Latest / The Camp Owners Podcast / The First Summer - With Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy - The Camp Owners Podcast #78

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The First Summer - With Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy - The Camp Owners Podcast #78 · The Camp Owners Podcast

• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: On this episode of the Camp Owners Podcast, episode number 78, this is part two with Stacey and Lauren, the directors at Camp Eastwood.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: We had a chance to sit down with them in the spring to chat with them about going into their first summer of Camp Eastwood.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: And now this is part two postsummer to hear how their first summer was.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: What did they learn?
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: What were the big takeaways?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: What will they definitely be doing and what will they be changing?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: And what were some of the successes, some of the surprises, and really just kind of how they feel coming out of that?
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_02: We hope that this is a great episode for you to hear a before and after, especially if you are interested in doing something like what they are doing.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: So take a listen.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: We hope you enjoy it.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: And thanks for listening to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: This is the Camp Owners Podcast from Go Camp Pro, exploring best practices and issues that professionals in the private camp industry face every day.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can find our show notes at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod.
• 1:39
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• 1:43
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• 1:50
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• 1:53
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• 1:58
  SPEAKER_07: As operational costs continue to rise, efficiency matters.
• 2:03
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• 2:13
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• 2:19
  SPEAKER_07: Welcome to the Camp Owners Podcast, a space for camp owners to talk about the unique aspects of camp ownership and get inspired by each other.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_07: We sit down with camp industry experts, leaders, and fellow camp owners to discuss the big issues in the private camp world.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_07: Hi, everybody.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_07: I'm Howie Grossinger, the co-owner and director of Camp Robinhood, a day camp in the suburbs of Toronto, and also the co-owner of Camp Walden, a co-ed overnight camp in Ontario as well.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, everyone.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: My name is Kelly Shuna.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: I am the co-owner and executive director of Hidden Pines Ranch Day Camp, located in Stillwater, Minnesota.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: If you're looking to find us, subscribe to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: You can either find us online at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod or by searching for us in your favorite podcast app.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: Finally, if you're listening and feel like you would love for other people in your circle to take a listen to our podcast or would find it useful, please encourage them to listen.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Howie, how are you?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_07: I'm good, Kelly.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_07: Happy fall.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Happy fall.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: Here we are.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_07: Colors colors changing where you are.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, it's gorgeous.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, I know.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: I learned a new term for that.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: Did you know it's called leaf peeping, Howie?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: When you go and look at all the colors, I did not know that, but it's that's the term.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: Leaf peeping.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_07: All right.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_07: That's that's the good peeping.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_07: The producers will cut that out, I'm sure, at some point, but whatever.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_07: The but yes, it's gorgeous here, and we feel very lucky to be in a place on the world where we get those seasonal changes.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_07: It's kind of good for the soul, I think.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: Very good.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_02: Very good.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, totally, totally.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_07: Kelly, I am so excited.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_07: We have very few part twos in our collection of podcasts, and this is a really special one.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_07: And we anticipated having a part two for this because we were so excited last spring to talk to our guests about this huge adventure they were embarking on and this huge opportunity that they had in front of them to create a really special place for kids.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_07: And we're going to hear their story in just a second.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_07: So, a reminder to everyone in the spring, we sat down with co-owners and directors of the newly launched camp Eastwood, Lauren Beckwith and Stacey Levy.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_07: And as I said, we promised to do a post-summer debrief to hear about their first summer.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_07: And of course, like all of us in the industry, we do a massive debrief about our summers.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_07: And we have this is probably the time of year where we've probably mostly completed those and setting our sights on goals and chat and the things we want to do for next summer.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_07: But we are really interested.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_07: What a great opportunity we have today with Stacy and Lauren to talk about their successes, what they learned, the things that came easy, the things that maybe were more challenging than they thought, and their takeaways as they build towards summer 2027.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_07: Stacy and Lauren, welcome back to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much for having us.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_05: We're so excited to be here.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, and you're smiling, which is such a good indication.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, if you're listening, I don't know if you watch it on YouTube, but they're smiling.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_06: So they're either really happy to see our faces again, or they're just saying, We kind of survived this, and I think we'll tell you what we did right and all that stuff.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_07: So I don't know if it's a nervous smile, but I think you guys are very smiley.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_07: So I'm very excited to have you.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_07: And Kelly and I can't wait to get the discussion going.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_07: We do encourage everyone.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_07: Kelly and I were talking about this before we started recording that.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_07: We do encourage people to listen to our first episode too.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_07: So, you know, you can go back and listen to this one from the spring and talk about the inception of Eastwood, et cetera, et cetera, and such a fascinating story on the buildup to summer number one.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_07: So we're excited to have this conversation.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_07: But Stacy and Lauren, I thought for the listeners who haven't heard your story before, that maybe let's take a few minutes, like we always do on the show, for you to talk about your origin story.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_07: How did you get to Eastwood, your collaboration as friends and partners and you know, co-directors and all the good stuff?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_07: And I want to turn it over to you to kind of share with the audience again how you ended up together and creating this really cool space at Eastwood.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I think Stacey and I have known each other for gosh, well, over 20 years at this point now.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_04: And we can thank our then boyfriends, now husbands, for bringing us both to Camp Manitou in Maine.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_04: And that is where we quickly became friends a long time ago.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_04: And we found out that we had a lot in common and still do.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, so we we are very fortunate to be both friends and now co-owners and co-directors together.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, we both raised our kids at camp.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_04: We both got married at camp.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_04: We both, you know, there's a lot of both.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_04: We both did a lot of things the same.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: So we are very excited to have lived through and thrived, I'd say, Stace, from our first summer at Eastwood.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_04: What do you think?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_05: I yeah, we we thank you for giving us this opportunity because as you know, you know, summer moves quickly, the fall moves quickly.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_05: You're always looking to ahead to the next summer and the next thing.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_05: But like having a chance to sit down and reflect and celebrate has been really special just preparing for this and also just thinking about it as it's easy to kind of already be thinking about next summer.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, a little bit about my story.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_05: I didn't go to camp, but as Lauren said, my boyfriend's now husband brought us there and he went there and he was diehard and he brought me into this world and now look at me.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_05: And I had the amazing opportunity, like from Manitou to help open Somerset, which is the girls' camp across the lake.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_05: And Somerset's having its 10th summer this summer, which is so amazing and special.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_05: And so to be a part of that opening really helped with the conception and the opening of Eastwood.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_05: And I think I was one of the lone people at Camp Eastwood that had gone through that.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_05: And so having that knowledge of what that felt like was, I think, really helpful for Lauren and I.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_05: You know, we both were teachers for this age, which is elementary school-based age that we really work on.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_05: We both played sports, so we have that team aspect, and our k kids went to camp, so we know as parents as well what the expectations are.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_05: So that's a little bit about kind of our background on how we got to camp.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: So tell us, let's just start.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's a loaded question.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: But it was hard.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: How was the first summer?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: How what would you say when someone asked you, how was the first summer of Camp Eastwood?
