Well folks, if you’re reading this in June - you’re in it now!

Us, too! As we wrap up this season to take our focus to the summer, we want to leave you with a wickedly practical one.

Producer Matt and Dan Weir join Travis, Chris, Gabz and Joe to share the tools that will keep them focused, happy and thriving this summer.

For the links to all the tools, find the show notes at:
https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/06/30-tools

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Dan Weir - Senior Consultant - Immersive1st

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/05/alumni-community

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Do you wish your camp had the benefits of an engaged alumni community?It’s a gift to have a group of people that intimately “get” what your camp is all about.

And, alumni can be like getting a gym membership or Ikea furniture as a gift. Ultimately useful, but a crap-ton of work to get there.

Once you’ve got it going, alumni can be an excellent and cost-effective source of staff support, mentorship, maintenance, marketing, board guidance, fundraising and more!

So how do you get to the useful point.

The CampHacker team is here, and specifically, you need to listen to what Gabz has to say in this episode. Camp Ouareau has put in the work to not just open their doors wide to alumni, but to specifically direct them to a place that is available to them either as a supporter of camp, or someone who just wants to enjoy the nostalgia.

(Chris, Joe and Travis all have incredible points, too, of course!)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/. * Gabz -A question to ask within a team that could benefit from being seen and building trust. “From working with your teammate what would you say their leadership style is? * Joe - Directors Cupboard Supply Closet - things camp will need that you will just “have” * Travis* - https://www.youtube.com/@Cercle

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/05/new-career-new-camp

What would we do if we were starting at a completely new to us summer camp?We’re so grateful to have one of our founding CampHacker hosts Dan Weir join us this episode. Welcome back, Dan!

To support the vast number of new camp directors, Dan, Chris, Joe and Travis engage in a thought exercise to put take all the knowledge they have now and plopped themselves in a new camp.

This isn’t just an episode for newbies! Having this “newbie” mindset will consistently keep you nimble to the changing landscape of the industry and open to change.

Also, want some help getting there? You should consider a consultant.

Dan, Chris and Travis are great assets for your camp. Check out the host links below.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Todoist - Get your act together! * Dan - Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxietyhttps://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781250241214 * Joe - Retevis Radio/Walkie-talkie - https://www.retevis.com/ * Travis* - Chipdrop - get free wood chips https://getchipdrop.com/

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Dan Weir - Senior Consultant - Immersive1st

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/04/staff-and-boundaries

How much do we really need to accommodate this generation of camp staff?Okay, that header is a little misleading.

Don’t mistake this podcast for one big “okay boomer” rant. This conversation about summer staff and meeting them where they are at (to an extent) is an important one.

If “triggering” a staff member is something you’re worried about. Or staff feeling overwhelmed is something you’re bracing yourself for this summer, this is the episode for you.

Chris, Gabz, Joe and Travis are here to challenge you (and your staff) to think differently when it comes to helping staff set healthy and realistic emotional boundaries.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Give your mind a break * Gabz -Cueheat Waist heating belt https://amzn.to/3YUOqbm * Joe - Point Salad Card Game * Travis* - Love and Logic

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/04/partnering-with-parents-in-2023

It's time to adapt to post-pandemic parents!We need to adapt a whole lot as camp directors.

On the checklist of “things we need to re-assess every 5 or so years”, parents are certainly on that list.

As the majority of our camper parents start to shift toward the majority being millennials, we need to re-think how we are meeting them where they are at. Systems of communication, expectation-building, community-building and trust are all things that we have control over in this special relationship, and one that we need to pay attention to.

Joining the regular panel is returning guest Jolly Corley, a camp pro and parent partner expert to weigh in on re-evaluating this post-pandemic group.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Thompson Tees - Chris’ fav * Gabz - Loop Ear Plugs - Engage * Joe - Book - The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure * Travis - Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans - Michaeleen Doucleff https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781982149680 * Jolly* - Fabulous habit app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fabulous-daily-habit-tracker/id1203637303 + https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.thefabulous.app≷=us

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/03/setting-summer-staff-up-for-success-If the success of your camp is your responsibility, then the success of your staff is your responsibility.The idea that our summer staff need to be set up for success is one of those ideas that is intuitive, yet extremely difficult to get right.

Couple that with a seismic shift in the psychology and expectations of this generation of staff and the “correct path” to properly coaching and nurturing this generation of staff is going to be more important than ever.

Whether this episode is an affirmation of your staffing philosophy, or you’re feeling the strain of this gen of staff, Chris, Gabz and Travis are here to give you practical advice on how to increase the impact of this essential staffing mindset.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Artisans of Spendent Vale * Gabz - Multi colour variety pack zip ties * Travis* - Faster Than Normal - Peter Shankman https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780143131229

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/03/camp-program-of-the-future

-10 years from now, are you going to be proud of the program decisions that you made today?Last episode, we unpacked the types of programs that we think it’s time to say goodbye to.

And because we all know how annoying it is to have people only give you problems and not solutions, that’s where this one comes in.

Travis, Gabz and Chris are here to talk about not only the specific programs that they are excited to see in the future, but the intentionality that will need to go into them.

Because it’s really hard to know what the world is going to look like 10 years ago. We’re recording this in 2023 and think about how different the world was in 2013! A smartphone, 4 major social media platforms and a pandemic later, and we could have never seen what was coming.

Whether technology majorly changes or not, we know that it’s “people before programs” so making sure we have the right people and right philosophies around social-emotional learning is what’s going to really move the needle.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Get yourself a foam roller * Gabz - Finch: Self Care Widget Pet * Joe - FUNdoing Fridays - Chris Calvert * Travis* - 5-Minute Fridays - Liz’s AI How To to make marketing writing better, Chris & Alyssa’s work on making a place for Neuro Divergent staff, Michael, Jorgi - all GCP

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/02/camp-programs-let-go

Should They Stay or Should They Go Now?Being a culture of change is essential for any camp that wants to be around for a long time.

True camp pros know this, live this and breathe this, but even the best of the best can fall prey to the “way we’ve always done it”-itus.

Camp programs.

Sometimes, camp programs like our rituals, opening/closing ceremonies, activity areas, camp-wide events gain this “sacred” status that we hold onto for simply the idea of it.

Consider this episode your wake-up call.

Chris, Joe, Gabz and Travis put their heads together to call out and call in camp programs and rituals that they think need a good hard look at.

As a preview - Chris is going to make you think differently about Color War.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Laptop Stand https://amzn.to/4022hy2 * Gabz - Image Colorizer https://imagecolorizer.com/ * Joe - Sullivans 36"x59" Gridded Cutting Mat for Home Hobby Table - Jo Ann Fabrics * Travis* - Shade: trees, cooling stations, deep porches, picnic shelters

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/02/motivation-morale

When it’s been a few months without staff or kids, how do you and your year-round team remind yourself why you do what you do?Please review us! - Click here!

We tell our seasonal staff that a summer of camp is a marathon, not a sprint.

But we know that we’re lying to them, right? Or at least relatively.

Being a year-round camp pro is a marathon that lasts YEARS, with sprints embedded within it, just to keep us on our toes.

With burnout being a hot topic for employees of every level, it’s important that we check in on each other. The whole gang’s here to share what they do day in and day out with themselves and their teams to stay connected with the “why” of their world.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Not Just Play: Summer Camp and the Profession of Social Work * Gabz - Rode Videomic ME for smartphones https://amzn.to/3iUgsnS * Joe - Book - 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet - Pamela Paul * Travis* - Pixton

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/01/physical-mental-wellness

It’s not the same staff as 2010, so why are we treating their wellness like they are?We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - this is not the same staffing generation as it was pre-pandemic.

We’re rebuilding so many of our principals and practices post-pandemic, so why not take a deep dive into how we can (and maybe can’t) better meet the mental and physical health needs of our staff team?

It’s certainly not going to be easy. It will be tempting to go down the road of “well, we didn’t have it like this when I was a summer staff!?” - even when we know that’s not going to cut it anymore - but we owe it to this generation of staff to continue to make camp the kind of impactful place it was for us.

Chris, Joe and Gabz are here to help. Listen in as each of these well-seasoned camp directors are being vulnerable and bold enough to be willing to go back to the drawing board in the name of meeting their camp staff where they are at.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Bamboo Plant https://www.thespruce.com/growing-lucky-bamboo-1902994 & Shutterfly - https://www.shutterfly.com/ * Gabz - Coursera - https://www.coursera.org * Joe -* Center Cam - https://thecentercam.com/ | PowerToys (Windows) https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/XP89DCGQ3K6VLD

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/staff-from-scratch

This is definitely a “glass-half-full” type of situation…For better or for worse, it’s more than likely that we’ve all had to “start from scratch” at some point in the last 3 years.

However, starting from scratch with your staff team? Now that is one spicy meatball.

Our staff are the core of what we do. The experience they deliver is the one that kids remember, and parents decide to re-register their kids for.

When you’re starting from scratch with staff, we almost have to set aside the program. It’s not the traditions, the zip line and the costumes that give kids a memorable experience, it’s that the staff can create a safe space for campers to build confidence and create connections.

It’s an incredible opportunity to go back to the core of our mission and what makes a great camp staff in the context of our mission.

And who better to join Chris, Joe, Travis and Gabz on the show than the one and only Michael Brandwein!

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More from Michael
Live Online March 28 & 29, 2023

Brandwein on Training: The Step-by-Step System for Planning & Presenting Your Best Staff Training Ever

Early Bird Discounted Registration until Feb. 15

https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-5064766

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Live Online May 13, 2023

Brandwein on Super Staff SuperVision: The Quick Course on Outstanding Skills to Coach, Motivate, & Bring Out the Best in Staff

Early Bird Discounted Registration until April 1

https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-5064659

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Find the TOWs at https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/staff-from-scratch

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Michael Brandwein, Speaker, Trainer and Author - https://www.michaelbrandwein.com/store

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/all-tows

Our favourite annual traditional…you know…besides camp!Look what’s back, back again, all TOWs back, tell a friend!

Your good friends Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe all share different “tools” that make their lives better in the categories…

• 2 tools that positively affect your mental health
• 2 books you read JUST FOR FUN
• 2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director

Find all of the TOWs and links at https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/all-tows

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!
Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/jcamp180-is-supporting-jewish-camps

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A vision for the future of summer camp support.What would it look like if organizations outside your camp understood the community-building power of summer camp?

We know that camp builds connections that last forever, but telling that story to people outside of the camp world can be tricky - and it’s even more tricky to find outside financial resources to support the community mission.

The work of JCamp180 is an incredible model for how advocacy and support can work on an industry level. Consulting, advocacy, grant-writing, and funding access - all things that JCamp180 has done to support Jewish Camping across North America.

The rest of this industry LISTEN UP.

The industry as a whole, does such a good job of sharing resources and collaboration, but especially when it comes to fundraising, we have this tendency to move into a scarcity mindset and try to do it all on our own.

This model is a vision for us to zoom out and look at how the industry, as a whole, can thrive under a network of financial support and advocacy.

Find out more about JCamp180 at https://jcamp180.org/

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Ari - Time Boxing * Sarah - 7-Minute Workouts - https://www.workoutinc.net/ * Travis* - LED Light strips - battery or plugin https://amzn.to/3EWezy4

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Sarah Eisinger, Director, JCamp180 * Ari Polsky, Consultant, JCamp180

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/11/next-summer-not-alone

It’s time to start thinking forward - buty make sure you’re not thinking alone!Shake off that rust.

Last summer is over. It’s behind us.

Yes, there are lingering emotions, program things to wrap up and reports to write, but it’s time to move on.

With some relative certainty about what the summer of 2023 is going to look like after the shutdown phase of the pandemic, camps need to get back to the forward-thinking mindset that has helped us make it this far.

As we do this, something else we need to move on from is the mentality that we have to think forward alone.

The job of a camp director (even if they are part of a big year-round team) can be incredibly isolating and as we recover from the pandemic, it’s the perfect opportunity to think about how we can take the work that we do and spread it out a bit.

It’s a good long-term solution for your mental health and the organizational health of your camp.

Tune in to hear about how Gabz and Joe are moving forward and bringing others along for the ride.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz - Maintenance Phase Every other Tuesday, Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon debunk the junk science behind health and wellness fads. * Joe - Stream Deck - https://www.elgato.com/en/stream-deck * Travis* - The Conversationalist (thanks to past guest Ari Polsky) - Unify, Amplify, Gen Z, Sophie - camp counsellor https://www.instagram.com/theconversationalist/

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/11/mightiest-mess-ups

None of us are perfect. Come celebrate, and learn from our mistakes!We’ve all been there - so why not be there, together?

The positive way to frame mistakes is of course, “these were just learning experiences”, but it sure doesn’t feel like that in the moment.

We all process mistakes that we make differently. Some people hold onto it. Some immediately move to problem-solving but the true camp pros out there know how to own the suck, not repeat it and set others up for success.

We’re grateful for the vulnerability that Gabz, Travis, Chris and Joe show in this episode by sharing about the small…and not so small screw-ups in their camping careers.

Come commiserate with us in this episode!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Take a trip, get outta your comfort zone! * Gabz: The Future Of Writing… Jarvis ai * Travis: Gauntlet Community Open Gaming Weekend * Joe:* Bar Keepers Friend - Cookware Powder Cleanser and Polish https://amzn.to/343ilas

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

Join 5-Minute Fridays today at gocamp.pro/5MF

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/10/debriefing-2022

Our summers may have been different, but the common thread is that our industry will never be the same again.If we ever needed something to teach us the lesson that “camp, like it was in 2019 isn’t coming back” the summer of 2022 was it.

Holy moly folks.

We hope that you’re doing okay.

We know that not everyone is in the same boat, and who knows, maybe 2022 was your best summer yet (if it was…will you come on the Podcast and tell us about it?). But we all have to collectively shake our damn heads and realize that things have changed.

PEOPLE, WE’RE THE PEOPLE THAT GAG WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “THIS IS THE WAY WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT”.

Too dramatic? Maybe. Or maybe not.

This summer 2022 debrief episode with Travis, Chris, Gabz and Joe gets a little bit spicy - but it’s for good reason. We need to keep asking questions, pushing each other and digging in on what our campers, families and staff need as we keep this industry alive.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - You are Here - Thich Nhat Hanh * Gabz - camp craft that actually looks good - Gnomes! * Joe - CO2 Monitor Portable - https://aranet.com/products/aranet4/ * Travis* - NotePD - https://notepd.com/invite/Travishttps://notepd.com/challenge/things-that-the-summer-camp-industry-needs-to-consider-for-a-sustainable-future-o01ei

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount)

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities

Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware

Join 5-Minute Fridays today at gocamp.pro/5MF

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/06/why-society-doesnt-value-camp

We NEED to tell our story.Coming out of this major phase of the pandemic is our industry’s biggest chance to prove our value. Period.

We need to do everything we can to show the world that camp is more than a place with games, songs and friends. But how do we do that when there are still so many incorrect stereotypes about what we do?

Travis, Joe and Chris share how they, along with many other pros are flipping the narrative and how YOU (yes you!) can get involved.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Buy a Chromebook * Joe: Urgent Optimist - Mighty Network Group - see book - Imaginable - Institute for the Future * Travis*: Gestimer for Mac

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek

Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/05/calling-camp-home

Because what other “home” comes with a Gaga pit and 20+ dining hall tables?We know you’ve heard it. “Camp is my home away from home!” - some camps even go as far as saying “welcome home!” to everyone that drives up the camp road.

Why does that happen?

What is it about the summer camp experience that causes something in our brains that says “I’m home”.

And what happens for the people that it doesn’t?

Chris, Gabz, Joe and Travis get together for a great philosophical chat about what we do, and can do more of, to make that “home” experience for truly everyone that enters our program.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Codenames https://amzn.to/3xuf8gC, online codenames * Gabz: Monday.com - Online Collaboration Tool * Joe: Super MEGA Lucky Box - Board Game for all - and you can play solo * Travis*: Libro.fm https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm210064

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek

Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/05/sending-campers-home-intention

It may not happen often, but when you, unfortunately, have to send a camper home, you need to get it right.One of the unfortunate realities of being a camp professional is that it’s likely that eventually, a camper is going to have to go home early.

Whether it’s because of a medical reason, or a behavioural one, a camper going home is never easy. It can send shockwaves not only to them and their parents/caregivers but to your entire camp community.

That’s why it’s important that you don’t leave the “going home” process to chance and instincts.

It’s a good thing that Kate Taylor has dropped in to share her stories and best practices with Travis, Joe and Chris! Tune in!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Inclusive Conversations by Mary-Frances Winters * Joe: Creative Market - Free Downloads each week * Kate: Avacado Freshness Hack * Travis*: From Stressed to Resilient - Dr G - https://amzn.to/3tx25Z6

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Kate Taylor, Camp Director, Camp Kanawana at The YMCAs of Québec

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek

Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/04/9-tips-new-families

How to make campers & families feel like insiders - before they even get to camp!After a few years away from a regular summer, we likely have more new families than ever.

One of the biggest “shake off the rust” things that we need to remember is how we welcome and prepare new families for their, or their camper’s first time at camp.

