Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/season-6-debrief The summer is upon us! Join us as we debrief the best Day Camp Pod Tid-Bits from the past eight months. Season 6 of the Day Camp Pod is winding down as we laser-focus on the daunting job before us. This episode, Sam & I debrief our ACA trip t…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/13-tips Going full-time is scary! These camp pros have some wise words to help any director find their footing. The Go Camp Pro team put together a really cool episode in which 13 top tier camp podcasters were asked for an important tip to tell any new camp d…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/gen-z-staff He’s back! Justin's insight is more important than ever. You won’t want to miss this one! This past Tri-State Camp Conference, our all-star podcast guest, Justin Pritikin presented to a packed room of camp professionals about working with his gene…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/talking-teens Summer camps rarely meet their full potential of teen programing. Jeff Leiken is here to help us get into the teen mindset! There are very few camp consultant trainers in our industry over the past quarter century that have had the impact of Jef…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/yes-chef Staff training is nearly upon us…will you be ready? Hulu’s award-winning TV show, THE BEAR teaches valuable lessons from running a restaurant, and turning your staff from good to great - that really resonate to running a summer camp. Eric Wittenberg …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/additional-needs-staff A diverse staff team is a stronger staff team. Since 2020, camps have been more and more aware of their staff’s needs - particularly their pay, schedule flexibility, and the amount of burden they carry. But meanwhile, our staff have ver…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/maximizing-summer-staff Increase your staff efficiency by maximizing your staff’s abilities. In today’s world of $4000 camp counselors, camps need to do everything possible to be efficient in how we staff our summer programs. We discuss this topic and more wi…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/random-acts-ice-cream Looking to appreciate and recognize your staff better? Come listen and learn from the best in the business! One of the best parts of attending the CODA and ACA National Conference is meeting super smart day camp pros from all over the co…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/transitioning-leadership No one becomes a director overnight. Taking over an existing camp operation is no small feat, and today we’re joined by two seasoned, self-made camp professionals who have each had unique challenges. It’s a great podcast for anyone lo…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/parents-at-camp Hiring parents as staff can be a double-edged sword… There’s no better way to get adult staff to buy into your camp and your culture than to have their kids attending camp, and drinking your kool-aid. That said, there’s a lot of ins and outs, …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/recruitment-and-retention Do you know what keeps your campers coming back? Getting campers through the door and keeping them there is an art form of empathy, creativity, and execution. Today we speak with two experts in the field who have literally created a …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/in-between-moments Blocks are good, but it’s the grout that holds everything together. At Day Camp, we spend the majority of our planning time working on our militaristic program grids of athletics, arts, swim, etc. But the day camp day ALSO includes the “in-…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/the-staff-experience What’s the best way to ensure our staff keep coming back? Since the staff revolution of summer 2021, most camps have put more focus on the staff experience than ever before. If we’re being honest SOME focus, as opposed to hardly any, as m…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/crisis-management When it comes to crisis, prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent. With all the crazy stuff going on in our country and the world, camp directors often have to become crisis managers. One of our friends, Dave Thoenson from Tamarack Day C…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/summer-2023-debrief What lessons can we learn from summer 2023? Summer 2023 is in the books, and we not only survived, but we thrived - very much like it’s 2019 again… Our super-thoughtful friend from the West Coast, Kelly Jones, joins us to talk about last s…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/remembering-doug-pierce “Whoever needed help, Doug was there with his sleeves rolled up.” - Jay Jacobs Doug Pierce was a larger than life camp director and industry leader who set the standard for Day Camping, ACA volunteerism, positivity, and sharing. Doug p…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/camper-refunds-2023 Parents are the most important partnership a camp can have. But how do we balance the financial needs of our camp and our parents when it comes to deposits and refunds? As we head into the camp season, we’ve got plenty of parents hitting u…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/staff-training-2023 As you gear up for another year of staff training, tune in for some expert advice from the experts, Roz and Jed! It’s just about time to get our staff together, get them energized, and get them trained up as much as we can for the arrival …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/variety-show Staff training is on the minds of camp pros nationwide. Dave and Dave are here to share their two cents on the hottest topics of the year! At the past ACA National Conference in February, I had the pleasure of experiencing both Dave Malter and Da…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/boss-convos Even if you’ve known your boss for years, interacting with them can still be nerve-wracking! Dan is here today to share his experience navigating this tricky power dynamic. Managing up, quiet quitting - most people have a pretty dysfunctional rela…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/genz-hacks Staffing emergencies call for emergency podcasts! Are we really in a “hiring crisis,” or do we just need to change the hiring process? Justin is back to share the inside scoop on how to appeal to Gen Z applicants. I just got back from Tri-State, wh…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/public-relations-2023 Sometimes building public relations requires a bit of creativity, or at least some planning ahead. Tune in to hear Michael’s tips and tricks! Delivering a great summer camp program is paramount to the success of our camps. But what often…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/best-inclusion-practices “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi. Let’s work together to make sure all children get the camp experience they deserve. Inclusion for our campers with disabilities is one of the biggest topics in a…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/mentoring-and-developmental-support Investing in your staff is investing in success! Our friends from e21 are here to tell us more. I don’t know about you, but when it comes time for my middle management to sit down with the front line staff for formal evalua…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/training-new-leadership Even with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, camps are struggling to find staff with experience. Leadership training will be more important than ever this year, so be sure to tune in to hear some advice from the legendary Michael