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: What what would each of you say?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_04: I always say the the word, the word that most comes to mind for me, and this is how I've kind of described it to people who have asked, because obviously, you know, everyone that that knows us basically has, you know, been asking us how things went.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_04: It was really joyful.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_04: That was, I think, the word that sort of summed it up for me.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I agree.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_05: It was so special and magical, like all the things that you you want it to be.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_05: I think what Lauren and I always come back to is we we knew right away that it was something that that was going to be important and special and that we had made the right choice.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_05: So that felt really good going into the, you know, preparing all this time in the open.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, it was exhausting.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_05: So we're we're by no means sugarcoating it, but magical exhausting all together and filtering at once.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yes, they talk a lot about doing two feelings at once.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_05: And that was them.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: That duality is awesome, though, that you can still feel that joy while also being exhausted and it can be so much work.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's when you it probably it sounds to me what I hear is like affirming that it is is worth it and was worth it if throughout all of that, because I always think the first summer, at least for us, I don't know about you, Howie, when you and Sari first took over it, but I was like, let's just let's let this place just not burn down.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: Let's let us just keep this going and doing well and like make it out of here alive and have it be a good experience.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a lot that first year.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_02: So to have your word be joy, I think is sounds very affirming that like it's it's a good fit, it's a good thing you're doing, you're doing what you should be doing.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_07: And and and I think that word also is descriptive of the fact that you can use that word and know that you overcame whatever challenges you had to, and you had things that went well the way you hoped they would, and there's things that didn't go as well as you did, and you can still because the joy of overcoming those challenges or the the feeling of accomplishment can lead to like, yes, we signed up to because I guess what I'm I really want to ask you guys is like, you know, it's so much pressure.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_07: You're you you're you're you have to deliver on promises you make to something that never existed, right?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_07: And we talked about that in the first part.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_07: You put out a a curriculum, you put out a philosophy, you put out a uh, you know, this is what a day at Eastwood looks like, parents, and your kid is going to do this with these counselors who've been trained in this way.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_07: And now I can't even imagine, you know, for those of us and in your past life when you already had the tradition and history of all the things you did to deliver on a promise that was almost a given because you delivered on it, to do it for the very first time, boy oh boy, like I I can't imagine.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_07: And but for you to conclude that having said all of that, it was joyful is so I'm so happy for you because that's that's awesome.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_07: Maybe maybe you could address that, like that stress in the last the few weeks before it all started about the conversations you had or the things that maybe you changed like in at the 11th hour, if there were any.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_07: You know, I'm just curious about some of that because I I would imagine knowing you guys the way that I do, you know, just you know, we're all camp people.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_07: We we we gotta deliver on the promises.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_07: And I'm just curious about your thoughts on that topic, perhaps.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_05: One thing I'm glad you didn't lead with that, how we like in the spring.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_05: I would have been so nervous right before opening camp.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_05: No, you feel like until the last camper leaves, you feel like we just want this to be successful and and and we feel it all.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_05: So go we'll have to talk about face.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_04: We'll have to talk about how we how this how we transition.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_04: At the end of this, we should talk about how we transitioned out because you know that that also has a story in its own.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_04: But it just made me think right now, Howie, when you just said that.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_04: And this was something I hadn't, we haven't really talked about this, Stace, and I hadn't thought of it before.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_04: But I I think I'm sort of feeling some comparisons to like, I don't, I don't know if you remember this, Stace, but my I have my very, very first year of teaching, the very, very first day of school, there's a lot of parallels to this because you know, you spend so much time going, you know, deciding what you want to do in life and going to school and then prepare, you get a job.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, that I had so much like anticipation in what that was going to be.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_04: And it was a lot like that for us, I think.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, and just I think there was such relief when we were just at camp and we just we had done the planning for so long.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_04: And I think to your point, Howie, the the few weeks before it was just like when we were all there, it was like, you know, the countdown was on for all the things that we wanted to get done, which felt like we were never gonna get it all done to the way that we wanted to, which is a lot like school.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_04: Like I, you know, every summer you prepare to go back to school and you feel like you're never gonna have it all ready by the time the kids come, and then you, you know, you do or you don't, and you know, and it all still works out.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_04: And it was like that, you know.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_04: And I think once we were just actually in camp session, it was sort of relieving that we just got to then like have fun and and live it and and work through, but we had the kids with us, and that was what I think was really magical and joyful was, you know, we didn't have to worry about all the things at that point.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_04: It was just like, okay, we're here we are, let's go.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_04: We've we're we've done as much as we can.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_04: Now we just have to really make the best of what we have and enjoy it.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_04: And it was it was exceeding our expectations, I think.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_04: So it was awesome.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like that felt so natural.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, sorry, I was just gonna say, I feel like that every year, it's like throwing a wedding.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: And then once the kids come, I'm like, all right, here we are.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's as good as it's gonna get.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: Totally look, it bets as it's gonna look, they're as trained as good they're gonna be trained, and now we're all.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_05: This is what you focus on.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_05: So it's kind of like you gotta put everything else off to the side and just have that experience with the kids and be in it.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_05: And I think because it was so new, we are also, of course, like the first session in the first week, we were really in it, like because we had to, because no one was knew what they were doing, and so it felt really natural.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_05: And to Lauren's point, like once we kind of like got into that, that was the feeling of like, okay, this is right and this is happening, and you know, you quickly get you guys know this from you know, session camp and day camp.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_05: It's like the staff became veterans really quickly, which also helped.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, because you know, after one week we were like, exhale, okay, okay, and now everyone knows what we're doing, and we can reset it.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_05: We we're gonna do this again now, and we're gonna get better at it.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_05: So yeah, that pressure.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_05: I'm glad I didn't feel that pressure that I just felt for a second when you said that, Howie.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_07: But yeah, no, I'm I'm happy too.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_05: We really like, you know, really are grateful for our families that took a chance on us that first year because you, you know, it is a lot of expectation, and luckily our experience from Manitouan Somerset, I think, gave us not only the experience to make it happen, but you know, the kind of clout to be able to produce.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_05: But it felt like that.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_05: Well, it felt like that.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_07: There's there's no doubt in my mind that you came into this with a lot of street cred, you know, because of your past experiences, and you could lean on that for sure.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_07: But you were creating something new.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_07: And maybe we could just talk a little bit for those people who haven't listened to our first episode with you.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_07: Can you just talk quickly about the philosophy of Eastwood, how you try to create a differentiator for what you're providing, you know, compared to the other camps that you've been associated with that are kind of in the network of the camps, you know, that you that you you have worked with and and started, etc.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_07: So maybe we could talk a little bit about that so people can understand that you were embarking on something that you were kind of testing out or hopeful that this was the concept.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_07: Yes, exactly.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_07: Thank you.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_07: Go ahead.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'll I can start a little bit and then Lauren can go deeper into the philosophy.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_05: But basically, you know, a lot of people will do like a rookie camp or a shorter session camp embedded in their program.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_05: And even at Somerset when we first opened, we had a two-week option.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_05: So it was your first summer, but it's a longer session camp.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_05: Most campers go for three and a half or seven, and that two-week session was embedded into the three and a half, and it was needed and it was successful, and people wanted it.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_05: But as Somerset got bigger, we realized that we didn't need it anymore, but but that there was still a need for it.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_05: And we really wanted to have an intentional place where the campers came together, left together.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_05: It was also focused on the age group of six to ten-year-olds, so kindergarten through fourth grade, because at a bigger camp, when you have a seven-year-old and a 16-year-old, the programming is really difficult.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_05: And those younger kids sometimes, you know, don't physically get lost, but like they stay up a little too late, or the or you know, that there's not enough early programming for them.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_05: And so we wanted to create something that was intentional for the first time experience for younger age kids to be able to thrive and practice, and Lauren can get into the skill development and and how we we did that.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I mean, I think like our slogan sort of says it all like sleepaway camp starts here.