Joe, Travis and Gabz get together and share their best practices for helping new families feel like they already have a place at camp, before they even set foot on the property!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz: Bio Soap: https://savonneriediligences.ca/en * Joe: https://hibid.com | https://bidspotter.com * Travis:* Retract-a-bit - https://amzn.to/3CNW7X8

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

-

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

-

Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek

Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/04/honest-staffing-conversation

There’s still time to be proactive. For this summer, and the ones to come.Here we go. The camp season is on its way and while we’re so desperately ready to be back, we have to face the reality that the camp industry, like many others, is facing a real staffing crisis.

Whether it’s pay, whether it’s work-load or whether it’s COVID, we need to be more intentional than ever about how we recruit, hire, and retain great staff.

The whole team is here to talk not just about where they’re at, but what decisions they are making to ensure that the staffing culture (and numbers) is strong for years to come.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Trello iftf.org * Gabz: Silent Fidget Toys * Joe: Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today - Jane McGonigal https://amzn.to/3iIOKXt * Travis*: Magnetic Charging Cable 6-Pack

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek

Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/succession-planning

The year after you leave camp, how will it be doing? How does that reflect on your succession planning?What’s the plan?

Seriously.

When you, or another senior staff leaves…

Who will pick up where you/they left off?

Where are the procedures?

What are the most important parts of the culture?

Who knows the wifi password?

Yes, even that last one. We’ve said it multiple times on the CampHacker Podcast so this shouldn’t be shocking…but…YOU AREN’T GOING TO BE THE DIRECTOR SOMEDAY!

So how prepared are you?

Have no fear, the CampHacker gang is here! Travis, Gabz, Chris (welcome back, Chris!) and Joe are ready to share the ways that they think about succession planning every day at camp.

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Bonus Links!Because you read the show notes - and that’s pretty neat!

Joe’s “Your Future at Camp” Activity - Instructions for Folding

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Thanks for the Feedback * Gabz: Spike: Making emails simpler * Joe: Sugru * Travis:* Google Photos screen - Google Next Hub https://store.google.com/product/nest_hub_2nd_gen?hl=en-GB

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsors!
Crazy CreekCrazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/our-best-life-advice-for-staff

We don’t just raise staff to be great camp employees, we try to help set them up for success for the rest of their life.Camp has this beautiful, strange and messy blurring effect on the work/life relationship between bosses and employees. It’s tough for a lot of reasons, but we’re going to talk about one of the best parts of it on this episode.

One of the inevitabilities of being a camp director is that simply because we’re leaders, people will look to us. What we’re able to do with that relationship is powerful.

Whatever we pass on, whether it’s how to change a tire, or how to determine your next life steps, we know that it can have a profound effect.

The gang’s all here and they’re full of the advice that they regularly give - and the advice they wish they got!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Eat Breakfast! * Gabz: Multi Timer App * Joe: Art - (https://www.saatchiart.com/* as an example for discovery)- things that make you happy. Things that make you think. Things that make you remember. Things that speak to you * Travis:** https://www.fastcompany.com/90714184/use-old-phone-as-security-camera

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!
Crazy CreekCrazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/the-next-100-days

When it’s crunch time, you need to make sure all systems are GO. Here are the 10 most vital tips to make the most of the summer camp home stretch.Not only did we get some great feedback on our last episode with Ari and Abi, they realized that as they were preparing for their upcoming summers, they were relying on some tried and true strategies that their years in the “camp ops” world has taught them.

Like the incredibly generous camp pros that they are, they are back on the CampHacker podcast to share these tips with Travis and all our listeners.

Welcome back, Ari and Abi!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Ari: Adam Grant’s Instagram * Abbie: Gozen - newsletter * Travis:*The UpRooter (thanks, Ruby)

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries * Ari Polsky, Program Manager, Client Services - JCamp 180 (a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation)

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Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy CreekCrazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!

UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/building-trust-with-parents

Regaining and building trust is one of our top post-pandemic priorities.We know, we know. You have a million other “post-pandemic priorities”, but this is one you can’t let slip!

After 2 years of a pandemic that had us in a consistent tornado of fear AND for some, 2 years of no camp, we have some trust to build with families! But, like many things about the pandemic, there’s a silver lining here.

2022 is your opportunity to completely revamp your communication and family onboarding strategy. It’s time to bust out all of the stops - but where to start?

Gabz, Travis and Joe are joined by camp pro and Beyond Camp podcaster Rachel Kent to give you some of their best trust-building philosophies and strategies that you can implement RIGHT NOW.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Ulanzi Cute Cube Lite https://amzn.to/3mVmiUS | TinyCam (Android) for Keeping Wyze Cams on a portable screen http://tinycammonitor.com/ * Gabz: Vegan Treats for Everyone * Joe: 100 Questions Conversation Toolkit * Rachel: Coffee Subscription -* https://www.muskokaroastery.com/

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/01/how-can-we-be-more-motivated

Check-in with yourself. What do you need? Here’s how to make it happen.Motivation isn’t innate. There are times that, for whatever reason, we need a boost.

Either it’s a project that we find difficult, or we aren’t getting the support or rest we need, or any number of things that can get us feeling down and distracted.

It happens to everyone, including Joe, Travis and Gabz! So when it happens to you, and them, this episode is dedicated to what you can do to dig yourself out. Tune in to hear our host’s favourite motivation and relaxation strategies to get them back on the horse. We hope it helps!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Google Pixel Buds Series-A * Gabz: Thronmax Mic * Joe:* Multcloud | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/01/marketing-when-you-dont-want-to

It’s not about selling people on camp. It’s about telling your stories.Do you like every single part of being a camp director? Come on, be honest.

There’s something that is every camp director’s kryptonite - something that you KNOW you need to do, and you probably do it, but just the thought of it makes you feel gross.

For many directors out there, marketing is that thing.

Social media, newsletters, podcasts, word of mouth, ads…yeesh. If it doesn’t come natural to you, it’s hard, but there’s hope.

This episode will take you through all of the emotions through our hosts for today. Travis, the marketing expert, Gabz the enthusiastic marketing camp director, and Chris…on the opposite end of that spectrum. Give this great conversation a listen.

And it’s not just the mushy stuff, there are a lot of great practical tips, so get excited!

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Links from this show:Find them at https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/01/marketing-when-you-dont-want-to

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Zapp Padd https://powerbx.com/discount/GoCamp * Gabz: Multi Device Keyboard Logitech K380 https://amzn.to/32sk7Rr * Chris:* Spot It (https://amzn.to/3nKxGnj) - And the story behind Spot-It

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/12/operations-director

It’s time for Camp Directors to stop trying to do everything. Invest in operations.Ari Polsky, the smartie that he is, posed this question in the COVID-19 + Camp Slack last June:

“Based off the texts I have received from a few camp colleagues, and the current setup work I am doing I have some thoughts/questions:

• Are we (as a field) investing enough in operations and systems staff?
• How are we looking to cultivate/train/improve/retain people who keep the trains running on time?

I am talking about the people who can rattle of database queries in their sleep and solve any operations, logistics, camp chessboard problems. It seems like in this time it’s, especially in need.”

The conversation sparked from there and it was clear this was something we needed to zoom in on.

Join Travis, Ari and Abigail Stuart (3/5 of The Brief Newsletter Team!) as they share what their roles have looked like as operational directors and why every camp should consider investing in the position.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Dawn Powerwash - https://amzn.to/3C4EwrJ * Abi - iGen by Jean Twenge - https://amzn.to/30pQ6kp * Ari - Bring Your Human to Work: 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That Is Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World by Erica Kesman https://amzn.to/3C9VPHQ + Milk Crate https://amzn.to/3F56aqw + Miss Excel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/miss.excel/

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries * Ari Polsky, Marketing, Fundraising and Data Analysis Consultant, AriPolsky.com

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/12/all-tow-2021

Cue the trombone music, it's ALL TOOLS ALL THE TIME!Back by popular demand, back again is our annual All TOWs show!

This year, a focus on gifts for camp directors that promote positive mental health.

Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe all share…

• 2 tools that positively affect your mental health
• 2 books you read JUST FOR FUN
• 2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director

There are WAY too many links for these tools to put in these show notes - check them out here: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/12/all-tow-2021

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

-**

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/12/be-a-better-delegator

Who’s the best delegator you’ve ever met?The working title of this episode is “delegate like your life depends on it”.

A bit dramatic? Yes. Kind of true? Also yes!

If you can’t delegate - if everything at camp needs to run by you before it happens - if you need to facilitate every hard conversation - then you (and your camp) may not last very long.

So we know that - but why can’t we do it? There are a multitude of reasons/excuses why we don’t, but there are even more reasons why it’s absolutely necessary.

So let’s dig in. Gabz, Chris, Travis and Joe join forces to share their perspectives on how they became better delegators and how it’s shaped their camp experiences.

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Once Upon a Time * Gabz: Smart Plug * Joe: Non Slip Furniture Pads X-Protector - Bed Bottoms - future proof * Travis*: Serious Work: How to Facilitate Meetings & Workshops Using the LEGO Serious Play Method - https://amzn.to/31eLP3m

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/11/do-this-right-now

Don’t just make it survivable, make it AWESOME.We’re releasing this podcast at the time where the previous summer is still “going” and next summer isn’t quite “coming” yet.

However, if you haven’t run since 2019, the summer of 2022 feels like it’s coming fast and furious.

This is the time for deep thinking, planning and rest. It’s possible to make policy revisions on the fly, but it’s better to make them now. It’s possible to think of innovative programming on the fly, but it’s better to do it now.

This episode, Gabz, Chris and Joe talk about what they, and you can do right now to set yourself up for a successful summer.

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: TV Time * Gabz: Instagram Feeds to Follow: PrideCamping, The Summer Camp Society , S’more Melanin, Oaaars, TransPlaning * Joe:* Jabra Speak 510 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/11/these-are-the-staff-you-need

No more warm-body syndrome. Hire great staff and make it work with the number you have.This isn’t the first Go Camp Pro Podcast about staffing, and it certainly won’t be the last.

This year all of our shows are going to cover many topics on staffing - where to find them, how to interview them, how to keep them, etc.

But when you get down to it, we need to take a step back from the current staffing crisis and remember that if we hire the absolute best staff team we can, it is more likely to make the absolute best experience for the campers.

This episode, Gabz, Chris and Joe pick apart the DNA of what makes an incredible camp staff member and why it’s important that you are relentless in your pursuit of looking for those qualities at hiring time.

Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Yeti Microphone * Gabz: Shift App - Desktop * Joe: Adjustable Light Stand/Tripod*

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/10/what-to-do-about-it

Part 2 of our conversation about the big changes needed in the Camp World.To listen to part 1: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/10/future-of-camp-pt-1

Last episode, we gave a laundry list of what’s NOT going well in the industry.

Here, we shake off the doom and gloom start to unpack what it might look like to fix some of these changes that seem big and foreboding.

A big thanks to Ruby and Jolly for joining us for these two episodes! Make sure you check out all of the great things that they are up to: https://rubyoutdoors.com & https://gocamp.pro/jolly

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount**)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture * Joe: Festool TSC 55 KEBI-F Plus Cordless Track Saw * Ruby: Roll of Tyvex * Jolly: Pre-postaged postcards * Travis:* https://app.jqbx.fm/

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Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com* * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/10/future-of-camp-pt-1

Yes - S*it scared.As Ruby points out in this episode, the CampHacker team doesn’t shy away from saying the hard things.

Episode 39 of the Podcast, recorded in 2012 talked all about why the camp industry was in peril.

Switch those last two numbers and fast-forward to 2021, and we’re STILL in many of those same perils.

Like many industries, the pandemic has further amplified the things about camp that need to change. The ideas of “lack of staff”, a homogeneous industry community, climate change and many more things seem to have come to a head all at once.

Look at the summer camp professionals group on Facebook, it was FULL of stories from pros, young and old, speaking about how this was their hardest summer yet.

In this episode, the brilliant Ruby Compton and Jolly Corley, join Travis, Chris and Joe to honour the hard things that we’re facing.

NEXT episode we’ll talk about how to move forward!

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Do you read the show notes? Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)
(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: The Forest Productivity App - https://www.forestapp.cc/ * Joe: Small Drawers - Things with small drawers (see pictures below) * Ruby: TOAKS Titanium Long Handle Spoon https://amzn.to/3EPgIKY * Jolly: Burt’s Bee’s Coconut Pear https://amzn.to/39y1Hiq * Travis:* Personal Portable Fan https://amzn.to/3lS9QE4

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Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com*

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/09/camp-union

How might (or might not) a union help serve Camp Pros as they navigate an increasingly stressful profession?At the end of August, a particularly thought-provoking post was made in the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook group.

After hearing about some of the horror stories of this, and past summers, a pro posted this:

“…Its become clear to me in the last few months that the people in charge of camps are often not the people that run summer camps and this can lead to some wild expectations including around hours, pay, vacation time, parental leave, etc. because the ACA hasn’t put these things in the standards, I’m wondering if having some sort of body to educate people on best practices around expectations for staff would be helpful.”

That pro, was Alana Matteson, and she is our guest this episode to kick off our
new season of both Camp Code and the CampHacker Podcast!

Alana joins Travis and Ruby for this discussion on not just Unions, but the type of advocacy that pros need in general to have more successful, fulfilling and sustainable careers.

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What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: WorkSharp

Ruby: Personal Recipe Book

Alana: Power Beats High-Performance Earbuds

Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors * Alana Matteson, Summer Camp Professional

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

View Details

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/06/why-we-volunteer

Over 16 hours of volunteer podcasting this year. Why do we do it? How can we encourage the next generation of camp pros to give back to the industry…There are SO many people that love and support the industry. From Podcast hosts, to speakers, to bloggers, to association volunteers, to contributors in the online communities, there are tens of thousands of volunteer hours poured into the industry every year.

This episode is dedicated to the spirit of volunteering at camp, and how we can encourage the next generation of camp professionals to step up and support the industry as it enters this chapter of recovery and change.

Chris, Joe and Travis are joined by Go Camp Pro’s Executive Producer, Matt Honsberger (who’s currently typing this blog!) to look back on this season of the CampHacker Podcast and share where the inspiration to give time comes from, and how to help others find it as well.

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How are you encouraging staff to volunteer? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Future is Trust: Embracing the Era of Trust-Centered Leadership

Joe: Books Full of Tools (3 books): Four Favorite Tools; Recomendo; Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities

Chris: Nutribullet

Matt: Forgettable to Unforgettable: How to become an extraordinary leader in just seven weeks -

Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/06/recruitment-begins-now

Was staffing a pain for you this year? Let’s get ahead of this beast for next summer!The global pandemic has hit our industry hard in so many ways, but one of them that we didn’t really expect was how hesitant our youth and young adults who have traditionally served every summer at camp would be about joining us for another season.

And whether that was because they were a bit more risk-averse, or maybe they’ve just seen the financial benefits more desirable. Either way, what we need to take away from this is just how intentional we need to be about recruiting staff.

What better time to start than when you have staff at camp NOW?

Chris, Gabz, and Travis are joined by returning guest Neva Baltzell to share how thinking about recruitment now will not just benefit next year, but will have a profound impact on your current staff team.

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show (thanks, eh?)

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: BarKeeper’s Friend - https://amzn.to/3hpCewA

Neva: UNO Flip, Monopoly Deal, Monopoly Bid

Gabz: Notion

Chris: Black Boys Documentary -

Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Neva Baltzell, Residential Manager at Florida United Methodist Children's Home*

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/05/summer-self-care

Boundaries, sleep, and exercise - tools for camp pros that are just as important as duct tape and zip ties.This isn’t some fluffy episode where we tell you to take up meditation and manifest your stress away. Self-care for Camp Directors seems like an oxymoron most days. To accomplish any sort of balance in our camp lives, we need to put just as much intention into our self-care habits as we put into everything else we do at camp.

A camp director will best serve the staff they work with, when their needs are well met. Period. Full stop.

Chris, Gabz, and Travis are joined by Kate Taylor for a very frank and realistic perspective on what it means to prioritize self-care, even when it seems impossible.

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What do you do to be your best self when camp is at it’s busiest? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Gerber Gear Armbar Slim Drive https://amzn.to/2R2bjMl

Kate: daylio.net

Gabz: OAAARS

Chris: https://numberforliveperson.com/ -

Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Kate Taylor, Camp Director, Camp Kanawana at The YMCAs of Québec

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/05/incentivizing-staff-beyond-the-paycheque

Pay your staff more - AND - here are some other ways to appreciate and incentivize the camp experience.We should all be working to pay our staff more. Full stop.

That being said, it may be impossible to pay staff for the sheer amount of joy, passion, blood, sweat and tears they put in to the work they do. So even WHEN we’re able to pay staff more, we should be doing everything we can to show staff how much we appreciate them and how valuable the camp experience is.

Chris, Travis and Joe are joined by Go Camp Pro contributor Darby Dame to share their best practices on how to incentivize staff beyond just how we pay them.

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How do you show staff they are valued? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Book with No Pictures - BJ Novak https://amzn.to/3wZbF6Z

Joe: zip ties - organizations secret weapon - https://youtu.be/fhIts8zhn_A | The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zanderand Benjamin Zander https://amzn.to/2PXElwB

Darby: HotJar website

Chris: Run of the mill Laminating Machine https://amzn.to/3e57kGF

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Darby Dame, Director of Marketing and Communications - Camp High Rocks

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/05/parent-perspective-pik-my-kid

SPONSORED CONTENT - Thanks to PikMyKid for their support!Every single camp has its own way of managing pick-up and drop-off and the great camps put a lot of time and intention into both processes.