Bra…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/scott-arizala Scott is no longer the “cool young buck” of the camp industry. Tune in to hear about the lessons learned from his years of experience! Scott Arizala is one of the greatest staff trainers that I’ve ever learned from. He’s a master teacher, able t…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/maximizing-use-of-facility How can you pivot your traditional Day Camp program and facility to help with year-round revenue? Andy and H are here to tell you how! COVID-19 forced us to be more creative than we’ve ever been before. From program to staffing to f…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/day-camp-trends Joanna has assessed and consulted over 500 camps… ya, you won’t want to miss this one! There are a lot of Camp Consultants out there, helping nice, well-meaning, camp operators get their act together, and run their camps like businesses, and J…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/incentivizing-staff Front-line workers have certainly felt the pressure these past couple of years. Tune in to hear Ross and Adam’s tips on encouraging staff to keep coming back! Once upon a time, there were day camp staff that worked the full season, full da…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/young-thoughts-with-justin There is LOTS to learn from our up-and-coming youth! Justin is back to share some key insights of the corporate world from the Gen Z point of view. Two of our most popular podcasts last year involved the perspectives of the opiniona…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/learn-from-corporate-america Corporate practices are just as applicable to camps. Tune in to hear Mario’s top three! Camp is a warm fuzzy place. AND it’s a business. And our friend Jonathan Gold likes to remind us, we have to run a good business FIRST, in ord…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/burnout-episode Burnout. We’ve all been there. Some may say it is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Are you a typical Day Camp operator that works so hard that you forget to smell the roses? You put your Camp first and you second? Didn’t the pan…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/registrations-and-refunds The world is in an economic crisis. How are Camp Pros supposed to respond to it? As Day Camps continue to rebound from the pandemic, inflation is hitting hard and we just can’t raise prices as much as our costs are increasing- So wha…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/debriefing-and-decompressing Summer 2022: A summer of lesson, laughs, and learning opportunities. Summer 2022 is in the books- Woo-Hoo, Congratulations. And by all accounts, it was a helluva lot better than 2021, which ain’t saying much. After a more normal s…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/including-non-neurotypical-campers Every child deserves a camp experience. Period. Allison Krabill and Sam sit down to tell you how to help non-neurotypical campers have a successful camp experience. We’re grateful to welcome The Summer Camp Society’s new exe…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/staff-not-coming-back Justin Pritikin returns to give you an inside scoop on why your staff are not coming back, quitting and in general, “done” with the camp industry. Picking up from our past episode 66, and the Tri-State Camp Conference Session that he and…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/staff-holding-hostage A proactive approach to working with this post-COVID generation of staff This past summer was intense, especially in the realm of managing our staff who have been through a lot in the past two years. Managing staff resistance is somethin…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/equity-in-camp Staff training is the opportunity to show how important DEIJ is at your org. Daniel Morias and Leslie Keller are two awesome camp professionals who over the pandemic started the Equity in Camp Initiative- and have launched a successful consulti…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/day-camp-office-admin Keeping the Trains Running on Time! The Day Camp Office is the nucleus of the organization during the off-season and during the summer. Filled with multitaskers, databases, spreadsheets, phones, Emails, texts, push notifications, weather…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/purchasing-2022 Don’t say we didn’t tell you so! We’ve all heard the news- The shipping containers stranded outside Los Angeles, the supply chain issues, the lack of truck drivers, the lack of workers everywhere - THIS IS NOT FAKE NEWS - this is Purchasing 20…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/living-your-core-values You say you’re an “inclusive camp”…but are you living that every day? DEI! We can’t talk about it enough, because frankly - it’s THAT important. We’re fortunate to be joined this week by Danny Tobin, who has experienced camp, and life,…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/appreciating-staff-brandwein It’s your friend from Chicago…Michael Brandwein! We all want our staff to be professional, and we all want to support them. Great. We also want the pandemic to go away, voting rights, and peace in the middle east… These situations…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/from-the-mouth-of-babes Have you asked your camp staff what their summer was really like? Andy and Sam did - and we found out their staff are incredibly honest. For our first podcast of 2022, we’re going to the source- the staff themselves- so you can hear th…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/2021-resolutions Here’s how our hosts are (and you can) set yourself up for success in 2022! 2021 has come to a close, and Sam, Tiff and Andy have some New Year’s resolutions to make 2022 the best it can be for our camp, and especially our staff. SUPPORT, tra…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/extreme-heat-2021 The heat is ON! Here’s how to not just survive, but thrive when the weather is at it’s hottest! 2021 was literally the HOTTEST SUMMER OF ALL TIME. The heat is on, people, global warming is real, and it ain’t getting any cooler. We need to do…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/dream-big-cannabis Mary Stein is here to tell us how she dreamed big…and how she was one of the first camps to face marijuana legalization at camp! Mary Stein started a private day camp from scratch in a neighborhood that at first didn’t realize how primed fo…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/sleepaway-spirit-4 An annual tradition of ours…where we talk about…traditions (and other great stuff!) Every season on this podcast, we discuss the “secret sauce” of camp- with a couple of crossover day camp pros, who have special insight. Today, we welcome D…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/staffing-and-reorg What to do when it feels like you need to rethink EVERYTHING? Summer 2022 is the time. What more of a kick in the butt do you need? Staff need to be paid equitably, programs need to be rethought, value-added means something totally differen…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/camps-at-school School’s out. Camp’s in! You can run a great camp program ANYWHERE! If you’ve got the right people, a solid program and a can-do attitude, you’re in. Running a day camp in a school setting, but it definitely also has some major advantages! For…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/2022-staffing-pt1 Was staffing a slog in 2021? We have a cheat code for 2022 - her name is Kim Aycock Kim Aycock dedicates her life to the ins and outs of camp staffing- Recruitment, Hiring, Retention- All-round Best Practices. She trains camp staff, she post…