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_04: And that that is ultimately our our goal is that for campers and families, and I think I can get a little bit more into that maybe when we talk about some of the things that we learned and some of our takeaways.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_04: But for sure, you know, obviously for the campers, but we also realize when you're dealing with kids that are so young, it also is so wildly important that we are also helping the parents learn sleepaway camp.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_04: And that was something that I think was a big takeaway for us in a positive.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_04: I think we felt really good about that experience that we provided for families as well.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_04: And that really one of our goals is that this is a foundational experience for kids and that they're acclimating to overnight camp and that experience, and their parents are acclimating to them being away.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, so it's a lot about, you know, learning how to follow camp routines and develop skills and a lot of skills that kids don't really have necessarily access to build in other ways in their life.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_04: You know, there's a lot about independence and confidence building and social skills and executive functioning skills and and all of those things.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_04: And really, I think from the kid perspective, they just want to have fun and be at camp.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_04: And there's so much behind the scenes of what we are doing to help make that a positive experience for them, but also something that is important and powerful and needed in for kids, you know, in 2026 that, you know, when we get into some of our successes, I think part of what made it so joyful was that we were so intentional and thoughtful about a lot of things that really paid off.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_04: And we saw the the fruits of that labor.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that was really, really powerful and really fun.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_05: So and I think as a society in general, is that parents are realizing and it's why we're all in the industry is that the power of playing outside and being outside and you know, being at camp and learning how to socialize with other people away from technology.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_05: So being able to just give more families camp, whether you know they can't fit a longer session in or they don't know about camp.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_05: So we just want to, you know, kind of provide this parent half where it's like, hey, you get to try this experience and see if it's right for you and and practice together, like Lauren said, as a family, because it's the whole, the whole family that needs practice.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: So good.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: So good.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: Wait, what was the slogan again, Lauren?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Camp sleeping starts here.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_02: Starts here.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's good.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: Whoever came up with that, chef's kiss.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_02: Chef's kiss.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_07: That's you know it's you know it's a camp owners podcast episode when Kelly says Chef's kiss.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_07: I'm just telling you, like, that's we've been doing this for seven years and she drives out the chef's kiss.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: Now I gotta get a new one.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_03: Now you now you know my tricks, Howie.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_03: I'm having to come up with a new tagline.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_07: Gotta prop up the co-host.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_07: Good.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_07: I love it.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_07: Good stuff.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_07: It's good stuff.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so let's talk about the successes.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like when you think about what did we do well this summer, what did you do well?
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: You know, like as the kids would say, gas, gas yourselves up here.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what did you what did you do well?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: Break, humble break for us.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_07: Nice.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's hard.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_04: It is okay.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_04: So Stacey, can I go, can I, yeah.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_04: This kind of connects to the end a little bit, but you know, we we left camp like on such a high.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_04: It was amazing.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_04: But then we also very, very quickly sort of like we were like, oh my God, you know, and this is some of we can, you know, this isn't necessarily some of the successes, but it I'm getting there.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_04: But, you know, we sort of realized all the work that we had to do right away once the summer was over.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_05: And a new business.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_05: We have a new business, and there's a lot that goes into that.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_04: All the things that come with it that aren't necessarily, you know, when you have a startup.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_04: And and so that sort of like deflated us in a lot of ways.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_04: We were like, we thought we were just gonna walk away from camp and just be like on this high for a really long time.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_04: Like, we did it.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my God, we did it.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_04: And we kind of the reality of that came very quickly for us, but not to take away from our successes at all.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_04: But that that was a learning experience, you know.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_04: That was a learning experience in its own.
• 22:30
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• 22:33
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• 22:38
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• 22:45
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• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: Visit them today at campminder.com.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: Can you tell us about that?
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm thinking for the people who are listening to this with ears of, ooh, I want to like doing what you're doing.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Or I think that is some of the realities that we don't always talk about.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_02: So what are some of those things that hit you of like, shoot, I well, I mean, just to be very frank, like to run a whole summer is very expensive.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_04: And so we had came out of a summer knowing, you know, it was our first summer.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_04: Like we had 88, you know, campers across across the summer, which we were thrilled with.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_04: Our goal was 80, you know, so we were, we were so happy about that.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_04: And but obviously we have a lot of debt, you know, like that's just the reality of it.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_04: And so having lived a whole summer of of of that, we were like, oh my God, like, okay, we have a lot of work to do.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_04: We need to start getting campers for 2027, you know, and that immediately sort of like hit us in the face of like, okay, we have to, we have to get going.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's one of our biggest, I have learned that, you know, our successes, without a doubt, are all the things that we did, and I'll get we can get into those at the summer, but some of the things that we learned are, you know, when it's the business, all the other things that come with it too.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_04: And and I think we can pat ourselves on the back that we did a really good job with the summer.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_04: And I think we have some evidence of that.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_04: And one of the things that Stacy and Stacey and I work with an executive coach together.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_04: And so one of the things that when we met with her, is it September stays?
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_04: We were kind of struggling with like we thought we had such an amazing summer, and now we're feeling like, oh my God, all this stress that we have to, you know, now really the work now is continuing to get the word out and continuing to share the positives and the wins that we had, which then translates into campers for next summer.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_04: And so that is the stress that we're feeling now that I think we're really trying hard to.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_04: So this was a good, this was actually a really good, because we had a one of our assignments from our executive coach was to write down all of our successes and all of our cell, you know, to celebrate and to identify what evidence we have that proves those things.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_04: And so doing some of this, you know, we we had been doing that, but then also thinking about how we were going to share that with you guys, being one of, you know, one of the things you knew we knew you were gonna want to know.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_04: It was also affirming, and I think one of you said that, like it was affirming to be like, okay, yes, like we have had all these successes, and it was helpful, it's helpful for us to kind of come back to some of those.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_04: So it is hard to talk about, you know, to pat yourself on the back, but I think we have to name that like we did do a really good job.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_04: And and so, yes, I'm excited to share all those things.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_04: Stace, do you want to jump in on any of them?
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_07: Well, I just want to, I just want to add, Stacy, sorry to interrupt, but running running camp as a business is tougher than ever today, 2026.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_07: We're dealing with so many outside forces, whether you've been in this for a while, whether you're an established business.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_07: And then, yes, I I I totally get the the highs of realizing a dream and getting kids home safely and getting all the kudos that you did, yeah, you know, juxtaposed to this reality of how do we build on this?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_07: How do we how do we learn the nuances of budgeting and capital?
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_07: And how do we find where do we trim?
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_07: Where do we spend more money?
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_07: You know, what does our staff budget look like next year?
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_07: You know, we may not be a camp that's leaning on retention like other camps.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_07: So, how do we go after that?
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_07: And I and the retention part I'm curious about because I know philosophically you said in the last time we were together, like we're a camp that, like, yes, they could stay in our ecosystem of the other camps, but we're actually doing this so kids can get confident and parents can go in other places.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_07: So you have, and maybe you'll talk about this in a in a second, but you also have this philosophy is like they may be one and done with us.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, we define success differently.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_05: Retention is not our success.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_04: It's not, yeah, it's not one of our data points.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_07: It's not a data point.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_07: And that's so interesting because I want the listeners to know that you've intentionally created a place where you're building on 80 kids, 88 kids, and then who knows what the number will be.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_07: But if those kids go elsewhere, you've had them.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_07: And now how do I network or how do we get those families?