Remember, those two times may be the only physical impressions of your camp that parents get, so a well-polished process will win you big points in their books.

In this interview pod, Travis sits down with Pat Bhava, the founder and CEO of PikMyKid, to share why he saw the need to bring pick-up and drop-off into the technological era, and how his software will leave a professional, polished impression with families.

**Please note - PikMyKid is a sponsor of Go Camp Pro. We’re grateful for their support.

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Want to share your camp brand’s story? Advertise with Go Camp Pro**.

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Pat Bhava, CEO & Founder* - PikMyKid

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/04/memorable-moments

It’s going to happen. Here’s how to fire with compassion and dignity.We, as camp pros are all about stories.

Stories about moments where we know that kids lives were changed.

Where do those stories come from?

There are so many intentional things that go into creating the type of environment where those moments flourish. Great camp pros know how to cultivate these type of moments, but it’s always great for a refresher.

That’s why Gabz Chris, Joe and Travis are here to unpack some of their most memorable moments and the things that lead up to them.

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What are some memorable moments from camp that come to mind? What went in to making them happen? Let us know in the comments!

SNACK of the Week – Because why not?Travis: Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup on Ice Cream

Joe: Wasabi Peanuts

Gabz: Bengal Spice Tea

Chris: Honey Nut Cheerios and Chocolate Chips - Straight Up

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/04/fire-someone

It’s going to happen. Here’s how to fire with compassion and dignity.This is another thing that’s just “part of the job”.

Firing someone is especially hard in a place that’s so connected with people’s emotions.

Often, when someone is fired at camp, it’s not usually because they have anything against us, or even about camp. They’ve usually just made a choice that is against policy, or they aren’t at the level we need them to be.

Travis, Joe and Chris are joined by Rachel Kent, camp pro and co-host of the podcast, Beyond Camp to discuss how they let staff go and do it with a great amount of tact and compassion.

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What do you do when you have to let people go? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Get Together: How to build a community with your people - https://amzn.to/3rWSHLg

Joe: UST Survival Playing Cards - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01F393TYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 & Pro Knot Outdoor Knot Cards - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0922273227/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rachel Kent: Visual Timerapp

Chris: Sneaky Cards - https://sneakycards.com/

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/04/all-at-once

You know…when the chocolate pudding really hits the fan.We don’t wish it on you. But at some point in your camp career, it’s going to happen.

Something will go wrong and you’ll say to yourself “crap, that’s not good”.

Then you’ll get an urgent walkie call and you’ll say, “seriously?”

Then, the power will go out, and you’ll be standing there in the dark saying to yourself, “well. damn. I’m really in it now”.

You can prepare as much as you want, but there’s no way to prevent the dreaded domino of disaster. However, by hearing about how other camp pros made it through these hard times, you can at least rest assured that you can do it. You can get through the tidal wave of trouble relatively unscathed.

Join Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe as they share their perfect storms and the swim strokes that got them to the other side.

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When it really hits the fan. What do you do? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Genesys RPG Dice - https://amzn.to/3sNwzD6

Joe: A Library Card. Period. Full Stop. Go get a library card and learn how to use it online.

Gabz: https://www.anylist.com/

Chris: Gather.town

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/you-can-do-it

A Love Letter for Camps Considering Running in 2021 - from Go Camp ProReview us on iTunes!

If you’re able to run camp this summer, we want to make sure you know you can do it.

This special Go Camp Pro Podcast is for camps out there who are on the fence about running this summer. We support each other in this industry and we believe that it’s on all of us to help each other succeed.

Here’s one of our contributions.

Chris Hudson from Camp Highlight - who did no run in 2020 sits down with Andy Pritikin from Liberty Lake and Kelly Espinosa from Kennolyn Camps, who did run in 2020. Tune in to hear about why camp is more important than ever and learn about Andy and Kelly’s fears, tears and cheers when it comes to running camp during a pandemic.

We don’t know many things right now, but we know that kids will need camp this summer more than ever. They NEED you.

We are in the business of changing children’s lives and they’ve never needed a life-changing moment more than this one.

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YOUR HOSTS: Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director -* Liberty Lake Day Camp * Kelly Espinosa*, Day Camp Director -* Kennolyn Camps * Chris Hudson*, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight**

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/03/stuck-and-unstuck

Never ever ever ever ever ever say “We’ve always done it this way” again.How often do you feel stuck in a rut?

Becuase of this year, because of the work, because of the stress, there are always reasons to get stuck, but being a true Camp Maverick means that you’re quick to recognize those moments, and quick to being the process of “unstucking” yourself.

Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe have felt this many times in their camping careers. They join together to share their favourite strategies and biggest learning moments when it comes to getting stuck, and unstuck.

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What do you do when you’re stuck? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Yaktrax Pro Traction Cleats for Walking, Jogging, or Hiking on Snow and Ice, X-Large

Joe: The Align Right™ Sleeping Pillow - The Pillow that fits your head, not your bed. https://alignright.com/products/sleeping-pillow

Gabz: Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Chris: https://hootsuite.com/

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/03/camp-director-career

This episode is a loving punch in the gut.As we’ve said before, it’s our job as camp directors to think about the big things.

And sometimes, those big things aren’t popular, or happy-go-lucky things, but that doesn’t make them any less important!

Our podcast is no different. Back in April 2020, we broached the topic of “What if camp doesn’t run in 2020?”

We can’t hide away from the hard things & this is a hard thing.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rocks our industry for likely 2 (or more?) summers, will it be viable to be a full-time camp director?

Join Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe as they wade into these gross waters.

It’s not all bad - trust us!

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What do you think the camp industry will look like in 5 years? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Libro.fm:audiobooks that support local, independent bookstores.

Joe: TechSoup - https://www.techsoup.global/ (Aug 2011 last time) & Happy sock Twitter @yoyojoer

Gabz: Fabulous - Daily Self Care App

Chris: Humans by Brandon Stanton https://www.allbookstores.com/Humans-Stanton-Brandon/9781250114297

Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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CampHacker: Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/02/eye-of-eagle-2021

Our job is to look forward. But when you feel like you don’t have time, allow the CampHacker crew to help!Have you heard the expression “in uncharted waters?”. Of course, you have.

Well, right now, in February 2021, we’re in the uncharted riverpaddling towards the uncharted waterfall, which descends into the uncharted wading pool.

Even for camps that ran last summer, the COVID-19 pandemic saga is far from over.

Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe are here to dig into the obvious, and the not-so-obvious things that directors should be thinking about with a few months of time to spare.

This isn’t an easy conversation, but as directors, it’s our job to have them.

What’s on your mind for 2021? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Amazon Basics (or DeWalt - which ever is cheaper) Safety Goggles for All (including Glasses wearers) https://amzn.to/2LRELSu

Joe: The Big Book of Maker Skills https://amzn.to/3nL92jt

Gabz: Rode VideoMicro https://amzn.to/2N5Bv6S or Shure mic for androids https://amzn.to/3nIp5hW

Chris: Amusing Ourselves To Death - Neil Postman https://amzn.to/2XHQrKk

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/02/blm-at-camp

A follow-up conversation with the organizers of the Black Lives Matter at Summer Camp Movementhttps://blacklivesmatteratcamp.com/

Summer camp is built on the idea of giving young people fuller lives through recreation, enrichment, and community. Our industry centers on the well-being of youth and was created to better their life outcomes, experiences, and personal growth. This is why we are camp professionals and why we believe in the power of camp.

Therefore, it is a fundamental and necessary step for us to affirm that Black Lives Matter. As camps and camp professionals, this statement lies at the core of our identity and values within this industry.

On the day of action for Black Lives Matter at Summer Camp, professionals affirmed that right here and right now, while we know our work is for all campers, staff, and families, we must focus on the ones calling for help. We must focus on the members of our broader community asking for and demanding change and justice. We must extend our hearts, our values, and the power of the experience we create to those who have been left behind.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Inbo Remote Meeting Cards https://www.inbo.ca/remotely-store

Doug: America The Dream: https://americathedream.org/videos

Lily: Rise Up Singing book. https://amzn.to/3mM561j

Scott: Creative Quest https://amzn.to/3nIfNTP

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Your Hosts: Doug Sutherland,* Executive Director, Brantwood Camp * Lily Mercogliano Easton*, Camp Director, Camp Wa Wa Segowea* * Scott Arizala**, Founder & Chairman of Camp Tall Tree, Consultant & Trainer * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to this episode’s sponsor!
UltraCamp

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/camphacker

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Find show notes and more at: https://www.camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/08/racism-in-recreation

A repost of an important conversation around how to make the camp and recreation industries a more welcoming place for a wider range of people. In this special summer bonus episode, Travis is joined by Dr. Daniel Theriault to discuss racism, power and privilege in the recreation industry. Dr. Theriault and Travis dig into some of the work that’s needed to subvert these unhealthy systems within the rec and camp industry.

It’s a great interview and we’re so grateful to Dr. Theriault for joining us.

Some notes from this interview:

Dr. Theriault proposes three things that all recreation professionals, camp professionals, and white people can do to start to

1. Work to see power and privilege - the power systems that shape the way the world works (racism, classism, etc.).
2. Take responsibility for our role in those systems.
3. Take anti-racist actions.

Drilling down into some specifics:

• Normalize the lack of comfort that will surely follow when we start to confront our involvement in systems power and privilege
• Read what is painful - read and absorb information on the BIPOC history and experience so we are better equipped to serve our campers through that lens of understanding.
• Think about the media that we absorb and how BIPOC communities are represented in those shows and movies.

Daniel and Travis come to some for the Summer Camp Industry as a whole:

• Be careful about the language we use and the messages it sense. For example, how might “Color War” be perceived in light of the racial conflict that has existed in communities over the last 200+ years.
• Look at policy - Who do we value? Who do we hire? Why do we hire them?
• Educate ourselves and others on the history of the land our camp is on and who occupied the land not just before the camp, but before settlement.
• Increasing representation of diverse staff at your camp. This can help your camp start to truly look like a camp where BIPOC campers can see themselves.
  • First steps here include ensuring our pre-camp training includes topics of power, privilege and the contexts of racism.
  • Building relationships of trust with community organizations, HBCUs and other places where you may look to hire BIPOC folks.

Remember, these are bullet-points, not check-boxes. Undoing the systems of racism, power and privilege is going to be lifelong work.

Thank you to those Camp Pros who are committed to continuing to do this continued work.

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Links from this episode* Dr. Theriault’s article: Vulnerable Teaching in Leisure Studies

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Dr. Daniel Theriault**, Assistant Professor of Recreation Management at Appalachian State University - theriaultds@appstate.edu

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A special, timely interlude from our friends at the Day Camp Pod:Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/ppp-era-aca

Timely info for American Camps - Jan/Feb 2021For many camps and small businesses in the United States, the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program was a lifesaver- enabling us to keep our best people employed which we navigated the uncharted waters of the covid-19 pandemic.

Starting January 13, the second round of PPP has been made available to qualifying businesses, as well as other resources like the Employer Retention Credit. While most of us may be good at running a summer camp, this other stuff is both supremely important and pretty darn confusing- which is why we have called for an EMERGENCY Podcast with ACA National Chair Scott Brody and the great Steve Baskin - so that we can better grasp the options that can ensure our financial solvency as we enter the 2021 camp season.

Tune in to hear about:

• What we need to know about the PPP situation
• The issues of timing, and filing for forgiveness
• What’s coming down the pike.

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

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Important Links:* Andrew Ziv’s thorough explanation of ERC & PPP - https://andrewziv.substack.com/p/breaking-down-the-employer-retention * SBA / PPP - https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program * IRS / ERC - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-employee-retention-credit-under-the-cares-act

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YOUR HOSTS: Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director -* Liberty Lake Day Camp**

GUESTS: Scott Brody, Owner & Director - Camps Kenwood & Evergreen * Steve Baskin, Executive Director -* Camp Champions*,* Camp Pinnacle*, Partner -* Everwood Day Camp**

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SPONSORS:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

• AM Skier Insurance http://www.amskier.com/
• Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) https://crs4rec.com/

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Please review and subscribe!If you’ve gotten even one good thing from the Day Camp Pod, we would be so grateful if you left us a review and subscribed to this show in your favourite Podcast app.

It’s so easy!

Just click here: https://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

Thanks, Camp Pro!

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/01/approachability

There’s an incredible power dynamic at play when it comes to you and the rest of the staff, here’s how to address that head-on, with approachability!If your staff haven’t told you that you’re intimidating, then they just haven’t told you YET.

Gabz, Joe and Travis are here to share their best practices when it comes to toeing the line of approachability without being too attached or going the other direction and micro-managing.

How do you show approachability with your team? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Monster Feelings - Laura Tyson & Michael Smith (Eyes book)
Gabz: Hero 911
Joe: 50 bits of wisdom from someone who just turned 50 years old [that might surprise you…?]

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/01/dont-be-that-boss

You all know what kind of boss we’re talking about.Marcus Buckingham says it best - “People leave managers, not companies”.

Do you want to keep your best staff members?

Do you want to have a strong culture built on trust and empathy?

Do you want your camp to truly feel like a community?

Then for all the bosses, managers and supervisors.

Be better.

Chris, Gabz and Joe are here to break down what makes a boss the type of boss that staff will work through adversity (like COVID-19!) or the ones staff will leave in the dust.

(Without using names) what was something a boss did that made them that boss for you? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris: Circadian Optics - Light Therapy

Gabz: Get yourself a therapist - especially in the summer. If Gabz can make time for it, so can you.

Joe: 5 Gallon Bucket of Possibilities - Fill a bucket with things that would entertain kids and always have it on you. Plus, you always have a seat!

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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It’s our annual “Tool of the Week” show! All tools, all the time!
There are too many links to cram into these show-notes, so find them all at https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/12/all-tools-2020

New Tools Used In the last 4 months

• Travis:
  • 3D Printed Mask Bracket
  • RocketBook Orbit (and Cloud Cards)
• Joe:
  • Orient Your Screens To Be On Top of One Another
  • Fastcap Measuring Tape - Metric / Imperial

Chris:

• Padlet.com - online bulletin board

Gabz:

• Apple Pencil

Phone Apps

• Chris
  • Chwazi App - Determine Who Goes First - Apple / Google
  • Good News Network App - Apple / Google
  • DNDify - Epic RPG Music - Google
• Joe
  • Pocket
  • Feedly
  • Sketchbook Autodesk
• Travis
  • NanoTeleprompter - Google / Apple Other Version
  • AnyList
  • Yac - transcribed voice messages for your team. Works on Slack

Webinars

• Gabz
  • Embodied Anti-Racism
  • The Fundraising LabGo Camp Pro’s 5-Minute Fridays

Computer Apps

• Joe
  • Google for Work Suite - It just keeps getting better
  • Video Studio Pro Ultimate - Full Video Editor for $99
  • Framer - Prototype Phone Apps
• Chris
  • Snip & Sketch in Windows Windows Key + Shift + S
    • On Mac it’s cmd+shift+4
  • Audacity
  • PDANet for Android
• Travis
  • Command E - Universal Shortcut Tool
  • Stack Browser
  • Notion - Great note-taking interface

Gabz Bonus Items:

• Pocket Counsellor
• Chalk Markers - Put Plexiglass in front of chalkboards
• Junior Sized Football - A personal football that is special and to be thrown around by staff

Books

• Joe
  • Art Matters - Neil Gaiman
• Chris
  • How to Be an Anti-Racist - Ibram X. Kendi - Buy it from a black-owned bookstore, please!
• Gabz
  • White Fragility - Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin DiAngelo
• Travis
  • The City We Became - N.K. Jemisin

Bonus Items

• Chris
  • Toilet Paper roll chord organization system
• Joe
  • Pick Punch - Variety of Sizes
• Travis
  • Window Scrolling Keyboard Shortcuts - cmd+tab on mac or alt+tab on windows
• Gabz
  • White Christmas/Fairy Lights for you to own so they have as a back-up

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

• (Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find more at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/12/top-10-maintenance-skills

Because you wear many hats as a Camp Pro - and one of them is often a hard-hat!As a Camp Pro, there will be a time when either you won’t have a maintenance team, or there will be too many things that need to be fixed.

When that time comes, you can either pay for someone to come in OR roll up your sleeves and get to work.

That being said, most Camp Pros don’t get into the industry with a background in maintenance. And while we’re not suggesting you take time off to do a bunch of apprenticeships, some basic maintenance will definitely go a long way!

Gabz, Chris, Joe and Travis huddle up to bring you their most useful maintenance skills that will both save you money and leave you with that sense of satisfaction that comes from fixing something yourself.

What is your most used maintenance skill at camp? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Franz App

Chris: Native Land app and website

Gabz: Chainsaw

Joe: Picquic Screwdriver - “If Chuck Norris was a screwdriver, he would be a Picquic.”

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Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find more at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/11/mentoring-the-next-gen

The future of the camp industry rests on the shoulders of our current leadership staff. How do we help them take the plunge into full-time camping? Every year you come back to camp, it becomes less and less about yourself.

We always need to be looking forward. No matter how challenging times are, the camp industry will recover and is going to need new leadership.

How can we give the future generation of camp pros the best leg-up as they shape and leave their stamp on the industry?

