Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/spouses-as-partners

So here we are, into our 3rd season and we are taking the plunge to have our spouses and business partners join us for an episode. Not sure if this will morph into couples therapy but we know so many of our colleagues share their lives personally and professionally with each other and some may be considering it. 

We hope the 4 of us can provide some insight into what I know the 4 of us feel is an incredibly rewarding experience, fully aware that it's not for everyone.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• Describe for us what your camp business partnership looks like, big picture and day-to-day 
• How do you make it work-
• How was the summer for each of us - what was our lens
• How will your roles at camp change over the next few years

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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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Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: Bob Ditter webinar “I survived summer 2021 and I need help” 
• Howie: Quote from Ted Lasso: “a good mentor hopes you’ll move on, a great mentor knows you will.”
• Peter: Book “ The 5: Where will you be in 5 years”
• Sari: FAT City: Frustration, Anxiety and Tension. Rick Lavoie. Socialthinking.com is another amazing resource. 

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

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CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 50+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/ownerspod

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/back-in-the-saddle

We’re delighted to be back for a 3rd season and to have you along for the ride with us! It’s been a heck of a summer for everyone and after a bit of a breather, we’re ready to get back to doing everything we can to push the industry forward.

This episode is all about how we’re getting our heads on straight and being ready to push on towards an even better 2022!

What are you thinking about right now? What topics would you like to hear this season? If you have a thought, send our producer, Matt an email at [email protected] and we’ll be sure to put it on the list!

Enjoy!

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• Lead Up to Summer After Final Podcast
• How was the summer?
• Silver Linings: Reflections, What did we do that we’ll always do, moving forward
• Topics We’d Like To Explore For Future Episodes  

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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)

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - https://charlesduhigg.com
• Howie: Adam Grant’s Instagram Feed https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/?hl=en

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

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 50+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/ownerspod

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com 

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/empowering-staff-to-act

I don’t know about you Howie but one of the worst things at the end of the summer, as a camp owner or director, is to find out that one of your staff members has been upset about something all summer or a group of counselors has been talking about something you had no idea was an issue. 

When this happens it creates misunderstandings, missed opportunities for staff improvement and a potentially toxic staff culture. 

The very talented Gabrielle Raill, Director, Camp Ouareau and Co-Host of CampCode is our guest today to share her A.C.T. strategy that empowers staff to ACT so they don’t talk behind your back.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• What is A.C.T.?
• How do you see this approach to staff empowerment being even more important this summer? 
• Tips on training supervisors to be skilled at facilitating this?
• In what ways could our counsellors use this with their campers?

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If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change The Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stainer - also was guest on Brene Brown Podcast
• Howie: Advocacy letter writing campaign to the Premier - incredibly emotional and heart warming to hear them speak to the need for camp and “because of camp” messages.
• Gabrielle: Brandi Carlile - Broken Horses

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

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CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling of

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/state-of-our-industry-2021

As we approach the start of the camp season, after the year we have all had and continue to have, we thought it would be great to have a conversation with Travis Allison, the Co-Founder of Go Camp Pro and someone so familiar to all of us in the industry. He is the co-host of the Camp Hacker Podcast and is responsible for all of the podcasts on the Go Camp Pro podcast network and is the person who brought us together. 

Travis is also the incoming president of the Canadian Camping Association. 

Our goal is to have an open discussion on important topics of the last year and get Travis’s take on the industry in general. 

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• Camp as a business
• Promoting and Marketing camp
• Social Justice at Camps
• What do the next 5 years look like?

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If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: If your camp cup is low,find a chance to see one of your campers faces - just what we need right now to get us to the first day of camp.
• Howie: Book by Edith Eger “The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your LIfe” https://amzn.to/3u2mB1L
• Travis: “God Is Change, and Change Is God” from The Parable of the Sword by Octavia E. Butler- change is going to happen and will always happen in camp https://amzn.to/3tfUgUF

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

---

Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/virtual-staff-training-2021

As we enter into our final weeks of planning we wanted to be as relevant and helpful as possible for fellow camp owners and directors.  Staff training is one of the most important aspects of the success of camp and this summer many of us are offering virtual components.  