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_07: I'm sure is part of the conversation, is how do we get those families to get the word out that this is the this is really a good spot to get your journey started, which is I think is based on your slogan.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_07: So yeah, I get it.
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_07: I think we're all doing that, and but but don't lose so don't lose sight of the successes, like don't lose sight of those things.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, 100%.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that like it started for us with the staff, which is also hard, as you guys know.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_05: Like when you when you have to hire a staff and you don't know how many kids you're gonna have, it's like I'm gonna kind of guess, which I think you know was definitely a success for us with it that our return rate for staff is gonna be one of our, you know, good data points that we're gonna have.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_05: And our support staff, 100% of them want to come back, which is great because it means our community was was so full and and our culture of like including everyone, and just how well the staff and the counselors did in an environment where just like us was brand new, and we we pitched, you know, our beliefs and our philosophy on them, and then they had to go implement it.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_05: And they were they were a huge part of our success.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_05: And learning, you know, I know we talked about this in the first podcast from some of the advice from other shorter session camps is like how important the staff was because they're they're the constant and really like intentionally making sure that they, you know, understand the assignment, but also are cared for because they're gonna have to bring it time and time again.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_05: So I think the return rate of them has been really successful for us.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_05: And and we are getting returners, which is also amazing.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_05: You know, that we have new campers that signed up, you know, we gave tours this year where there was just we've had a full year to explain and also show and have documentation of what we've done where we didn't have a summer last time to do that and to to tour the property and show everyone what we can do.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_05: So we're able to do that now, which has been really, really special.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, the feedback from the families has also been so amazing to hear what it has meant to them and what the experience has meant to their kids and how they come home and all the things that we want to help develop them skill-wise and just as people, and to be able to hear from the families.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_05: They've been so generous with their feedback for us because they are like how we said, going to be who's going to spread the word for us right now.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_05: And because this is a new concept and not a lot of people are doing it, it is one of the challenges we have is to spread this word of you know, some of the camp culture in New England is very longer session camp.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_05: And so people wrapping their head around this when we're saying we can give you more camp and a better heads up, because there's nothing worse than sending a camper who's too young to a longer session camp and have the experience be negative and then not then having to work through that.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_05: So we want to give that head start, even if you do want a longer session camp at whatever camp you want, we want to be able to provide that for them.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_05: So getting that word out is is been really challenging, but our families have been doing so so well helping produce that.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_02: When did you open registration for 2027?
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: Was it right after your session, your summer ended, or when did you open that?
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_02: About halfway through the summer, would you say, Lauren?
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I would say a little more than halfway.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think it was we were almost in July, mid-July, maybe July, maybe?
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it was almost August.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: And then for people listening and maybe who didn't listen to part one, just to catch them up to speed a little bit.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_02: For you know, I know that you are connected with Manitou and Somerset, correct?
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_02: Like there's there's connective piece tissue there.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: So are you trying to kind of feed those camps, but then they also feed you with some people that aren't ready, or it really doesn't work in that kind of model?
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like, are you really sourcing all new campers on your own, or is there some coming from maybe they call one of those camps and are like, oh, we actually aren't ready for that long length of a session and they're sending people to you, or there really is not a connection, a little of both okay, a little both because we have siblings because of our proximity.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_05: We obviously have siblings and you know, friends and and connections there.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_05: So we we do have that sort of filter, but also everywhere we're able to, we we've tried to make connections with a lot of other camp directors, which has been really wonderful too, and they've been supporting us, whether it's in Vermont or New Hampshire or other other camps in Maine and Massachusetts that we're able to connect with and say, you know, hey, I especially when it's like the the second or third child, like this kid's really ready to go, but you know, our session doesn't start until third grade.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_05: And could we send them and then we can transition them back?
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_05: And I think one of the successes we really have found has been beneficial for families and for us is we provide camp families with a camper snapshot, which is what we see from their campers and what make them successful, and and that can help them figure out what their next steps are with the camp with camp.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_05: You know, we do a social emotional piece and a self-care piece, and you know, a little bit about their participation in activities, and we get feedback from all of Camp to be able to provide that for them so that they can then use that information to figure out what the next steps are.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_05: And we're we're happy to help families who need it to give them other options about what camps might be available.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_05: So it's a little of both Kelly in terms of our relationship.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_05: Some families know where they're going and we can help transition that.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_05: And some families don't know if this is right for them and where they should go next.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_05: And we can help them with that too and collaborate with other people who might be helping them too.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_04: One of the things, too, just to piggyback on that, is you know, I think the full circle experience for the parent is a success that we have found.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_04: And in every camp for sure, has a different perspective on, you know, are they doing photos?
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_04: Are they, you know, what kind of communication are they giving to parents?
• 33:09
  SPEAKER_04: Is it, you know, you drop your kid off and you don't hear from them?
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_04: There's a lot of different, you know.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_04: And for us, what we found successful, and and I think we'll continue to do this and improve on it, is that, you know, the when we build you up, right?
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_04: There's like the road to camp and the support that we give a parent and a child to get them to camp.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_04: And then they get there, you know, and in a day at camp, they are receiving from us a morning message.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm writing to them sort of about what's happening at camp, some of the behind the scenes decisions about why we're doing certain things, because I think it's important for them to understand that.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_04: We're sending them our daily newspaper.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_04: It's called the Eastwood Edit.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_04: And so that's what the campers are getting in the morning.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_04: It's like the I'm like the mail delivery person when I drop drop off the newspaper to the tables at breakfast, you know, and everyone's grabbing them.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_04: And but the parents get to see that too, which I think they really enjoyed being able to sort of have that like snapshot of what a day was like for their child.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_04: And then they do get, we, you know, we have, you know, photos that are uploaded every night.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_04: And so parents sort of get that full circle.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_04: Like they hear from me in the morning, hopefully in the morning.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_04: It's the morning message, but some days it's closer to lunch or at lunch, depending on what happened.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_04: And then they're also seeing the edit, and then they're also getting photos.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_04: And then Stacy's reaching out to parents, you know, during the session on a phone call, you know, and then when they come home, they get to have the experience of what their child is sharing with them, of course.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_04: And then they get to live, you know, anything that they, you know, what their kids have come home, you know, any in any with any changes.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_04: But then we're also giving them the snapshot that then is supposed to be, it really is like a rapport card in a way, that is a, you know, an objective sort of touch point or snapshot of what we saw for their for their child, that it really is supposed to be helpful for the parent.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_04: And if they're working with a promoter and that, you know, we send them to the like if we received a camper from an agency, we are sending that to them as well because then they're helping them also find the next place.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_04: And so that I think is something, you know, and if we know they're going to the next camp, we're gonna also provide that to the next camp so that then they have a snapshot of what we saw as a camper and where they can take those skills where they left us off as and then continue with them, you know, in their next in their next phase as a camper.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_04: And so that is something that I think we have gotten some positive ex, you know, some positive feedback on.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_04: And I think we feel really good about that, that like it's it's feedback and data.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_04: And that's what I think, you know, families need.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_04: And so for us, sleepaway camp starts here.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_04: We feel like they need a lot of communication and they need to feel safe, and the campers need to feel safe, and they need to feel at ease with Stacy and I and the you know, the experience that like what you said, Howie, like what we're promising them.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_04: And so part of that for us is we have to be really communicative, like we have to have relationships with our families and help them feel like that this was the you know the right start for their child.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_04: And then wherever they go next, to your point, Kelly, whether it's a Manitou or Somerset or somewhere else, it doesn't matter to us.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_04: Like business-wise, it is not in our best interest to have every camper go to Manitou and Somerset.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_04: You know, obviously, we are trying to help all campers and families, no matter what kind of camp they're gonna go to next.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_07: So yeah, and and just depending on where Somerset and Manitou are in terms of registration, they may not be able to accommodate.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_07: So you can't make those promises either because camp certain, you know, I know right, I know camps have struggled with, you know, registrations are down in 2026, some are really flourishing, some have taken a little dip.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_07: You know, it's all over the place.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_07: I know just in terms of anecdotally, I've been talking to people in the fall.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_07: But as Lauren was talking about that, Kelly, I couldn't help but think like they've adopted first Kelly and I, I can only see almost like a decant little bit of a mentality in terms of communication, because Kelly and I, you know, in our predominant world we are in in the industry, like we've got four-year-olds that come to camp or five-year-olds.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_07: And the this element of peace of mind, not that a parent of a 12-year-old doesn't need peace of mind, but it is something intentionally is a differentiator for you when parents can feel like you have the systems in place to do that.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_07: Now, all being well, you're gonna have to scale that as you grow.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_07: And do you have the people to deliver on that communication as you grow?