What is one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of camp pros? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Blank Playing Cards - Matte Finish + Blank Dice
Chris: Canva.com
Gabz: Miro
Joe: https://www.goggles4u.com/ - online prescription eyeglasses - CHEAP

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Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/blog/women-of-gcp-podcast

What do you call it when you gather a bunch of female camp and podcasting pros in a room? You call it AWESOME.In today’s special crossover episode, Beth Allison from Camp Code hosts a conversation with several of the women who podcast with Go Camp Pro. Today’s episode features Rachel Kent and Cassie Bloy from Beyond Camp, Sam Thompson from the Day Camp Pod, Kelly Schuna from The Camp Owner’s Podcast, and Ruby Compton from Camp Code and Gabrielle Raill from CampHacker and Camp Code.

Listen in as these women discuss their mentors who inspired them in the industry, challenges women face working at camp and advice for new camp pros. Interestingly, all of these women have also attended the Women in Camp Summit in previous years. During the episode, they discuss some of their biggest takeaways from the event as well as what they are most looking forward to for this year’s Live Virtual Summit taking place December 2-3. Find out more about the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual event at https://www.womenincampsummit.com.

Gabrielle announced this year’s Summit will also feature the first of the “Becoming Allies” series with an event titled “Becoming Allies: Supporting Women in Camp” on December 4. Folks who want to participate in the Allies event can register through this link: https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-4051965

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The Women in Camp Summit needs your support! The planning team for the Summit has set a $7,500 fundraising goal to offer scholarships to attendees and off-set the costs of hosting this unique professional development event. Every dollar counts. Donate today and donate again on the Day of Giving for the Women in Camp Summit on November 24. Donate here: https://acai.wildapricot.org/allies/

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Love this episode?Find more Podcast goodness at gocamp.pro/podcast. Also, if you want to support the work that we do, please consider subscribing to the shows, and leaving us a rating in your favourite Podcast app.

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On This Episode:* Beth Allison, Camp Consultant and Co-Owner - Go Camp Pro * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors * Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District * Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch * Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting * Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/11/other-sources-of-revenue

Camp people are creative people and this year, more than ever, we need to extend that creativity into revenue generation.Haven’t we talking about this before? Yes! Twice! AND - Can you ever have enough ideas for drumming up some new revenue?

Join Gabz, Chris, Travis and Joe as they unpack a TON of new ideas to generate some more money to help your camp whether the financial lows of 2020-2021.

What are some of the successes you’ve had with creative revenue generation? Let us know in the comments!

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Past Episodes on This Topic* Other Sources of Income - with Jalisa Danhof - CampHacker #123 * New Sources of Revenue for Summer Camps - CampHacker #6

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Body Back Buddy Classic - Back Massager

Chris: Casio F91W-1 Classic Resin Strap Digital Sport Watch

Gabz: Wax Cardboard

Joe: The Laws of Simplicity - John Maeda

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find more at http://www.camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/10/running-camp-with-less

Summer 2021 will probably not be a summer of abundance. Here’s how to be ready to do just as much (or more) with less at your camp this summer. This will be a summer that will unify camps that are used to having lots and those who are making it work with less.

As we gear up and mask up for the summer of 2021, our program budgets will quickly turn into hand-sanitizer budgets and the creative problem-solving abilities that we’ve been fostering will definitely be put to the test.

Don’t fret though, the CampHacker team has your back. All of our team, Gabz, Chris, Joe and Travis have had lots of experience in the non-profit camp world and are ready to share their frugally magic camp tips.

We think this episode talking about having a little gives you a LOT of great ideas.

What are your best tips for doing camp with more scarce resources? Let us know in the comments!

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Bonus Linkhttp://www.thegameofvillage.com

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Two articles from Kevin Love with the Cleveland Cavaliers: Everyone is Going Through Something & To Anybody Going Through It

Chris: Slack for staff and group communication.

Gabz: Just Not Sorry

Joe: Inspiring Newsletters - The Magnet, 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter, Laura Olin

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find more at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/i-am-who-i-am

Our identities are critical, yet unexplored when it comes to the context of being a Camp Director. Well you know we don’t shy away from unexplored things, and Heather Davidson is here to dive in with us.Today we are talking about identities because we love talking about them, how do our identities interact with our personal and professional lives.

Heather Davidson shares about her experiences openly and honestly, about her identity and how it has played a role in her life. Talking about tokenism, representation, and more, we dive in with her and discuss how we can better mirror various identities in camping and more.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• How Heather, Cassie and Rachel identify themselves.
• Is there a feeling of ever needing to hide your identity?
• As a leader do you feel responsibility or pressure to discuss your identity? How do you cope with that?
• Do you feel like you see yourself represented in the camping world?
• What is your biggest take away from living through a Pandemic? Personal and/or Professional

Do you struggle with your identity in as a camp director? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Recharge StationHow do you charge your batteries? What makes you feel inspired?

Heather: Craft Beer - Support Your Local Brewery!

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada

Heather Davidson, Supervisor - Gym/Club Programming (Program Development) - City of Hamilton

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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How do camp pros process grief?Welcome to a Beyond Camp Mini-Pod!

Here we take a few minutes to talk about some of the emotions and feelings that camp pros may be forced to process in their time as directors.

We start off with grief.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Grief at the end of the summer
• Grief as a process and an emotion
• Grief in crisis or immediate grief when something happens such as lost of loved one
• Long term grief
• Grief over lost potential

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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Find full notes and links at - https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2020/10/creating-your-own-support-network

The road to the summer of 2021 is one that we shouldn’t walk alone.Camp Directors everywhere are so quick to say “it’s lonely at the top” but does the conversation really stop there?

We are doing the best we can, but at a certain point, we can’t do it alone.

Who do you turn to? Who are the people that you can rely on when things are tough?

This episode of the CampHacker Podcast is all about finding the people that are going to get you through the sometimes lonely work of being a camp director.

Tune in to hear what’s worked for Travis, Gabz, Chris and Joe.

Who’s in your support network? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: USB LED Clock for minding the time in Zoom meetings and webinars

Chris: Habitica.com

Gabz: Owaves

Joe: One Page Internet - https://www.hvper.com/

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey

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Find more at https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/pandemic-fatigue

This is hard, and this is real, so what do we do when we’re camp directors who are just so darn sick of the pandemic?We have all heard the term or a variation of it: Pandemic Fatigue, Crisis Burnout… whatever you call it, it exists. We are digging into how we have managed and are managing as the pandemic moves on with us day after day.

From research to lived experiences join us as we discuss our journey as the pandemic continues to be in our lives.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• What is pandemic fatigue? How do you know if you’re feeling it?
• How is pandemic fatigue like crisis fatigue?
• No matter what we call it, how do we cope with it?
• How does what we see on the news and social media add to our ongoing fatigue?
• How do we get off this rollercoaster of emotion?

Have you experienced pandemic fatigue? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Bonus Content:Aka, the stuff we said would be in the show notes! Thanks for reading!

• Psychology Today:Crisis Fatigue and the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Hopkin’s Medicine: How to Deal with Coronavirus Burnout and Pandemic Fatigue

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Recharge StationHow do you charge your batteries? What makes you feel inspired?

Rachel: Healthy Foods. As many of us head into the fall season, what new recipes are you trying?

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

View Details

Find full show notes and links at https://camphacker.tv/podcast

At the end of a long and weird summer, let’s take a second to reflect on what we’ve learned from a Summer Camp season in a global pandemic. Welcome to season 10 of the CampHacker Podcast.We’re on the other side of the summer of 2020.

Wait, really? Where did the summer go? What happened?

We need to do what Camp Pros do best. It’s the skill that we teach kids about in every great team-building activity - reflection. And yes, yes, yes we know, reflecting after something hard is the last thing we may want to do, but as you know, the best debriefs happen after a team-building activity doesn’t go super well.

So after a summer that - as a massive understatement - didn’t go super well - Who better to dig into it than the CampHacker Podcast crew.

Hear from Travis, Gab, Joe and our new host, Chris on how the summer of 2020 went for them and what they are taking away from it.

What do you want to hear from the CampHacker Podcast this season? Let us know in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: https://app.jqbx.fm/ (pronounced Jukebox) - an app that lets people work together on creating a live DJ playlist. USB LED Clock for minding the time in Zoom meetings and webinars

Chris: ZoomJam! - https://zoomjam.org/

Gabz: Mini Club Social - https://www.miniclubsocial.com/flow

Joe: Scroll Saw - Hegner - or entry level or FUNDO - https://fundo.town/camp/creator/#/home/events

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Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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NOTE: Beyond Camp will be leaving the CampHacker Feed on November 1st - please subscribe to Beyond Camp in it's own Podcast feed and listen & subscribe over there!

We’re back and we’re digging in just as hard as in the summer. First up - our identity - as people and camp pros.Season 2 of Beyond Camp has arrived! After finishing our first season in what felt like record speed we are excited to be sharing our first conversation of season 2 with all of you. Sit back and relax as we discuss our identities, what they mean to us and how they shape us and why we are dedicating so much time to talking about them. We aren’t experts but we are here to get vulnerable and learn alongside each one of you.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Where Cassie and Rachel are at in the fall of 2020
• Why the theme of this season is going to be all about identity
• How identities carry weight and privilege in different settings
• How to learn about identities that we don’t know or relate to?
• What do we stand to lose if we don’t talk about identity at camp?
• What’s next for Rachel and Cassie?

Thanks for tuning in to this season of Beyond Camp! What should we talk about next season? Send our producer, Matt and email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Bonus Content:Aka, the stuff we said would be in the show notes! Thanks for reading!

• Book: The Art of Possibility
• Leilani Nussman’s Anti-Racism In Summer Camps article series
• Instagram: S’more Melanin
• Nalgene Water Bottle

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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We’ve come so far, and there’s so far to go. Let’s talk about where we go from here as we explore the world Beyond Camp!For the final episode of our first season of Beyond Camp we are diving into how the summer went, how we felt, and what it brought up for each of us. We are sharing with transparency and honesty, diving in and unpacking our emotions or discovering ways in making time for holding space for yourself and how you are feeling. We are here to dive into the tough stuff, so come and join us for this conversation.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Reflection on summer 2020 and our first season of Beyond Camp
• Our usual end of summer traditions and how that changed this year
• What’s been surprising about the end of this summer?
• What will our fall routines look like this year compared to next?
• What is something unexpected we have gained from a summer without camp?
• What’s next for Beyond Camp?

Thanks for tuning in to this season of Beyond Camp! What should we talk about next season? Send our producer, Matt and email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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We know “growth mindset” so why are we so stuck on the idea that resilience is fixed? Dr. G is here to teach us how we, and the rest of the camp industry can be resilient amid such a trying time. You do NOT want to miss this interview!We are beyond grateful for this conversation with Dr. G.

Join us as we are dive into how resilience has played a role in our experiences as camp professionals and through the pandemic. This episode is filled with truth bombs and many metaphors for working through the hard moments and digging into how we can support each other and move through our fear and growth zones.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• How has Dr. G and her family faired during the summer of 2020?
• What has she seen from her patience when it comes to their stresses and concerns throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic?
• Hear about how people who have resiliency have fared over the past few months vs. those that are discovering/building their resiliency
• Some advice from Dr. G about how to treat our colleagues in online and offline spaces.
• Tips from Dr. G on how we can build our own resiliency muscles over the next year.
• What recommendations does Dr. G have for camp pros who are struggling with job loss/change, loss of tradition and routine?

Thanks to Dr. G for joining us on this episode! Who else should join us on Beyond Camp? Share in the comments!

Dr. G’s Back to School 2020 Resilience GuideDr. G created a page on her site for any camp or youth program to sign up and get your own link to my resources. If you follow the two steps there, she will send you sample emails, newsletter pieces, social media posts to let your families know about what she has

to offer. Any family that purchases through your camp's link generates 20% of the sale straight to your camp. Here's an outline of what some of the Back-to-school resources look like.

Links & Other Bonus Material* Dr G’s resilience board game

Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

Guest:Dr. Deborah Gilboa, “Dr. G”, Resilience, Parenting & Youth Development Expert - www.askdoctorg.com

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The guts, smarts and mindset that it takes to pivot a traditional summer camp to a family retreat program. Welcome to the Podcast, Darby!We are so excited to be speaking with Darby Dame today on her pivot, personally and professionally, as her camp moved from Camp to Family Retreats.

She speaks intentionally and with passion about her experiences this summer, from connecting with families, learning to cook, to spending time with loved ones.

Sit with us, as we dive in and connect with Darby.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Darby’s journey into the Camp Industry
• How did Darby personally and professionally managed the uncertainty that came with her camp transitioning in this huge way?
• What were some of the biggest stresses for her, camp and her family during this time?
• How did Darby’s identity change as a result of this summer?
• What were some silver linings about this summer for Darby?

Thanks to Darby for joining us on this episode! Who else should join us on Beyond Camp? Share in the comments!

Links & Other Bonus Material* Beyond Camp #1 - Who Am I Without Camp?

Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

Guest:Darby Dame, Director of Communications and Marketing, High Rocks Camp for Boys

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A conversation around how to make the camp and recreation industries a more welcoming place for a wider range of people. In this special summer bonus episode, Travis is joined by Dr. Daniel Theriault to discuss racism, power and privilege in the recreation industry. Dr. Theriault and Travis dig into some of the work that’s needed to subvert these unhealthy systems within the rec and camp industry.

It’s a great interview and we’re so grateful to Dr. Theriault for joining us.

Some notes from this interview:

Dr. Theriault proposes three things that all recreation professionals, camp professionals, and white people can do to start to

1. Work to see power and privilege - the power systems that shape the way the world works (racism, classism, etc.).
2. Take responsibility for our role in those systems.
3. Take anti-racist actions.

Drilling down into some specifics:

• Normalize the lack of comfort that will surely follow when we start to confront our involvement in systems power and privilege
• Read what is painful - read and absorb information on the BIPOC history and experience so we are better equipped to serve our campers through that lens of understanding.
• Think about the media that we absorb and how BIPOC communities are represented in those shows and movies.

Daniel and Travis come to some for the Summer Camp Industry as a whole:

• Be careful about the language we use and the messages it sense. For example, how might “Color War” be perceived in light of the racial conflict that has existed in communities over the last 200+ years.
• Look at policy - Who do we value? Who do we hire? Why do we hire them?
• Educate ourselves and others on the history of the land our camp is on and who occupied the land not just before the camp, but before settlement.
• Increasing representation of diverse staff at your camp. This can help your camp start to truly look like a camp where BIPOC campers can see themselves.
  • First steps here include ensuring our pre-camp training includes topics of power, privilege and the contexts of racism.
  • Building relationships of trust with community organizations, HBCUs and other places where you may look to hire BIPOC folks.

Remember, these are bullet-points, not check-boxes. Undoing the systems of racism, power and privilege is going to be lifelong work.

Thank you to those Camp Pros who are committed to continuing to do this continued work.

Links from this episode* Dr. Theriault’s article: Vulnerable Teaching in Leisure Studies

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Dr. Daniel Theriault**, Assistant Professor of Recreation Management at Appalachian State University - theriaultds@appstate.edu

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(Thank you!)

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During a pandemic, it takes guts to even go and get take-out, imagine what it would take to start your own virtual camp! Imagine no more! Eva Peringer share’s her journey with us here on Beyond Camp.Today we are speaking with Eva Peringer who has pivoted this summer to founding her own virtual theatre and arts youth program.

Her view of the pandemic focuses on gratitude and adjusting our perspective. This is a new and exciting view that we dive deep into on this episode. She took the opportunity to recognize her power and choose what she wanted to do with it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Eva’s journey through the Camp Industry
• How did Eva personally and professionally manage the uncertainty that came with starting her own camp in the midst of the COIVD-19 pandemic?
• What were some of the biggest stresses for her, camp and her family during this time?
• What kinds of things were unexpected about what it’s like to start a camp from scratch?
• What were some of the hidden silver linings and joys that came from this experience?

Thanks to Eva for joining us on this episode! Who else should join us on Beyond Camp? Share in the comments!

Links & Other Bonus Material* The sleep challenge channel in the COVID-19 + Camp Slack group

Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

Guest:Eva Peringer, Co-Founder, Youth Theatre Online

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What did it take to run in-person programming this year? Where did the guts, confidence and motivation come from? Jalisa Danhof will tell you.
This episode, we are excited to share a conversation with Jalisa Danhof, who took on the challenge of running in-person overnight camp during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Through her creative and innovative style, she lead her team to beat the odds and flourish.

Even though there were challenges and pieces of the puzzle that were beyond her control, Jalisa and her team overcame them each day with success and pride. Jalisa thrives on confrontation and challenge: “I chew them up like a dragon and spit them out stronger and more resilient than ever before.” yeah - that’s right!

You won’t want to miss this conversation!

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• How Jalisa came to her full-time role at Camp Newaygo
• How did Jalisa personally and professionally manage the uncertainty that came with the pandemic looming?
• What were some of the biggest stresses for her, camp and her family during this time?
• What changed in her role and her approach to her job due to this different summer?
• What are some of the things that Jalisa is grateful for after the summer of 2020? What will she take away from it?

Thanks to Jalisa for joining us on this episode! Who else should join us on Beyond Camp? Share in the comments!

Links & Other Bonus Material* Video: Simon Sinek - How Great Leaders Inspire Action (Start With Why) * Jalisa’s Recharge Pick - The Office Ladies Podcast

Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

Guest:Jalisa Danhof, Director, Camp Newaygo

What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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What’s the opposite, but still unhelpful version of a “Debbie Downer”?…A “Chipper Charlie”? Whatever it is, there’s a time and a place when that overly positive personality is not appropriate. Let’s dig into “Toxic Positivity”Do you ever find yourself thinking or saying “nothing can go right today”. Have you had some say “Just look on the bright side” or “think positive.” in response? When someone shares the sentiment of simply “remaining positive” through something as hard as a global pandemic, they may not realize the effect they are having on others.

