The CampHacker Podcast

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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

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes

(Thank you!)

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

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

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

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

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

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

Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes 

(Thank you!)

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

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

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.

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

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

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!)

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