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_07: And those are good problems to have in the future, of course.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_07: But I know as a daycamp person, you know, we've got a certain number of kids who kind of run a daycamp bus for an hour every day, and parents want to know all these things.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_07: So we've had to look internally.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_07: The fact that you're willing and being intentional about providing these updates, these feedback, both, you know, to parents.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_07: I think, I think a lot of camps, sleep away and daycamps are doing them, but I I think that, you know, given what you're selling, I can totally see how a parent could say to a parent who's considering it to say, listen, they're going to be in touch with you on a regular basis.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_07: Like this is this is pretty cool.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_07: And and can't all camps have different versions of that, but I like the way that you explained it.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_07: Now, are you I guess my next question to you both are are the roles that you assumed in your first summer?
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_07: You're, you know, we know what it's like to be a camp director and you're wearing all these hats, but you know, what was it like to deal with all the things, right?
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_07: You're dealing with maintenance, you're dealing with staffing issues and dividing and conquering.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_07: And you guys are such a good team, but you and I'm sure you have people who are adjacent to you guys who could do a lot of these things.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_07: Like, talk to talk to us a little bit about first summer, you know, your your hands in the cookie jar and all the things daily kind of thing.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_07: How did that play out the way you intend you you anticipated?
• 39:02
  SPEAKER_07: I'm curious a little bit about that as a first-time camp season operators kind of stuff.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_04: Stacy, I just have one quick.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, sorry, go ahead.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, go no, go ahead.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_04: I was just gonna say, I think one thing that we, you know, we've had a lot of gratitude for a lot of different things.
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_04: And one thing that I think when we were reflecting at the end of the summer, one of our successes, and this is obviously always important, is like hiring well, but our head staff were phenomenal and they are almost entirely educators, and which was intentional.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_04: And so I think part of what helped Stacey and I be successful, and we can we can get into the like what our day looked like and how we broke things out, but I think, you know, knowing that we had a head staff and a camp leadership, that new campers, because they also have come from the camp world, but because they're educators, they can keep coming back to camp.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_04: They also know, you know, child growth and development at elementary education age campers.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_04: I think that helped us because they had a lot of skills from camp and from teaching that helped without a doubt, we couldn't have done it without them.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_04: So, yes, we would be hired well in that we were able to, and I think they really loved it.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_04: I think they're all coming back.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_04: And so that is a win for sure.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_04: But I think that also helped us be successful because they they know camp and they know kids.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_04: So all right, Stace, go ahead.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_05: No, totally, I totally agree.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_05: And I was gonna say that we kind of had to take like a road of okay, where is our help gonna be?
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_05: And and in learning from Somerset, we took, okay, we're gonna get heads of departments basically, so that the day-to-day stuff for you know, we ahead of creative, ahead of aquatics, ahead of athletics and adventure.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_05: And so the areas that the kids were going to, especially the pool and swim lessons and arts and crafts, like that's gonna be taken care of so that Lauren, you know, and I can focus on, you know, for me, more of the campers and the staff piece, and for her, you know, the program and the day-to-day of logistics.
• 41:03
  SPEAKER_05: And so we had to sort of like take one thing off our plate.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_05: And I think that that worked really well for us, that we we had, like Lauren said, educators who were able to help the staff with lesson plans and and run all the instructionals that with the teaching moments so that the other things we could take care of, if that makes sense.
• 41:21
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• 42:42
  SPEAKER_04: Ended up really taking the lead on all camper-facing camper care.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_04: You know, she had a lot of experience with that coming from Somerset.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_04: And so we leaned a lot on her.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_04: We we learned some things coming from because I I know I've always worked at Manitou.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_04: So I think I said this on the last time we were together.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_04: I have three children that are all girls.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm a mom of three girls, but I worked exclusively at a boys' camp.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_04: Whereas Stacey, you know, has a boy and a girl as a mom and came from a girls' camp.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_04: So we Manitou and Somerset are so similar in so many ways, but also we knew they were different.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_04: But then we also found out some of our like learnings this summer.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_04: We're like, oh my God, you know, we didn't realize that, you know, and so Stacy was really amazing working with campers and their families specifically.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_04: And then I I took more of the lead on overseeing the program and the day-to-day logistics and a little bit more of like the finance business behind the scene, you know, the more of the admin stuff.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_05: Nice, nice, you know, and it sometimes I'd have to like protect Lauren because she needed to do work that didn't require other human beings.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_05: So I would need a shield because she amazingly could do so much stuff behind the scenes that I have no interest in QuickBooks and or like order, you know, I don't know how to order through through the food order.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_05: And so I would just be like, Lauren is unavailable.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_05: You have me.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_05: I'm gonna protect her so she can do all the things behind.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and Stacey put a lot of campers to bed, which I was very tempted about.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, back to putting campers to bed.
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_05: I I reminisced a lot about 2018 with the first summer at SummerSun.
• 44:19
  SPEAKER_05: So fun to put campers to bed.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, so fun to be in there and to be a part of the day-to-day.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_05: But I think we we kind of knew our lanes and they they predicted how we thought they were gonna be, and then we just had to lean into them a little bit more.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_05: I think we thought it was really important that we we both know all of all of it, but then you there's actually so much.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_05: You can do if it's not your strength for me, anyway.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_05: What's interesting too?
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, go ahead, no, you just learn to grab towards the things that kind of get you excited too.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_07: And some of them are new, and some of them are kind of the old things you kind of lean in on, which is really cool.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_07: Go ahead, Lauren.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_07: Sorry.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_04: No, I was gonna say we shared an office this summer, and so we were together a lot, and then our head staff sort of had had some space and we had like a meeting area that was sort of adjacent to us.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_04: And so I think for our first summer it was really helpful because we were so connected on so many different things.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_04: What proved difficult is what Stacey said for me was like I had to sometimes go hide other places because people were just constantly like if we were in the office, which you know you're not a lot of the time, but when you are, you know, you want to be accessible, which we were, but then sometimes it proved challenging in other ways when I was trying to do payroll or different things like that, and I'd get interrupted.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, so that's one of the learning lessons that we have for next year of some of the changes we're gonna make with that.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_07: So yeah, maybe just Kelly, I don't know what you're you're thinking of, but one of the things that came to mind, just remind everyone, you had a break between each one week session.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_07: Did you have how did it work, Seth?