Do you find you struggle to share your emotions and put on your mask when having conversations with enthusiastically positive personalities? Beyond Camp is ready to dig into toxic positivity and how we can navigate the use of healthy positivity with those that surround us.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• What is toxic positivity and where does it show up in and out of camp?
• What effect does it have on people who are genuinely struggling?
• How to handle a situation where someone is displaying some toxic positivity? How to have that hard conversation.
• How does toxic positivity get in the way of an empathetic response to hardship?
• What does positive and healthy self-talk look like during a crisis as big as this one?
• How do we help our staff understand toxic positivity in a way that encourages resilience, but doesn’t shame the naturally positive person,

Have you had an experience with toxic positivity? Tell us about it in the comments!

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Links & Other Bonus Material* Video: Brené Brown on Empathy * Article: Positive Self-Talk * HBR: Make a To-Don’t List

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Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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Full show notes at http://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp

Do you have the guts to tear it all down and start building the life that you want? It’s not easy, but take it from Ruby Compton, it’s possible!With so many of our lives in turmoil right now in one way or another, some can see it as the perfect time to rebuild. The desire to do this can either come from a sense of “well, it’s already in shambles anyway” or, from a lens of “this is something that I can actually control amidst the chaos”.

Either way, it’s a brave decision to start aligning yourself with a new/different purpose. Hats off to you for even contemplating it.

So, what does it take to make the leap? How do you know it’s time? What will it actually be like?

Who better to answer these questions than someone who has, and is living that transformation? That’s why we called in the creme de la creme, the queen of the raft, Go Camp Pro Podcaster extraordinaire - Ruby Compton!

We dive into this topic with Ruby as she shares with us how she’s building her business and career around her life - instead of the other way around. Join us as we discuss finding the courage to take a different path and how she stays true to herself and her values.

Whether you’re planning on starting your own business or just want to explore the path less travelled, we are certain there’s something in this conversation for you.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Ruby’s camp “origin story”
• How Ruby moved into and out of full-time directing and camp work
• How growth needs to be a continuous part of our life’s work, no matter the role we are in
• Finding a way to consistently check-in to see if the work is matching your values
• Developing a healthier relationship with work-life balance
• Much, much more!

Who is another guest we should have on Beyond Camp? Let us know in the comments!

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Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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What connects you to your “True-North”? When the world feels like it’s been flipped upside down, where can we turn to sort itself out? Let’s get oriented to the new normal together here on Beyond Camp. Things are changing at a dizzying pace and it can be hard to orient ourselves. Daily we are pulled in new directions, by the news, social media, our peers, friends and family. So come, grab your compass and dig into this conversation as we discuss how to find our bearings, what grounds us and how we are charting our path forwards.

Join hosts Rachel and Cassie as they share some strategies, boundaries, routines and introspective practices to help you find your way through the foggy landscape that is Summer 2020.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Strategies and advice on cautious media, news and social media consumption
• Establishing routines to establish a sense of normalcy in your day and week
• Leaning into your values and traits to help you discover and use what you are truly gifted at
• Surrounding yourself with the right community to support you through the twists and turns
• Looking into bettering yourself and your skillset through education and professional development opportunities
• Much, much more!

What is something your compass points to? Let us know in the comments!

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Links & Other Bonus Material* COVID-19 Visual Facts * Book: Atomic Habits * Gallups’s Clifton Strengths * HBR: Reinventing Your Career + Subscribe to the HBR email digest here

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Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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Whether you’re a coaster-nut or not, this was NOT the ride we thought it would be. Grab your barf-bag and let’s dig into this episode of Beyond CampAnyone else feel like they are strapped into a roller coaster they didn’t sign up for and can’t get off of? You’re not alone. Join us today as we talk about the highs and lows of the last few months. We talk boundaries, supporting ourselves and those who turn to us during challenging times.

We are here to remind you that it’s okay to feel those feelings, to talk about them and to be kind to yourself.

As camp pros, we give this advice to others all the time and often fail to take it ourselves. We are here to be that camp director for you, to remind yourself that it’s okay to feel a bit out of control, to not know what’s going on and to sometimes feel like you’ve just been flipped upside down.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Validation of the emotions you may be feeling - it’s okay to not be okay
• Recognizing your emotions - naming them and claiming them
• Some ways to cope during the peaks and valleys of emotions
• Moving past the guilty feelings of enjoying a summer without camp
• Working through the varying stages of grief that comes with this time
• How to set boundaries for when others want to offer you support

How are you managing the emotional roller coaster? Let us know in the comments!

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Links & Other Bonus Material found at gocamp.pro/beyondcamp-

Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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If we don’t have Summer Camp? What are we? Who are we? Let’s answer this together.The pandemic has uprooted all of us, it’s unprecedented, caused us to pivot, turned our worlds upside down… you’ve heard it all by now.

We’ve heard these words a million times. Listen in today as we chat about how we have are coping with what feels like losing a part of ourselves.

We often feel called to be a camp director and when that’s gone we feel like we’ve lost part of ourselves. Join us for the first episode of Beyond Camp where we explore what our identity meant to us, why it was so important and how we are slowly moving forward. This is hard stuff, but together we can do hard things.

Join hosts Rachel & Cassie as they dive deep into this tough, but necessary conversation.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

• Why does the COVID-19 camp pandemic hurt camp professionals so personally?
• What words and language can we use to communicate both a sense of loss or solidarity with other camp professionals
• What are we actually missing? Why does this hurt so much for some of us?
• What if folks don’t get it? What if they still don’t understand what we really do/did as camp professionals?
• What things can we do re-charge and refill our bucket during this hard time?

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Links & Other Bonus Material* Articles + HBR: What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Whole Identity + The School of Life: How Your Job Shapes Your Identity + Psychology Today: You Are Not Your Work + HBR: Separate Who You Are From What You Do

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Enjoy the new show?We’re grateful to those of you who shared their excitement for the show with us. If you enjoyed Beyond Camp, please pass it on to a Camp Director in your circle.

Any feedback? Send Matt an email at matt@gocamp.pro

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Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada - kentr@girlguides.ca

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What is Beyond Camp?Beyond Camp is a new summer Podcast brought to you by Go Camp Pro.

Cassie Bloy and Rachel Kent are here to explore the intersection of camp and our lives. As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

Go Camp Pro is excited to bring you this weekly podcast during the summer of 2020.

If you have any feedback, or would like to support the work of Go Camp Pro email our producer, Matt, at matt@gocamp.pro

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A Camp Podcast, in the Summer!?

Coming July 9th, 2020: Beyond Camp: Exploring the Intersection of Camp and Our Lives

As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.

For the summer, stay tuned to the CampHacker Podcast feed. We're releasing a new show every week!

We hope you enjoy this preview! Episode one drops July 9th at 6 am.

If you have any feedback or ideas for future topics please get in touch! - matt@gocamp.pro.

Go well and safely friends, see you next week.

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We need to be in this for the long-run. Think ahead to 2025 with the CampHacker Podcast.Things are hard now. It’s no doubt.

However, through hard things, comes the opportunity for big and beautiful changes.

It’s is the idea of weathering the storm and watching the flowers thrive.

Give yourself a break from the doom and gloom to think about what your camping program will look like in 5 years. 5 summers from now, what do you want to be proud of? How will we show the world the importance of camp after the possibility of a summer without it?

When it comes to thinking big, there’s no other crew you want in your corner. The whole gang is here, so sit back, relax for a second and dream alongside Gabz, Dan, Joe and Travis.

In what ways do you think camp will look different in 2025? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Voice messaging Slack extension - https://talk-talk.me/

Dan: Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand PRO - https://amzn.to/35Xpo0V

Joe: Lee Valley Best-Ever Picture Screw - https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/picture-hanging-and-framing/anchors-and-screws/76382-lee-valley-best-ever-picture-screw

Gabz: TeamGantt Project Management Framework - https://www.teamgantt.com/google-sheets-gantt-chart-template

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -* Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Gabrielle Raill*, Camp Director -* Camp Ouareau**

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(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Real Talk. Dealing with COVID and camp is hard and we can’t keep going at this 24/7. What are Travis, Dan and Joe doing to avoid thinking about COVID-19?You may be a work-horse. You have been the camp counsellor who stayed up until 3 am to finish that extra special surprise for your campers. You may have been the Program Director who spent hours upon hours trying to quash staff drama. You may have even spent the night pouring over accreditation standards and thinking about every little detail you needed to fix before your standards visit the next day.

You may have been able to do that, but COVID-19 and camp is not that.

When we are dealing with something this ominous, we more than ever need to set mental boundaries. We’re not talking about taking a 15-minute mindfulness break, or trying to re-frame this all as an opportunity, or simply trying to just keep working to deal with this.

You need a mental pause, and to take a second to take off the mask of security and strong leadership that you put on for your staff, families and alumni.

And if you think that this is the mindset of amateurs in the industry, it most certainly is not.

We wanted to get real with you on this episode of the CampHacker Podcast. This is Travis, Dan and Joe talking about what they, as people with a combined almost 100 years in the industry are doing to protect their sanity during this unprecedented time in the camping world.

Tune in to hear our 3 hosts share their favourite Podcasts, Books, Music, TV Shows and Hobbies that they use to switch their brains from the mentally, physically and emotionally taxing jobs of keeping their programs, and the industry as a whole, alive.

Editors Note: I’m extremely grateful to Joe, Dan and Travis for their radical openness and vulnerability in this episode.

What are you doing to intentionally foster community and empathy with your team? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Custom Zoom Signs - Vote, SMRT, and “You’re Muted”

Dan: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Joe: Yo-Yo Tricks - https://yoyotricks.com/

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -* Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island**

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Being a leader in crisis is necessary, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The CampHacker team is here to help.This is a test of our leadership.

COVID-19 is likely one of the biggest threats to your camp that you, as a director has faced in your camping career.

In times like this, it’s easy to look inward. It’s natural to worry about the money, about the uncertainty of viability if you miss a summer, disappointing children…sorry, we don’t have to remind you of all that you’re worrying about right now.

When things are hard, the sign of a great leader is the one that shows compassion, empathy and care for their staff team. Think about your high school and college-aged staff right now. The prospect of summer without camp is emotionally devastating and they need your help.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not suggesting that you need to sugar-coat things and tell them that everything’s going to be alright. What they need, is for you to walk beside them in their feelings. That may look like being honest with them, to coach them through their feelings, or maybe even simply to take the time to listen to them.

If you want to be strategic about it, think about your staff team in 2021. Do you want to start from scratch, or do you want to have a team of people who loved camp, felt heard, and stayed connected through an emotionally difficult time for you, and them?

This is your time to show them, that no matter what, you, camp, and the community of their peers are here for them.

What are you doing to intentionally foster community and empathy with your team? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Ruby’s Slack suggestions https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-3-the-fun-stuff https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-2-of-3 https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-1-of-3

Dan: Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover

Joe: GRR-Ripper 3D Pushblock for table saws - https://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper

Gabz: Apple Arcade: What the Golf

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -* Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Gabrielle Raill*, Camp Director -* Camp Ouareau**

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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COVID-19 and Summer Camp as of April 1st, 2020. The hard question that we need to be asking in April 2020.This question is a definite punch in the gut.

However, as the COVID-19 situation evolves, we need to consider the very real possibility that we may not see a summer of camp until 2020.

It sucks. A lot, but if we think of this in the sphere of things we can and things we can’t control, things become a little clearer.

We may not have control over if the summer of 2020 runs, but we do have some control over if camp will survive in the long-run.

Tune in to this episode to hear Gabz, Travis and Joe discuss

In this emergency episode, we discuss:

• What should camp professionals be considering and planning for when there is this much uncertainty in the camp world.
• What are the practical things we need to consider if there is no spring/summer 2020?
• If camp doesn’t run in 2020, what can we do to help camp survive and thrive in 2021?
  • Hint: You probably shouldn’t be relying on the fund you would get from not refunding people’s camp fees or differing them until next summer.
• How to preserve the institutional memory of how camp runs if you’re going to miss a summer.
• How to support your community amidst what will surely be devastating news.

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DisclaimerThis is not legal advice, nor does it act as a substitute for keeping yourself up to code with your governmental health regulations. Please act with an informed and current perspective.

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Resources Go Camp Pro’s COVID-19 & Camp Master Resource Page * Go Camp Pro’s Camps & COVID-19 (free) Slack team* * The Day Camp Pod’s COVID-19 Episode from March 20th * The Camp Owners Podcast COVID-19 Episode from March 31st * ACA Camp Business Resource Page + Webpage on the ACA website with links related to federal and state resources, webinars, articles, etc.

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Marco Polo app

Joe: Strange Collections - and why you should share them.

Gabz: Walk and talk - Bose

Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
• Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Being (or acting as) a marketing expert. The perfect answer for when someone asks, “so, what do you do the rest of the year?" Many of us didn’t get into this business because we love marketing.

We do what we do because we believe in the transformative power that the camp experience has on a child’s life. We do it because we want to create communities of inclusion and welcoming for our staff. We do it because we want to create a world of creativity and wonder for kids.

Well, guess what? You can build those things, but if there are no people to experience it, then what’s the point? It’s one thing to have an amazing staff, wonderful programs or sparkling facilities, but if we don’t properly tell the story of those things and the way they impact the lives of kids, then we aren’t doing them the justice they surely deserve.

That’s why every camp director needs to channel their inner sales-person once and awhile.

And while this isn’t necessarily easy, it doesn’t have to be painful. Not only are there zillions of marketing courses, books and seminars you can take, but there a ton of camps and inner-industry experts that you can look to for advice and examples.

In this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Travis, (the Camp Marketing Maverick himself) is joined by two excellent and intentional camp marketers. A big thanks to Jiné Andreozzi and Amanda Hinski for so openly sharing their best practices with the industry in this way.

Tune in to this episode to hear more about:

• What’s the best foundational advice for camp marketers?
• As camp is getting closer, what are some of the most effective things we can do to market our programs?
• How to strategically communicate with our families from pre-registration to day one of camp How do we build trust in the idea of summer camp to those who might not understand it?
• What marketing techniques are being used in the business world that camps can leverage?
• What should we be asking in our end of season survey to most effectively target our advertising?
• Many more great marketing nuggets!

What are you doing to tell your camp’s story this time of year? Tell us about it in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Board Game - “Welcome to...Your Perfect Home” - https://amzn.to/2UxqTie

Amanda: “Getting Things Done” by David Allen - https://amzn.to/39B1XdS

Jiné: Grammarly - https://grammarly.com/

Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Jiné Andreozzi*, Director of Operations, YMCA Camp Chingachgook* * Amanda Hinski*, Chief Brand Experience Officer,* Frost Valley YMCA**

• Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)
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Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Where can you find some creativity in your daily schedule? (and where shouldn’t you?)As camp people, it’s in our nature to innovate. We are great at looking at routine or program and think, “Hey, wouldn’t this be better if we did this!?”. This is even something that we praise staff for. How many of your evaluation forms list “creative thinking” as a trait that is seen as desirable?

The problem can come when our creative ambitions give us the desire to tweak something that has been intentionally done, without considering or consulting those intentions.

It’s a tricky line to tow. We need to balance our creativity with the fact that routines are important for campers, staff and families. Things that affect our camper’s circadian rhythms, dietary schedules and some of their other Maslow’s needs should be strongly considered before we make a big change.

To help you tow that line between magic and monotony, Travis, Joe and Dan are once again joined by Camp Code Co-Host, Ruby Compton. Ruby’s many years in and around the camp industry have given her a unique perspective on what is up for changing and what should stay sacred this summer.

Tune in to this episode to hear more about:

• How routines affect campers and their families
• How camps walk the line between routine and ritual
• How to set boundaries for staff on what is and isn’t fair-game to change
• What are the important parts of the day that are absolutely necessary to include
• How to inject some creativity into the necessary and the in-between times
• Many, many more great ideas!

What is something special about the flow of your Camp Day? Tell us about it in the comments!

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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Travis: Fireflies.ai

Joe: https://hibid.com/ - Auctions for Camp Stuff

Ruby: The Non-Profit Leadership Team by Fisher Howe

Dan: The Power of Showing Up by Tina Bryson & Dan Siegel

Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
• Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
• Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Find the full transcript and video here

As of March 6th, 2020, What you need to know about COVID-19 and Summer CampThis special edition of the CampHacker Podcast is an interview with Dr. Amy Greer surrounding COVID-19 and what we know, as of March 6th, 2020 and summer camp.

Dr. Amy Greer is one of Canada's top infectious disease specialists and researchers, Dr. Amy Greer and a summer camp alumnus. You can follow her on twitter here - https://twitter.com/AmyGreerKalisz.

There’s a lot of great information here, and it’s definitely worth the listen.

Some quick takeaways (many more in the recording):

• Amy asked that we not share this video with our families - the information will become out of date quickly. It was recorded on Friday, March 6th
• You need to be consulting your local Health Department (I assume you're doing this already) for 2 things: what to be preparing now for your medical procedures this summer and making a call closer to this summer about whether/how camp will run
• you should prepare a new procedure this summer to get all families to confirm, no more than 48-hours before camp, that their camper is not symptomatic
• you should be ready with new cleaning/disinfecting procedures this summer.