Our executive producer and co-host of the First Class Counsellors podcast Matt Honsberger is here to help us make the most out of our virtual training and relieve some of the stress that we may be feeling as we deliver new and innovative ways to prepare our staff and maintain positive connections, even when we’re online.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• How do we make the most of the time we spend with staff virtually?
• What are the big “to-dos” and “to not dos” in the virtual training world?
• How do we double-check for knowledge when they arrive in person? Do we need to?
• How do you foster the social connections and support systems when we’re in the virtual world?

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Conversation Starters World Website - https://conversationstartersworld.com/ 

If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

Find these at https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/virtual-staff-training-2021

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Matt Honsberger - Executive Producer of Podcasting & Consultant - Go Camp Pro

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

---

Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/team-building-virtually

As we approach the final stages of summer prep, staff training is an integral piece of our summer success. Many camps are planning for virtual training, in-person training or a hybrid of both. Our guest today has been an expert in our industry on in-person team building and has now established herself as a virtual team-building resource as a result of our need to shift to an online space over the past year.  

We’re excited to have Michelle Cummings, of Training Wheels share with us her best practices for team building both in person and virtually as well as ideas we can all implement with our staff this summer.

Tune in to this episode to hear about

• In your opinion, what are the founding principles of team building that must be there for success?
• Talk to us about shifting to virtual team building and what can you share with camp directors and owners attempting their own virtual trainings this year? Virtual Scavenger Hunts/Escape Rooms.
• What are your go to training activities for camps that our listeners could consider adding this summer?
• Where do signed waivers fit into the relationship? For on-site testing, contracting COVID or activity participation in general.
• Where do we stand on COVID waivers?

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Find these in our show notes: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/team-building-virtually

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Find these in our show notes: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/team-building-virtually

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Michelle Cummings - Big Wheel & Founder - Training Wheels

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

---

Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/legal-considerations-2021

As we approach the final stages of summer prep, we thought we would turn our attention to issues that all camp owners should be thinking about. Is the language we are using in staff contracts and communication with families up to speed with current legal practice. Whether it be codes of conduct, camper waiver forms, and especially COVID-related clauses related to testing vaccination and cancellation we thought it would be good to get a legal perspective. 

We have two great people from both sides of the border to help us with US and Canadian viewpoints on some of the issues. Rachel Fendel Satinsky is with Littler, an employment and labour law firm based in Philadelphia and Robin Squires from Borden, Ladner, Gervais a law firm in Toronto. We really thought this was a timely topic as many of us are contracting staff or considering COVID-related addendums to their contracts.

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Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• What do you think are some of the top staff contractual issues camp operators should be thinking about for 2021?
• When it comes to communicating with families about camp this summer, what do you want camp owners to think about?
• Where do signed waivers fit into the relationship? For on-site testing, contracting COVID or activity participation in general.
• Where do we stand on COVID waivers?

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Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: Emmanuel Acho “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man” - quote: “Prejudice is an emotional commitment to ignorance”
• Robin: book by Leigh Bardugo “Ninth House”
• Howie: Volunteers and the great work of camp advocates in Ontario and their work to get resident camps open this summer
• Rachel: Camp professionals, in all roles who are making camp happen for children this summer, especially as a camp parent.  

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Rachel Fendell Satinsky - Partner - Littler Mendelson P.C.
• Robin Squires - Partner - BLG

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CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Cam

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/talking-resiliency

What a treat today. 

We have the one and only Dr. G! Deb Gilboa with us. 

Dr. G is an incredible friend to the camp industry and has provided all of us with a wonderful insight into all aspects of camp. From helping staff manage stress, changing camper behaviour to being a resource to camp parents, Dr. G’s work helps all of us “Do Stress Better”. 

Her current work on resilience and the insight she will provide today is an important discussion given the year that we have all had. Whether it’s our own ability to be more resilient or our team resilience as we gear up for this summer, Dr. G is the right person to help us along this journey.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• How did you land on resilience being such a focus of your work?
• Can you tell us about the resiliency cycle and how you have seen this play out during the past year?
• What are some of the important opportunities camp owners have to address this topic this summer?