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my god, could you talk about that?
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_07: Because I wanna I wanna jump into because that's very new, I think, for both of you.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_07: It would it would it not be just this a session ends and then we have to reset and get ready?
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_07: And I just maybe you could speak to that.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, I think a lot of camps do that, but was this a first time implementing that kind of approach?
• 46:05
  SPEAKER_05: Yes, with a break.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_07: With a break.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my god, in the break, with the like the you know, campers leaving, you know, for example, on a Friday and being able to like reset camp and everything, giving the staff off on a Saturday and then having campers come again on Sunday, which was yeah, for us, like there was never a time that there was no campers at camp.
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_05: And so I think somerset, yeah, right.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, like twofold was obviously like we could breathe because we had a night that we weren't taking care of, you know, all the kids and we could catch up on our sleep, but also the reset that the staff was able to have a day off together and without you know, without campers or worrying about that, and also though being able to have like a staff meeting and learn from it.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_05: That's how they became veterans really quickly is we could A, we didn't have to embed like a staff meeting into a period of time that was like kind of crazy or late at night.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_05: We could have a staff meeting, we could really walk through the successes from the session, what we've learned, what we want to change, and and and really the communication with the staff felt a lot more productive in those moments to be able to learn from it and then you know improve as the summer went on.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_04: And that was that was, I think, something that was we we planned that obviously purposefully, but I think we underestimated the power of it in that you know, we knew having campers, and we talked about this last time with you know little campers and the the drain that that can have emotionally.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_04: Like you I feel like we're sort of in between, you know, there we have a lot of connections with US day camp, you know, directors, but also, you know, moving them to sessions.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_04: I think it was really powerful for the staff and their connection, because like Stacey said, the the constant that they had all summer, and they did change cabins.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_04: So there we, you know, each session we were able to sort of, and that was one of the things that also I think we underestimated the power of when because we had with four sessions, we were able to sort of reflect as a group at our staff meetings.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_04: And so we all got in the practice of thinking about what went well, what didn't go well, how do we want to reset that for this session, what changes do we want to make for the staff dynamics and the groups?
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_04: And we had a lot of opportunity to build on that right in that, you know, in the summer in ways that we can't do in a long session because you can't you just don't have those resets.
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_04: And so that was something that I think we found really positive, you know, as we went along.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_04: And so this upcoming, we actually changed the way some of our sessions are falling, but you know, we're still building in, we're doing five sessions next year.
• 48:41
  SPEAKER_04: So, you know, I think, and we're doing a mini camp.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_04: So we're trying out something where there's it's like a three night session.
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_04: It's like a, you know, an even shorter session than a one week and you know, and and living, it was so interesting, you know, when we think about our lessons learned, like we were so curious what the difference was going to be, if any, between a one week and a two-week session.
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_04: Because when you think of the context of like when we're coming from three and a half or seven, one and two weeks, we were like, that's like nothing compared to three and a half or seven, but we couldn't believe the difference between one week and two weeks coming from just having those two next to each other.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_04: So that was really fascinating.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, we, you know, I think for sure the the reset and the ability to have that was a success that we we were really happy with.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_02: So you're kind of already naturally talking about that.
• 49:31
  SPEAKER_02: And you mentioned a couple.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_02: So what are those looking into next year?
• 49:36
  SPEAKER_02: What are those takeaways of like we are keeping that or we are changing this?
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_02: So you talked about you're restructuring a few sessions, but you're still gonna have a break.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_02: I heard you say about your office.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_02: Is that like you're moving your office?
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_02: You can have well, like what can you, you know, highlight some of those takeaways that you have for keeping or changing for 27?
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, I'll talk program and then Stacey can get into a little bit more camper stuff.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_04: But I think we quick, I quickly realized the complexity of the manito program is like it's really complex.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_04: There, we there's a lot of nuances to it.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_04: And it's because it's also there's some elective, there's it's just really, it's really, there's a lot of layers.
• 50:16
  SPEAKER_04: We realized really quickly that, you know, we we we actually programmed really well for the age.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_04: We were really happy with our daily schedule, and we're actually not making any changes to that.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_04: We started early, we ended early.
• 50:28
  SPEAKER_04: We talked about this with you guys.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_04: We built in a lot of time for free play, we built in a lot of snacks, we needed their basic needs to be met, you know, and really they flourished because of that.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_04: But the program wasn't really complicated as a full calendar.
• 50:42
  SPEAKER_04: You know, the days were really routined, and then we were really able to, in the evenings, change things up for the evening activities.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_04: And that was something we learned along the way.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_04: I thought we were gonna, I had planned to have a few things repeat over the course of the sessions.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_04: And for the staff and for our own, we decided not to, we really we we rarely repeated.
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_04: We did a few things like the opening night, we did the same because that was really good.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_04: And there were a few other things that we sprinkled in that we did, you know, maybe twice over the summer, but we found that we needed to, for the staff's sake, not have things be so repetitive, you know.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_04: So that was something that we learned.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_04: And and and I think the whether it was because it was our first summer and everything was novel for everyone, generally speaking, campers were really easy to please.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_04: They had such a sense of awe and excitement, and it was novel.
• 51:33
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, we made we made sure their basic needs were met and they had fun and they played and they loved their counselors and they loved meeting friends.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, I think there were some things we were really self-conscious about going into the summer that in reflection, Stacey and I have talked a lot about were actual strengths.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_04: And so this is something that we we've thought a lot about how we can actually market this in that, like, for example, we have access to the lake, right?
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_04: Like we would we each session the kids would go out on the inflatables or some of them went out on a boat, but that wasn't a daily experience for them.
• 52:06
  SPEAKER_04: And at Manitone Somerset, it is a daily experience on the lake.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_04: And so our pool, though, is phenomenal.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's a huge L-shaped pool.
• 52:14
  SPEAKER_04: There's a really, really deep end, there's a really shallow end, it has a beautiful pergola.
• 52:18
  SPEAKER_04: We had different games, you know, out there was a ping pong table, a huge connect four.
• 52:23
  SPEAKER_04: We had a water table that was like separate.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_04: So kids that were not necessarily going to be comfortable in the water, we knew that we wanted to make sure that the kids, you know, their needs were met.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_04: The pool was amazing.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_04: They were in the pool in swim lessons every single day and they had a free swim every single day.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_04: It was the most popular time of the day for staff too.
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_04: They loved it.
• 52:41
  SPEAKER_04: Kids, staff who were not on duty at free swim would come and go to free swim because it was fun, you know.
• 52:47
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that was one thing that we learned that, like for kids that are six to 10, the pool is is where it's at.
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_04: You know, the lake can be intimidating.
• 52:56
  SPEAKER_04: And is it is there a benefit to being able to take them out on the inflatables and show them the magic of that?
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_04: But on a day-to-day basis, they should be at the pool.