We hope you find this interview helpful. If you have any follow-up questions, please forward them to travis@gocamp.pro

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice, nor does it act as a substitute for keeping yourself up to code with your governmental health regulations. Please act with an informed and current perspective.

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2020 Re-post - Preventing Spread of Norwalk and Other Infections at CampHey Camp Pros, with concerns about the coronavirus and COVID-19, we’re going off-schedule and digging this show out of the CampHacker archives.

Shortly, we’ll be releasing a new episode that specifically focuses on what camp pros should be thinking about when it comes to camp, coronavirus and COVID-19.

Sign-up for the Go Camp Pro newsletter and we’ll send the episode right to your inbox.

From Travis: I have often said that camp would be an amazing place for a public health researcher to take a look at the ways that diseases are spread throughout communities. I have watched little things like pink eye or head lice (traumatic, but not life-threatening) run through camp in less than a day.

In this episode of the CampHacker Podcast Gab and I were thrilled to bring in Marty Ferguson from YMCA Camp Chief Ouray in Colorado. Camp Chief Ouray has developed some very smart protocols to protect their camper and staff from diseases that can spread at camp.

We also had John MacDonald, my step-dad, who is a retired Health Inspector from Ontario, Canada. John has had a long career in the public health field and was always a great resource to Beth and I.

Thank you to both of them for being on the show!

Download our Camp Kitchen Compliance Record

We hope you get lots from our discussion.

If you have any questions about communicable diseases at camp please leave them in the comments below or send us a tweet to @CampHacker using the #CampPros hashtag.

Tool of the Week – Make yourself a better Camp Director

Travis: FocusatWill.com
Gab: Twitter for your desktop
Marty: Season of Life by Jeffery Marx
John: HACCP training

Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.org
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Marty Ferguson, Director - Camp Chief Ouray (YMCA of the Rockies)
• John MacDonald, Retired Health Inspector

Thanks for the evening, friends.

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Find the Tools of the Week and more links from this episode at http://camphacker.tv/podcast

If you don’t make your expectations clear, it’s your fault when people don’t meet them. Harsh, right? Well, it’s true!

As Camp Directors, one of the biggest disservices that we can do to our staff is to be unclear about our expectations of them. From the application to the exit interview, we need to be clear not only about our expectations but also about what they can expect from the job.

This isn’t to say that you need to lay out every single expectation for every single program at camp. That would be obnoxious and would stifle creativity. The expectations that you should give to staff are the higher-level ones like the quality of work you expect, the work culture, timeliness, communication and other important policies.

Being clear about your expectations is the best way for staff to know instantly where they stand in terms of their performance. If your expectations are clear enough, your staff evaluations become less focused on telling them where they did or didn’t meet expectations, but why they did or didn’t meet them.

Lastly. We need to remember that we are hiring kids and youth to work with us. This may be their first time experiencing the work-force. Let’s all do our best to treat them with respect and grace. You can set and communicate your high expectations without being a jerk.

To help you firmly, yet caringly communicate expectations this summer, Travis, Joe and Dan are joined by Camp Code Co-Host, Ruby Compton! Ruby’s many years in and around the camp industry have given her a unique perspective on how to, and how not to be a great expectation setter.

Tune in to this episode to hear more about:

• Setting the standard of clear expectations throughout the hiring process
• How to clearly communicate your expectations to staff
• Why we, as an industry can be better expectation setters
• How to support staff when they are not meeting expectations

What is something that you do to clearly communicate your expectations? Tell us about it in the comments!

Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
• Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
• Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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More money, more mission, but also…more problems?

You’ve heard Travis say this time and time again.

“Money moves the mission”.

In this day and age, if you want to run a successful year-round camp business with multiple full-time staff, all while keeping camper fees reasonable, you likely need some financial support! Donations and grants are incredibly helpful, but if you can tap into a market that works for your local community or potential clients, it can be a great way to supplement your income and use that money to help improve your summer program.

That being said, the way you go about diversifying your income is WAY more complex than simply saying, “alright, we’re doing weddings!”. Without carefully assessing your facility, budget and staffing and local laws, you may be committing to a program that either doesn’t fit your mission or worse, ends up costing more resources than it brings in.

While there are a ton of great ideas out there, wouldn’t it be great to have a crew of seasoned Camp Directors out there who have tried this kind of thing before to guide you in this decision-making process?

…Well, if you’ve made it this far in this post…we all know that you know the answer to that question…

It’s the CampHacker Podcast!

To help Gab, Travis, Joe and Dan with some big-money brainstorming, we welcome friend and past guest of the Podcast, Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo! Jalisa not only suggested this topic, but she brings some valuable experience to our panel. Camp Newaygo runs a ton of really unique events for their local community, facilitates multiple weddings a year and has recently begun their own catering business. We’re grateful to have Jalisa back to share her stories and best practices.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

Some things to consider BEFORE even thinking about diversifying your income

Programs our hosts tried that have been a big ol’ flop

Sources of income the panel have found to be a good, revenue-generating endeavour

Plenty of other ideas that may work for your camp

Do you have a great income-generating program at your camp? Tell us about it in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Connector bag (thanks, Gabz!) - BUBM Travel organizer for electronics cables and LCD projector cables.

Joe: Tickler File - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickler_file (Bonus Video by Joe - https://youtu.be/5ZCmCfy5eb4)

Jalisa: GwynnieBee - clothing rental

Dan: Adam Grant’s Instagram

Gabz: Video Teleprompter 3

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Gabrielle Ra

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What you should be thinking about to ensure your summer camp stands the test of time.

If you’re reading this on release in February, then you know that time is running short on your time to do some of the deep philosophical work that can only happen when summer isn’t on the horizon. This episode is for when you have the brain-space, or, maybe it’s for when you need to not think about this coming summer for a second.

(You’re an adult, we’re not going to tell you how to live your life!)

Getting into the mindset of planning for the future is something that isn’t easy, but is absolutely necessary for ensuring the success of our camps beyond just the coming summer. We all have budgets to meet, and of course, things come up, but without a plan and the right mindset, you may be finding yourself wasting the time and money putting out short-term fires rather than fire-proofing (sorry, Joe, that wasn’t an intentional fire-order joke!).

To help Gab, Travis, Joe and Dan navigate this deep topic, we welcome Stacy Simpson, camp, org and Girl Guide consultant. and Go Camp Pro Masterclass instructor to the panel. We’re grateful for Stacy’s additions to the conversation as we discuss the philosophies and best practices when it comes to planning for your camp to be successful in the long-term.

What is one way that you intentionally plan for the future at your camp? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: WIBYT - Write it Before You Talk ~ Michael Brandwein

Travis 2: The Imagineering Story - Disney+ https://youtu.be/-Y7TlaXDPrg

Joe: Dolly Parton’s America - Podcast - In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why?
Joe 2: uBlacklist Chrome Extension - Blocks specific sites from appearing in Google search results

Gabz: Wicked Cool Travel Mug: Kinto

Dan: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, (Cliff notes of the 10 rules)

Stacie: New Research from GSRI (Girl Scout Research Institute): Today’s Girls. Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs. [https://www.whygirlscouts.org/success]

Other things mentioned this show:

Joe would like to remind people of - https://archive.org/details/canadian-camping-association

Cardboard beds at Toyko Olympics- https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/tokyo-2020-olympics#

A Pattern Language Book - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pattern_Language

Your Hosts:

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Adventure programming is about way more than a $1M ropes course!

Adventure programming, challenge courses, low ropes, rock walls, team-building, staff construction, initiatives, WHATEVER you want to call it, this episode is about that.

This type of camp program has really been changing and growing over the years. From the early days where people built and tested their own ropes courses to today where zip-lines are tested by the same people who certify elevators, we’ve certainly seen it grow.

One thing that has remained true is the goal of adventure programming. Campers take part in adventure programming at your camp to become changed through exposure to challenge and risk. Whether that be the risk that comes with being 30 feet in the air or that risk of telling their friend that they need better communication from them, the benefits to this type of programming are truly endless.

However, before you get your harness on and take a drill to an unsuspecting maple tree to start an adventure program at your camp, there are a lot of things to consider. Who will make sure your ropes course is up to regulatory standards? Do your staff know how to properly run adventure programming? Have you properly budgeted for this course? What the heck is an Ubuntu card!?

Yeah. Put that drill away and get, Air Pods out and listen in to this episode. Gabz, Travis and Joe are joined by Phil Brown from High 5 Adventure. Phil lends his expertise to the group as they share their practical tips and philosophies when it comes to planning, implementation evaluating and proper training for adventure programming.

What is the coolest adventure program you have at your camp? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Loom

Joe: Wall Control Magnetic PegBoard:

Gabz: ToDoist

Phil: Ubuntu cards

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Phil Brown, Trainer, High 5 Adventure

Also, check out High 5 Adventure’s Podcast

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

Bonus Content! - The Canadian Camping Magazine Searchable Archive

Thanks for letting your awesome out, Joe!

https://archive.org/details/canadian-camping-a

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A New Podcast from Go Camp Pro - The Camp Owners Podcast!

Whether you are a Camp Owner, an aspiring camp owner, or a lover of some of our other Go Camp Pro podcasts, we’re so happy to have you here.

The Camp Owners Podcast is here to explore a side of the summer camp world that is experienced by those that have the privilege of running an independent program.

In this world of camp, the stakes are high. Not only do private camps have the same goals, aspirations and responsibilities that other camps have, but there is also usually a ton of personal livelihood on the line. When you OWN a camp, you really do own the successes and failures that any for-profit enterprise faces.

On this podcast, our hosts, Howie Grossinger and Kelly Schuna will be joined by some seasoned prime camp professionals to dive deep into the issues that most private camp pros will need to face, and the best practices that they use to create, and sustain a summer camp for their campers to enjoy summer after summer.

In season one, tune in to the podcast monthly to hear about topics like Camp As a Business, Camp Insurance, Buying and Selling Camps, Work/Life Balance, Pricing, Staff Training & Engagement

Thanks for tuning in! If you have any feedback, please get in touch with our producer, Matt at matt@gocamp.pro.

In our first episode, Camp as a Business, Howie and Kelly are joined by the wise and wonderful Steve Baskin of Camp Champions. Together, Howie, Kelly and Steve address some of the unique aspects of the private camp industry and what even the most business-savvy camp pros need to be thinking about as we enter a new decade.

Tune in to hear about:

What can you expect from this season of the Camp Owners Podcast?

Steve Baskin’s camp origin story and his favourite part of being a Camp Owner

What does it mean to view camp “as a business”?

What is a unique or unexpected challenge of being in the business of camp?

What is an insider tip that you would give to a new or up-and-coming camp owner?

What is something that camp owners should have on their radar for the future of the industry?

What is something you hope to learn from the hosts and guests of the Camp Owners Pod? Let us know in the comments!

What Inspires You? - Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

Howie: Simon Sinek - https://simonsinek.com/

Kelly: Esther Wojcicki - “The single most important behaviour that you can role model for your children is the ability to have functional relationships” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Wojcicki

Steve: Angela Duckworth, Carol Dweck and David Jaeger’s work regarding mindset.

Carol Dweck - https://www.ted.com/speakers/carol_dweck

Angela Duckworth - https://angeladuckworth.com/

David Jaeger - https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/mindsets-matter

Host Links:

Hosts:

Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps

Kelly Schuna, Own

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The All TOWS Show #2 - CampHacker #120

January 9, 2020

Fantastic Focus Groups - CampHacker #119

CampHacker

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher

Tool of the Week - (insert trombone music here)

We’re back with a second edition of an all tool of the week show. We received a ton of positive feedback about the last episode and because we’re all about giving the camp pros what they want…here you go!

Tune in to hear all about Gab, Dan and Travis’ favourite tools that help make them a better camp director.

If you’re checking out the show notes for the links…hey! Here they are!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Phone apps

Dan

Fantastical for iPhone - https://flexibits.com/fantastical

Google Keep - https://keep.google.com/u/0/

FlipClock - https://fliqlo.com/

Gabz

Decide Now! - https://decidenow-app.com/

Get Pocket - https://getpocket.com/

Tyme - https://www.tyme-app.com/en/

Travis

Pocketcasts - https://www.pocketcasts.com/

Google Home - https://store.google.com/ca/product/google_home

GStone - find gaming groups - https://www.gstonegames.com/homepage_eng/

Software

Gabz

Google Slides - https://www.google.ca/slides/about/

Figma - https://www.figma.com/

Travis

Basecamp - https://basecamp.com/welcome-back

CamelCamelCamel.com - https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com

MightyNetworks - https://www.mightynetworks.com/

Books

Dan

When by Dan Pink - https://amzn.to/2T25PQJ

Originals: how nonconformists move the world by Adam Grant - https://amzn.to/39UaWZ5

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - https://amzn.to/35AdxnN

Bonus: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2QXgFF5

Gabz

Mending Matters - https://amzn.to/2QVwgos

Sapiens: A brief history of humankind - https://amzn.to/2s2D6Qy

Proust and the Squid - Maryanne Wolf - https://amzn.to/2R17Slc

Travis

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Fantastic, frank, feedback from families and staff.

There are not many industries out there like ours…for many reasons!

One of the primary ones is the focus that we all share on relationship building. Whether it’s between campers, staff and campers, staff and staff or admin and staff, building cohesive and strong relationships may as well be the theme of every day at camp.

The relationships that our camps have with their families are unique and wonderful, too. Yes, families are our clients and any business out there can say, “We treat our clients as families”, but we know that when it comes to camp, we’re not just a service provider to those families, we’re partners in raising their children.

Part of that “partnership” is showing families that we value their opinion and perspective when it comes to working with your camp.

Now, hopefully, you’ve got some sort of feedback mechanism for your parents, (if you don’t, get in touch, we can help with that!). Surveys, calling families, soliciting online reviews are all good, but those can seem very surface level or even transactional. To up the level of trust, intentionality and intimacy with your families, it may be time to think about focus groups.

A focus group is one of the best ways to get the real and emotion-driven feedback that you could never get from a digital survey. As well, spending that face-time with some of your most valued families is one of the best ways to build trust in your camp. When you show your families that you want to truly understand their perspective, you show them that you are committed to them and their child.

Focus groups can also be a valuable tool to use with your staff. If you want to introduce change, brainstorm new program ideas or just see things from their perspective, a focus group can build trust and group buy-in among your team.

What should you ask in a focus group? Where should you do it? Who should you ask to attend? All great questions! To answer them, Travis, Dan and Gab are on the case! Tune in to hear about the strategies and intentions that you should think about when planning your next focus group.

What kinds of questions would you ask in a parent focus group? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Custom inside joke stickers (check out the Youtube video of this episode to see Seth’s!)

Dan: 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace

Gab: Getting yourcamp dog vertified as a therapy dog or emotional support animal. Parents will love it!

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

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We can go beyond acceptance.

One of the things we all know to be true about camp is how much better of the world would be if EVERY child spent at least one week at camp.

With that in mind, it’s important that we are consistently looking at how we are best serving campers and families that may be under-represented in our camp communities.

Newsflash! Even though in the last 10 years we’ve begun to really talk about inclusion, there have been campers and families who have identified as LGTBQ+ for as long as the camp industry has been around! Furthermore, we can see that the world has begun to be intentional about welcoming and celebrating inclusion, and so has the camp industry.

That being said, it would be the understatement of the year to say that the world, and even camp, has a long way to go towards being a completely welcoming, safe and celebrating place for LGTBQ+ campers and families to truly be themselves.

We, as an industry have the chance to be an example of what it looks like to bring LGTBQ+ families and campers to the table and make our communities the type of place where they feel safe and welcome to call home. This is not necessarily an easy conversation. Some camps may be new to being outspokenly inclusive or maybe have never been made aware that they have a queer camper, staff or family and it can be hard to realize when we haven’t been doing well enough. Even still it’s a worthwhile conversation.

As a start to that conversation, we welcome a fantastic panel to the CampHacker Podcast to help Camp Directors begin to think about how they can best serve their campers, staff and families who may identify as LGTBQ+. Joe, Travis and Gab are joined by Emily McGranachan from Family Equality Council, Ross Murray from The Naming Project, Chris Hudson from Camp Highlight and Nick Teich from Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor Camps.

We hope you find this show useful and thought-provoking.

We know this is just the beginning of this kind of conversation. How would you like to see us continue it? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Gab: Desk Standing Balanceboard - FluidStance

Chris: McDonalds to thank staff for their hard work

Joe: 20v Max Cordless Tool Set + Lots of batteries for them!

Emily: Made Good Bars

Nick: Amazon Wishlist

Ross: Prayer Squares (3x3 crochet squares! - Tune into this ep. to hear about this!)

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Emily McGranachan, Director of Family Engagement - Family Equality Council - Family Week - Family Equality Podcast

Ross Murray, Founder and Director - The Naming Project

Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight

Nick Teich, Founder and Director - Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor Camps

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

Thanks to our sponsor!

Radtagz - Be and Be Known

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Because you’re not in this alone.

It wouldn’t be the revelation of the century if we said that being a full-time Camp Pro can be incredibly lonely.

Most of us work in small (or solo) teams, we usually are the only person in our part of the hierarchy, we manage many people (and their emotions) and we work incredibly hard.

If we don’t think about building our support networks intentionally, camp can be an incredibly exhausting industry to be a part of the long term.