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If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: Brene’ Brown Unlocking Us Podcast Episode with Melinda Gates on her new book “The Moment of Lift”
• Howie: https://jamboard.google.com/ & current media on the return to camp
• Dr. G: Dreamworks Interview, all stories have a similar format: Act 1: Set up the hero and problem Act 2: Every hero attempts to solve the problem the easy way but learn what it will take to solve the problem Act 3: They get vulnerable and it’s hard and most of the time they figure it out - but we have to go through the 2nd act to get through the 3rd act. Creates empathy for kids and young people trying to do it the easy way 1st

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Dr. Deborah Gilboa, “Dr. G”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert - www.askdoctorg.com

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

---

Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/talking-resiliency

What a treat today. 

We have the one and only Dr. G! Deb Gilboa with us. 

Dr. G is an incredible friend to the camp industry and has provided all of us with a wonderful insight into all aspects of camp. From helping staff manage stress, changing camper behaviour to being a resource to camp parents, Dr. G’s work helps all of us “Do Stress Better”. 

Her current work on resilience and the insight she will provide today is an important discussion given the year that we have all had. Whether it’s our own ability to be more resilient or our team resilience as we gear up for this summer, Dr. G is the right person to help us along this journey.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• How did you land on resilience being such a focus of your work?
• Can you tell us about the resiliency cycle and how you have seen this play out during the past year?
• What are some of the important opportunities camp owners have to address this topic this summer?

-

If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Kelly: Brene’ Brown Unlocking Us Podcast Episode with Melinda Gates on her new book “The Moment of Lift”
• Howie: https://jamboard.google.com/ & current media on the return to camp
• Dr. G: Dreamworks Interview, all stories have a similar format: Act 1: Set up the hero and problem Act 2: Every hero attempts to solve the problem the easy way but learn what it will take to solve the problem Act 3: They get vulnerable and it’s hard and most of the time they figure it out - but we have to go through the 2nd act to get through the 3rd act. Creates empathy for kids and young people trying to do it the easy way 1st

-

• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Dr. Deborah Gilboa, “Dr. G”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert - www.askdoctorg.com

-

CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

In a year where you’re juggling so many changes, let’s take activity scheduling off that list. Camptivities is specifically designed for camps by camp people. Save time, money and resources to create your best activity schedule yet! Find out more at camptivities.com

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5-Minute Fridays! To find out more and register, head over to http://gocamp.pro/5mf

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod/radical-empathy

We are really excited to be talking with Jack Schott, of Camp Stomping Ground on our show today. Jack is an active, passionate member of the camp community. His grassroots efforts with Camp Stomping Grounds and their mission to build radical empathy in their campers is really impressive. 

Jack shares about Radical Empathy and how its philosophy can be applied to campers, staff and how it is good for business and the entire camp industry.

Tune-in to this episode to hear about

• What is Radical Empathy?
• How has it been applied in the creation of Camp Stomping Ground? 
• In what ways can it be applied to private camp ownership? Is it good for business?
• Any particular considerations in light of COVID and a return to camp for most campers and staff in 2 years?

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If you have a suggestion or guest you’d like to hear on an upcoming show, please email our producer, Matt at [email protected].

-

Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.

• Howie: “How to keep your cool in high stress situations” from the Harvard Business Review
• Jack: 
  • Agile Sprints - We are calling it a Get Shit Done Week 
  • https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum/sprints
  • Doing Agile Right Book
    • https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Agile-Right-Transformation-Without/dp/163369870X 
  • Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum for New Staff
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uGsaj2HLpo 
• Kelly: The Four Winds

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• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps 
• Jack Schott, Co-Founder and Executive Director - Camp Stomping Ground

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CampBrain provides management and registration software to camps and conference centers. Serving 1300+ camps since 1994, with a dedicated staff of 45+ providing personal, caring support and building beautiful, intuitive software.
For more information visit them at https://www.campbrain.com/

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Fill out the 2026 Podcast Survey by February 28th and enter your email for a chance to with a $250 gift card from our friends at Gopher Sport. Find it at gocamp.pro/podsurvey