What we know about COVID-19 and how it is affecting summer camps as of March 31st, 2020.

Things are changing fast in the COVID-19 world. With camps being forced to make some huge decisions, Howie and Kelly wanted to bring you this conversation from the perspective of Camp Owners and Directors. 

With a topic this big, we’ve brought back one of the big guns, Sir Steve, himself! A big thanks to Steve Baskin from Camp Champions for taking time out of all the incredible work that he’s doing to lead with care, intention and business prowess during this time. Steve - you’re good people.

Whether you are an owner, executive director, program director, or a board member, this episode will be useful for you.

In this emergency episode, we discuss:

• What should camp owners be actually doing today from a business perspective to manage this crisis?
• How do we effectively plan for all of the different potential start dates of camp this summer
• Cash flow - how do we work well with banks, vendors, parents, debtors, etc.
• What government funding sources and relief opportunities should both Canadian and American camps be looking in to.
• How to personally manage this.
  • Hint - You aren’t alone. Lead with compassion and vulnerability. Think about how 10+ older you are going to feel about how you lead during this time.

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.

Resources

• ACA Camp Business Resource Page
  • Webpage on the ACA website with links related to federal and state resources, webinars, articles, etc.
• 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 Episode from March 20th

Hosts: 

• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Steve Baskin, Executive Director - Camp Champions, Camp Pinnacle, Partner - Everwood Day Camp

Thanks to our sponsor - CampBrain!

CampBrain is a robust camp tool designed not only to manage s

Want easier hiring and stronger teams? Set up intentional systems to retain your best people and consistently recruit passionate, high‑fit staff—then watch results compound.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Can your camp take another year of staff strain, long days, and parent communication headaches? Put systems in place now to retain returners and recruit high‑fit staff so the season bends, not breaks.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

What we know about COVID-19 and how it is affecting summer camps as of March 31st, 2020.

For full show notes and resources, visit http://gocamp.pro/ownerspod

Your campers may want to come back, but the parents ultimately make that decision! Here’s how to manage their expectations to help them choose your camp again and again.

Parents and care-givers are the decision-makers. You can have a great program and great staff, but if you aren’t assessing, managing and responding to parent expectations, you won’t earn their trust, and they won’t send their kids to your camp.

In the day and age of the “bulldozer/lawnmower” parent, it can sometimes feel like the parents and the staff have set up an unrealistic amount of expectations that leave us almost beholden to them.

However, it’s important to remember that we are an industry that has always strongly believed, and continue to believe in helping people. Even if a parent’s expectations can feel like a burden, it’s important that we take a step back, accept their feelings as valid, and support them the best that we can.

So how do we strike that balance? How do we help everyone get on the same level and get excited 

In our third episode of the podcast, Howie and Kelly are joined by Corey Dockswell from Camp Wicosuta and Emma Fogel who is a camp alumnus and registered social worker with The Social Work Consulting Group. Our four hosts come together to discuss how they have seen parent’s expectations shift over the last few years, as well as to share best practices when it comes to responding to those expectations. 

Tune in to hear about:

• When the camp dream became real for Corey and Emma
• How to manage parent’s expectations when it comes to their wanting of “control” or ensuring that their kids are always happy
• Communicating the benefits of the things at camp that comes with a bit of “positive stress” or “healthy risk”
• Ways to help staff understand parent’s expectations to set them up for success
• Some practical tips on systems and boundaries to establish within your communication systems

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What Inspires You?

Howie: The Summer Camp community rallying around each other in the uncertain times that we are in.

Kelly: Happy Campers - by Audrey Monke - https://amzn.to/33nVGkz

Corey: An awesome quote from a camp parent - “We control ship and sail, but never wind and wave…. While we are in unsettling times, we will get through the storm.”