This time of year (if you’re reading this in November/December), is the perfect time to start building and cultivating your support network. To give you some inspiration and insurance that you’re not in this alone, we brought the whole gang! Gab, Travis, Dan and Joe are here to share their stories and tips all surrounding the topic of building a support network.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

How to intentionally cultivate a support network both in and out of the camping industry

Building connections at camp conferences

Asking for help and collaboration opportunities with people in your network

Practical tips and tools for being staying mentally healthy and avoiding burnout

Are there any tools or systems that you love? Please share them in the comments section!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Gab: Class Dojo

Travis: Umonzi Aluminum Phone Stand

Joe: Shtil Combi Unit

Dan: White Fragility

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

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Being not just productive, but effective.

This is an episode for the off-season. It’s an episode that you may need when camp is quiet and you’re in the sweet spot where the summer is still fading and the next one is not yet coming.

As a camp director, your brain is the most important resource you have. It would be an understatement to say that there is a LOT of stuff that fills your brain. It would also be an understatement to say that a full-brain makes for a disorganized brain and a disorganized brain makes for a disorganized camp director.

Your years as a director can sometimes feel like a constant search for clarity, but what it comes down to is that you need a system to both get things out of your brain and into action effectively.

To help you get a system in place and a clear brain, Travis, Dan and Joe share some of their philosophies, ideas and systems that they use to keep their minds free to think, learn and be the best pros they can be.

Some systems and other things we talked about on this episode:

Getting Things Done by David Allen

When by Daniel Pink

The Eisenhauer Decision Matrix

The Productivity Planner and PDF Page

NVALT - Simplenote

TextExpander Snippets

Are there any tools or systems that you love? Please share them in the comments section!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Rode VideoMicro

Joe: Tickler File - create your own:

Dan: “The Five Most Important Questions” by Peter Drucker.

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

TIME TO FACE THE STRANGE

Is it stuck in your head yet? Gotchya!

Change. A 6 letter word that can start a revolution.

Change. The nemesis of the phrase “we’ve always done it like that”.

Change. One of the hardest things about being a full-time camp professional.

Change. Absolutely necessary.

The moment we stop changing as an industry, organization, or camp, is the moment we die. We, as an industry have such a great opportunity to learn, grow and evolve to better serve our campers. Just look at the Summer Camp Professionals group on Facebook, where daily, over 16,000 camp pros are able to ask, answer and interact to help their organizations improve.

Now that we’ve convinced you to change…how do you do it? What if it doesn’t work? What happens if it upsets an alumni or donor? What happens if the staff don’t buy-in, or worse, protests!?

These are all things that we should be on the lookout for when instituting major changes at camp. To help you be the change-maker that you were meant to be, we’ve got the whole CampHacker team on board for this episode.

Join Gab, Dan, Joe and Travis to hear more about:

How to deicide when something needs to change

What are the stakes of not changing?

How to communicate that change to your on- and off-site camp community

Some stories about Joe, Gab and Dan’s biggest lessons learned when it comes to change

Much, much more!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: DataStory - by Nancy Duarte

Gabz: Hybride Face Watch

Joe: Adios Email - Imagine, what would happen if you only checked email three times a day?

Dan: DailyCost app

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Dan Weir, Sr Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

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Learn outside of camp, to lead at camp.

Following along with our last episode’s theme of learning, we wanted to bring this podcast episode to you at a time where you may be planning your professional development for the year. However, even if you aren’t, it’s never too early or late to start thinking about how to invest in your professional development.

Watch out though! It’s easy to get stuck in the camp body of knowledge when you’re trying to be better for your job and for your camp. It’s good to stay up to date with the latest in all things camp, but it’s important to think about reaching outside the industry as well. The best camp pros take inspiration from many places and if you’re Joe, Gab, and Travis, those places can get VERY cool!

Conferences or opportunities that the hosts talked about on this episode:

Free - Mastermind groups with fellow Camp Directors

Free (ish) Creative Live - Free courses on all things creative

Free - Finding blogs to follow non-camp people

Free - Journaling

Free - Taking up a hobby that can also help camp

$ - CampMavericks.com - Ongoing, for life!

$ - ThinkCamp - Nov 26-28 - London, Ontario

$ - Touring a bunch of summer camps in a region to learn directly from the directors

$ - Online Courses - Skill Share - Especially for creative tasks.

Possibly free through your local library (https://www.lynda.com/)

$$ - Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops

$$ - Your local or regional ACA, OCA, ACQ, Religious denomination or association conferences

$$$ - Seth Godin’s Alt MBA

$$$ - Nonprofit Story Telling Conference - Oct 28-30 - San Diego, California

What do you consider professional development? Any wicked conferences to plug? Let us know in the comments!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Superfans by Pat Flynn https://amzn.to/30aNepx

Gabz: DYI Standing Desk, or Top 5 Standing Desks

Joe: Photo Resize: http://www.rw-designer.com/picture-resize

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Joe Richards

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We are always learning.

We’re back! After another wonderful summer of camp, Travis, Gab, Dan and Joe are here for Season 9 of the CampHacker Podcast.

To get things started, our hosts share the biggest lessons that they learned from their 2019 camp season. That’s right, even these camp pros with over 50 years of combined experience are still learning. The best pros in the industry are the ones that are hungry for growth and one of the best ways to grow are from the hard-earned lessons that camp has a way of teaching us year after year.

Tune in to this episode hear more about:

Joe’s inspiration to teach people to have hard conversations and his experience touring East Coast United Church camps in Canada

How Gab and her team filled in when they (temporarily) lost 3 of their 4 admin team

Dan’s summer highlighting LGTBQ+ inclusion in the YMCA community and transition into a new role within the YMCA.

Mental health in staff and campers in a new generation

Much, much more!

Podcast Survey

As well: We wanted to share our first ever listener survey. We want to get to know you, the listeners a little bit better! If you can spare 4 minutes, please fill out the survey.

To say thanks, if you fill out the survey before October 15th, 2019, you'll be entered to win One Personal access to CampMavericks.com, for free, for life.

Head to www.gocamp.pro/podsurvey.

Thanks, pros, for helping us be better!

-

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Franz app https://meetfranz.com/

Gabz: LunaFest SHORT FILMS BY, FOR AND ABOUT WOMEN

Joe: Internet Archive - Joe’s Library - Canadian Camping Magazine Archive: https://archive.org/details/@yoyojoer

Dan: Originals book by Adam Grant https://amzn.to/2O6HxTi

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Dan Weir, Sr Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island

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(Thank you!)

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Tools, Podcasts, Books and Strategies for Sustainability as a Camp Pro

One of the best things about being a long time camp pro is that every year, we essentially find ourselves doing the same cycle over and over again. While this can be tiring, even exhausting, if we think about it another way, it’s also an incredible opportunity to get better and better without (too many) extremely large learning curves.

In your search for consistent improvement, the CampHacker crew wants to help! In this episode, Travis, Joe and Gab are joined by the wonderful Ruby Compton (Yes! THAT Ruby from Camp Code!). These four pros join forces to share their sources of inspiration that help them find the drive, motivation and sustainability to innovate their camp, and the entire industry year after year.

Below, is a list of most of what is covered from this episode. We included it for you, yes, you, who are awesome and read the show notes! Here you are, you awesome person, you!

Podcasts

Ruby’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - CampHacker - Building a Story Brand - Outside In - Dirtbag Diaries - She Explores

Joe’s Picks - (using Pocket Casts) - 99% Invisible - Radiolab - Cool Tools - Zig Zag - The Daily From New York Times - Enneagram Podcasts - Reveal - (Also using the Google Assistant to play the news)

Travis’ Pick (using Pocket Casts) - Planet Money - The Turnaround - I Think You’re Interesting - The Ezra Klein Show - Invisibilia - Code Switch

Gab’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - Getting Curious (specifically the Katie Couric episode) - Queery - Two Dope Queens

Audio Books

Gab - Mating Within Captivity

Joe (using Audible and Local Library Apps) - Boys Adrift - Anything by Neil Gaiman (who reads them himsel

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Camper today, camper tomorrow, camper for life.

This is the time of year (January, for those tuning in later) where we are really starting to think about bums in bunks. Your registrations are starting to roll in and your dedicated, long-time camp families have picked their sessions and things are looking good.

Take a second and think about those returning families. They weren’t always returners. At some time down the road, that family made a decision to choose your camp. Now, fast forward 5 or 10 years and that family has given you thousands of dollars and you have a camper or now even a staff member for life.

So how do you get those future-long-time-families to make that initial leap?

Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve either thought of listening to this episode, or are currently listening to it…in both cases, you’re super smart. The gang (Travis, Gabz, Dan & Joe) is all here, joined by friend of the show, Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to help you get those first-year bums in bunks.

We say this a lot, but this is definitely a show you’re going to want to take some notes for, because these tips are going to give you the keys to ROCKING first year registrations this summer!

What are you going to do this summer to level-up your new camper registrations this summer? Please let us know in the comments below!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Show Up Hard - by Shannon Weber

Dan: Meeting Notebook

Gabz: Decide Now App - Apple Store | Google Play

Joe: Philosophy: Buy The Best You Can Afford, Tested Gear & Tools TheWirecutter.com

Jalisa: Car Jump Starter - ANNKOO Quick Charger

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility

Jalisa Danhof, Assistant Director at Camp Newaygo

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Hey Camp Mavericks. We’re excited to be setting the Day Camp Pod free this week!

We also want you to know what is up with then next episode: the first First Class Counselor episode.

There will be at least 5 more happening this season.

Oliver and Matt have been working with me to bring in the First Class Counsellor podcast to the CampHacker feed.

Our goal is to have a series of great, instructional podcasts from direct supervisors of counselors.

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It would be easy for the hard and fast overnight camp pros to see “Day Camp” in the title and move on.

Don’t do that.

There are logistical differences with both models of summer camp, but it’s so easy to see that what is relevant and pertinent to one, is the same for the other.

Rituals, traditions, culture, integration, camaraderie, it’s a part of every camp experience, no matter when, or how often the campers go home. What is good for overnight, is good for day.

All that being said, kids going home every night, camp vs school syndrome, wavering attendance, rented sites, lunch time, and many more things all pose a significant and unique challenge, that needs to be addressed and collaborated on.

And we’re good at challenges.

This episode of the CampHacker podcast brings together some camp pros that have truly hacked the day-camp experience and bring the extraordinary world into the 9-5, every day. Andy Pritkin from Liberty Lake Day Camp, Ehren Gluckstein from Camp Robin Hood and Sam Thompson from Crystal Lake Park District all join Travis to begin to unpack the emerging and ongoing challenges and successes in the world of Day Camps.

You know as well as we do that this is only the beginning though.

So!

Let’s take it to the next level…

Introducing - The CampHacker Day Camp Show

New to the CampHacker Podcast network is so excited to announce the upcoming release of the Day Camp Podcast.

Tune in to the new Podcast stream by clicking here!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: The Being Useful List

Andy: Dark Sky Weather app https://darksky.net/app

Ehren: Camptivities Scheduling Software https://www.camptivities.com/

Sam: Kahoot! Testing Game App https://kahoot.it/

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Andy Pritikin, owner/director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ

Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin Hood

Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park District

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

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Hey! Welcome back!

We hope that you had an incredible summer.

We also hope that you’ve had an incredible chance to take a breath and reflect on the magic that surely happened this summer. Or even, to not think about camp and…you know…sleep!

Whether you’re still recovering, coming out of hibernation, or still in the busy season, it’s time to start setting the next summer up for success.

Step one. Staffing.

This time of year (October/November), is when the financial and emotional reality of the school is kicking in for students and they are ready to start looking for a summer job. Your potential returning staff have also now taken a breath from the potential drama and tiredness of the summer and are ready again to dream of their home away from home. In either case, the “keeners” are looking, and you want them on your team.

As always on the CampHacker podcast, we try to deliver timely, relevant and practical information to help you (and your staff) on what matters most to you NOW. To help do that, Travis, Joe and Gabz are joined by the brilliant, legendary Kim Aycock and intentionally amazing Jolly Corley on this week’s episode.

Tune in and get inspired to find and build you best staff team yet.

Take This Episode One Step Farther

Register for the Caught Between Two Staff Seasons Masterclass with Kim and Jolly. Get your staffing hat on and create your playbook for retaining, recruiting and developing staff for 2019.

Find out more here!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Gear Infusion EverRatchet - (20% off code EverRatchetBacker20)

Gab: JOBY GorillaPod

Joe: Super Thick Index Cards - Joe uses Levenger Cards that are 170lb paper and vertically lined. Amazon.ca Link.

Kim: United by Blue (removes a pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways for every product sold...lots of cool “camp” items!)

Jolly: Backless Yoga Ball Desk Chair - Canadian Link

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

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Hello Camp Pros!

Well, it's late April/early May, and you know what that means.

EVERYBODY PANIC!

No no, only kidding! But likely, it can start to feel like it at this time of year.

As we finish stretching to prepare for the sprint that is camp, we can't forget that the race we are about to run is not a solo event, it's a relay!

For many of us, our staff are either starting to think about coming, or are starting to trickle up to camp. While it's sometimes stressful when people are adding to the mix of your daily workflow, it's important that we step back and remember that these are the people that will carry out all the marketing and selling you've done since September. Their energy that you had when you were 17 is just waiting to be unleashed and it's important that you take the time to begin to harness that energy and point it in the right direction.

Last episode, we covered some broad ways that you can support staff by creating and sustaining a culture that focuses on mental wellness (which was an eye-opening episode and if you haven't listened already, please do!). This time around, we've brought the team and some friends in to talk about some of the practical steps that you should take NOW to help your staff get ready to unleash their awesome this summer and feel supported while they prepare to do so.

Joining Travis, Dan and Joe to share their best practices and ideas are Ange Atkinson, Camp Director at Camp Lantern Creek and Patti Sampson, Camp Director at Coastal Roots Camp, and host of the Podcast: Rec Heads and Camp Nerds

Enjoy!

What kinds of things are you doing right now to set your team up for success? Let us know in the comments!

Bonus Resources - Because people who read the show notes are the best people.

Travis' Bonjoro Link:

Dan’s Dan Pink Episode

If Slack isn't for you, give Flock a peek!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Travis: Oxford At-Hand Note Carrier

Dan: The Emergent Task Planner

Joe: Tempered Glass screen covers for phones

Ange: Use Facebook Live to add some zest to your marketing smorgasbord!

Patti: Gratitude Journaling

Your Hosts:

Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant

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On this CampHacker interview Travis talks with Dr Deborah Gilboa (@askdoctorg) about her own camp experiences and how camps can become great resources to families.
To see the resources we mentioned check out our shownotes at http://camphacker.tv/podcast.

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How many of our camp brochures or websites preach that our camp teaches kids about grit and resilience?

Okay everyone, put your hands down.

Now, home many of us can say that we put that same effort into fostering grit and resilience with our staff? Sure, we may have staff check-ins and encourage staff to write motivational notes to each other, but although those are great, the times when just that was enough are likely coming to a end.

Before we continue, let's check ourselves remember that the world that we grew up in, in the 70's, 80's and 90's is very different than the one where our staff are growing up in now. The pressures of the world combined with the increased expectations of parents and peers, all lumped in with a toxic social media culture, makes for one of the most tumultuous times to be a youth.

We've grown and changed as an industry in so many ways. Now, when it comes to addressing the mental health of our staff, it's time to grow again. We would never leave our campers who are missing home and mentally struggling, so why would do it to our staff who are missing home, camp and mentally struggling in other ways?

This is a challenging episode, and honestly, it might be one of our heaviest yet, but we hope you'll stick with it and let this sink in.

Joining Travis, Dan and Gab in walking down this road is the fantastic Amanda Grassick from Camp Woodeden. Amanda has been working hard to make their staff's mental health a priority at Woodeden, and after a tough start in their first year, Amanda is starting to see some results thanks to what they've put in place.

This is more than a "get a pen and paper" type of episode. It's a "get a pen and paper, and ready to grow" type of episode. We know you'll enjoy it.

What are you doing to look after your staff team's mental health? Let us know in the comments below!

Bonus ResourcesMental wellness isn't something we can just "figure out" on our own (like you "figured out" how to jerry-rig that leaky toilet, you genius you!). Get professional training and approach this issue like a professional. These links will get you started.

https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org

http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca/en

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Power of Moments: Chip & Dan Heath

Dan: Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

Gab: Find someone to talk to that’s not family or friends also this book Loving someone with Borderline Personality Disorder

Amanda: Smartsheet

Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services -

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It's that time of year again. Registration has been open for a bit, staff applications are rolling in and school groups are calling to book for Outdoor Education.

You've made that first big push. Way to go!

Now, let's get at it, shall we?

Summer Camp is the main reason why most of us are here. We believe that every camper deserves a week at camp. We believe that every camp is great, but we're REALLY proud of our camp and we REALLY hope that kids will come.

Unfortunately, hope isn't a very high-yield marketing scheme. That's why in this time of year, you're going to be getting a LOT of emails from Camp Marketers (ahem...), who have an absolute bumper-crop of ideas to help you raise camper numbers for the summer of 2018.

While they (ahem...) may have a lot of great ideas, it can be a little overwhelming to not only implement them, but even just choose one in the first place!

Well have no fear, the CampHackers are here! Three of our regulars, Travis, Gab and Joe are joined by the meme-staff-hiring-posting-guru and all around great-guy Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack are here to give you ideas that WORK.