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_04: They don't need the lake.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's for the older kids, you know, and even the size of our property, like we were, when you compare it to Manitone Somerset, it's so much smaller.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_04: And it doesn't, you know, we don't have like a huge ninja course or a climbing tower, but we actually didn't need those things.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_04: They would, they were for the older kids, you know, and the things that we had, the Adventure Woods was such a hit.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_04: It was amazing.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_04: The kids loved it.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_04: The size and the layout, like you can really kind of see almost everything from certain parts, you know.
• 53:34
  SPEAKER_04: The kids, it it was a it was an advantage, you know, and that was something we were kind of nervous about.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_04: Like when Stacey would tour people, you know, if they were gonna go to other places, we're like, oh, how are they gonna, what are they gonna think of the facility?
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_04: You know, they loved it.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_04: It was amazing for our age group, it's perfect.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_04: So I think, you know, we learned a lot.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_04: Stacey can talk a lot about what we learned in the difference between boys and girls and having co-ed versus just a girl camp or a boy camp.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
• 54:00
  SPEAKER_05: That was that was well said though, Lauren.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_05: It was the property is just so perfect for our age group.
• 54:06
  SPEAKER_05: But yeah, I if I knew someone is going to Somerset for a tour, like, Kate, let me tour them first.
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_05: They have to tour here first.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_05: They can't go there and then come, you know, like and so that but it's such a strength.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_05: The sight lines are so good.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_05: And I did have, you know, friends who came from other because I do live i in Colorado in the off season.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_05: I have friends who came from out here, and summer camp is different out here, and there's a few camps that are shorter session that I always kind of like, oh, maybe we're kind of like that.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_05: And then they came and like, your camp's amazing, it's beautiful.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_05: It's like, okay, Pew, we're we're we're we're we're we're on the line of of what the expectation should be for a camp.
• 54:44
  SPEAKER_05: And so that felt good because you just you don't know, you it's what we've been used to.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_05: And so I think that some of the other, you know, when Lauren said that I put kids to bed, like I usually put girls to bed.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_05: By the time I got to the younger boys' cabin, they were asleep, right?
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_05: Like that was some differences, or you know, we might have an activity that we that we thought would they would all like, and it's like, oh, you know, the boys like this a little more, the girls didn't, or vice versa.
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_05: Like we tried a karaoke night, it turned more into a sing-along, and then we were kind of like, I don't know if we'll ever do this again because we had to kind of some of them know that.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_05: Right, exactly.
• 55:26
  SPEAKER_05: They think they can, they think they can, but then when you get up there, they can.
• 55:29
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and so being able to also, as Lauren pointed out, like we could pivot because of weather, because of what we thought, because of how the staff is feeling, because of how the camper's feeling, we can pivot the schedule really easily where we felt like we're like, oh yeah, we can just change that.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_05: Everyone knows, everyone's here, we can just tell everyone, we're on the same page, and so having that ability to be adaptable even more than normal because we're not moving 500 people, we're only moving like you know, 60 people at a time was so liberating to have it work for what was going on.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you have those really hot days, or you have some rain that comes, being able to even have a successful program even more because you can just you can just change it up.
• 56:13
  SPEAKER_07: Wow.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_07: Um wow, it's and I'm sure on a daily basis you guys kind of looked at each other and say, you're like, Wow, we can do this.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_07: We didn't think we could do this, but we can do it because the kids are this.
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_07: And it it's refreshing to hear this kind of description because Kelly and I live in a world where the vast majority of the campers we serve are under nine, right?
• 56:34
  SPEAKER_07: And so when you use Lauren, the word like just the awe that younger kids get with some of the simplest things, like sometimes we get caught up in how extravagant things might be or how elaborate a story has to be to do a camp wide program or things, but you keep it simple for the this age group.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_07: And and they, you know, listen, I have a daughter who's marrying a firefighter, his crew brought the fire truck for 45 minutes.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_07: You put a fire truck in front of kids under nine or 10, and I'm telling you, it's the greatest thing they've ever done.
• 57:06
  SPEAKER_07: So all I know is that you know it's it's it's refreshing to hear that, you know, that this perspective and and also giving yourself permission that you know the parents aren't going to be so nitpicky that they didn't do these super elaborate things.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_01: Oh exactly.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_07: Exactly.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_07: So good for you for recognizing that.
• 57:25
  SPEAKER_07: And obviously, it will become part of the planning for 2027 where you can, you know, not be so hard on yourself that you have to like think of this or do this and stuff like that.
• 57:37
  SPEAKER_07: And and obviously, with a returning staff that you're anticipating, you know, you already have a team that's on board with understanding that, which is so cool, which is really good.
• 57:47
  SPEAKER_04: One of the biggest questions, too, I think people have asked us is about homesickness and having such little kids.
• 57:55
  SPEAKER_04: Stacey, like we, I mean, she did obviously help put kids to bed, but overwhelmingly, we had so little homesickness.
• 58:02
  SPEAKER_04: It was shocking.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_04: Amazing.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_07: It was shocking.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_07: Amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing.
• 58:06
  SPEAKER_05: And just like draw like cabin drama in general that longer session can't get just because of the amount of time they're together.
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_05: Like kids miss home and they get over it a little quicker because there's only so much time there and they're younger, and so they're just a little bit easier to, you know, tire out and distract.
• 58:22
  SPEAKER_05: But also the drama that happens within Academy, oh yeah, you know, wasn't wasn't as prominent because they weren't together as long.
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_05: So they didn't, you know, they still could develop all these skills and this routine and this great experience without you know, yeah, having um having that.
• 58:38
  SPEAKER_07: It's listen, we could we could really talk a lot about it, pick your brain.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_07: And I think you've kind of opened a window for our listeners to, you know, what this journey's been like.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_07: Kelly, I'm so happy we did this because it's it's it's really good.
• 58:55
  SPEAKER_07: And first and foremost, congratulations.
• 58:58
  SPEAKER_07: Amazing way to go, and and wish you both just super continued success.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_07: And I encourage people in a moment we're gonna share, you know, contact information.
• 59:07
  SPEAKER_07: But if you want to pick Stacy and Lauren's brain on some things that you know they discovered with particularly this age group, you know, and just stuff that they've instinctively not know as great moms and and great camp people, yeah, I would do it.
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_07: So here we go.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_07: Last time we were closing out a show, we did like, what are your favorite things?
• 59:26
  SPEAKER_07: We did, you know, like, do you like you know s'more is burnt or you know, golden round?
• 59:31
  SPEAKER_07: Although we're not doing that because we've already done that.
• 59:32
  SPEAKER_07: Go listen to their answers and the other in the show.
• 59:36
  SPEAKER_07: I guess, I guess, as busy, busy people in the off season, like we all are, like just quickly, like Lauren, a guilty pleasure, something that now that camp is over that you like to do.
• 59:45
  SPEAKER_07: Do you binge Netflix?
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_07: Is there a show?
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_07: Is there anything?
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_07: Do you read?
• 59:49
  SPEAKER_07: Do you do you jog incessantly like when the kids are in school?
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_07: Like so, maybe for both of you, you could share with us a guilty pleasure in the offseason.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, a guilty pleasure.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_04: I will say, I think the one thing I've maybe enjoyed the most, which isn't a guilty pleasure, but I will give you that next is just having a more autonomy again of my time and being able to like, you know, in camp, you're so focused on the business in camp that your families take the backseat and your health maybe takes the back seat and your self-care and all that stuff.