Emma: You are Awesome - by Neil Pasricha - https://amzn.to/2x5TMsu 

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HOST LINKS:

Hosts: 

• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

Guests:

• Corey Dockswell, Director, Camp Wicosuta

Want easier hiring and stronger teams? Set up intentional systems to retain your best people and consistently recruit passionate, high‑fit staff—then watch results compound.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Can your camp take another year of staff strain, long days, and parent communication headaches? Put systems in place now to retain returners and recruit high‑fit staff so the season bends, not breaks.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Your campers may want to come back, but the parents ultimately make that decision! Here’s how to manage their expectations to help them choose your camp again and again.

Camp Owners - You DO deserve a work-life balance!

Camp Directors work HARD. Our summers are 24/7 and even in the offseason, the emotional nature of what we do often leads to us saying “yes” to more than we usually should. The late-night parent phone calls, the desire to answer every email right away or any number of things can tear our focus away from our lives outside of the camp world. Family, physical and mental health, friends and leisure can, and should exist as part of every Camp Owners life!

In our second episode of the show, Howie and Kelly are joined by fellow camp owners Audrey Monke and Gabe Chernov to discuss what it means for a Camp Owner to find some sort of healthy work-life balance.

Tune in to hear about:

• When the camp dream became real for Audrey and Gabe
• What work/life balance looks like specifically for our hosts and guests
• How to create appropriate boundaries with our staff and clients
• Some practical tips for how to actually create some semblance of a work/life balance

What did we miss? Let us know how you find a work/life balance in the comments!

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What Inspires You? - Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

Howie: Radical Candor - https://amzn.to/37irWWy 

Kelly: Brene Brown Date to Lead - https://amzn.to/2tNrmSW 

Gabe: Thinking Fast and Slow - https://amzn.to/2Sxf3CC 

Audrey: The Infinite Game - https://amzn.to/3brZjcJ 

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Host Links:

Hosts: 

• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

Guests:

• Gabe Chernov, Owner/Director, BirchTrail Camp
• Audrey Monke, Chief Visionary Officer, Gold Arrow Camp  & Sunshine Parenting

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Thanks to our sponsor - CampBrain!

CampBrain is a robust camp tool designed not only to manage summer camps, but also manage your conference center and fundraising needs, all in one database. Since 1994 CampBrain has been innovating and constantly adding new features. Look for the Camp Store Module being released this spring. For more information visit them at http://campbrain.com.

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What is the Camp Owners Podcast?

We're here to explore a side of the summer camp world that is experienced by those that have the privilege of running an independent program.

Howie Grossinger and Kelly Schuna will be joined by some seasoned p

Want easier hiring and stronger teams? Set up intentional systems to retain your best people and consistently recruit passionate, high‑fit staff—then watch results compound.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Can your camp take another year of staff strain, long days, and parent communication headaches? Put systems in place now to retain returners and recruit high‑fit staff so the season bends, not breaks.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Camp Owners - You DO deserve a work-life balance!Camp Directors work HARD. Our summers are 24/7 and even in the offseason, the emotional nature of what we do often leads to us saying “yes” to more than we usually should. The late-night parent phone...

Welcome to 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.

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 [email protected].

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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:

• Steve Baskin’s camp origin story
• 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!

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What Inspires You? - Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

Howie: Simon Sinek

Kelly: Esther Wojcicki - “The single most important behaviour that you can role model for your children is the ability to have functional relationships” -  

Steve: Angela Duckworth, Carol Dweck and David Jaeger’s work regarding mindset.

• Carol Dweck
• Angela Duckworth
• David Jaeger

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Host Links:

Hosts: 

• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch

Guest:

• Steve Baskin, Executive Director - Camp Champions,

Want easier hiring and stronger teams? Set up intentional systems to retain your best people and consistently recruit passionate, high‑fit staff—then watch results compound.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Can your camp take another year of staff strain, long days, and parent communication headaches? Put systems in place now to retain returners and recruit high‑fit staff so the season bends, not breaks.

Take your free Resilient Camp Blueprint Diagnostic at https://camp.mba/travis.

Strategies for viewing and managing your camp as a business