Tune-in to hear these CampHacker's talk about their first principals, what their insider tricks are, what they are surprised to hear other Camp Directors aren't doing, and even more awesome tips for rocking registration this year!

These are easy to implement, or even better, easy to delegate to the rest of your team (board, staff, alumni, etc!). Get your pencil and papers out, y'all!

What are your Marketing miracles? What have you done that have really got registrations rolling? Let us know in the comments below!

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: https://readwise.io

Gab: Pegboard for your office

Joe: Klein Tools Voltage Tester

Marc: Mematic app

Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre

Gabrielle Raill,Camp Director -Camp Ouareau

Marc Cooper,Director - Camp Tamarack Partner at Go Camp Pro

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Camp is counterculture.

Camps (for the most part) don't care about fashion, we encourage people to embrace what makes them quirky, and we don't have cell-phones at camp.

Now, policies differ, and some camps are even experimenting with plugged-in weeks at camp, but we can all agree on is that there is indeed a benefit that we give to our campers when we ask them to unplug from tech while they are at camp.

What? You don't believe this un-named, rogue blogger? Well fine. How about Dan Weir?

Yeah. THE CampHacker Dan Weir.

Dan was the keynote speaker at the Society of Camp Director's dinner this year where he shared his findings on the importance of unplugging both at home and at camp. Dan has done some pretty extensive research, not only in terms of the clinical benefits, but has been actively experimenting with how the unplugged culture at Frost Valley has given campers (and their parents) a much needed tech-free space.

On this episode of the podcast, you'll find the audio of his talk.

Dan was even gracious enough to share his slide deck for all of you. Click or tap here. Hey. Thanks, Dan!

No tool of the week this episode, but if you missed it last week, Dan references Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi. Definitely worth a read or listen!

Enjoy!

Your HostDan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: www.camelcamelcamel.com - Amazon price tracker
Dan: Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
Matt: The Better Board - Message Matt for a more detailed explanation
Joe: Google Photo Scan - iOS - Andoid

Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro

Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA

Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre

Matt Honsberger, Camp Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre

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How do your staff answer the phone? What story does the home-page of your website tell? Who meets families on opening day? How do you train your super-awesome, yet awkward teenagers to talk to parents? What is your camp's "wow factor" that people experience as they are driving down the camp road?Take a second and answer those questions super honestly. How are you doing? If there are any aspects of your first impression that made you mentally (or physically) hang your head, no worries, the CampHackers are here to help.Travis, Gab, Joe, Dan are joined by returning guest-host Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to absolutely blow your mind with their experience and ideas on how to make your camp's first impression memorable for all the right reasons. Again, have a pen and paper handy for this one.

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In the world of technology, nature deficit disorder and climate-change, it's time for camps to raise the bar. From the philosophies, to the policies, to the on the ground environmental practices, we need to start thinking intentionally about what we can do to be leaders of environmental stewardship.To discuss ways that we can step up their sustainable game, Travis is joined by three new guests - Danny Sudman from Green Camps and of the first partners of the Green Camps Initiative, Jacob Rodenburg from Camp Kawartha and Seth Herschthal from Blue Star Camps. In this episode, you're sure to find both the philosophical motivation and the practical means to make your camp shine green next season!

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Way back in the way back - 2013, we talked about Partnering With Parents. Back then, we were living in a world where Social Media coming from camp was still a pretty newish thing and there weren't nearly as many channels of connection between camp and a camper's home. Also, in the last 4-5 years, more and more camp pros have been rolling their eyes at parent emails requesting things like more photos and thinking, "ugh, helicopter parents". In online circles and at conferences more and more, we see camp directors waging war against parents, who at the end of the day simply love their kids and want them to be well while they are away. Friends, it's time to remember that just as much as we're here for the kids, we really are here for their parents too - and not just because they are the ones who click "Register". Think about someone that you love and care about - now think about them deciding to go on a SpaceX flight to Mars. How terrified are you for them!? Why? Because we've never been to space! How will our loved ones eat? What is anti-gravity like? For Pete's sake, where will they go to the bathroom!? Too far? Not really! Parents, especially those who haven't been to camp before, are putting an incredible amount of trust in you to care for the most important thing in their world. They absolutely deserve for us to show them that we are worthy of their trust. This week, CampHackers Travis and Gabz are joined by Cory Harrison of YMCA Camp Greenville and Stacie Simpson of Stacie Simpson Consulting who are taking parental partnership to the next level in their circles. This is definitely another "get your pen and notebook out" type of episode. Even one of the small, 1 hour of work implementation, ideas is bound to improve your relationships with your camper parents. There are lots of fantastic ideas to do NOW, in the summer, and at the end of the season. Take a listen and tell us what you think!

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No matter how far your "draw" is for campers, it's absolutely critical that camps have a good relationship with their neighbours and local communities. If you have close residences (especially on a lake), it's important to recognize the fact that you're a noisy, bell-ringing, song-sining (screaming) place. If your camp is a little more secluded, you may be facing the challenge that, despite your strong camper numbers, people don't even know you exist! You aren't the conventional neighbour, but that can be your biggest advantage. From dropping mailers on the docks of lake neighbours, to sponsoring local sports teams, to offering free meals for families in need, there is so much good that your camp can do, while doing some good for your organization. CampHackers Travis, Joe and Dan are joined by Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack and AWARD WINNING Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to bring to you an absolute TON of ways to be the best neighbour you can be for your community.

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What's on your mind right now? It's fair to say that it's getting into "crunch time", but it's also probably fair to say that there's still some time to think. And when there's time to think, there's sometimes a space created in a section of our brains that is reserved for vulnerability. Whatever that is to you - uncertainty, concern, doubt, worry - thoughts like these have a way of floating in and settling in the spaces in-between your day to day. These thoughts don't exactly impede our progress, but if left un-dusted, the can certainly prevent us from moving forward on potentially critical aspects of our upcoming season. This episode is for some of those thoughts. It's also for the thoughts that are on the minds of our CampHackers and Camp Pros in the community. Travis and Joe are joined by good friend of the show, Paul Sheridan from Four Winds, Westward Ho to share not only what's on their minds in February of 2017, but to comment on some other Camp Pro's thoughts from around the camping community.

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Happy January and happy 2017! If you're anything like Joe, that means that the summer of 2017 is already preparing to sneak up on you. It's a New Year and people all around the world have made (and possibly already broken) New Year's Resolutions for themselves. These changing of the calendar prompts people to "shake things up" a bit in their lives. As Camp Pros, we don't need a prompt. We live the life of resolutions for our camps in an effort to grow, maintain, gain and/or reach more people. This episode is all about one resolution that is likely more uncomfortable, but also more achievable than "eating more veggies" - Be Different This Summer. The best part about this resolution is that you already know what you have to do. Just like the campers that we serve, our camps need to grow. It is essential that our camps, programs and even our mindset towards the organization grow by consistently asking ourselves, what can we do differently that will help us to best serve our camp and our campers. Take note that we're not asking you what you're going to do "better", because you're already going to do that. What this episode is interested in is how you're going to shake things up, rattle the cages and roll out something, well, different than you've ever done before. CampHackers Travis Joe and Gab are joined by Neva Batzell from 4-H Florida to share not only how they're being different this summer but how you can do it too. This is a great episode to put your "what if" hat on and we hope you enjoy it.

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On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, the "Business Brain Trust" (aka - Travis, Joe, Johnathon Lee and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon), have re-assembled to talk all about their best budgeting practices and how the budget can paint clearer pictures when it comes to looking at your camp's pricing. As well, tune in to hear about the host's philosophies when it comes to setting your camp's fees to reflect a professional, competitive business.

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That's right, it's a Tool of the Week EPISODE! This one is for all of the masters of chrome extensions, the efficiency junkies, the royalty of DIY online design and for those people who's last panel on their phone is full of apps from listening to the Tool of the Week section on our show. With doing literally no research to back this statement up, the following list has got to be the world's biggest list of computer, web-based and phone apps curated by camp people, for camp people. Tune in to hear Travis, Dan, Gab and Joe's short explanation on each of these apps and how they make their Camp Pro lives a little less crazy.

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Even when it's not the off season, a Camp Director's inner monologue can be their best friend, or their arch nemesis. Hashing things out with your brain can spark new ideas but can also slow you down with your own insecurities or doubts. We preach that mental health is something that we need to nurture in our staff and campers, but how kind are we being when we speak to ourselves? On this episode of the podcast, the fantastic (camping) four are re-united to share not only what goes on in their director heads, but what they do to keep that voice regulated and pushing them forward. This episode was just what I needed to hear at this time of year so I hope that it's the same for you. If you get anything from this episode, hear Travis, Joe, Dan and Gab say, you're not alone in this!

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All of the things that we know and love about camp – campfires, singing songs, high-ropes, canoeing on a lake are all incredible, but they all won’t exist in a camp that is mismanaged from a business standpoint. For most full-time Camp Directors, this big-picture thinking about camp as a business is absolutely critical to create a sustainable and thriving place. On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Travis and Joe are joined by Johnathon Lee, Co-Executive Director of Camp Kintail, and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon, Camp Consultant and Go Camp Pro partner. Tune in to hear these four camp pros share some of their best business practices and philosophies that allows their camps to thrive and will surely give you some new ideas to think about this fall.

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Kevin Kelly (Authour of The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future), joins Travis in this special Interview Edition of the CampHacker Podcast. Together, Kevin and Travis discuss his views on how not only the world as a whole, but our little camp world will surely be shaped by the integration of technology into the everyday.

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As our parting gift to you to keep you cool until we meet again in the fall, we have the whole team together to fill the last few pages of your spring journal with our top tips for this time of year. We hope that this episode gives you what you need right now whether it's a reassuring helping hand, or a fire under your rear. Either way, Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis brought their A-game for this one.

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This episode of the Podcast is dedicated to help our staff members get the most out of their daily, weekly, and seasonal experiences at camp. Whereas we usually delegate the camper’s nightly devotions to the counsellors (Ep. 88 has some ideas on how you can be that person too), we, as directors need to present our staff teams with those same types of opportunities. With the list of ideas that you’re surely going to have from this episode, we hope that you feel inspired to shake up your staff meetings and make time to facilitate those conversations that inspire your staff to get thinking.

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The spread of age and experience on site at camp can make things a little tricky at times. That being said, we all know that camp relies on a generational turnover to not just survive, but thrive. As directors, it's our job to reach our staff on a common ground. In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, Travis, Dan and Gab are on hand to share their insights on how to intentionally work with the actual and perceived generation-gap between you and the staff.

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The camp day is full of transformative moments; sometimes, there’s almost too many to keep track of. By prompting some mindfulness at the end of the day, it gives campers the chance to unpack all of their conversations, moments of growth and feelings and go to bed thinking meaningful thoughts. This episode of the Camphacker Podcast, prompted by Go Camp Pro founder, Laura Kriegel, is dedicated to the best practices about debriefing your day with your campers. Inside, you’ll find some awesome conversation and pro-tips from 5 seasoned camp directors. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy for this one, you’ll definitely need to do some jotting! You may have heard of the classic (and fantastic) Rose, Bud and Thorn, but what about tweeting the day? How about char cloth? gypsy jewelry? Seriously, get that note-pad out! You’re sure to find something great here!

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This episode of the CampHacker podcast is dedicated to these kinds of big trips and the camps that have them down to a science. Travis is joined by 3 Directors whose camps specialize in these epic excursions. These 4 Camp Pros put their heads together to discuss not just the logistics of these trips (which are super interesting!), but the transformative power that comes from campers and staff immersing themselves into nature for weeks at a time. What emerges from these conversations is that the long trips may be logistically tricky and definitely more expensive when you factor in flying in food and long distance pick-ups, but the pay off in the experience and growth is more than worth it.

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If you've been tuning in to the last two episodes of the podcast, you'll know that we're talking all about full time work at camp. So far we've covered, asking yourself if camp is right for you as well as making your full time camp job a sustainable one. This episode, we wrap up the mini-series with an entire episode dedicated to how to find not only a full-time camp job, but the right full-time camp job. CampHackers Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis all put their heads together to share their experiences and their best advice on where to look, how to apply and some insider tips and tricks on getting your foot in the door.

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This week, CampHacker Travis is joined by camp pros Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack and Topher Aderhold from Camp Gray. Travis, Marc and Topher put on their thinking caps to share their secrets for what it takes to not only survive in the full-time camp world, but thrive in it. From balancing your camp and personal life, to your every day demeanour during the summer, this episode covers a lot of ground!

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Hello friends and welcome back to another season of the CampHacker Podcast. In the spirit of starting something new, we wanted to dedicate today's show and few more this season to those who are considering pursuing camp into a full-year commitment. As well, we'll be talking about you directing veterans can begin the process of mentoring the next generation of camping professionals. This week, we get the conversation going with CampHackers Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis to scratch the surface on what it takes and the kinds of questions that the budding full-time camp professional needs to start thinking about.

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On this episode of the CampHacker podcast, CampHackers Travis, Joe, Gab and Dan break down the ins and outs of all things staff evaluations. You will find excellent discussions on why evaluations are important, how to teach your staff to evaluate each other and some awesome best evaluation practices from four different veteran director perspectives. If you aren’t evaluating, or want to get better at it, then this episode was made especially for you.

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We all know that volunteers really are the life-blood of our organizations. If you have a good list of volunteers with a variety of skills, and a good list of tasks for them, then you will undoubtedly have a program that is always looking spiffy and have some awesome, hand-made stuff. CampHackers Travis, Joe and returning guest David Gill from Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center get together in this episode of the podcast to share some strategies, tips and best practices when it comes to the culture of volunteerism at camp.

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As seasoned camping professionals, you know how to greet your camp families well. You always know their name, greet them with a firm handshake and know how to make good, intentional conversation. But what happens on opening day when you too occupied with running camp to meet and talk with every-single parent on site? On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Chantal "Match" Jackson joins Travis, Joe and Gab to talk about teaching everyone at your camp to make a great first impression on parents.

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Video marketing doesn't have to be something that drains both your fiscal and time budget. Using your camp's message along with some great tips from the CampHackers, this podcast will lay the foundations for you to start using video to show the world what your camp is really about.

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This episode, CampHackers Gab, Joe and Dan get together to share not only some awesome ideas that can be included in your campfires, but how the philosophy of your campfires can, and should, reflect the culture of your camp

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CampHackers Dan, Gab and Travis get together to share some of the best dining room practices in the summer camp industry.

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We all know that working at summer camp is an incredibly stressful job. There never seems to be a break anymore! In this week's CampHacker podcast, we talk through ways that we can cope with the increasing demands of the most important job we'll ever have.

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On the podcast this week, CampHackers Travis, Gab and Joe discuss Camp Culture. The CampHackers explore how a camp’s core values are realized through the culture that your camp emits.

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It was so nice to have Ange Atkinson from Camp Lantern Creek back on with us for her second appearance on the podcast. Our discussion for this show centres around how we find NEW sources of professional education. Where do we look, outside the summer camp world to grow our biggest skills?

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This week on the podcast CampHackers Travis, Beth, Dan and Joe get together about why Summer Camps are incredible collaborators and how they can be even better.

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This show. THIS is the moment that CampHacker was created for. We had the best discussion today. Joe had the awesome idea to talk about what it would be like to start a camp from scratch. If you weren't burdened by tradition (and a property) what would you do differently?

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Our Best Summer Camp Marketing TipsPodcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App

 **Podcast:** Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App

Want to get your fall rolling with fast, effective marketing tips? This is the show for you!

Gab and I had a chance to do one of our favourite kind of shows - rapid-fire, back-and-forth answers to questions directly from you, the audience.

Since it's the first show of the fall season people are telling us that they are super-focussed on setting their camp up for a good season of marketing. They're also saying that marketing camp has become very overwhelming.

In this show Gab and I answer your questions.

WAIT! What happened to #71? It's coming! It was a bit non-traditional so our process is goofed. Listen for it soon.

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis - NeuYear calendars
Gab - Long days at camp? Keep your iPhone charged Boostcase

Your Hosts:

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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On today's show we talked about ways to make sure you have a great Staff Training Week. Each of us shared 3 or 4 of our best ideas - the things that we know will have an impact on how your camp runs this summer.

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Giving camp parents an experience that they will remember and recommend to their friends is one of the most important aspects of our job. There are many opportunities to give them a “WOW”. I know I say each of the podcasts was awesome… because it’s true! This one is no different. Listen in to hear Marc Cooper (Camp Tamarack director) blow our minds with some projects from Fiverr!

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Getting one summer’s staff ready for the next summer is a job that takes about a year and a half. As we begin a new camp season we should already be looking at who we should get ready to take on more responsibility the following summer. In this show (welcome back frequent co-host Paul Sheridan!) we take apart the job of getting people ready to move up.

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In our last Family Camp episode we talked about some of the big reasons why a Family Camp session (or 3!) would help your summer camp. On this episode we shared some great ideas of how camps can promote the program.

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It is getting to that time of the year when directors get that nervous feeling in their stomach - will we be full or won’t we? There is still plenty of time to get more kids in camp this summer.

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We’ve had lots of discussions on the Camp Pros group on Facebook about how we talk to staff about putting their campers first. I think that is essential to what we do. However, it was a great little reminder of our camp director responsibilities when Joel Egbert reached out to me and suggested we focus, for one episode, on putting staff first.