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_04: And so being able to come out of camp and have that ability again is totally nice.
• 1:00:23
  SPEAKER_04: Um, yeah.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_04: For me, oh goodness gracious, I think it's not very fun, but reading has been I you have I don't know, I I don't read at all.
• 1:00:32
  SPEAKER_04: Stacy's a little bit better about reading at night than I can.
• 1:00:34
  SPEAKER_07: Oh, he's a huge reader.
• 1:00:35
  SPEAKER_04: I can't, I just can't get into it at camp.
• 1:00:37
  SPEAKER_04: I have a really hard time.
• 1:00:38
  SPEAKER_04: And so being able to like sit down and actually have time to read again is amazing.
• 1:00:42
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm I'm in a series now that I'm able to like it's been really fun.
• 1:00:47
  SPEAKER_04: Great.
• 1:00:47
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, what's the series?
• 1:00:48
  SPEAKER_02: Real quick, what's the series?
• 1:00:49
  SPEAKER_04: Well, it's the all-campus series.
• 1:00:51
  SPEAKER_04: So, you know, before the summer, I had watched the first season because there's only one season out on Prime, and I loved it.
• 1:00:57
  SPEAKER_04: And so then now I've been able to, I think I'm on book three or four now.
• 1:01:01
  SPEAKER_04: So, but I just got the the next two books that are come that are out, so I'm excited.
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_05: Great, okay, Stacy.
• 1:01:06
  SPEAKER_01: Stacy.
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I mine's a little more guilty than Lauren.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_05: I, you know, we all work on our self-care when we're at camp, but we never are able to do as much as we want to do.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_05: So being able to like get a massage or go to a yoga class is like just and and get back to being able to, you know, take care of ourselves is you know, a massage for me.
• 1:01:26
  SPEAKER_05: It's just like where it's at at the old age for my body, you know, because it is a toll on our bodies as well, you know, a different type of of going and and exercise.
• 1:01:36
  SPEAKER_05: So being able to get back to a routine for that is good.
• 1:01:39
  SPEAKER_04: It's definitely and and being able to have coffee every day from uncle and your coffee.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_07: Good.
• 1:01:45
  SPEAKER_07: Love all of that.
• 1:01:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's so good.
• 1:01:48
  SPEAKER_02: What about you guys?
• 1:01:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, Howie, what about you?
• 1:01:53
  SPEAKER_07: Well, just just getting back into the swing of just getting fitter and stuff like that.
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_07: I find that just just I've been trying to prioritize that.
• 1:02:01
  SPEAKER_07: But uh guilty pleasure, just catching up on sort of certain shows that I need to actually I've had this guilty pleasure of re-watching my favorite episodes from some of my favorite series of the last.
• 1:02:13
  SPEAKER_07: Like I've been watching a lot of old Ted Lasso, old original Ted Lasso, but I'm a big Sopranos fan, so I started watching season one again.
• 1:02:22
  SPEAKER_07: So I just needed some time.
• 1:02:24
  SPEAKER_07: And yeah, my wife hates when I rewatch things, so it's a good, she just says, Okay, you do your thing, I'll do my thing.
• 1:02:30
  SPEAKER_07: But that's a guilty pleasure.
• 1:02:33
  SPEAKER_02: Kelly?
• 1:02:34
  SPEAKER_02: Well, reading, I'm ahead of my good read school, which is pretty exciting.
• 1:02:38
  SPEAKER_02: I'm at 36 books this year, which feels good.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_02: But besides that, long walks with friends, I'm kind of like, hey, I'm out of my cocoon.
• 1:02:48
  SPEAKER_02: And then a massage because also post-camp work, the outside stuff.
• 1:02:53
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, oh feel my age.
• 1:02:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, those would be mine.
• 1:02:57
  SPEAKER_02: So awesome.
• 1:02:59
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 1:02:59
  SPEAKER_02: With people that have questions or want to get in touch with everybody, we'll start with Howie and we'll go on down.
• 1:03:06
  SPEAKER_02: So, Howie, if people want to get a hold of you after this, hear your favorite Sopanos episode or how Robin Hood was, how can they get a hold of you?
• 1:03:13
  SPEAKER_07: Howie at camprovinhood.ca, please reach out and on social at Howie Grossinger on Instagram.
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 1:03:21
  SPEAKER_02: For me, it's Kelly with a Y at hiddenpinesranch.com or my Instagram is on the show notes.
• 1:03:28
  SPEAKER_02: Stacy, what about you?
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I'm Stacy with also in with an E.
• 1:03:32
  SPEAKER_05: So S T A C E Y at Campeastwood.com.
• 1:03:36
  SPEAKER_02: And Lauren.
• 1:03:38
  SPEAKER_02: Same.
• 1:03:38
  SPEAKER_02: Lauren at camp eastwood.com.
• 1:03:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 1:03:42
  SPEAKER_02: Again, thank you to our sponsors.
• 1:03:45
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you to GoCamp Pro.
• 1:03:47
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Stacy and Lauren.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_02: I think that this is gonna be a great episode for anyone looking to own a camp, start a camp, thinking about sessions, thinking about younger kids.
• 1:04:01
  SPEAKER_02: I just my biggest takeaway is what a great resource you're gonna be for those individuals, for people in the camp world, especially with conference season coming up.
• 1:04:10
  SPEAKER_02: I think people are going to seek you out and just kind of pick your brains and find out more.
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_02: So we just really appreciate you following up for giving us this debrief and being available to share all the things from your summer.
• 1:04:24
  SPEAKER_05: And we really want to thank you guys.
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_05: We're so grateful to have this space to celebrate because, like we said at the beginning, like we really felt like we we wanted to give it a proper like reflection.
• 1:04:33
  SPEAKER_05: And it's kind of hard, as we know, moving moving into a new state season.
• 1:04:38
  SPEAKER_05: And we we love to collaborate with other directors and owners.
• 1:04:41
  SPEAKER_05: And so we're we're more than happy to to work with people and you know, maybe collaborate with with any part of staff, campers, camp life.
• 1:04:49
  SPEAKER_05: So we really appreciate you giving this outlet.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_02: Sounds like it was good homework or good fitting with your homework from your executive coach, too.
• 1:04:56
  SPEAKER_02: So we we killed two birds of Lenstone, just like good, just like good camp people.
• 1:05:00
  SPEAKER_02: Just like good camp people, efficient, more efficient, multitasking.
• 1:05:04
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 1:05:04
  SPEAKER_02: So, listeners, please don't forget you can find all of our show notes at gocamp.pro slash ownerspad.
• 1:05:10
  SPEAKER_02: You can also find resources we mentioned, contact information, other episodes, all the good things.
• 1:05:15
  SPEAKER_02: We hope you enjoyed this.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening, and we'll see you on the next episode.
• 1:05:19
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in to the Camp Owners Podcast.
• 1:05:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you like what you heard, please leave us a review on Apple Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget, you can find our show notes at gocamp.pro slash ownerspod.
• 1:05:31
  SPEAKER_00: The Camp Owners Podcast is part of the GoCamp Pro Podcast Network.
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_00: Find a podcast for camp pros of every age and stage at gocamp.pro slash podcast.
• 1:05:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is GoCamp Pro.
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_00: Camp Leadership Unfiltered.